Spanish Foreign Language Assistant

About this Role

Job Title: Spanish Foreign Language Assistant

Location: Walsall

Queen Mary's Grammar School was founded in 1554 by Mary Tudor. We have been shaped by our past and are proud of our traditions, but we are also confident of an exciting future as we help to shape the new educational landscape with our partners in the Mercian Trust. Queen Mary's is an academically selective school, but wellbeing and pastoral care is at the heart of what we do. The School has gained national attention for our focus on mental health (through the 'Change Your Mind' Programme) and the School community is a huge strength, summed up in our motto: 'Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes'; It is what you give that you will keep as eternal riches.

Our House system celebrates the four pillars of school life at Queen Mary's: an academic focus, an international ethos, an enterprising spirit and a sense of community. We enjoy our social, cultural and ethnic diversity and live by our core values:

Courage - facing new challenges with determination & resilience Respect - for yourself & tolerance of others Equality - opportunities for all, whilst recognising & celebrating diversity Discipline - developing personal responsibility Integrity - to be honest, sincere, reliable & selfless Teamwork - stronger together Outside the classroom, we offer a range of life-enriching opportunities: time at our Field Centre in Wales; membership of our thriving Combined Cadet Force; individual and team sports; foreign expeditions and travel; participation in music, debating and public speaking and many other activities. We believe that achievement and enjoyment go hand in hand.

The school is part of the IOE's Mandarin Excellence Programme and has been named as one of the top 100 secondary schools for cricket in the UK by the Cricketer magazine. The Horizon near-space programme has set new standards of what is possible for school-age students to achieve and we offer a multitude of other clubs, societies and opportunities.

We equip our pupils to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Most choose to go on to higher education, but we prepare them through our wider curriculum for a range of pathways. Through partnership between School, pupil and parents, we aim to produce well-rounded and employable young people. It is our mission to attain excellence in all that we do.

Find more information here: Queen Mary's Grammar School - Home

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, dynamic and dedicated Spanish Foreign Languages Assistant to join our collaborative and supportive MFL department. Applicants for this post should be fluent in Spanish as well as interested in and up to date with current affairs in Spain. The ability to support students in building confidence in their oral skills is essential. They should also have a good working knowledge of the aspects of speaking which are the focus of language oral examinations; our current examination board is AQA both at GCSE and Advanced Level.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Conduct Spanish conversation lessons with Year 12 and 13 students as required each year according to numbers - some of these lessons may need to take place before school, during break time or during the lunch hour to accommodate pupils' free lessons. Keep abreast of latest developments and any changes in exam board specifications, particularly those related to speaking examinations but also in the wider A Level course. Be aware of the Spanish A Level mark scheme so as to best guide and advise students in their preparations for examinations. Provide copies for students and make good use of materials that are suitable for developing pupils skills in relation to the stimulus card and independent research project - such as those from AQA, the Kerboodle website and other home grown articles of interest and relevance to topics in the current specification. Offer written comment to the progress of all pupils you work with. Attend training sessions when offered, with the Modern Foreign Languages department to keep understanding of the requirements for the speaking examination up to date. Keep records of attendance and report absences of pupils from lessons. Keep a file of the materials used and make a copy of this file for the department as requested by the Head of Department. Assist teaching staff with the preparations of Y10 and Y11 students for their GCSE Spanish oral examination during timetabled lessons. Be able to also teach and deliver sessions at Queen Mary's High School.

Pay range: NJC 39, £26.06 per hour plus holiday pay

Qualifications and Skills: For full details of the post please see attached Job Description and Person Specification

Please provide a personal statement to support your application and highlight any attributes, skills and experience you will be bring to this role.

While we embrace the use of AI tools to assist in working efficiently and making effective use of time, we ask that you do not use AI assistants during the application process. Applications will be screened for AI generated content.

Why The Mercian Trust?

As one Trust we share a common purpose. We call it our social mobility and social justice mission to change our communities through the very best equitable education. When we get this right, it enables our children and young people to fulfil their potential, thrive in the world of work, and make a positive contribution to the local, national and international community.

Put simply, our common purpose is to increase opportunities and improve outcomes for our students. We are particularly committed to students who are under-served and under-resourced. We prioritise those who have special educational needs and disabilities, or who are more likely to face discrimination for whatever reason.

It is this common purpose that fuels everything we do. We deliver impactful, sustainable and ethical continuous school improvement in our schools to ensure the children and young people in the communities we serve learn in the very best and most inclusive schools.

We are deeply rooted in the communities we serve (which are the education investment areas of the West Midlands). We adopt a pioneering spirit and look to lead the sector with innovative solutions to the problems our students and families face.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more: The Mercian Trust - Home

Benefits:

Financial, Health and Lifestyle

discounts on everyday purchases (Eden Red) a comprehensive free of charge health plan (UK Health Care) a cycle to work scheme via Halfords access to the Blue Light Card For further benefits including education sector leading CPD: The Mercian Trust - What we can offer you

The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

The Mercian Trust is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment