HEAD OF CLASSICS
Durham and the North East
Durham is an ancient market town with many historical features, predominant among which are the Cathedral and the Castle. Durham is home to a highly successful University with several Colleges spread around the City, one of which occupies the former Castle. The City centre itself boasts a recently renovated shopping centre, together with a traditional indoor market (of which Durham School owns a 10% share), a newly built theatre, a swimming pool and various sports grounds and clubs.
The cost of housing in Durham City is favourable compared to the many other parts of the UK, with many outlying villages and towns offering very reasonably priced accommodation. . Durham School has its own excellent junior school, Bow, situated half a mile away.
Durham is approximately 30 minutes away from NewcastleInternationalAirport, with regular flights offered to the rest of the UK and the continent. DurhamCity has its own railway station offering rail transport both north and south, with a main line link to London (3 hours). The road system in the North East is extremely good with easy access to many areas, including the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, the historic Borders region, Northumberland and the beautiful NE coast.
Newcastle, which is only 30 minutes travel away by road and 15 minutes by rail, offers an extensive shopping centre, including many of the major chain stores, an excellent theatre, where many West End productions are performed and where the Royal Shakespeare Company regularly tours, a multiplex cinema and various sports centres. There are good art galleries, (the Laing and the Baltic) and Newcastle’s new state-of-the-art concert hall, The Sage, Gateshead, provides the city with an enviable venue for orchestral and other concerts. Gateshead, which is only 20 minutes’ drive away, is host to the “Metro Centre”, still one of Europe’s leading shopping complexes.
DurhamSchool - General Information
DurhamSchool is an independent, co-educational HMCSchool situated in spacious and attractive grounds close to the University and Cathedral. Although a city school in the sense of being only a 5 minute walk from the City centre, the site has a quiet and almost rural atmosphere. Founded in 1414, the School was part of the Cathedral Foundation from 1541 to 1997. There are currently 330 boys and 150 girls in the Senior School, with 120 boarders, and the Sixth Form numbers 170. There are 125 pupils at Bow with 50 girls. There are 50 full-time and 7 part-time staff and the Common Room community is friendly and supportive.
Most pupils enter the School by taking an entrance examination at eleven, mainly from maintained primary schools, but there is also a significant entry at the age of thirteen and into the Sixth Form. Since September 1998, the School has taken girls into all year groups, thereby becoming fully co-educational, having had girls in the Sixth Form since 1985.
The School is run on traditional boarding school lines, with three boys’ Houses and two girls’ Houses. All three boys’ Houses (Caffinites, Poole and School) and one girls’ House (Pimlico) accommodate both boarders and day pupils; the other girls’ House (MacLeod) is day only. Although the school day ends at 4.30 p.m., activities take place daily unitl; 6.00pm and some day boys and day girls do their prep at School, returning home at 7.00 p.m. or later. . There are no Saturday lessons but there is Saturday sport and some other activities. International students have a programme of Saturday school.
A wide range of subjects is offered at GCSE, AS and A2 levels and most pupils take nine or more GCSEs. Results at this level over the last five years have improved steadily, with a record 47% A*/A percentage in 2012. In the Sixth Form, pupils normally take three A level subjects and many also take General Studies (AS or A2). At A Level the percentage of A and B grades has averaged 55% over the last few years, while the overall pass rate averaged 98%. The vast majority of Sixth Formers go on to University or some form of Higher Education, and in many years a few are successful in gaining entry to Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College.
The School has a vigorous community life with a strong tradition in games and music. Particular sporting strengths are in rugby, rowing, cricket and hockey and each year a number of pupils gain regional or national representative honours in one sport or another. However, a wide variety of different games are played in addition to the major sports above, including athletics, swimming, tennis, cross-country, squash, water polo, basketball and badminton which are pursued by both boys and girls. The three sections of the CCF use the excellent facilities in the locality for training. There are many clubs and non-sporting activities, which operate each week, mainly between 4.30p.m and 6.00p.m., but also at lunchtime (for example choir and orchestra). There is a thriving outdoor education programme, including the Duke of Edinburgh Award, World Challenge expeditions and bushcraft training.
The School’s Music is of an extraordinarily high standard. There is a variety of vocal and instrumental groups and ensembles, and all have regular opportunities to perform. There are also many opportunities for drama at various levels and the School has a small but well equipped theatre. Recent major productions have included “Les Misérables”, “The Crucible”, “The Comedy of Errors” and “Othello”. The School regularly performs in prestigious venues including The Sage, Gateshead. In 2012 the School took delivery of a fleet of Steinway and Boston pianos to become the only All Steinway School in the North of England.
Durham is a traditional IndependentSchool, which is going through an exciting time of development. Recent physical manifestations of this saw the completion of an all-weather artificial sports pitch in October 2004 and a new girls’ house in September 2006. Academic standards have risen and there is a clear commitment to further academic growth and the attainment of excellence in all fields. In 2012 the School opened a new Costa Coffee café which is available to staff, students and parents. ICT has seen the recent upgrading of the two computer labs, with their 47 terminals and in the summer of 2013 the upgrading of the main site network and the introduction of a new whole-school management system. In 2012 a major investment in 80 new computers has been the start of a significant capital investment in advanced technology. In 2013 the School appointed a Head of Digital Strategy tasked with enhancing teaching and learning via the most up to date technologies.
The School established the Langley Foundation in 2011, named after the School’s founder Bishop Thomas Langley, for the purposes of raising money for means tested bursaries. In September 2012 the first four Langley Scholars joined the School. In 2012 the School signed an agreement with an Indian IT company and will now be expanding its operations into India and other locations globally, including a school in Dubai within the next two years.
The School’s daily and weekly teaching and activities programme reflect the fact that Durham School offers a boarding-style education to its boarders and also to its day pupils, even though the latter are in the majority.
Classics Department
The Classics department comprises two members of staff who teach throughout the school. It is the department`s express desire to offer attractive and challenging courses that inspire a love of all things Classical. A wide range of courses, linguistic and non-linguistic, is offered: Classical Civilisation and Latin are taught to GCSE, AS and A level.
All pupils in Years 7 and 8 study Latin using the Cambridge Latin Courseand its e-learning resources. An option system operates during Year 8 in which pupils can choose to study Latin and/or Classical Civilisation in Year 9.
Latin and Classical Civilisation are taught to GCSE, both following the OCR specifications. Currently, the topics studied for Classical Civilisation are City Life in Rome, Community Life in Pompeii, Homer`s Odysseyand the Controlled Assessment module. GCSE Ancient Greek has been offered intermittently. Summer 2013 GCSE results were as follows: Latin 100% A*/A and Classical Civilisation 60% A*/A.
At Advanced Level, OCR specifications are used for Classical Civilisation and Latin. In Classical Civilisation, topics of study at AS level are City Life in Roman Italy and Greek Tragedy; Virgil and the World of the Hero and Roman Britain are studied at A level (the latter unit benefitting from the close proximity of Hadrian`s Wall). The summer 2013 cohort achieved 50% grade A/B. Latin has now become an established sixth form course with AS being taken again this summer.
School trips to Italy are organised on a regular basis usually visiting Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Naples Museum, the Villa at Oplontis and Vesuvius. Postgraduate students from Durham University often deliver talks to public examination groups and there is the opportunity to forge links with the Northumberland & Durham Classical Association as well as local universities.
Application Procedure and Timetable
An Application Form (hard copy, fax or e-mail) should be sent to:
(hard copy) Headmaster, DurhamSchool, Durham DH1 4SZ
(fax) 0191 386 9400
(e-mail) (the form can be found on the School’s website under General Information, then Job Vacancies.)
Applicants should submit a handwritten covering letter of application in addition to the Application Form.
The deadline for applications is 4.00pmTuesday 11th February2014.
Interviews will take place in the week commencing Monday 24th February 2014. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by Friday 14th February 2014. Further details about Durham School can be found on the website: .
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Offer of employment:
Any offer of this position at DurhamSchool will be subject to:
Receipt of satisfactory references
Enhanced DBS clearance
Confirmation of identity
Confirmation of qualifications
Satisfactory explanation of any CV gaps
Full declaration of any criminal convictions or disqualifications from working with children
Satisfactory completion of the School’s standard medical questionnaire
Full declaration of any other information relevant to the person’s ability to carry out the requirements of the job
2. Probationary period:
The person appointed will be subject to a probationary period of two full terms
3. Salary
Salary is on the Durham School scale which broadly mirrors that in the maintained sector. Additional enhancements can be paid for specific management or other responsibilities.
Equal Opportunities Statement
All staff and pupils are equal and have equal opportunities. We appoint by virtue of an individual’s character, experience, qualifications and ability. There is no discrimination on grounds of gender, culture, ethnic origin, religion or disability and applications are welcomed regardless of any of these characteristics.
Safeguarding Children Policy
Durham School is committed to the protection and welfare of its pupils at all times and in all circumstances, in accordance with the requirements of relevant legislation and guidance. All staff are required to have an enhanced CRB disclosure and to follow the School’s policies and procedures for the protection of children.
Recruitment and Selection Policy
DurhamSchool is an equal opportunities recruiter and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The School follows the DfE ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment’ procedures and selects staff on the basis of their professional ability to contribute effectively to the School’s academic and extra-curricular programmes and to the welfare and safekeeping of its pupils. The School’s Recruitment policy is available on request.
Durham School Tel: 0191 386 4783 e-mail:
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