Dear Colleague
Appointment of English Teaching and Learning Consultant TLR 2b £4,130
April or September start 2010
Thank you for showing an interest in the post of teaching and learning consultant in English at
Sidney Stringer Academy.
The Academy is being sponsored by City College Coventry, Coventry City Council, Coventry
University and Jaguar Land Rover.
The new buildings for the Sidney Stringer Academy will be located in the Swanswell Learning
Quarter close to the newly built City College Coventry and the current school and at the heart of
the Swanswell regeneration project. Building started in October 2009 and we will move into the
new school in September 2011. Staff and students have had a significant input into the design
of the new academy building and we will continue to work closely with Kier Moss over the next
two years to support the delivery of a contemporary learning environment with dramatic new
£27.3m landmark buildings
The Academy will be 11-18 with places for 1,050 11-16 pupils plus 300 Post 16 students and will
specialise in Maths, Design and Technology. The Academy will use the Sponsors’ values and
principles to inspire and motivate students of the Academy. As the Assistant Principal, you will
be responsible supporting the delivery of this vision and so you’ll need to be passionate about
the Sponsors’ values too.
English department
English is a large and well established faculty led by a Director of teaching and learning.
There has been considerable investment in ICT, all classrooms have interactive facilities and
each teacher has their own lap top. As well as the Director of T&L there are Key stage 3 and 4
leaders, an intervention leader and this newly created teaching and learning consultant.
The principal aim of the department is to ensure that students experience pleasure, enjoyment,
enthusiasm and a deepening level of awareness of poetry, prose, dramatic literature and
language which will remain with them throughout their schooling and beyond. We are
dedicated to trying new and innovative teaching methods to help develop the best in every
learner. We are looking for someone, who is a team player, determined and imaginative
Despite the relatively low level of literacy on entry of a significant number of students,
considerable added-value is achieved at all levels. Key Stage 4 English curriculum is
differentiated to meet the needs of all learners and there are a number of teaching assistants
and translators who support students in mainstream English lessons. The curriculum has
recently been reviewed as part of our transformation into the Academy and this has resulted in
a number of different pathways for students including more English time for students to get
them to the appropriate levels
This year all KS4 students will do the Welsh board GCSE exam and schemes of work are being
written for this and will be in place for the successful candidate. At Key stage 5 the faculty offers
courses at levels 1 (basic adult literacy), level 2 (GCSE English) and level 3 (AS and A2 Literature).
Our aim is to ensure that all students achieve a level 5 by the end of KS3 and that at least 75% of
students gain a C grade at GCSE. This is a very challenging target but we feel it is achievable with
the right team.
Teaching and learning consultants
These are newly created posts in each of our eight directorates except for Maths and Science
where we have advanced skilled teachers. The aim is to support the development of a highly
skilled faculty team and model outstanding teaching and contribute to the development of
outstanding teaching across the Academy. You will assist with the appointment of staff within
the faculty and support induction and assessment of newly qualified teachers, PGCE students,
Teach first, and GTP students within the directorate.
You will need to be a consistently good classroom teacher with the ability to be outstanding. We
are looking for someone who has a passion for teaching and learning and the ability to inspire
and motivate others.
You will represent your department on the whole school teaching and learning group and will be
expected to attend the Coventry teaching and learning partnership events.
We would also expect you to contribute to academy teaching and learning professional
development programmes.
This is a really exciting opportunity for someone who wants to focus on teaching and learning
and has an ambition to become an AST or move on to whole school leadership of teaching and
learning.
The current Sidney Stringer School is already very successful with continually improving exam
results and extremely positive OfSTED reports. In 2006 OfSTED said that the school was ‘good,
with outstanding features’, and in 2008 aspects of student learning were ‘outstanding’. In 2009
the school was awarded High Performing Specialist School status. As an Academy we will
continue to further transform from this position of considerable strength. Our goal is to be
outstanding and your role is to help us get there.
Application process
Interested candidates are asked to complete the Academy application form.
Please include a supporting letter of no more than one side of A4 explaining how your
experience has prepared you for this post.
All applications need to be E mailed to HAYS for the attention of Catherine Hubbard at
Catherine.Hubbard@hays.com. Please do not send paper copies we will only accept them
electronically.
Closing date for applications is Friday January 29th at 12 noon.
Interviews will be held before half term.
If, at this stage, you have any questions concerning the information or the process please
contact Catherine Hubbard at Hays Education – 0121 236 4476/ 07595 968690/
catherine.hubbard@hays.com
Or contact Wendy Tomes by email on wtomes.staff@sidneystringer.coventry.sch.uk or by
telephone on 07789797073.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Yours sincerely
Wendy Tomes
Principal Designate
Sidney Stringer Academy