Head of German

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

Head of German

Department:

Modern Foreign Languages

Hours of Work:

Full-Time, Term Time

Remuneration
and remission:

1 management point

Responsible To:

Responsible For:

German Department

Summary of Role
The German Department sets high expectations and has an excellent record of achievement in public
examinations, both at GCSE and A Level, with outcomes consistently above national averages and strong value-
added progress across all ability levels. The department is innovative in its teaching, combining well-established
pedagogical approaches with carefully selected digital resources to create a stimulating and supportive learning
environment.

Teaching places a strong emphasis on phonics, grammatical progression, and confident spoken production. Small
class sizes enable a high level of individual support, while approaches such as Gianfranco Conti’s methodology
enhance engagement and outcomes, particularly for younger learners.

The department offers a rich and varied programme of cultural enrichment, including a long-standing exchange
with the Sacred Heart school in Hamburg (Sophie-Barat-Schule) and an annual trip to the Christmas markets in
Switzerland (organised by the Head of Department).

We are seeking a well-qualified, enthusiastic, and committed Head of German with strong subject knowledge and
a clear vision for curriculum development. The successful candidate will lead a thriving department, inspire
students of all abilities, and continue to build on its academic and co-curricular success.

Objectives

(1)  QUALITY ASSURANCE: To secure and maintain high standards of teaching and learning in the subject. To
ensure  that  the  quality  of  the  educational  experience  provided  within  the  department  for  all  pupils,
regardless of ability, serves as a positive advertisement for Woldingham School.

(2)  PUPIL ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING: To establish maintain and review practices for the close monitoring

of every individual pupil’s progress.

(3)  LEADERSHIP OF STAFF: To support, guide and motivate all teachers within the department. To work closely
with the School Leadership Team (SLT) to identify, anticipate and resolve any problems affecting the morale
of the staff in the department and their ability to perform their jobs to a high standard. To take an ongoing
interest in the professional development of all staff in the department.

(4)  EFFECTIVE  STRATEGIC  THINKING:  To  continually  evaluate  the  effectiveness  of  teaching  and  learning
practices, schemes of work, qualifications and courses on offer in order to ensure that pupils are always
being  provided  with  the  best  learning  opportunities  available.  To  identify  and  anticipate  needs  in  the
subject and consider these in relation to the overall needs of the school.

(5)  RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: To ensure that human and other resources within the department are always

employed to maximum positive effect.

(6)  MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: To work closely with SLT and the Marketing Department to advertise

the strengths and achievements of the department and the school.

(7)  CONTRIBUTING TO WHOLE SCHOOL LIFE: To share in all aspects of school life.

Under Objective 1

•  To hold regular fortnightly department meetings which include routine sharing of good practice and

resources.

•  To clearly communicate the teaching and learning standards and objectives of your department and the

whole school to all members of staff under your leadership.

•  To develop an atmosphere of intellectual enthusiasm and the open sharing of ideas and good practice

within your department.

•  To carry out a regular annual calendar of quality assurance activities within the framework laid down by

the school.

•  To respond to concerns regarding any aspect of the teaching of a member of department with swift,

effective and fair quality assurance activities.

•  To ensure that the appropriate members of SLT are kept promptly and fully informed of any serious

quality assurance concerns.

•  To ensure that appropriate differentiation is occurring in all classes within your subject.
•  To ensure that – both within and outside the classroom – those pupils that show a particular aptitude for
or interest in your subject are provided with appropriate opportunities for academic extension and
enrichment.

•  To have a clear and practical set of strategies in place for dealing with underachieving pupils in your

subject.

Under objective 2

•  To ensure, through standard quality assurance activities, that assessment is being carried out according to

the criteria laid down in the academic section of the staff handbook.

•  To work with the Academic Leadership Team to use baseline data such as CEM test scores and predictions
to inform teaching and learning, grade predictions for pupils, setting/banding of pupils and intervention
to support underachieving pupils.

•  To ensure that all reports produced by members of the department meet the criteria laid down in the

academic section of the staff handbook.

Under objective 3

•  To ensure that all the staff under your leadership – particularly those who are new to the school – know

what is expected of them.

•  To ensure that any new members of your department know where to access all the information they

need and are closely monitored and supported during their initial months.

•  To support staff who are facing a challenge in a particular area of their teaching with a professional blend

of firm direction and emotional support.

•  To get to know the particular strengths and interests of your staff and to ensure that these are recognised,

employed and developed.

•  To ensure that staff CPD is a part of your annual cycle of quality assurance. To have a clear record of which

INSETS and CPD opportunities your staff are attending.

•  To  encourage  and  develop  particular  responsibilities  among  your  staff  (e.g.  key  stage  coordination,  ICT
development  and  training  responsibility,  G&T  responsibility  etc.)  but  also  to  be  sensitive  to  the  risk  of
overloading.

•  To take responsibility for, and work with SLT to successfully intervene in, any tensions that arise among the

staff under your leadership.

Under objective 4

•  To continually review the effectiveness of all of the following:

i)

ii)

iii)
iv)

v)
vi)

The  courses offered by your current exam board in relation to those on offer from other exam
boards.
The  qualifications  currently  pursued  by  your  pupils  in  relation  to  any  others  on  offer  for  the
equivalent age/ability groups.
Departmental SoWs for each year group.
Departmental  trips  (organised  by  the  Head  of  Department),  visiting  speakers  and  other  such
enrichment activities.
Technologies, textbooks and all other non-human resources used by the department.
Teaching practices employed within the department.

•  To communicate any proposed strategic changes to the appropriate members of SLT in a clear and concise

fashion that sets out the advantages, costs and risks of any proposed change.

•  To be open to new technologies and teaching practices that are proposed by others, whether from within

or outside your department.

•  To make use of student-voice when undertaking strategic reviews.

Under objective 5

•  To nurture the staff under your leadership as laid down under objective 3.
•  To review physical resources as laid down under objective 4.
•  To ensure that, as far as possible within whole-school timetabling constraints, the departmental timetable
is employing all staff where their particular strengths and enthusiasms will have the most positive impact.
•  To anticipate future resource needs (whether staffing or non-human) as accurately and early as possible,
to  aid  whole-school  recruitment  and  budgetary  processes  and  help  ensure  that  your  needs  can  be
effectively met by SLT.

•  To liaise closely with the Library Manager, and to keep abreast of paper and electronic resources in your
field, to ensure that students have access to – and training in – research opportunities beyond the use of
standard textbooks etc.

Under objective 6

•  To ensure that the profile of your subject is sufficiently prominent, both within and beyond the school,

through strategies.

•  To use academic enrichment events and/or subject-related societies to combine academic benefit for the

pupils with effective marketing for your department and the whole school.

•  To ensure that your department contributes fully to the positive image of the school on occasions such as
Open  Days  -  through  careful  preparation  of  the  staff  under  your  leadership,  of  physical  displays  and
resources and of any activities on offer to visitors.

•  To ensure that the department is well organised for the preparation and marking of Sixth Form entrance

and scholarship papers (where necessary).

•  To  ensure  that  all  requests  for  the  updating  of  course  booklets  and  other  materials  for  existing  and

prospective parents are responded to with due care and attention and carried out to-deadline.

•  To ensure that all your staff are well prepared for parent-teacher meetings.
•  To  ensure  that  any  staff  absences  from  parent-teacher  meetings  are,  as  far  as  possible,  flagged  up  in
advance, and that any absences are compensated for by swift and useful communication to parents both
before and after the event.

•  To ensure that any communications from parents (whether direct to you or passed on from Heads of Year

or SLT) are dealt with in a prompt and thorough manner.

Under objective 7

•  To communicate with SLT regarding whole school developments or procedures in a way that is honest but

constructive.

•  To be sensitive to whole-school perspectives when engaged in dialogue concerning allocation of time or

physical resources for your department.

•  To take an active and positive role in whole staff sharing of educational ideas and initiatives. To encourage

the staff under your leadership to do the same.

•  To undertake any additional duties, as laid down by school policies (e.g. study supervision) or as reasonably

requested by the Head.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Desirable

Operational Excellence

•  Experienced teacher with a proven track record of success
•  Well qualified graduate with a degree in German or closely related subject
•  The ability to teach German to KS5.
•  The ability to blend firmness, patience and empathy when dealing with

difficult individuals or situations

•  The ability to show an interest in the welfare, happiness and professional

development of those under your leadership.
•  Fluent and accurate written and spoken English

Personal Behaviours

•  The ability to communicate effectively with a range of staff, pupils and parents.
•  The ability to anticipate and solve problems, making decisions within the

wider context of whole school

•  A good communicator who is able to inspire an interest in the subject.
•  The  ability  to  plan  time  effectively,  organise  oneself  and  balance  strategic

development with day-to-day events

•  A team player who can adapt to unforeseen challenges while maintaining

their professionalism

Ethos and Whole School Values

•  An enthusiasm for the subject area and an ongoing interest in developments
within it. A clear vision of how the department should develop over the next
few years with the ability to communicate this to staff and pupils under your
leadership

•  Able to operate at the heart of the school community
•  Committed to the Sacred Heart Values
•  Commitment to Woldingham as a school with high academic standing

providing a holistic education and outstanding pastoral care

Safeguarding and Pastoral

•  Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young

people

•  A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS

Leadership and Management

•  The ability to lead and manage people to work towards a common goal
•  Willingness to foster an environment where colleagues can grow and fulfil

their personal ambitions

•  Ownership and implementation of a short and long term vision for the

department