French Language Assistant

The Glasgow Academy; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 1,240,000 - 1,791,000; Part time

Job summary

The Glasgow Academy seeks a part-time French Language Assistant to work alongside our teachers, enhancing pupils’ oral proficiency and confidence in French. You will help S4–S6 prepare for QS National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher speaking exams and support lower years with pronunciation and vocabulary.

You will assist with classroom activities, develop engaging listening resources, and promote intercultural understanding through contemporary Francophone life. 10 hours per week, term-time only.

Qualifications

• Native or near-native fluency in French.
• Good standard of spoken and written English.
• Degree in French, Education, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead conversation sessions with pupils to boost speaking skills.
• Assist teachers in whole-class activities for younger pupils.
• Develop authentic audio, flashcards, slides and worksheets on Francophone culture.
• Provide immediate feedback on accent, grammar and pronunciation.
• Introduce pupils to French culture, traditions and regional differences.
• Organise and run a lunchtime French club.

Skills

Fluent French

Excellent communication

Patience and enthusiasm

Organisational skills

Education

Degree in French or Education

Tools

Microsoft Teams

Interactive whiteboards

Job description

The Glasgow Academy is a high-achieving co-educational independent day school forchildren aged 0-18.

Founded in 1845, we pride ourselves on the all-round education, first-class facilities andexceptional opportunities our pupils enjoy.

The oldest continuously independent school in the West of Scotland, we are anything butold school. We have 1700 pupils in our care, and we work hard to provide them with thebest possible education.

Job Purpose

To work alongside French teachers to enhance pupils' oral proficiency, confidence, andfluency. The assistant brings the contemporary language and culture of French-speakingcountries to life. They help pupils prepare for Qualifications Scotland (QS) National 5,Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

1. Classroom and Qualifications Scotland Exam Support

• Lead conversation sessions: Conduct small group or one-to-one speaking sessionswith pupils in all year groups with a particular focus on preparing S4, S5 and S6 pupilsfor QS National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher speaking assessments.
• Team teaching: Assist the classroom teacher during whole-class activities for lower-school pupils (S1 to S3) to build basic vocabulary and pronunciation skills.
• Resource creation: Develop authentic audio recordings, flashcards, digital learningslides, and worksheets focused on contemporary life, culture and current affairs acrossthe Francophone world.
• Feedback: Provide immediate, encouraging feedback to pupils on their accent,grammar, and pronunciation.
• Promote intercultural understanding and global citizenship: Introduce pupils toFrench traditions, music, youth culture, festivals, and regional differences.
• Extra-curricular activities: Organise and run a lunchtime French club.

3. Administrative & Professional Support

• Liaise with staff: Meet regularly with language teachers to align assistant sessionswith the planned curriculum and provide feedback on pupils’ performance.

4. Safeguarding Responsibilities

The postholder is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children andyoung people and must always adhere to the school’s safeguarding and child protectionpolicies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Native or near-native fluency in French
• Good standard of spoken and written English
• Degree in French, Education, or a related field

Knowledge & Experience

• High awareness of modern life, idioms, and current affairs in Francophone countries
• Prior experience working with teenagers or in an educational setting
• Understanding of Qualifications Scotland National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher oralexamination requirements

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Patience, enthusiasm, and an encouraging manner
• Good organisational skills
• Competence with digital classroom tools, such as Microsoft Teams and interactivewhiteboards

The Values

Our shared values and code are very important to our school community. The Academyvalues and code can be found here .

Working Conditions

• Hours: Part-time, term-time only (10 hours per week).
• Exclusions: Language Assistants are not expected to manage classroom disciplineindependently, assign final grades, write report cards, or cover for absent permanentteachers.

Safeguarding

The Glasgow Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare ofchildren and young people. The successful candidate will be required to completeappropriate pre‑employment checks, including PVG Scheme membership.

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and ensuring that no job applicantreceives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender andtransgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, marriage or civil partnershipstatus or sexual orientation. It is a legal requirement that all employees mustdemonstrate that they are entitled to live and work in the UK. You will be required toproduce documentary proof e.g. passport and work permit, where applicable, todemonstrate your eligibility to work if selected for interview. We have been awarded theGold Level of the Armed Forces Employee Recognition Scheme and warmly welcomeapplications from current and former Service personnel.

The Glasgow Academicals' War Memorial Trust is an educational charity registered inScotland, Charity No SCO15638