OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL GDST
HEAD OF HISTORY
RequiredSeptember 2016
The following brief details are provided to give applicants information about the school and some indication of the scope of the posts. We recommend that you also look at our website.
THE SCHOOL
Oxford High School is one of twenty-six schools administered by the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST). The school was founded in 1875 and moved to its present site in 1957. The GDST has its own bursary and scholarship scheme.
The school has enjoyed a national reputation throughout its long history. Academic standards and results are exceptional and we are the leading school in the GDST for A level results. In 2015 at A level 38.02% were Grade A*, 75.8% of entries were Grade A*/A, 94.06% Grade A* to B, with a pass rate of 100% and 100% A* for the Extended Project Qualification. At GCSE 68% of all entries were Grade A* and 94.5% were Grade A*/A.
We are justifiably proud of the school’s academic achievements but equal emphasis is placed on participation in the performing arts, sport, charity and community work, and the development of social and leadership skills.
Oxford High School is located on three sites. There are approximately 900 pupils in the school which accepts girls aged 4 – 18 years. The Junior School is to be found on two sites; at 90 Woodstock Road and 1 Bardwell Road. There are approximately 320 children in the Junior School. The Senior School is at Belbroughton Road where approximately 600 girls (including 160 in the sixth form) aged 11 - 18, are educated. The school has its own admissions procedures.
Junior girls generally transfer to the Senior School for the next phase of their education at Oxford High School. All girls are entered for GCSE, AS and A2 level examinations. In addition many apply to Oxford and Cambridge Universities and around a quarter take up places. 100% of sixth formers go to university, generally the leading institutions, in the UK and in the USA.
Facilities on all three sites are excellent and resources are extensive. There is an indoor swimming pool at the Senior School, which provides swimming for the whole school and dedicated specialist areas which are well resourced, attractive and well-maintained. Since July 2009 the Senior School has undergone a major £9 million building programme to provide: School Hall, Dining Hall, Library, Drama Studio, Admin Centre, Lecture Theatre, Modern Languages Centre.
We provide excellent backup for all new staff with full induction and support. Our three staff common rooms are very friendly and welcoming.
HISTORY
History is a popular, vibrant and dynamic subject at Oxford High School.
The Department seeks to develop a love of History, and an interest in the past, throughout the School. We have very high expectations of our students and teach the subject in a lively and stimulating way that encourages them all to flourish. A wide variety of approaches and teaching methods are used as we help our students to develop key skills such as analysis, research, essay writing and source evaluation.
At Key Stage 3 History is taught in form groups of 20-24 students. In Year 7, girls study Medieval England, whilst in Year 8 they study the Renaissance and Tudor and Stuart England. The Year 9 course covers the British Empire and the slave trade, as well as social and political change in Britain c.1750-1920 and the First World War.
History is the most popular optional subject at GCSE, with about 70% of the year group choosing to study it in both Year 10 and Year 11. We teach the Edexcel International GCSE course (covering the USA 1917-29, Germany 1918-45, Superpower Relations 1945-62 and China c.1911-89).
History is also one of the most popular A Level subjects, with around 25% of eachyear group taking it to A2.We arenow following Edexcel’s new course, teaching Year12 units on Britain, 1625–1701: conflict, revolution and settlement and Russia in revolution 1894-1924. From September, Year 13 will be studying Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485–1603 and producing a coursework essay.
We organise a number of day trips throughout the year. At present, we take the Year 7s to the Tower of London, Year 8s to Hampton Court, Year 9s to the Black Country Museum, Year 10/11s to the Imperial War Museum and Year 13s to the Banqueting House in Whitehall and the National Portrait Gallery. In July 2013 we took a group of Year 9s to the First World War battlefields in France and Belgium and in August 2014 Year 10-12 students enjoyed a fantastic trip to Kraków and Berlin.
History is taught in two neighbouring classrooms in the main teaching block. An office/resources room is shared with the Geography and RS departments. Teaching rooms are equipped with digital projectors linked to DVD players and computers. Girls have access to a bank of laptops, stored in the Humanities Office, and available for use in lessons.
There are currently three members of staff – two full-time and one part-time. Teachers work closely with each other in a relationship based on collaboration and an exchange of ideas.
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES
All appointments to the staff are subject to the satisfactory completion of a medical questionnaire at the time the post is offered and also to a police check in accordance with advice from the Department for Education and the Home Office where posts involving access to children are involved.
A free lunch will be available during school term on days when you are required to work before and after the lunch break. There is a limit on this entitlement.
The Staff Common Room has a ‘No Smoking’ policy and all staff are expected to observe a ‘No Smoking’ rule throughout the school buildings and grounds at all times.
SALARY as per GDST scale
ENCLOSURES:Application form
Form S2 -Safeguarding and Promoting Welfare Policy Statement: Disclosure of Criminal Background of Those with Access to Children
Job Description – Head of Department
Person Specification – Head of Department
Professional Duties of a Form Tutor or Assistant Form Tutor
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
The GDST is committed to fair recruitment and selection and to appointing on merit, in accordance with procedures which take statutory requirements and best practice into account.
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