LORETO GRAMMAR SCHOOL

LORETO GRAMMAR SCHOOL
A Specialist School in Science and Maths
Headteacher: Mrs J.A. Beever M.A
Dunham Road
Altrincham
Cheshire
WA14 4AH
Tel No: 0161 928 3703
Fax No: 0161 924 1323
Web: www.loretogrammar.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
October 2014
Dear Applicant,
Teacher of Chemistry/Science (Fixed-term Contract for Maternity Cover)
Salary MPS /UPS
Required for January 2015
Thank you for your interest in the post of Teacher of Chemistry/Science at Loreto Grammar School. I
have provided below further details which I hope will provide you with ample information about the post
and the school. I am seeking to appoint an outstanding colleague to join this very successful
department.
The Department:
Loreto was designated a specialist school in Science and Mathematics in 2005. This exciting development
has allowed further opportunities for radical and innovative developments for Loreto and our partnership
schools. In 2011 we were recognised at National level for our work when we received the Chief
Executives‟ Award from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust for making the most significant
impact to a family of schools. In 2013 and 2014 we were nominated as the National Teen Tech STEM
champions.
The appointed colleague will join a Science Department comprising 12 members of Science teaching staff
and 3 technicians. The Department is led by Head of Science, Mrs Ruth Harrison, with Head of
Chemistry, Mrs Clare Marchmont, Head of Biology, Miss Caroline Romain and Head of Physics, Mrs
Philippa Wynne. The department is a cohesive team, with a shared vision to provide the best overall
learning experience for all the students in its care and they work hard to ensure this is the case.
Collaboration is “the norm”, with expertise being readily shared and colleagues eager to learn from one
another. The standards of teaching and learning are very high.
All teachers at Loreto have access to four well equipped ICT suites. The curriculum area of Science
currently has interactive whiteboards and associated PCs in every laboratory, as well as pupil laptops to
enhance teaching. Laboratories are excellently equipped and modern, all having been completely
refurbished within the past 4 years. The Science department also has a designated data logging suite,
where 24 networked PCs are available in a “dry lab” setting to enable real time data collection as part of
the students‟ learning experience.
Students in Key Stage 3 follow a broad General Science course which is completed in year 8, with GCSE
Sciences taught from Year 9. AfL is embedded into the schemes of work that have been developed “in
house” to best suit the needs of our learners, and appropriate emphasis is placed upon students knowing
Cherish God’s vocation in you – Mary Ward
Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly known as the Sisters of Loreto
A Registered Charity
their level of attainment and working with staff, through discussion and formative assessment, to
progress in line with expectations and beyond.
Key Stage 4 students have the option of studying the new GCSE Core & Additional Science course, or
three separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. In 2013, 95% of pupils achieved grade A*- B
at GCSE in Core Science, with 10% achieving an A* grade. This high level of achievement was also true
of Additional Science, where 93% of pupils achieved grade A*- B, and 16% gained an A*. Currently
approximately 40% of students take three separate sciences, and many students will continue to study
at least one science at A Level.
Sixth Form uptake of all Sciences is high. There are currently 4 groups in Year 12 and 3 in Year 13 for
both Biology and Chemistry, and 2 groups in each for Physics. Within the A level programme of study,
there is a real emphasis on developing the students‟ independent learning skills as well as their
intellectual resilience. All GCSE and A Level courses follow the AQA specification. The Chemistry
Department participates in many extracurricular events and competitions and Loreto girls frequently
perform very highly in such competitions.
The vast majority of Sixth Form students continue their education at University, with a significant
proportion choosing science based courses. The Science department works hard at providing individual
advice and guidance for their students as they plan towards their University applications and interviews;
we aim to utilise our many links with higher education to ensure students make informed choices and
submit strong applications.
The Department plays a major role in the school‟s extra - curricular programme. Students are involved in
a thriving BAYS programme alongside Science clubs and tutorials across all year groups. Members of the
department also work with community groups in the local area, and this forms part of a thriving BTEC
STEM leaders‟ course, which we are accredited to deliver and assess at Key Stage Four.
The successful candidate will be a good honours graduate who is an enthusiastic, inspiring and
motivated classroom practitioner, with experience of teaching across all Key Stages. He/she will have
excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work in a collegiate and cohesive way
under the guidance of the Head of Chemistry and the Head of Science. The ability to contribute to the
teaching of Design Technology at KS3 or to STEM activities may be an advantage.
Our results in 2013 were as follows:
Subject
A Level,
A*- A
A Level,
A*- B
AS Level,
A-B
GCSE,
A*- A
63%
GCSE,
A*- B
95%
Biology
23%
55%
36%
78%
96%
Chemistry
35%
48%
33%
61%
94%
Physics
50%
75%
44%
80%
96%
Science
The successful candidate will be expected to teach at all Key Stages.
The School:
Loreto is a wonderful school in which to learn and work, a school which is rooted in a rich tradition whilst
at the same time is very forward looking and keen to keep apace of educational development. We
provide an outstanding curriculum, one which is carefully planned and consistently reviewed to meet the
needs of the girls at every Key Stage. Our ICT infrastructure is excellent and enables effective and
innovative learning. Our 14 – 19 curriculum includes an innovative programme called Life Skills which
takes the girls beyond the normal confines of the National Curriculum giving them opportunities to apply
their skills and gifts in the real world.
We are privileged to have a dedicated and passionate group of staff who are experts in their individual
specialist area. The hallmark of my colleagues is their willingness to go the extra mile for the girls and
their commitment to this community. The extra-curricular life here is extensive. The girls rise to the
academic challenge and appreciate the positive relationships with their teachers. They are reflective
learners and engage wholeheartedly with the broader aspects of school life in relation to for example,
social justice issues and service towards others. We aspire to fulfil the girls in our care in developing
them spiritually, academically and physically in a happy, supportive and enthusiastic environment where
each is recognised for their intrinsic worth and valued for their own sakes. Fundamentally, we are a
welcoming and happy community.
In our Ofsted inspection, a parent described the school as follows:
“Loreto is that indefinable element which wraps up duty, care, faith, purpose, example.”
The work of all members of our school community is founded in the context of the School Mission
Statement and is characterised by „joyful and loving service to others‟ the aim of which should be to
encourage „the pursuit of excellence‟ and to enable each student „to realise her full potential in a spirit of
joy and creativity‟. Our students should leave Loreto prepared „to meet with confidence the challenges
of a changing world‟. It is, in the words of the poet William Butler Yeats more “to light fires than to fill
buckets.”
We are a Roman Catholic Grammar School for girls with Academy status, situated within the Borough of
Trafford. The school number is rising, and there are currently 1035 girls on roll, with over 252 in the
Sixth Form. The majority of the girls come from Trafford, with others from the neighbouring Authorities
of Manchester, Stockport, Cheshire and Warrington.
Loreto is a National Teaching School and a National Support School. The CPD opportunities for staff are
many and exciting, including Research and Development projects and accredited Leadership
programmes. We deliver the School Direct programme through the Teacher Development Agency and in
conjunction with Manchester University. We are a member of the Specialist Schools Trust Leading Edge
partnership, a Gifted and Talented network.
Our most recent Ofsted report of October 2008 states:
“This is an outstandingly effective school……The school provides an excellent atmosphere in which the
girls are challenged to think and learn…... It is rooted in the school‟s deeply embedded Catholic ethos
within which the students‟ spiritual and moral development is profoundly nurtured.”
Our Section 48 report in of November 2013 notes that:
“Outcomes for pupils, the provision for Catholic Education, leadership and management in the
development of the Catholic life of the school are all confirmed by this Inspection as outstanding. The
core values of the school are strongly evidenced throughout in terms of practice, aspiration and
relationships all in the context of high academic achievement.”
In short, Loreto is an exciting and stimulating professional environment in which to work.
Application process:
This is a fixed-term contract for maternity leave cover.
I hope that the information that I have provided has hooked your interest and I look forward to hearing
from you. Should you wish to meet with me prior to applying I should be delighted to do so. Please
contact school via email on [email protected] to arrange a mutually convenient time.
Should you decide to apply for the post, please refer to the „Guidance Notes for Applicants‟ and complete
the application form and Recruitment Monitoring Form, together with a letter of application outlining
your vision and philosophy of teaching Science/Chemistry at Loreto Grammar School, your relevant
experience and your understanding of current, relevant educational developments. Your letter should
not exceed 2 pages of A4 in length. Please note that we do not accept Curriculum Vitae.
The closing date is Friday, 17 October 2014 at 12noon.
If you have not heard from us by Friday, 31 October 2014, please assume that your application has
been unsuccessful on this occasion. Due to the large number of applications we receive for our posts, we
are unable to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.
Yours sincerely,
J.A. Beever
J.A. Beever (Mrs)
Headteacher