Class Teacher - Year 4 - Maternity Cover

Teaching Vacancies; England; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A primary school in the UK is seeking a Year 4 Class Teacher committed to high standards and children's learning. The ideal candidate will possess relevant teaching qualifications and experience. Responsibilities include planning a challenging curriculum and supporting diverse student needs, alongside effective communication with parents and the school community. The position emphasizes a positive learning environment and safeguarding practices, ensuring all children make good progress and achieve their best.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Positive school environment

Supportive community involvement

Qualifications

• Qualified to teach in a primary school.
• Experience across different key stages is beneficial.
• Ability to use ICT effectively for teaching and assessment.

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver a challenging curriculum for diverse needs.
• Communicate effectively with pupils and parents.
• Provide a positive and well-organized learning environment.

Skills

Successful experience with relevant aged pupils

In-depth knowledge of current educational thinking

Good relationship-building skills

Ability to plan and deliver a stimulating curriculum

Understanding of safeguarding

Education

Degree and QTS

Job description

What skills and experience we're looking for

Year 4 Class Teacher Person Specification

Experience Qualifications

Degree and QTS, qualified to teach in a primary school.

Knowledge, Skills and Attitude

• Successful experience of working with relevant aged pupils.
• In‑depth knowledge and understanding of current educational thinking about the curriculum and government initiatives including the National Curriculum.
• Good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and the ability to plan for all stages of children’s development.
• Commitment to highest possible standards for all.
• Understanding of inclusion and commitment and belief in equality of opportunity and success for all.
• Proven commitment to professional development and self‑evaluation.
• Ability to plan and deliver a stimulating, appropriate, progressive and challenging curriculum that is adapted to the varying needs of all pupils.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with members of the school community and beyond including pupils, parents, other staff, governors and outside agencies.
• Good relationship‑building skills with all members of the school community including parents and outside agencies.
• Ability to plan, assess and keep records regularly and consistently, within deadlines.
• Ability to use ICT effectively for teaching, learning, assessment and tasks.
• Ability to interpret data and use findings to plan interventions and inform planning.
• Ability to ensure all pupils make good progress and achieve in line with school expectations.
• Ability to provide a good level of challenge for all children including those with SEN, children experiencing vulnerability and higher prior‑attaining children.
• Ability to provide a positive and stimulating learning environment both inside and outside which is well organised and promotes equal opportunities.
• An understanding of safeguarding and keeping children safe, from the triggers to the procedures to follow.

Personal Qualities

• Have a genuine passion for teaching, children’s learning and development.
• Show empathy for the needs and feelings of young children and their families.
• Display a capacity and willingness to work effectively, with energy and enthusiasm.
• Show support for colleagues.
• Have a strong sense of responsibility, resourcefulness and the confidence to show initiative and make good decisions.
• Demonstrate a patient and caring nature with the ability to manage time pressures and keep things in perspective.
• Support for all aspects of school life, willingness and ability to work beyond the normal school day on occasions, for the benefit of the children and community.

Additional Requirements

• Sympathy with the aims and ethos of a Church of England, Voluntary Aided school. Being Christian is not a requirement.
• For experienced teachers: Experience across different key stages and/or leading a subject with impact.

What the school offers its staff

You are encouraged to browse our website where you’ll find a wealth of information about us and get a good feel for what we are about. We are all very proud of our school; here are a few highlights.

The original school was housed in an old cottage in 1834. The current Noah building was opened in 1954 and St. John’s was a one‑form entry school until September 2016, when we started to expand to two‑form entry. We are a popular, oversubscribed school of choice and have ensured that the cherished feeling of ‘St. Johns‑ness’ did not decline while expanding, and that our ethos continues to flourish.

We named our wonderful new building the Ark building: it includes a splendid Outdoor Learning Environment for our reception children, an amazing hand‑crafted ark on the stairwell and an upper floor Wheelhouse complete with a ship’s wheel. The well‑maintained older building is named Noah and is the location of our school hall, separate dining room and dedicated music studio.

Our grounds have a huge and much‑valued playing field, two large playgrounds, and a peaceful Spiritual Garden for quiet play and reflection. We have our own ‘Olive Branch Café’, which is popular with carers and parents after school. There is a public park and woodland walk just a few metres away from school and we have links with a local wilderness garden. Our children are proud to consider themselves stewards of God’s earth, and our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our Eco Schools award (2025).

As a Church of England Voluntary Aided (VA) Primary School, we work in partnership with St. John’s Church which is right next door – we even have our own entrance gate in our grounds. The Revd. Lu Gale regularly leads our worship and is a full member of our Governing Body. We also work closely with the Southwark Diocese Board of Education and are proud to have been graded Excellent in all areas in our last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS); we also achieved the Gold Quality Mark for RE.

Our Governing Body is very much a part of the school and our governors reflect the skills and expertise needed to lead and support us, with all governors engaging in relevant training and development. Our governors are not only spotted in our school regularly but also support other schools’ governing bodies. We have a good balance of external, parent and staff governors who reflect our school community and we are fortunate that our parent governor elections usually have several candidates. As a VA School, the Governing Body is the employer.

Our children participate in a wide variety of popular and successful clubs and groups, including music, French, chess and sports, much of which is provided internally; we have a Breakfast Club and after school provision; we also provide staff with the opportunity to join the local Trinity Sports Club at reduced rates as part of our staff wellbeing offer.

Our Parent Teacher Association, the St. John’s School Association (SJSA), is thriving, and contributes tremendously to school life financially and socially, with numerous successful events throughout the year.

Our most recent Ofsted Inspection in September 2021 resulted in us being graded Outstanding in all areas again. This was the result of a hardworking and dedicated school community, all of whom were thrilled and proud to be formally graded Outstanding. A few quotes:

• Everyone at St John’s is kind and respectful.
• Staff really care about and are extremely ambitious for their pupils.
• Pupils make excellent progress through the curriculum.
• Early reading is a strength of the school.
• Behaviour is exceptional.

The full Ofsted report is on our website, so please do have a look (under ‘About’).

Commitment to safeguarding

St John’s CofE Primary School is an employer committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments will be subject to vetting, including an enhanced DBS check and childcare disqualification Declaration. References will also be sought. Photographic identification and certificates of all relevant qualifications will need to be provided at the interview stage. In line with the GDPR and the expected provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) the school is responsible for holding and protecting personal data. For information on who we share data with please see our website for our Privacy Notice.