Head of Spanish

Head of Spanish

We wish to appoint for September 2025 an enthusiastic, committed and well-qualified linguist to lead our Spanish Department. The successful applicant will lead a thriving department of specialist language teachers.

All pupils joining the school at 13+ study Spanish and French in their first year. At GCSE we recommend pupils study at least one Modern Foreign Language. Currently, in years 10 and 11, there are 96 pupils studying Spanish following the Edexcel GCSE specification. In the sixth form, there are currently over 30 pupils studying Spanish, following the Pearson Edexcel specification. The department is also able to offer private tuition in other languages on an informal basis and depending on availability.

The department is committed to the extensive use of the target language in the classroom and to the laying of firm grammatical foundations. The department is also fully committed to the development of ICT; pupils in both lower and upper school are expected to bring their own devices (laptop) to lessons since an increasing amount of our teaching incorporates multimedia and internet resources. We expect members of the sixth form to be particularly proactive about their learning, as they are asked to keep up to date with foreign affairs in the target language and build a portfolio of newspaper and magazine articles. The department organises a wide range of trips, visits and activities.

The Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department has a long tradition of success in public examinations. Results in languages have been consistently very good, and often outstanding, over the years.

The MFL department has seven classrooms, three seminar rooms for the language assistants and an office with workspace and computers. Adjacent to the department there is a large ICT suite containing 24 computers. All classrooms are equipped with a computer and interactive whiteboard as well as ample storage space.

Canford is a very successful co-educational boarding and day school with some 650 pupils aged 13 - 18, of whom about a third are day pupils. It has one of the most beautiful settings of any school in the country and is a very enjoyable and exciting atmosphere in which to work. The pastoral side of the school is very strong, and applicants should be willing to play a full part in the co-curricular life of the school.

Canford has its own salary scale and offers an excellent benefits package. Accommodation may also be available.

Please ensure you include details of referees in your application. Please also upload a covering letter and full curriculum vitae. For queries contact the HR Department on 01202 847590 or by email: recruitment@canford.com. Further information may be obtained from Francisco Compán, who is the current Head of Spanish. His email is fc@canford.com.

The closing date for applications is 19th March 2025 and we anticipate that interviews will take place the following week. Applications will be considered as they arrive, and earlier interviews may be arranged.

Vision

Canford is 'a school community where all are inspired to explore, empowered to express and challenged to excel'.

This vision is not just a form of words. It underpins how we live and work together, how we seek to educate and support our pupils and how we develop our staff who commit so much of themselves to those young people in our care. As a community we bring a sense of purposeful engagement and a courageous attitude to the challenges and opportunities which life brings; we aim high but pursue our goals with humble ambition and we strive to make a real and positive difference to our world through gracious leadership.

Head of Department Job Description

The responsibility of the Head of Department is to facilitate excellent pupil outcomes by leading and managing their department in support of the school's vision, aims and ethos.

Heads of Department are accountable for:

1. Teaching and Learning
2. Staff Leadership, Management and Development
3. Planning and Strategy
4. Administration
5. Marketing and Admissions

Heads of Department will:

1. Teaching and Learning
   • Learning Culture
     • Develop a distinct and positive learning culture within their department.
     • Foster and promote passion and enthusiasm for their subject.
     • Promote and facilitate excellent outcomes for all pupils in public examinations.
     • Establish high standards and clear expectations within their department that inspire and motivate both pupils and teachers.
     • Promote and model best practice in the classroom.
   • Enrichment
     • Devise strategies to develop and foster intellectual curiosity within and beyond the exam-based syllabus.
     • Organise departmental trips, events and speakers when appropriate.
     • Provide guidance, advice and preparation, in their subject areas, for applications to higher education.
   • Assessment and Tracking
     • Assess and monitor pupil progress, within their department, in such a way that it can inform school wide assessments and that strategies are in place to ensure that assessment informs learning.
     • Analyse external exam performance to identify trends, strengths and areas of weakness including the creation of exam results reports for the Headmaster and Deputy Head Academic.
   • Intervention
     • Implement appropriate intervention strategies.
     • Appropriately record and communicate concerns and interventions clearly with parents and relevant staff.

1. Staff Leadership, Management and Development

• Leadership
  • Seek to inspire and motivate all members of their team, leading by example to create a positive, productive and dynamic working environment.
• Management
  • Build strong, productive, relationships within their team and across all departments and the wider school community, by communicating clearly, sensitively and appropriately.
  • Have responsibility for the appraisal, or contributing to the appraisal, of all staff within their department.
  • Play a full part in the recruitment of new staff to their department.
  • Identify, record and, in conjunction with SLT recognise excellent performance within their department.
  • Identify, record, and in conjunction with SLT, challenge and address underperformance within their department.
  • Have responsibility for the departmental induction and support of new members of staff and NQTs.
• Development
  • Promote and nurture a culture of reflective practice and continuous professional development within their departments.
  • Foster an open classroom culture by observing their team on a regular basis and encouraging them to observe each other.
  • Prepare for the Departmental Review process and respond to subsequent advice.
  • Ensure that members of their department are offered support and guidance to help develop their careers including directing them to appropriate external inset.
  • Plan and hold regular department meetings.
  • Plan effective use of all other protected department time such as at the start of term and during allocated Staff Development Hour slots.

1. Curriculum and Planning

• Strategic Planning
  • Have responsibility for strategic planning within their department, in conjunction with the school's strategic vision, systems and processes: to include the production and monitoring of all appropriate planning documents.
• School-wide
  • Participate in the shaping and implementation of the academic policy of the school by contributing to meetings and working groups as required.
  • Actively promote their subject within the framework of the school wide curriculum.
  • Coordinate with other departments on cross-curricular initiatives when required by the school-wide curriculum.
• Curriculum Management
  • Ensure their departments understand and are up to date with the requirements of their examination syllabuses and ISI regulations.
  • Ensure there is a clear and documented curriculum in place with accompanying Schemes of Work in their department handbook.
  • Ensure appropriate provision regarding SEND/AEN/EAL is embedded within the curriculum.
  • Ensure pupils have the opportunity to develop ICT, literacy and numeracy skills within the curriculum.
  • Oversight of all departmental resources and the Departmental SharePoint space.

1. Administration

• Exams
  • Arrange the production and administration of all internal exams.
  • Develop, implement, mark and moderate external coursework as required.
  • Collate target and UCAS grades.
  • Confirm and correct public examination entries with the exams officer.
  • Be available to provide advice and support on exam matters when required.

• Bursarial
  • Liaise appropriately with relevant departments to implement the school's Health and Safety, Safeguarding and all other school policies within their areas in line with all regulatory compliance requirements.
  • Have responsibility for producing and administering an annual departmental budget in conjunction with the relevant members of the finance team.
  • Liaise with the school shop regarding the ordering of text books
  • Organise the recharge of pupil costs to parents as and when appropriate.

1. Marketing, Admissions and Outreach
   • Admissions
     • Devise and mark entrance tests or conduct interviews as appropriate.
     • Write comments on pupil performance, and complete exam reports as required.
   • Marketing
     • Assist in the marketing of the school and their subject by planning and delivering appropriate activities when required.
     • Compose departmental reports for the school publications when requested.
     • Have responsibility for the content of their Departmental section of the school website.
   • Outreach
     • Facilitate the delivery of outreach activities when required.

No job description can fully encompass every aspect of this role and duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time.

Head of Department Selection Criteria

Essential:

• An honours degree in a relevant subject
• A track record of achievement and ambition
• Excellent subject knowledge
• Experience of classroom teaching
• Excellent communication skills
• Expert classroom management skills & rapport with pupils
• A considerable work rate and high degree of administration efficiency
• Love of working with young people
• Enthusiasm to participate in the School community, supporting a wide range of activities
• Strong, dynamic character
• Excellent interpersonal skills with good pastoral instincts
• Stamina, emotional intelligence and resilience
• Proven aptitude for organisation and quick logical thought
• Attitude, style and presence of a role model for pupils

Desirable:

• A recognised teaching qualification such as a PGCE
• Good/effective ICT skills
• Ability and experience working in co-curricular areas such as sport, music, drama etc

Teacher Job Description

Purpose:

All teachers should make a positive contribution to good practice in the school by generating enthusiasm for the work in their departments, building good relationships with colleagues, parents and pupils, and by encouraging and establishing high standards in the teaching and learning of a specific subject or group of subjects. In addition, they are asked to contribute fully to the wider educational offering including pastoral and co-curricular provision and to the development of the whole school community in accordance with the aims of the school.

All staff are expected to promote the safeguarding, wellbeing and welfare of all pupils at all times.

The core teaching hours take place from 0800 to 1800 Monday to Saturday, with wider contribution required for pastoral and co-curricular activities during evenings and weekends

Workload will be determined by the SLT. Duties are likely to vary from teacher to teacher, but will include the following:

Academic responsibilities

• Prepare and deliver effective lessons according to schemes of work or as set out by the Head of Department/Line Manager.
• Set and mark work regularly for all pupils.
• Keep accurate records of pupils' progress and achievements.
• Apply assessment framework as laid out by the Deputy Head Academic
• Set and mark a share of the internal examinations within the Department
• Set and mark coursework as required
• Write internal and external assessments/reports as required
• Attend and contribute to Departmental meetings
• Show willingness to share ideas and contribute to Departmental Resources
• Take a share of responsibility for activities organised by the Department (eg field trips, lectures, societies)
• Attend INSET meetings as required - demonstrate active engagement with CPD and an ability to share and apply this learning effectively.
• Attend Staff meetings as required
• Adopt a professional approach to teaching modelling behaviour expected of pupils

Co-curricular expectations:

Canford offers a wide and varied co-curricular programme including Sport, Music, Drama, CCF, Outdoor Adventure and Community Service. Typically, a full-time teacher without additional responsibilities would contribute 4 afternoons sessions (Monday to Saturday) per week, throughout the academic year. This would be pro-rata for part-time staff:

• Activities will be allocated which best align with a teacher's skills and interests, where possible.
• A requirement to support weekend and evening activities during term-time
• An expectation to support School trips outside term-time.

Pastoral expectations:

• House duties will be required, allocated during evenings and weekends. Part-time teachers will be provided a pro-rata allocation.
• Staff attendance at assembly, chapel each week.

Other expectations include:

• All staff will be allocated tutees and will be required to meet the expectations of a Canford tutor, including gtutor meetings in line with expectations set out by the School.
• An expectation to drive on School business, which may require you to complete a mini-bus driving assessment qualification (depending on ability/qualification).
• Timely completion of compliance training such as safeguarding, first aid and annual declarations to confirm an awareness and understanding of the School's policies and procedures.
• Support marketing and admissions events such as Open Day, admissions assessment processes and other events involving feeder schools both on and off site where required.
• Support colleagues and engage with wellbeing initiatives both for pupils and staff.

No job description can fully encompass every aspect of this role and duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time.

Canford School is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in all areas of our Community and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

Canford School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will be required to undergo child protection screening.