Head of Modern Foreign Languages

The Glasgow Academy; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an inspirational leader to head their Modern Foreign Languages Department. This exciting position offers the chance to shape a vibrant curriculum, inspire a dedicated team, and foster a love for languages among students. The successful candidate will work in a thriving educational environment, focusing on both academic excellence and the holistic development of pupils. With a strong commitment to pastoral care and innovative teaching practices, this role is perfect for someone eager to make a significant impact in a respected institution. Join a community dedicated to nurturing future leaders and global citizens.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

Defined Contribution Pension Scheme

Professional Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• Passionate about motivating young people and inspiring excellence.
• Experience in leadership and management is welcome but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Modern Foreign Languages Department.
• Ensure high standards of learning and teaching across the department.

Skills

Leadership

Motivational Skills

Pastoral Care

Curriculum Development

Teaching Excellence

Education

Teaching Qualification

Degree in Education or Relevant Field

Job description

With the departure of our longstanding Head of Department, this is an outstanding opportunity for an inspirational practitioner to lead our Modern Foreign Languages Department.

The position

We seek an inspirational leader and gifted practitioner to develop further the standards and work of a very successful department. The objective will be to continue to raise standards of learning, teaching and outcomes, building with sensitivity and flair on the achievements of an already strong team.

The School

The Glasgow Academy is an ambitious, warm, welcoming, thriving and forward-thinking fully co-educational HMC independent day school of around 1700 pupils aged 3-18. It is highly popular, growing in a planned way over the last 14 years. It consists of the Senior School, of around 850 pupils of 11-18 years of age, and a Preparatory School (which has three sites all of which has a Nursery/Kindergarten). Recruitment at the school is very strong at every age group.

We have a long tradition of fostering academic excellence and we are proud of our pupils’ achievements. Results in external examinations are consistently among the best in the country. The Academy topped The Times' league table for national academic rankings in 2024 for all Scottish exam qualifications (National 5/Highers/Advanced Highers). Our pass rate at Higher for 2023/2024 was 96% with 74% of entries awarded A grades. The National 5 A-C pass rate was 99% with the A pass rate at 86%. In S6, the pass rate was 92% for Advanced Higher with 52% of entries awarded grade A.

Beyond academic achievement we want all of our pupils to thrive and contribute to a rapidly developing modern world and to do that we must ensure they leave The Academy with a socially conscious, innovative and global outlook. Our aim is that we provide our pupils with rich learning experiences that best prepare them for life after The Academy also places value on the importance of sustainable education for future generations.

The person

You must be passionate about motivating young people, about inspiring excellence, and providing great pastoral care. You will have an enthusiastic "can do, will do" attitude and will instil high standards and high expectations in children, plus the belief that ability is not fixed and that abilities can be developed considerably through sensibly focused endeavour.

You will have the confidence to lead - to shape a vision, and to take the team with you, working collaboratively and inspiring continued growth, reflection and improvement. Some experience of leadership and management would be very welcome but is not a pre-requisite for the right candidate.

You will care deeply about children's success and will be skilled at motivating children and colleagues to work to their full potential. Above all, you will work very hard and effectively for the young people and colleagues in your department.

A willingness to participate in some aspect of the school's co-curricular programme, Combined Cadet Force (CCF), or Duke of Edinburgh programme is expected of teaching staff.

The Department

The Department consists currently of the Head of Department, with six other teachers. There are also French language specialists in the Prep School, along with a French and a Spanish assistant attached to the Senior School.

French is taught from P1 to S6 at our main Kelvinbridge campus and from P1 at our two sites in Milngavie and Newlands. Pupils sit exams at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher in both French and Spanish, and National 5 in Mandarin. All pupils study either French or Spanish or both to National 5, with the exception of a few who choose to study only Latin or Mandarin.

The Department runs several highly successful annual trips including to Madrid, Barcelona and Geneva, and have taken pupils to many other French or Spanish speaking locations over recent years.

We pride ourselves in making all our children's learning experience enjoyable, challenging and contemporary, while at the same time producing strong SQA results. To foster a love of languages, we expect the department to run events across the school, and a range of clubs at lunch or after school.

Job Specification for Heads of Department

In addition to responsibilities of unpromoted members of staff, which include looking after a tutor group and contributing to the wider co-curricular life of the school, the Head of Department has the following responsibilities, some of which may be delegated to clearly-designated members of the Department.

1. CURRICULUM, PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

• Determine, monitor and review the aims, objectives and targets for the Department to ensure compatibility with those of The Academy.
• Produce and update suitable comprehensive schemes of work, ensuring the use of appropriate methodologies.
• Quality assure the work of the Department, monitoring and evaluating all aspects of its work, focusing especially on learning and teaching and using data to evaluate attainment, as well lesson observations, work sampling and evaluations from pupils and staff to improve the work of the department.
• Monitor the work and assessment of pupils, including ensuring that homework is appropriately set, is challenging but reasonable in level and time taken, and is marked and returned promptly or checked in the most appropriate way.
• Ensure that all members of the Department are aware of all pupils in their classes who require learning support and that, where appropriate, differentiated resources suitable for their age and stage are in use.
• Contribute to overall curriculum planning, policy making and the ethos of The Academy.
• Implement whole school policies.
• Give pupils advice as to their suitability for courses at school and beyond.
• Keep up to date in the subject and educational developments, and ensure that all teachers in the Department are up to date in these areas as well.
• Produce an annual Quality and Standards report, reviewing the results, targets, progress with the Departmental Development Plan and the work of the department, for discussion with the Rector at the start of the autumn term.
• Prepare, in consultation with colleagues, an annual Departmental Improvement Plan linked to the School Improvement Plan, for discussion with the SLT line manager in the first half of the autumn term.
• Chair weekly minuted Departmental meetings sharing best practice, evaluating progress with targets and ensuring the smooth running of the Department.
• Work closely with the relevant Prep School Subject Coordinator to develop progression and attainment, making the most of being one school and sharing best practice, subject expertise and support as appropriate.
• Work with other Departments to develop inter-disciplinary approaches to learning.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

• Act as a role model in delivering inspirational learning and teaching which develops the four capacities and raises attainment.
• Ensure that a good variety of learning and teaching styles and approaches are used as a matter of course by all members of the department.
• Support staff in ensuring that high standards of behaviour in class and out are upheld across the department, including enforcement of school rules around uniform, timekeeping and homework.

LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE AND SUPERVISION OF STAFF

• Play a major part in the selection and appointment of staff to the Department.
• Induct new staff and ensure they are fully conversant with Academy procedures as they happen throughout the year.
• Contribute to the initial training of teachers, if appropriate.
• Encourage the professional development of staff, advising on in-service training and professional development within the Department.
• Develop distributed leadership by giving staff the opportunity to take on appropriate responsibility.
• Provide disciplinary support to teachers and deal with professional problems where appropriate, helping staff gain satisfaction from their work.
• Support department in their annual Professional Reflection and Development, adopting a coaching approach to support their development.
• Observe every member of the Department teach at least once each session and observe new members of the Department in their first few weeks and more frequently in their first year.

ORGANISATION OF THE DEPARTMENT

• Create a coherently structured Departmental team.
• Allocate classes efficiently and effectively, deploying teachers in a way consistent with strengths and weaknesses and career development and the needs of The Academy.
• Allocate pupils to sets.
• Organise teaching resources effectively and efficiently.
• Interview prospective pupils as requested.
• Recommend prize-winners to the Head of Senior School.

ASSESSMENT

• Formulate a Departmental assessment policy consistent with School procedures and policy and ensuring pupils benefit from formative assessment and are clear on their next steps.
• Advise, when required, on presentation for external exams and complete all relevant forms as required.
• Ensure, where advised by ASfL, pupils are provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate a need for assessment arrangements within the guidelines laid down by the SQA, and that all paperwork is submitted before the deadline.
• Set and mark school examinations, entrance examinations where appropriate, and prelims in accordance with SQA guidelines, to monitor pupil progress and permit appeals where necessary.
• Liaise with the Examination Officer over entries to external exams and appeals, and keep an accurate record of Department entries and results.

COMMUNICATION

• Prepare, and update regularly, a Departmental handbook for staff in the Department.
• Ensure that the views of the Department are known by the Senior Leadership Team and vice versa.
• Be the central point of information for parents in relation to the Department, working in partnership with them, ASfL, SLT and other professionals as appropriate.
• Monitor reporting by the Department, ensuring an appropriately uniform high standard.
• Maintain Departmental pages on the website/intranet, ensuring they are up to date and present the work of the department in the best possible light.
• Foster links with industry/commerce and other outside relevant bodies.
• Attend Head of Department meetings.

FINANCE AND RESOURCE CONTROL

• Compile and manage the Departmental budget in line with The Academy’s objectives.
• Order and maintain books and learning materials, etc.
• Order and maintain equipment and teaching and learning aids.
• Ensure that information and resources are accessible to all.
• Endeavour to ensure that all rooms, facilities and areas within the Department are properly respected by pupils and kept in good condition.
• Promote and as far as possible safeguard the health, welfare and safety of pupils and staff, ensuring that The Academy’s Health and Safety policies are followed, conducting a Health and Safety check of all department rooms termly.
• Heads of Department will also undertake such other duties as the Rector may reasonably request.

The Appointment

The appointment is for August 2025 and is a full-time permanent post.

All teachers at The Academy must be registered with the General Teaching Council Scotland.

The Academy Salary Scale, which is currently around 6.7% above the national scale, runs in six unequal increments. Placing on the scale will be according to experience. The salary includes a competitive allowance for Head of Department responsibilities.

A very competitive defined contribution pension scheme is also available.

The Glasgow Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and all appointments are subject to membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.

It is a legal requirement that all employees must demonstrate that they are entitled to live and work in the UK. You will be required to produce documentary proof e.g. passport and work permit, where applicable, to demonstrate your eligibility to work if selected for interview.

The Glasgow Academy is committed to providing equality of opportunity and ensuring that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender and transgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief, marriage or civil partnership status or sexual orientation.

The Glasgow Academy is a War Memorial School with a long history of employing ex-serving personnel, reservists and spouses of serving personnel. We look favourably on applications from those mentioned above; we understand the extra burdens placed on these individuals and as an organisation are fully committed to supporting them and their families.

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

How to apply

Applications should be made using the official application form and must be submitted by email to [e-mail] by 4pm on Friday 7 March. Interviews (which will include teaching a lesson) will take place shortly afterwards.

Candidates should include details of their particular interests and what contributions they feel they can make to the wider life of the school.