Working at SIS

Expectations of All Teachers

As a Teacher and a Tutor, we expect you:

to have the capacity to inspire and motivate students to participate and succeed in their learning and in the community of the school;
to be committed to our international and multicultural ethos;
to care passionately about the welfare of the individual;
to possess an excellent knowledge of at least one curriculum subject, to have high expectations and be able to teach across the age and ability range including children who are gifted and have considerable additional learning needs;
to have excellent learning management skills and teaching strategies including those which provide for a wide range of learning and assessment styles;
to be skilled in the teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages, in the high level application of Information and Communications Technology skills to learning in your classes and in the education of students with a range of specific learning needs;
to have excellent professional relationships with all colleagues, students and parents;
to have excellent administration and communication skills.

Furthermore, we expect you:

to make a significant contribution to the extra-curricular programme of the School;
to implement all of the Policies of the School;
to attend Meetings and to make a contribution to the development of your Department, Section and the School;
to have a keen interest in your professional review and development.

Obviously, there are more detailed duties and responsibilities that are common to teachers who work in schools with our heritage and that are reasonably required by the Principal.

In return, we will make a commitment to you and to your professional development to ensure your time with us is professionally rewarding and personally satisfying.

General Notes for Applicants for Team Leader (HOD) Posts

This is based on the standards and competences for middle leaders as laid out in the ESF performance management scheme

Professional Responsibilities

The post holder will be required to exercise his/her professional skills and judgment to be accountable for the professional duties set out below:

The ‘subject area' refers to the area of responsibility that the post holder has. Where there are several post holders within a subject area some of the responsibilities below may be shared.

Strategic and operational leadership that develops and sustains high standards of achievement and a culture of learning

Working with other relevant teachers in the subject area within the framework of whole school aims, values, established practices and development priorities:

Develop a shared vision of learning and a strategic improvement plan for the subject area that is focussed on achieving high standards of achievement
Develop, promote and implement policies and systems to support effective learning and high standards of achievement
Create a professional learning community within the team where there is a climate of high standards, high expectations and review and reflection.
Ensure that detailed curriculum and learning plans are thoroughly maintained and continuously reviewed and evaluated in the light of examination board and accrediting body requirements and worldwide best practice.
Ensure that all departmental records, policies and learning resources are accessible and stored effectively and efficiently in electronic format on the school network, the CLC and the MAZE information management system as appropriate.
Ensure that student issues and communications with parents in the subject area are dealt with speedily and effectively.
Actively promote the subject area within the wider school community including through whole school publications, the CLC/web site and a range of curriculum information evenings.
Provide enrichment opportunities beyond the formal curriculum;
Ensure links with primary schools and HE and promote smooth transition for students.
Proactively maintain effective links as appropriate with the Learning Support, ESOL and Gifted and talented departments to ensure that the needs of these students are fully catered for.
Develop effective links with other subject areas to enhance the quality of student learning
Provide the Principal (or other leadership post holders) with relevant subject or student performance information.

Building and leading teams and contributing to the professional growth of others

Lead teaching and learning development and actively model good and professional practice as a teacher and leader.
Create and maintain a high performing team through effective leadership, performance management, staff development, collaborative planning and CPD that is focused on student success.
Ensure that there is a high quality and rigorous performance management process in place including where appropriate by other team leaders in the subject area;
Monitor the effectiveness and impact of performance management arrangements within the subject area
Provide/enable appropriate subject specific training that meets the requirements of the subject and whole school development plans and individual needs in conjunction with the CPD coordinator.
Ensure that all subject staff effectively and collaboratively contribute to subject and school development
Ensure the effective use of collaborative planning time.
Hold regular, minuted departmental meetings and ensure that there is good communications about subject and whole school matters.
Participate in the recruitment of staff.
Take initial responsibility for the pastoral care and welfare of people within the subject team.
Induct, support and monitor new staff;

Monitoring and evaluating performance

Monitor, evaluate and review standards of teaching and learning identifying areas for improvement and an action plan to achieve established goals
Evaluate the impact of all improvement activities on the quality of teaching and learning;
Identify appropriate attainment and/or achievement targets and ensure that these are met
Monitor and report student standards and achievement against annual targets and benchmark data;
Monitor planning, curriculum coverage, homework and learning outcomes;
Ensure that there is a student assessment and marking/recording strategy that is consistently applied and where necessary moderated in order to inform reports and portfolios.
Monitor standards of student behaviour and application and take the necessary action;
Lead evaluation strategies to contribute to overall school self-evaluation;

Managing resources effectively and efficiently for the benefit of learners

Manage subject resources and budget effectively and efficiently within ESF and School policy and financial guidelines;
Ensure that purchasing and deployment is related to learning outcomes;
Contribute to the timetabling and timetabling review processes to ensure the effective deployment of staff.
Ensure that the subject environment (classrooms offices and surrounding areas) are attractive, stimulating and operationally effective.
Be responsible for health and safety within the subject area.
Provide leadership and management (including performance management in conjunction with the business manager) for any support staff allocated to the designated area.

Behaving with integrity and fairness to contribute to the School and ESF learning communities

Contribute positively to the ESF learning community through networking and professional development opportunities
Champion and uphold school values, policies and procedures.
Act as a leading professional within the school and make an active contribution to the community of the school
Actively contribute to whole school development and development priorities through appropriate forums

TLR generic expectations

All TLR 1 post holders are expected:

To lead a large team of teachers in a key core area of the curriculum
To be accountable for the overall performance of that team and the standards of achievement of the students in the subject(s)
To contribute to whole school developments both inside outside of their specialist team area but related to the school development plan ie a generic aspect of teaching and learning
To be a member of the school's extended leadership team
To contribute to the foundation wide development of teaching and learning within or outside of their subject area

All TLR 2 post holders are expected:
(the nature of TLR 2 posts will vary but the core competences are)

To lead a team of teachers in an area of the curriculum
To be accountable for the overall performance of that team and the standards of achievement of the students in the subject(s)
To contribute to whole school development related to their specialist team area
To be a member of the school's extended leadership team

All TLR3 post holders are expected:
(the nature of TLR 3 posts will vary but the core competences are)

To lead a team of teachers in an area of the curriculum
To be accountable for the overall performance of that team and the standards of achievement of the students.

TLR4 (the nature of TLR4 posts will vary but in essence the role of most of the TLR 4 post holders is to assist the team leader in curriculum team leadership and accountability. See below) In most cases the key part of this role would be responsibilities relating to leading teaching and learning development) In some cases the TLR 4 role is highly specialized and does not relate to team leadership. Please see the separate Job descriptions in these cases.

In addition to the above please see below a list of team leader expected skills and qualities that was drawn up by the extended school leadership team in 2003.

Personal Qualities

Fairness and honesty
Openness and receptiveness
Flexibility
Listener
Caring and supportive
Challenging
Principled
Role model
Accessible
Trustworthy
Student centred
Optimistic and enthusiastic
Have courage
A sense of humour
Have high standards and expectations
A sense of responsibility
Have respect for all

Personal Skills

Learners
Creative
Forward thinkers and planners
Risk takers
Proactive and reactive
Effective communicators
Visionary
Committed to whole school values
Good personal organisation