Teacher of English

Permanent, Full Time

Salary: MPS/UPS

Starting September 2023

Thetford Academy is an oversubscribed and expanding school and we are looking for teachers to join our team. 

We are looking for a Teacher of English who will join our large and successful English department. English is taught up to A Level in the school, and we also offer Media Studies in the Sixth Form. Our team have a variety of specialisms across literature and language, and some members of the department work closely with our literacy department which was recently used as a case study by Ofsted for how to deliver literacy interventions. Reading is valued highly across the school with ‘reading for pleasure’ offered in KS3 lessons as well as in a form-time reading programme. There is also the opportunity to participate in our Y11 Scholars programme which is designed to prepare students for studying English Literature or Language at university level. 

We want teachers at Thetford who value knowledge of their subject for its own sake, and who continue to develop themselves as subject specialists. We know this fascination is infectious and we know this is what will inspire the students at our school. If you are this kind of teacher, then we can offer you an environment in which you can flourish. We have excellent standards of behaviour with minimal disruption to lessons, and a well-embedded and supported system for dealing with any students who misbehave. Detentions are centralised and run by our pastoral team and the in-lesson system of rewards and sanctions is very easy to use. Decisions about curriculum, pedagogy and assessment are made at the subject level, with all departments part of a wider subject community across Inspiration Trust. Almost all full-time teachers have their own dedicated classroom with computer, projector and sound, and we can normally arrange additional equipment that you might need such as a visualiser. 

We have a diverse school with around a third of children having English as an Additional Language, and a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds are brought together in our school community. We want our teaching staff to reflect this diversity. We have strong support systems in place for Early Career Teachers, but we also welcome many teachers to the school at later stages in their careers who are moving to the area, looking for a fresh start or who are keen to work in a school with our standards and culture. 

We ask our teachers to work hard, but we also know that work-life balance matters. There is not a culture at the school where you would be expected to work late. Revision sessions, academic interventions and extra-curricular activities are timetabled as part of the school day. From September 2023, the maximum teaching load of a teacher in the school will be 80%. Decisions about how to mark and assess pupil work are made at the subject level rather than the school level, and most departments have moved away from traditional written comments in books. Practices such as whole-class feedback and live marking are common and save teachers significant amounts of time. Data entry is kept to a minimum. We do not do written reports and assessment scores are reported annually for KS3 and termly for KS4 and the Sixth Form. 

If you are interested in joining our growing community of teachers and would like to know more, then please contact Head of School Michael Fordham (michaelfordham@inspirationtrust.org). We are particularly keen for potential applicants to visit the school and to see what we can offer you.

To apply for this role click the button on this page to complete the online application form. 

Closing date for applications: 12pm on Thursday 9th February 2023 

Interview date: week commencing Monday 27th February 2023 

Inspiration Trust is committed to safeguarding and all staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced DBS checks. You will be required to provide references and undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check. 

This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities employer.