Description

 Teacher of Spanish (CSS and CPS)

Overview

Claremont School is seeking to appoint a committed and inspiring Teacher of Spanish to teach across both the Prep and Senior Schools. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate linguist to join a thriving and forward-thinking school community, and to play a key role in developing pupils’ love for languages and understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and knowledgeable teacher with high expectations for pupil progress and attainment. They will be able to engage and inspire pupils from Year 7 through to Year 13, delivering lessons that are both academically rigorous and culturally enriching. Experience of teaching Spanish at GCSE and A Level is essential, and the successful applicant will also contribute to building strong foundations in the Prep School, helping younger pupils develop enthusiasm and confidence in their language learning from the earliest stages.

The successful candidate will design and deliver a curriculum that is ambitious, relevant, and reflective of modern language teaching practices, especially the new Spanish GCSE (2024). They will play a key part in promoting linguistic curiosity and global citizenship, equipping students with the language skills and intercultural awareness that are vital in today’s world. They will be keen to continue our existing Virtual and Cultural Exchange Programmes with the ISP schools in Spanish speaking countries. Experience and/or motivation to run trips would be an advantage.

Claremont has a strong track record of academic success, with 40% of our Sixth Form grades in 2024 awarded at A or A*. As a proudly non-selective school, we are committed to ensuring that every pupil is encouraged to achieve their full potential and explore their individual talents. Learning is at the core of all we do, and we offer a nurturing and intellectually stimulating environment where teachers and pupils alike can thrive.

Claremont Senior School is an independent school rated Outstanding by Ofsted and is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), a global group of schools with a presence across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. As part of this international network, we offer extensive opportunities for professional development, career progression, and collaboration. Our commitment to teacher growth includes a comprehensive induction and support programme for Early Career Teachers, alongside a vibrant culture of ongoing professional learning.

Location:  Claremont Senior School and Claremont Prep School

Line Manager: Head of MFL and Head of Faculty (Communications)

Teacher of Spanish (Subject Lead) - Key Responsibilities

1.       Safeguarding: to ensure appropriate action is taken in a timely manner in relation to safeguarding, promote children’s welfare, demonstrate a regular commitment to safeguarding training, keep accurate and detailed records of concerns on Myconcern, and adhere to all safeguarding related policies, including online safety, prevent, whistleblowing, and the code of conduct at all times.

2.       Learning and Teaching: You will be responsible for planning, delivering, and evaluating high-quality Spanish lessons for students from Year 7 to Year 13, always placing the learning needs of pupils at the centre of your teaching. All Claremont students should be given the opportunity to develop their language skills across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the cultures and communities of the Spanish-speaking world. You will assess, record, and report on the progress, development, and attainment of pupils in accordance with school and departmental policy. You will set clear learning objectives and targets, and provide regular, constructive feedback to support each pupil’s learning journey and help them understand how they can improve. Differentiation will be key to your approach. You will identify and support the needs of all learners, including those who are gifted and talented, and work closely with the Learning Support and EAL departments to ensure that every pupil is able to make progress and fulfil their potential.

You will play an active role in reviewing and refining the Spanish curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of Claremont learners. The qualifications offered by the department should be carefully selected to best support pupil outcomes. You will also seek to develop meaningful cross-curricular links within the faculty and across the wider school. As a reflective practitioner, you will prioritise your own professional development and keep up to date with current research and best practice in language teaching. You will ensure that the Spanish curriculum remains aligned with examination board requirements, while also being relevant, engaging, and outward-looking.

3.       Wider School Responsibilities: you will be a form tutor and support your tutees with pastoral issues, and their academic progress across their subjects. You will represent your academic department at parents' evenings, options' evenings and open days. You will look to develop co-curricular opportunities within the school, and run clubs for students to help them build skills to become "future ready".  Claremont School aims to become a leading educational institution in the effective and innovative use of technology, and you will be expected to contribute to the Digital Strategy as part of the performance of your role.  You will attend all termly inset days, allocated duties, staff meetings and whole school events eg Speech Day, House events and school trips. You will participate and contribute towards the whole school Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme and seek out opportunities to ensure you continually evolve and improve your teaching practice.

4.       Improvement Planning: As subject lead, you will have a reflective and proactive approach and continually evaluate and measure the effectiveness of your teaching, based on student experience and public exam results. You will set objectives, in conjunction with your Head of Faculty, to move your department forward in the medium and long term. You will participate in learning visits with colleagues and be part of wider learning conversations within the school. You will oversee your departmental budget to ensure effective use of resources for maximum impact.

ISP Principles

At ISP, we put learners and learning first.

1.       Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

2.       Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others. 

3.       Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community. 

4.       Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement. 

ISP Teacher Role Profile - Key competencies

1. Atmosphere. You enable students to learn in a safe, open, caring, collaborative and inclusive atmosphere. Your students feel confident to have open and honest conversations about their learning and how they can get better. You create a positive atmosphere by building relationships, behaviors, and inclusive learning experiences that support a good struggle for all your learners. You engage in professional and respectful dialogue with colleagues and the wider school and ISP communities about learning and teaching, with a shared commitment to getting better. 
2. Shared Ideas. You know and model your school’s values and contribute to its mission and vision through your daily actions. Through all aspects of learning and teaching, you create a strong sense of shared behaviors and purpose for learners and their learning. 
3. A Focus on Learners and Learning. You put learners and their learning first. Your understanding of the difference between learning and the factors that affect learning enables you to plan and support a good struggle for all your students to get better. You are committed to your personal and professional learning and development, engaging in a series of learning visits and inquiries with colleagues and leaders to support your ongoing self-evaluation. You are an active and valued member of dynamic learning communities, 
4. Learning and Teaching. You put learners and their learning first in your design and facilitation of learning outcomes, content and experiences, which are underpinned by positive and supportive relationships. You understand the types and phases of learning and apply your knowledge, skills and understanding of these to effectively facilitate learning, teaching, and assessing to meet the personalised needs of each student. You empower students to lead their own learning, supporting them to monitor, assess and adjust their learning in response to feedback. You continuously inquire into the process of learning, making evidence-informed decisions and taking action to further improve learning and teaching. 
5. Evidence of Learning. You gather, document and analyse evidence of learning from various sources and use this to identify targets and action steps for improving learning. You support students in knowing the different ways their learning can be evidenced and how to use feedback and learning advice to get better. Evidence enables you to make secure judgments about your students’ learning in line with their personal learning goals, age and stage appropriate expectations, and local, national and international benchmarking. You document and share evidence of learning to answer the questions: “What are my students learning?” and “How do I know?”. 

1. Leadership for Learning. You see yourself as a leader for learning and demonstrate the same vision, values and commitment as school leaders to support students to continuously learn and get better. You take responsibility for where students are now with their learning and the targets and action steps needed to improve. You support students to become leaders of their own learning by helping them develop their voice, choice and ownership of their learning process. 

1. Learning Spaces. You create and use spaces to support and demonstrate the school’s shared ideas about learners and learning and the ways in which students are getting better. You ensure learning spaces (physical and digital) are safe, collaborative, accessible and inclusive, and enable students to play an active role in their development. 
2. In Partnership with Parents and Carers. You work in partnership with parents and carers, communicating with them regularly about their child’s learning, inviting their feedback and using this feedback to improve learning. You help parents and carers understand the school’s shared ideas about learners and learning in ways that help them to engage confidently when talking about what their child is getting better at, what their next steps are, and how they will be supported at home. You ensure that the individual needs of parents and carers are understood and that they feel informed and involved as valued members of the school’s learning community. 
3. Improvement Planning. You are committed to learning and getting better and ensure this improvement happens strategically and effectively. You are active and accountable for your contribution in setting your own professional goals, targets and action steps that focus on improving learning and gathering evidence to demonstrate these. You contribute to department and school learning improvement planning where possible and view the school’s learning improvement plan as the central focus for getting better together.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

●       Qualified teacher status (QTS)

●       Relevant subject degree

●       Strong technical knowledge and proactive approach towards continuing professional development

●       Articulate, communicative, and strong attention to detail

●       Works well as part of a team

●       Organisation skills: well organised and able to prioritise tasks

●        A flexible, "can do" attitude

Benefits

●        A varied role, within a fast-paced environment

●        A supportive and friendly team

●        Competitive salary scale

●        Remission of fees in line with the School fees discount policy

●        Free dining and refreshments during term time

●        Free on-site parking

●        A walk away from Bodiam Castle

●        Employee Assistance Programme – a 24-hour individual assistance programme

●        Company Pension

●        Access to iSP Learning Hub – an online professional development platform with hundreds of courses to widen your knowledge and support career growth

●        Part of the ISP group of schools, with opportunities for international career development and international learning opportunities

Safeguarding & Safer Recruitment

Claremont School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.   All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years employment history.

About Claremont

Claremont School is an independent day and boarding school. The Nursery and the Prep School are based in St Leonards on Sea, and the Senior School is located in Bodiam, East Sussex. The school is non-selective and welcomes children and young people from a large catchment area spanning 25 miles. In addition, one third of the students in the Senior School are international boarders.

The school offers a British curriculum throughout with GCSEs and iGCSEs at Key Stage 4, and A Level and Btecs at Key Stage 5. In addition, the school delivers outstanding programmes in Performing Arts (winning a national award for outstanding School for Performing Arts in 2021 and 2022) and in football where students can join the Football academy and look to become professional players.

Results and Value-Added at Claremont are outstanding, with Senior School results beating national averages year on year, as well as more local independent selective schools. We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that can forge successful careers and lives, in a rapidly changing world. Claremont aims to be the "School of Choice" for the local area and supports its young people to excel in all that they do in a safe and inspiring environment.

Claremont School is also part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP) group, comprising committed colleagues in financially responsible schools around the world, where learning is at the heart of everything we do for our students, colleagues, and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.

ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and operators who have worked together over many years. ISP’s growing group of private schools are located in the UK, the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, educating children and students from 2–18 years of age. ISP has expanded to 92 schools that employ over 8,000 staff and deliver multiple curricula to over 56,000 students located across the globe.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.