BirleyCommunity College

Appointment of Teacher of Music : MPG

(0.8 fte)

to be worked over 4 full days

Monday, Tuesday and Friday + 1 other day to be negotiated

Thank you for requesting information about this post. Enclosed are:

  • Our prospectus

Details of the post (Job Description)

  • Details about the Department

Details about the College

  • Statement on Every Child Matters
  • Details of the application and appointment process (see below)
  • An application form

Informal enquiries about this post may be made to Louis McLean Bentley, Curriculum Leader for Music.

The Application Process

Applicants must complete all sections of the enclosed application form. In support of their application they should submit a letter, which should be a maximum of two sides of A4 (this can replace the section on the application form headed Suitability for the Job if you wish). The content of this letter is ‘open’ but it should explain how your current practice, experience and student outcomes have prepared you for this role.

One named referee should be your current or last employer.

The closing date for applications is 12 00 noon on Monday 1 June 2009.

Completed application forms should be returned to the college, marked for the attention of Mrs C Naylor, Headteacher’s PA/Office Manager.

Interview date: is scheduled for Friday 5 June 2009.

If you do not hear from the college by this date you should assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

The Interview Process

will consist of

  1. a mini lesson on a topic that will be given to candidates prior to the interview date
  2. a formal interview

May we thank you for your interest in this post and look forward to receiving your application.

Andrew Vicars

Headteacher

Every Child Matters

at

BirleyCommunity College

In order to achieve to their full potential children must feel safe and secure both with their peers and with the staff within the College. To ensure this desire translates into reality the College has

  • A clear Behaviour Policy in which the class teacher is at the centre. With most of our students a ‘firm and friendly’ professional approach works effectively when it is in the context of well-managed classroom routines, appropriate work and clear consequences for poor or off task behaviour. In situations where a student is preventing the learning of others there is an ‘on call’ system in which a senior manager within the school will come to the classroom, see the student and may remove him from that lesson. Where this happens the class teacher, who has the responsibility of seeing the child to reintegrate them into their next lesson usually makes a home contact, by ‘phone and standardised letter.

Where a student’s disruption is more persistent the appropriate support is through the curriculum team and its behaviour strategy. For the few students who are disruptive across a range of subjects, their behaviour is often monitored and managed by Key Stage Standards Managers and Standards Learning Mentors. A few students who have significant ongoing behavioural needs are managed through intensive work with our Behaviour Improvement Professional or our Personalised Learning Base where they spend some of their lessons.

  • A clear Anti Bullying Policy, which includes within itencouraging the victim, or others who are aware of the situation, to disclose bullying, or harassment. There is also a confidential e-mail system in which complaints are followed up. This policy is reinforced with all students through PSHE lessons and in Assemblies and by providing vulnerable students with extra support both at less structured times, such as lunchtime, and as individuals. Most incidents of bullying in the College are transient and often represent a ‘falling out’ in which friends get involved. Persistent, premeditated and systematic bullying is rare – but where this occurs and the bully does not change their pattern of behaviour, exclusion and in some cases permanent exclusion, is used as a sanction. Children have a right to learn free of fear.
  • A clear Child Protection Policy which is led by Carolyn Longson, an Assistant Headteacher, and Senior Learning Mentors. All staff are trained to identify signs of possible abuse and know the routes for referral.
  • A positive culture in which we as adults are consistent role models for students and where we, and they, are clear on the difference between being friendly and caring and being over-familiar and using inappropriate language and actions. In this way, students will trust us and see our actions as supportive of their needs at all times, not just in times of crisis.

A Vicars

May 2009

About BirleyCommunity College

BirleyCommunity College has just over 1200 students and serves a stable community to the south east of Sheffield. The catchment comprises a mixture of mid-priced private housing and low-rise council housing. Virtually all youngsters within the catchment area attend Birley and we are heavily oversubscribed. We share a campus with a primary and nursery school (Birley Community Primary and Birley Community Nursery respectively) and have close links with our other ‘family of schools’, Charnock Hall, Birley Spa and Rainbow Forge.

We are committed to supporting and developing ‘Excellence for All’ our students whatever their abilities and needs. This has meant the development of a wide range of opportunities for gifted and talented students as well as those with special needs or the few who are disaffected.

Over the last few years the Key Stage 4 curriculum has been radically reorganised so that students follow one of four ‘pathways’. Most academically able students tend to follow Pathway 1, which involves a student taking 11 or 12 GCSEs. Most students however follow Pathway 2. This involves taking either a BTEC or OCR level 2 diploma in either Information Technology, Manufacturing, Health and Social Care, Art and Design or Travel and Tourism plus five or six GCSEs. Less academically able but well motivated students follow Pathway 2a, in which the ASDAN award and Level 1 qualification are substituted for the Level 2 vocational course. This allows extra support and a range of appropriate experiences to be targeted at this group. A small number of students follow individualised programmes of basic skills at Birley, vocational training and work placements.

This is helping us to provide the opportunity for success for all our students and since 2003 the percentage of students achieving 5+ A*- C grades has risen from 40% to 70%. In the same period the percentage achieving 5+ A*- C grades including English and Maths has risen from 27% to 39%. The percentage of students now achieving 5+A*-G grades (93%) and 1 + A*-G grades (99%) is similarly high. 2008 was our sixth year in succession in which results have improved and on the 5 A*-C measure we are the most improved school in Sheffield over the last six years and have been recognised as one of the most improved schools in the country three years running by the SSAT. Partly as recognition of our work here we became a Specialist College Trust ‘Deep Experience Hub’ for the Yorkshire and Humber region. This involvement enables us to interact with other cutting edge schools locally and nationally.

The Key Stage 3 Strategy is important to us and is now our major area for development and structural change. We have significant initiatives supporting literacy, numeracy, thinking skills and independent learning which are intended to deepen students real learning.

Partly as a result of the above we have developed a positive risk taking culture amongst staff who want to be at the leading edge of teaching, whether this is through the development of ‘deep learning’ or the piloting of ICT based independent learning. This is supported by a significant ICT network, which is linked to over 250 computers. The routine use of computer-linked projectors is routine in all classrooms and all teachers have a laptop. In Maths, learning is driven by Interactive Whiteboard technology and these are also in use in Science and Technology.

Since April 2002 the community aspect of the College has also developed significantly and we are offering an increasingly wide range of opportunities for all people of ages both in the College, in our family primaries and in other community locations including a local pub! We are now offering a wide range of courses to over 200 community learners, which is the biggest provision by any school in Sheffield.

However it is not equipment or curriculum structures that characterise Birley but the quality and enthusiasm of the staff here. We have a positive regard for our students and relationships with them are overwhelmingly good. Staff also offer students a huge range of extra curricular opportunities ranging from Sport, Drama, Young Engineers, Samba Drumming, work with Artists in Residence to overseas watersports visits and an exchange and curriculum programme with our link school, Pwani Mchangani in Zanzibar (yes, it is as good as it sounds!). Importantly, staff share practice, support each other and (most!) enjoy themselves and their work.

I would not wish to pretend that we have everything solved. We are overcrowded and we still have significant issues to address. We do, however, have the vision, the staff and the sheer determination to address these challenges and we are seeing our efforts come to fruition. We have a reputation for giving people the opportunity to take measured risks and lead new ideas. We are not afraid of making mistakes – if we do, we recognise them and do something about them.

In short, Birley is a great place for a teacher to develop their career, to make a difference and to enjoy the job. If that is what you came into teaching to achieve, then Birley will be a good place for you.

Andy Vicars

Headteacher

May 2009

AV/CN