TEACHER OF PHYSICS SEPTEMBER 2016

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1 TEACHER OF PHYSICS SEPTEMBER 2016 Dulwich College is an academically selective school for boys from age 7, with provision for boys and girls from 0 to 7 years in our Kindergarten and Infant School. Excellent teaching and learning come first in the College s priorities, and this is seen as essential to the holistic development of every pupil. We are determined that all our pupils fulfil their academic and co curricular potential. We expect every pupil to engage in free learning activities, that is, in broadly intellectual pursuits that are not constrained by examination preparation, and we are very proud of the range of trips, expeditions, visits, competitions and societies that take place, often led by pupils. Our recent ISI inspection (November 2014) confirmed the College as Exceptional for pupil achievement and Excellent in all aspects. We know there is still much for us to do to develop the College further as we head towards the 400 th anniversary in 2019, but as the report noted, there is a particular energy and breadth of ambition and achievement within the College, and the quality of relationships enjoyed between teachers and pupils is a notable feature of working here. The College is an independent boys school situated in a pleasant suburb approximately five miles from the centre of London. There are about 1540 boys on the school roll, of whom some 130 are boarders. There is a strong history of diversity at the College, reflecting that of south east London generally, but also that we committed to an expanding programme of means tested access; currently about 30% of pupils have such an award but we hope to increase this to 50% in the coming years. Further information about the College can be found in the Independent Schools Yearbook, other educational publications and on the College website The Common Room provides a congenial and stimulating environment for the 150+ members of the teaching staff, and there are excellent opportunities for colleagues who wish to do so to participate in games and a variety of out of school activities and visits. In accordance with normal College procedures, the appointment is subject to a satisfactory medical report, which is normally submitted in confidence from the candidate s General Practitioner to the College Doctor. Applicants will be required to confirm that they are suitable candidates in terms of the Children Act 1989, and the guidelines laid down by the DfE (Department for Education) and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Dulwich has its own salary scales, which are above those of the maintained sector and compare favourably with those at other independent schools of similar standing. There is a good local primary school and members of staff qualify for two thirds remission of fees for any of their children educated at the three schools of the Foundation: Dulwich College, James Allen s Girls School and Alleyn s School. Places may be available for the children of staff at the nearby DUCKS, our Nursery and Infant School (children under 4 receive a 10% remission of fees). School accommodation may be available, if required.

2 Application forms, accompanied by a covering letter, should be submitted to: The Master, Dulwich College, London SE21 7LD. Applications may also be sent by to recruitment@dulwich.org.uk The closing date is 4pm on Friday 29 January 2016 Short listed candidates will be invited to visit the College to meet the Head of Physics, Mr Simon Whittaker, and other members of the teaching staff. There will also be a formal interview with the Master and myself. Reasonable travelling expenses will be refunded (Max 150). Interviews will be held on Friday 5 February Details regarding the teaching element of the interview will be sent to short listed candidates prior to interview. The Physics Department The Physics team comprises eleven people; nine teachers and two technicians, all full time, and we have a good blend of youth and experience. It is expected that all members of the department will play a full part in the development of Physics teaching at the College. This mainly involves responsibility for the continual development of resources, the sharing of good classroom practice and involvement in some of the various extra curricular Physics events the department organises. The Department has a proud record of excellent performance at GCSE, A level and in the British Physics Olympiad. Between seven and eleven boys each year gain a place in a Physics related discipline at Oxbridge, and in 2012, 5 of the top 50 entrants in the Olympiad were from the College. The Physics Society is a vibrant and active society which has encourages boys to present talks, organise competitions and recruit for our various projects activities. For the last 6 years we have been participating in the Weizmann Institute International Safe Cracking Competition, which we won in We are regular competitors in the First Lego League competition for boys in Yr 9 to 11 achieving 3 rd place in This year for the first time we added the Student Robotics competition to our growing list of opportunities for pupils. The department organises a number of trips for boys, making use of the proximity of central London to attend Open Days and lectures. We have recently taken boys to places such as the Royal Society, the Institute of Education, UCL Science lectures, and Southampton University, and we regularly run a trip to CERN for Remove boys over the October half term. In addition we run a CERN summer school in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, and we are currently developing links with Queen Mary University. At AS we currently teach the, now linear, Eduqas specification, and at A2 level the outgoing AQA A Specification. The number of boys taking A level has grown in the last few years and we now expect around 100 boys to study Physics at AS level from a year group of about 210. Around 30 of the boys taking AS are boarders, new to the College in the Remove (Lower Sixth) Year. In a typical year, at least four out of five boys taking AS will continue to A2. Boys are taught Physics by a subject specialist from Year 9, and have three 35 minute lessons per week through the three years leading up to GCSE. All boys follow the Edexcel IGCSE specification. This has offered us an exciting opportunity to further develop our teaching strategies and to stretch the brightest boys. Of the 200 boys in an average Year 10 or 11, the majority will follow the Separate Physics IGCSE course, and the rest will be entered for the Double Award IGCSE Science examination. Physics staff also contribute to Lower School Science teaching (Years 7 and 8) which takes place in purpose built laboratories to a programme led by the Head of Lower School Science. An individual teacher is expected to deliver lessons covering aspects of all three Sciences at this level. In past years, Physics teachers have also had the opportunity to teach Mathematics to boys in years 7 and 8. 2

3 The Physics Department is housed with the Chemistry and Biology Departments in completely new facilities which were opened in April The 18 new science laboratories will be joined by 5 new IT suites and three dedicated Lower School Science laboratories as well as a 240 seat auditorium in May Teaching staff share the Science Common Room with colleagues in Biology and Chemistry. This provides a productive working and social base where departmental, interdepartmental, pastoral and management issues can be discussed. Teaching takes place in six identical laboratories which are used for teaching from Years 9 to 13. It is expected that full time teachers of Physics will be timetabled in a single laboratory for the majority of their lessons. All rooms are equipped with a networked PC, smart projector, screen and sound system. Extensive reprographic facilities are provided for staff within the Science Block. In the last five years there has been considerable investment in new apparatus, particularly ICT. There are laptops for the sole use of the Physics department, and these are used extensively with Vernier LoggerPro data logging apparatus. We also regularly use Unilab QED Motion sensors with PASCO tracks and carts. The College provides a generous budget for the purchase and renewal of new technology and apparatus. A summary of numbers of public examination results in the last eight years is given below: A2 A* A B C D Separate Physics GCSE A* A B C (Changed to IGCSE)

4 Simon Northcote Green Deputy Master Pastoral January

5 JOB DESCRIPTION FOR TEACHING STAFF TEACHER OF PHYSICS Reporting to: The Head of Physics Essential Qualifications: Educated to Degree Level Desirable Qualifications: NQT status Tasks and Duties: Work within College policies and guidelines on the curriculum, discipline and organization Plan, prepare and deliver effective lessons, in line with departmental and College curricular aims, to a range of abilities Contribute to the process of the ordering and allocation of equipment and materials Provide an appropriate academic challenge that allows each pupil to reach his potential Assess homework and coursework, mark tests and examinations and provide appropriate feedback Maintain records and write reports on pupils progress and development Discuss progress with pupils and parents Assist with curricular and co curricular activities beyond lesson time Have thorough knowledge of your subject and maintain up to date subject knowledge Maintain a well managed classroom with a good work ethos Provide opportunities to foster the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Undertake pastoral duties, eg as a Form Tutor, and support pupils on an individual basis through academic or personal difficulties Prepare pupils for external examinations, eg GCSE and A Level, and invigilate examinations Attend departmental meetings, parents evenings, whole College events (eg Open Mornings, Careers Conventions, Founder s Day) Liaise with other professionals such as Form Tutors, Learning Support, College Management Undergo regular observations and participate in regular in service training (INSET) as part of continuing professional development (CPD) Evaluate and review one s own teaching methods, materials and schemes of work and make changes as appropriate Contribute to PSHE if required 5