Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Jordanhill School
Information for Applicants

www.jordanhill.gla

Job Title
                                                           0.6 FTE Permanent

Teacher of Geography

Deadline for application:   Monday 2 March 2026

Interview date:

TBC

Start date:

Monday 10 August 2026

Remuneration
Our teachers are paid on SNCT scales and are part of the SPPA pension scheme.

Welcome
Jordanhill School is an exciting place to work. We
are an all-through school educating children from
Primary 1 to Secondary 6 and we are renowned not
just for academic excellence, but for helping
children experience a rounded education involving
sports, music, drama and art. Underpinning our
work is a commitment to our vision, values and
aims.

We are the local comprehensive school. No fees
are paid and there is no selection on any grounds
other than residency. Almost all our pupils live
within the catchment area and there is a very
substantial waiting list for places.

Jordanhill has the highest levels of attainment and
the highest percentage of pupils progressing to
Higher Education amongst state schools in
Scotland. Our success is founded on placing our
pupils and staff at the heart of our work.  We offer a
wonderful learning environment, excellent
resources and a commitment to help every child
achieve to the very best of their abilities.

Jordanhill School enjoys close links with neighbouring schools, both local authority and
independent, and the wider educational community.

This post offers an opportunity to become part of a highly successful Geography department
and contribute to the school’s reputation and success story. We look forward to receiving
your application.

John Anderson
Rector (Principal and Chief Executive)

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Jordanhill School

Jordanhill School is situated in the West End of Glasgow. We are fortunate to be a combined
Primary and Secondary School with a total school roll of approximately 1050, aged from 4 to
18. Primary has 66 pupils per year P1 to P7; Secondary 99 pupils per year S1 to S4 and 195 in
S5/S6. Almost all pupils stay on to complete an S6 allowing us to offer an extensive
programme of Advanced Highers. We open our S6 experience to Glasgow City pupils and
regularly have around 30 pupils attending S6 from schools across the city.

Jordanhill School was founded in 1920 as part of the teacher training facility at Jordanhill
College and was managed by the College until 1 April 1988.  From this date the school has
been managed by a Company, limited by guarantee and incorporated under the Companies
Act 1985, which bears the name Jordanhill School. The school is also a registered charity
(SCO 04463).

Jordanhill School is funded directly by a grant from the Scottish Government, under the
provisions of the Jordanhill School Grant Regulations 1988. Jordanhill is the only mainstream
Grant Aided school in Scotland.  We are not part of a local authority which gives us significant
autonomy to tailor our teaching and policies to our own pupils and staff. We work closely with
Glasgow City Council with all staff entitled to participate in GCC CPD and other supports.  We
work closely with neighbouring Primary and Secondary schools, both state and independent.
We are also member of SCIS which allows staff access to support, CPD and networking with
colleagues from the independent sector too.

Geography

Geography is a major strength in Jordanhill School with high uptake and impressive academic
success. Geography is led by the Principal Teacher of Geography who is supported by two
Geography teachers.

The postholder will contribute to teaching in Geography and some RME. For suitably qualified
individuals there will be opportunities to contribute to the wider work of Social Subjects.

The courses currently offered are

  S1-S2 Geography
  National 4/5 Geography
  S5-S6 Higher and Advanced Higher

Geography
(Powering Futures Level 5)



Salary
Teachers at Jordanhill School are paid
on the national scales (SNCT).

As of 1st April 2011, the School has not
recognised the Chartered Teacher
status of new members of the teaching
staff for salary purposes.

Atrium in the South Campus building

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Find out more about Jordanhill School

Please visit our website to find out more about Jordanhill School:
www.jordanhill.glasgow.sch.uk

The Journal captures the life and work of the school and is published twice per year. The Art
department contributes extensively to the Journal with pupil work featuring prominently in
every edition. You can view copies of the Jordanhill Journal on our website here.
www.jordanhill.glasgow.sch.uk/journal/

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Teacher of Geography

About you

We seek an individual who loves
inspiring young people and is
passionate about Geography.

We are proud of our school, but we
also recognise that we have much to
learn and we are ambitious to grow.
You will have drive, energy, vision and
commitment to develop our pupils to
their fullest potential.

We seek an individual with the ability to inspire and motivate while adopting a well-grounded
approach.

We welcome applications from probationer teachers as well as more experienced teachers
looking for a new challenge.

Personal qualities

•  Role model professionalism in all communications and interactions with others
•  Communicate openly, honestly and with integrity and warmth
•  Build rapport with others and work constructively with others
•  Respond to and act positively on feedback
•

Invest in promoting a culture of high standards, ambition and solution-focussed
approaches
Invest in promoting and upholding the school’s vision, values and aims

•

Person Specification

The successful applicant will be expected to:

•  Contribute to all areas of teaching and course development in Geography, RME and

social subjects.

•  Demonstrate a keen interest in and sound knowledge of the subject and enthusiasm

for engaging pupils.

•  Engage in departmental and whole school development work especially in relation to

advancing courses and developing lessons which meet the needs of all pupils

•  Show a profound interest in professional learning to enhance your pedagogy and enhance

the pupil experience.

•  Act as Class Tutor, see First Level Pastoral Care below, and teach assigned RME classes.
•  Demonstrate a commitment to the wider life of the school through involvement in wider

achievement activities.

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Duties and Responsibilities

Subject to the policies of the school, the post holder shall perform such tasks as the
Rector shall direct, having reasonable regard to overall workload related to the following:

•  Teaching assigned classes together with associated preparation, marking and

feedback

•  Developing the school curriculum
•  Assessing, moderating, recording and reporting on the work of pupils
•  Preparing pupils for examinations and assisting with their design and administration
•  Providing advice and guidance to pupils on issues related to their education and

personal development

•  Working in partnership with parents, support staff and other professionals to meet the

needs of children, young people and families in the learning community

•  Assisting in the development of Personal Learning Plans/Pupil Support Plans to

promote positive outcomes for a diverse range of pupils

•  Undertaking appropriate and agreed professional learning to continuously improve in

line with school priorities and the GTCS standards

•  Maintaining and developing knowledge and skills and contributing to the professional

development of colleagues including probationary and student teachers

•  Participating in issues relating to school planning, raising achievement and individual

review

•  Promoting and safeguarding the health, welfare and safety of pupils including
supervising pupils in the grounds, dining/recreation areas or at school events

•  Managing pupil behaviour and promoting positive relationships consistently and in an

informed manner

•  Contributing towards good order and the wider needs of the school including

promoting our school vision, values and aims, and supervising pupils at collective
activities (Appendix 3).

Professional Learning
All teachers in permanent posts will have met the Standards for Registration (GTCS) and are
expected to perform to the standards exemplified therein. All teachers must meet the
requirements for Professional Update established by GTCS. Professional learning needs
will be assessed against the revised GTCS Standards and the development needs of the
school. As teachers progress through the salary scale, they will be expected to evaluate
their professional skills against the Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning (2021).

http://www.gtcs.org.uk/standards/standards.aspx

First Level Pastoral Care
All class teachers play an important role in the delivery of pastoral care to pupils. In
Secondary, almost all teachers have an enhanced role as a Student Tutor in years S1-S5.
Tutors work in a team managed by a Principal Teacher of Pastoral Care. The Principal
Teacher manages complex pastoral care issues.  All newly appointed teachers are expected
to fulfil this role. Further information is provided in the Student Tutor Job Description.

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Selection Criteria for the Post of Teacher of Geography

Selection
Criteria

Qualification
and
Registration

Essential-Acceptable levels for

effective job performance
•  Full GTCS Registration*
•  Required to join the PVG scheme for this

type of regulated work

Desirable-The attributes of the
ideal candidate

•  Evidence of postgraduate or

equivalent study

•  Other relevant qualifications

Experience

•  Experience in teaching using a range of

•  Experience of teaching at

teaching strategies

•  Experience of planning and delivering the

curriculum

•  Experience of working with pupils with

additional support needs

different stages with evidence
of impact

•  Experience of developing

assessment practices and
procedures in collaboration
with colleagues within and
outwith the establishment

•  Experience of leading

Professional
Knowledge
and
Understandin
g

•  A secure knowledge of the curricular

•

framework e.g. Curriculum for
Excellence/SQA

•  Ability to plan coherent, progressive and
stimulating teaching programmes which
match children/young people needs and
abilities

•  Knowledge of how current developments

can support effective teaching and learning

•  Knowledge and understanding of literacy,
numeracy, health and wellbeing in the
context of the curriculum

•  Awareness of current policy on inclusion
•  A secure knowledge of SQA National

Qualifications and associated assessment
information

•  Demonstrate an understanding of
assessment principles to enhance
teaching and learning.

•  Sound understanding of the practices that
make great teaching and the techniques
pupils can use to become better learners.

innovative teaching and
learning approaches with
demonstrated impact
Involvement in developing
initiatives in line with the
curricular framework e.g.,
Curriculum for Excellence at
establishment, cluster or
authority level

•  Commitment to research/
practitioner enquiry with
evidence of impact

•  Advanced understanding of
pedagogical techniques and
their evidence base.

•  Evidence of work with SQA,
Education Scotland or local
authority

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Professional
Skills and
Abilities

•  Ability to teach with enthusiasm to

motivate and inspire pupils

•  Self-awareness and critical reflection of
own strengths and areas to develop
•  Effective written and oral communication
•  Effective digital skills
•  Effective classroom management and

organisational skills

•  Ability to use a variety of media and

interact positively with children/young
people individually and collectively

•  Ability to manage children/young people’s

behaviour fairly, sensitively and
consistently

•  Ability to work co-operatively with other

staff and parents

•  Experience of assessment, moderation
recording and reporting at school level

•  Ability to respond sensitively and

appropriately to challenging situations

•  Evidence of highly effective
strategies to support a wide
range of children/young
people’s needs

•  Experience of working with

other professionals beyond the
school

•  Experience of assessment,
moderation, recording and
reporting at cluster, local
authority or national level
•  Experience of leading initiatives
to enhance own and/or others’
practice

•  Evidence of ambitious work to

raise standards

Professional
Values and
Personal
Commitment

•  Evidence of CLPL which has had a positive

impact on self

•  Evidence of self-evaluation
•  Willingness to actively develop the ethos of

the establishment

•  Commitment to support the development
of children and young people to develop
their skills

•  Demonstrate commitment to be ambitious
for self, colleagues and young people.

•  Evidence of CLPL which has
had a positive impact on
colleagues

•  Commitment to and

experience of out of class
activities/wider achievement
•  Supporting positive and active

partnerships within the
community

Other

*Teachers currently on the induction scheme would be expected to attain Full Registration by the end
of June 2026.

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Collective Activities

The teacher working week consists of several elements:

•  Maximum class contact time (including any class cover)
•  Personal preparation and correction
•  Management time (where appropriate)
•  Collective time (the balance of time remaining)

In utilising collective time, the school will seek to provide a minimum of direction and will
operate on the basis of trust, mutual support and the promotion of teacher professionalism.
We recognise that the contribution of many staff extends beyond their contractual
obligations and that we will continue to rely on that commitment to maintain the quality of
pupil experience.

Collective activities can be divided broadly into two sets:

Staff Focused: Curriculum,
Communications & Planning

  Additional preparation and correction
  Preparation of reports, records etc.
  Meetings: staff, planning, department etc.
  PRD and professional learning
  Curriculum development
  Parents’ meetings
  Board and PTA activities
  Trade union meetings

Pupil Focused: Out of School Hours

Learning (OSHL)

  Supported study
  Music
  Sport
  Extended trips
  Additional supervised pupil

activities
e.g. clubs, dances…

Both sets of activities are prominent in the school calendar, which is constructed to ensure
an appropriate balance of demands during the year. Due to the nature of their posts, some
teachers make a large contribution to OSHL activities. Such specific contractual
requirements are addressed within their job descriptions.

The contribution of other teachers also forms part of their job description:
Contributing towards good order and the wider needs of the school including supervising
pupils at collective activities.
By sharing tasks, we ensure that no individual is overburdened and strengthen our common
sense of purpose.

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Candidate Guidance: Completing the application form

Step 1: Complete an application form and ask your line manager to complete a reference. We
will review all applications and references.

We ask that you send a reference alongside your application for the closing date.

This reference should be completed by your current line manager/employer.

•  Please write in any style that best suits your presentation, with use of bullet points or

narrative text as you feel appropriate. Normal text, not block capitals.

•  When completing the text boxes, it is often helpful to offer a heading in bold above

each paragraph and to limit your examples to two or three of your best examples that
you feel illustrate your work. Make sure that your examples offer evidence of impact.

For example,
New S1 homework
I created a new departmental homework booklet for S3 Geography to improve understanding of map
skills.
As a result of this work, a review of the S3 end of topic test data across the department demonstrated
an increase in the % of pupils scoring highly for questions examining this topic.

•  A focused, concise response which emphasises impact will be preferred over one that

is either overdetailed or fails to properly prioritise information.

Step 2: Successful applicants will be invited for a school visit. This will involve a tour of
Jordanhill School, and a meeting with the Rector. This is an important part of the process for
you as it will help answer any questions you may have about the role. We hope that this will
energise you and encourage you for the next stage of the process.

Step 3: You will be invited to take part in a selection process which is likely to include an
interview and lesson.

Candidate Guidance: How to prepare for interview

•  Be authentic and think about why you are the best person for the job and what you do

well.

•  We are not interested in jargon, cliches and padding!  We want to hear about your

knowledge, experiences, training, reflections and growth, and how you will apply this
to the role.
It is also important to show humility: what do you still have to find out? what support
and training will you need?

•

It is recognised that for many applicants you may be at a very early stage in your career.  Such
factors are therefore identified as desirable in the selection criteria. It is however essential
that you demonstrate an appreciation of these issues and the capacity to deal with them in
the future.

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Right to Work in the UK
Should you be asked for interview you will be required to produce original ID to confirm your
Right to Work in the UK.

For further information about eligibility to work in the UK please visit the Government website
UK Visas and Immigration at:  https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-
immigration

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG)

This post is considered Regulated Work with Children and/or Protected Adults in terms of the
Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The post is covered by The
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2003 (as
amended), and any unspent and certain spent convictions must be disclosed. For details of
which spent convictions must be disclosed see the Disclosure Scotland website:
https://www.mygov.scot/working-jobs/finding-a-job/disclosure/

The preferred candidate must obtain a satisfactory PVG scheme disclosure prior to a formal
offer of employment being made by Jordanhill School.

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