Language Assistant (German)

Company Description

Hampton is one of the country's leading, most successful and best-resourced independent schools and has been helping boys to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations for over 460 years.

Established over 460 years ago, Hampton is one of the country's foremost, highest-achieving and best-resourced independent schools. Our community is vibrant, dynamic and happy, making it a wonderful place to teach and learn. Members of the Common Room are talented and hugely supportive of one another and their pupils; they share their love of learning with young people who are bright, intellectually inquisitive and aspirational. Hampton is a lively, friendly and inclusive School community where we aspire to enable our boys to not only to make sense of the world, but also to want to go out and improve it. Above all, Hamptonians are encouraged and indeed expected to aspire to personal best while supporting those around them with kindness and respect.

Situated on a green-field site in a leafy suburb of South West London, we are fortunate to have 28 acres of playing fields within our spacious grounds. Pupils and staff alike benefit from first-class facilities across all areas of School life. These include a state-of-the-art 3G sportsground, a large and well-appointed Sports Hall, and the remarkable Hammond Theatre for the Performing Arts, along with an excellent library and specialist facilities for Art, Music, Science, Technology, Computer Science and Languages (Modern and Classical). Our older pupils enjoy impressive Sixth Form private study and Careers provision in The Barry Martin Centre. The Millennium Boat House, shared with our neighbouring girls' school, Lady Eleanor Holles, has a prime location on the nearby River Thames, and provides the focal point for our popular and successful Boat Club.

Hamptonians' examination results and university entrance record consistently rank in the top echelon nationally and indeed internationally. Nearly all Hampton leavers go on to undergraduate courses at Russell Group or equivalent universities; around 25 pupils are offered places at Oxford and Cambridge annually, and a significant number move on to global top-10 universities. We also support pupils who wish to study at universities in North America, some of whom secure academic and/or sporting scholarships. Hampton's notably diverse, socially inclusive nature is an especially cherished part of our DNA and we as far from being a stereotypical public school as any setting in the independent sector. Currently, 7% of our boys (around 100 in total) attend on means-tested, free places, many of which are funded by a separate but closely linked educational charity, The Fitzwygram Foundation. 'One of the most genuinely inclusive, diverse independent schools in the London area'. Good Schools Guide

A copy of the full ISI report can found on the School website and a summary booklet of the inspection team's key findings is linked here.

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Further Information for prospective colleagues is linked here.

Position

Hampton School is seeking to appoint a German Language Assistant to join a vibrant and successful department in a happy, high-achieving setting.

The role of a Language Assistant is a hugely rewarding one and offers the successful candidate the opportunity to become widely involved in the busy life of our exciting School. The successful applicant will join a large, forward-thinking and high-achieving department which achieves outstanding academic results with many pupils going on to study Modern Languages at university.

You must be highly motivated and enthusiastic with a passion for languages and enjoy the challenge of a busy working environment. You should also be able to demonstrate excellent communication and organisational skills combined with a personable, self-motivated, 'can-do' approach. The position is full or part time, term time only with working hours 8:30am to 4.30pm.

The salary will be commensurate with experience and will be pro-rated to reflect term-term working. Hours will be discussed at interview. German is taught both as a core subject and as an option from First to Fifth Year (Years 7 - 11) and we offer the Goethe-Zertifikat in the Lower Sixth or the A level course. Pupils' enthusiasm for the study of German is encouraged by imaginative, varied and challenging courses at all levels of the School, up to and including Oxbridge preparation. Since September 2013, all pupils studying German work towards the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) IGCSE. Sixth Formers work towards the AQA A level examinations and have been following the new AQA A level syllabus from September 2016.

Our current German textbooks are Echt 1 & 2 (First to Third Years), the IGCSE German textbook (Fourth and Fifth Years) and the AQA textbook to A level. These are extensively supplemented with our own material. As a Language Assistant you will work with individuals and small groups for German conversation and the preparation of oral topics. In addition, you shall help run language clubs, prepare pupils for language com

The Department

In the First Year, boys may choose French, German or Spanish as their main language, which they study as part of their core curriculum to IGCSE level. In the Third Year, all boys opt for a second - and in some cases, third - language. French, German and Spanish are available, as well as Russian and Mandarin Chinese. All of these may be continued to IGCSE and beyond. Many boys choose to keep up their second and/or third language as an IGCSE option subject for the Fourth and Fifth Years and they achieve very good results.

Our results at (I)GCSE are very good, with over 80% of candidates achieving grades 8 or 9. A Level results are also very good with over 80% A* or A. Many of our A Level pupils have gone on to study Modern Languages at university, often in combination with other academic subjects.

Our teaching philosophy centres on the development of good oral skills, and so classes are generally in the target language where appropriate, with plenty of emphasis, particularly in junior classes, on role play and debating skills. At the same time there is also a strong emphasis on grammatical accuracy from the outset.

We are extremely proud that our French debaters have won the regional debating competition three times in the last six years and have twice been national champions in recent years.

The Modern Languages department is a large and vibrant department consisting of more than twenty Teachers, Assistants and a Languages Resources Coordinator. Teachers within the department who are Form Tutors usually have their own form room which tends to be a Languages teaching room.

There are two Modern Languages offices; one for French and Spanish teachers and another where colleagues in the German, Mandarin and Russian departments are located.

The department has a large number of dedicated classrooms, all of which contain data projectors and equipment to allow audio-visual and listening materials to be played effectively from the school laptop. Some of the rooms are in the newest part of the School and feature interactive whiteboards or more recent interactive panels.

The Modern Languages Resources storerooms and staff SharePoint pages provide a wide and regularly updated range of materials to support teaching and learning. Target language magazines and newspapers are available via PressReader, alongside a collection of books and reference materials.

A large DVD collection supports aural practice, cultural study and wider enrichment, particularly for older pupils. Teachers are encouraged to make use of streaming services including Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV, Channel 4 and ClickView, which all offer access to a broad range of films and documentaries across all taught languages.

All pupils have a laptop enabling them personal access to online resources at home and in the classroom.

Requirements

Main responsibilities:
• Assist teachers with their day-to-day classroom work and with departmental administrative tasks
• Work with individuals and small groups for German conversation and the preparation of oral topics
• Assist with language clubs (lunchtime)
• Support pupils to prepare for language competitions
• Assist with speaking assessments
• Support and assist with departmental events or activities, as required
• Accompany School trips, as required
• Assist with School duty rotas and pupil supervision, as required
• Assist the Head of Department and with any other tasks, as required.

Other
• To undertake any other reasonable tasks required by The Headmaster in association with the above role

Person Specification:

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following skills, qualifications and experience.

Essential Criteria
• A commitment to the Safeguarding and wellbeing of pupils
• Either a recent graduate or student from a good university or a suitably qualified native speaker
• The ability to demonstrate or learn characteristics of outstanding teaching practice
• The ability to work as part of a team
• A professional approach which inspires confidence in pupils and parents
• Excellent communication and ICT skills
• Calmness and efficiency, with the ability to work under pressure at times
• Commitment to continuing professional development through attendance at INSET
• Commitment to the all-round ethos of the School, including its co-curricular activities and pastoral approach
• A cheerful and well-presented person, capable of inspiring confidence in pupils and parents
• A commitment to promoting the safeguarding and wellbeing of children.

Desirable Criteria:
• The ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with all members of the school community and outside agencies
• An ability to offer skills in some part of the extra-curricular programme of the school
• Enjoy rising to the challenge inherent in a school environment
• Willing to participate in our extensive programme of trips and exchanges during the School holidays
• Fully aware of Health & Safety issues
• Aware of the nature of the School and prepared to commit to its all-round ethos, extra-curricular activities and pastoral approach
• Prepared to work hard with energy and enthusiasm, avoiding the "9 to 4" approach.

Other information

Other:

• To act as Fire Marshal and First Aider as required. Training will be provided
• Any other reasonable tasks required by the Headmaster and/or Bursar in association with the above role.

Please note that there may be some changes and additions to the above, which will be discussed before implementation and changes may occur as the post develops. This document is designed to provide applicants with a "flavour" of the position and responsibilities.

Training

Where necessary, to attend INSET training or undergo other on the job training under the general direction of the Head of Department or training outside the school to increase competence, proficiency and safety awareness

Salary and Benefits

The remuneration package will be in line with the Hampton School salary scale and will be commensurate with experience and pro-rated to reflect term time, fixed term hours.

The Hampton School Trust Governors currently offer the following non-contractual benefits to staff, subject to any terms and conditions and the School's eligibility requirements: death-in-service benefit insurance policy; a healthcare cash plan; enrolment in appropriate Pension Scheme, personal accident insurance, cycle to work scheme, lunch, sports facilities and counselling.

Hampton School is pleased to be a London Living Wage employer.

Please note that the above list is not exhaustive and non-contractual benefits are provided at the discretion of the Governors.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK as Sponsorship is not available.

Equal Opportunities

It is the policy of Hampton School to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals and to prohibit discrimination in employment on any basis protected by applicable law, including but not limited to race, colour, religious creed, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, medical condition or disability. Hampton School promotes equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment through positive employment policies and practices.

If any special requirements are required to attend an interview, please inform the School.

Offers of employment will be made on merit and suitability of qualifications and experience, in pursuit of our policy of equal opportunities.

Safeguarding

The post holder's responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the School's Safeguarding Policy and Procedures at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School s/he must report any concerns to the School's Safeguarding Designated Persons or to The Headmaster.

The School reserves the right to offer the post at any stage in the appointment process. Further details of the School are available on the website.

Please note all appointments are subject to the Hampton School Trust Recruitment, Selection and Disclosure Policy and Procedure.

The School is legally required to carry out a number of pre-appointment checks which are detailed in the School's Recruitment, Selection and Disclosure Policy and Procedure. The information you are being asked to provide in this form is required so that the School can comply with those legal obligations should your application be successful. Please note that in order to be considered for a position at the School, you must complete this application form. A curriculum vitae will not be accepted in place of a completed application form.

Hampton School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, contractors and volunteers to share this commitment.