Chrysalis Teaching Fellow
- Job title: Chrysalis Teaching Fellow
- Job Type: Full time / contract
- Salary: FTE 19,884.00 PA (Actual £5965.00 pro-rated for pay period)
- Department: Community Partnerships
- Reporting to: Partnership Teaching Coordinator
- Location: Senior School
- Start: 19 April 2023
- Closing Date: 27 February 2023 at 12:00 pm
Are you interested in earning some extra money AND developing your core employability skills at the same time? If you would like to be part of a vibrant team working across a wide range of projects focused on tackling educational disadvantage, then we would like to hear from you!
Some skills that you can develop include:
- Communication skills – you will be required to assist with pupils, staff and members of the public
- Organisation – especially if you are balancing this role alongside other work experiences or studying
- Team working – you will be working with a variety of people across the organisation to achieve shared goals
- Flexibility – no two days are the same!
- Initiative – at times you will work independently so having a proactive approach is essential
- Experience of working with children – a fantastic opportunity if you are considering working in the education or charity industry
The Department
Highgate is proud to lead many community and partnership projects and initiatives led by pupils and colleagues from pre-Prep to Senior school.
The work of the Community and Partnership team is instrumental in realising Highgate’s School’s charitable objectives. Our Community and Partnership projects and initiatives provide educational and academic excellence to pupils and staff at state schools neighbouring and partnered to Highgate School, to the benefit of the public, and enriches the school offer to Highgate pupils and staff across the Foundation from Pre-Prep to Senior school. In addition, the provision and sharing of activities, resources, and expertise, staff and pupil fundraising, and staff and pupil in-kind donations contributes to the easing of the financial burdens felt by partner schools and communities.
The four principles that govern our Community and Partnerships work are: impact, sustainability, tackling disadvantage, and mutuality, and the four streams of Community and Partnerships work are: Partnership Teaching and Summer School: Chrysalis, our flagship partnership: London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, Wider Community Partnerships: local, London, national, and global, and Highgate Community: pupil volunteering and pupil fundraising.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Chrysalis Fellows are responsible for helping to deliver partnership teaching projects undertaken by Highgate and partner schools, including the London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham. They assist with the administration, planning, running and assessment of partnership projects and report on their progress.
The post would be suitable for someone with a keen interest in education who may be thinking of a career in education and/or would be interested in developing their skills of project administration, delivery and management. Candidates should be planning to pursue or should already possess a good honours degree, and we especially welcome candidates who expect to have a degree in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Design Technology or a related STEM subject. They should be well-organised, possess strong interpersonal skills and be highly motivated to meet the projects’ goals.
Project Delivery
Examples of Highgate’s Partnership Teaching Projects can be found in the ‘Community’ section of the School website
- Assist the Highgate Teacher in the delivery of rich educational experiences for pupils in partner schools that will cultivate a long-lasting interest in the subjects taught and encourage pupils to choose these subjects at A-level and beyond.
- Work as a Classroom Assistant in a partner school with a Highgate teacher or partner school teacher
- Assist in the running of Tuesday Afternoon Activities (TAA) and Thursday Lunchtime Activities (TLA) that take place in or with partner schools or members of Highgate’s local community—these may be in any area and are not necessarily academic
- Team teach or tutor in partnership events and projects at Highgate and partner schools
- Be an academic, extra-curricular or pastoral mentor to partner school pupils
Project Management and Administration
- Help with the co-ordination of Chrysalis partnership teaching and community projects
- Assist with administration of Chrysalis partnership teaching and Community projects and events
- Assist with the collection and analysis of assessment data for all projects
- Report to the Partnership Teaching Coordinator and through him to the Director of Community Partnerships and through her to the Head and Governors on the impact of the partnership teaching projects the school has undertaken
Communication and Marketing
- Assist with devising and developing communication material to promote partnership teaching and community activities and evaluate the success of this material
- Collaborate with the School’s Communications department to develop insightful and innovative digital content to communicate the impact of what we do
Community Partnerships (one Chrysalis Fellow will have a special responsibility in this area)
- Assist the Director of Pupil Volunteering and Community Engagement and the Community Partnerships Director with the expansion, organisation and running of the School’s community-facing programmes and events, such as the Year 10 Environmental Day of Action.
- Administer the programme of community-based pupil volunteering, including engaging with local schools and institutions in the local area, liaising with staff members responsible for the Duke of Edinburgh programme and reporting on pupil volunteering to senior members of staff.
- Liaise with staff and pupils responsible for carrying out the School’s charitable objectives and report on such charitable activity.
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Ability and skills
- 3 A-Levels A*-C (or equivalent) or if supporting a specific academic subject taught at GCSE or A level then at least a grade B or above in that subject (or equivalent).
- Good honours degree or the expectation to pursue and obtain such a degree if you are joining as a Y14 Chrysalis Fellow
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- An aptitude for attention to detail and accuracy
- Superior organisational abilities
- Personal attributes
- Vision and drive to sustain and build on the success of existing projectsCapacity for industry and initiative in both independent work and as part of a team
- Flexibility and readiness to work in a fast-moving and adaptable environment
- Willingness and ability to liaise effectively and professionally between teaching staff, support staff and individuals in other schools
- Ability and desire to learn quickly and to reflect constructively on work undertaken
- Patience and thoughtfulness to see any issues that may arise with colleagues from a variety of perspectives
- Willingness and enthusiasm for the work that underpins Highgate’s ethos to be part of a reflective community
Benefits
Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered with a generous 21% employer contribution.
Fee remission | Available on application for qualifying employees.
Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Holidays | Generous holiday allowance of 33 days (including bank holidays) for full-time staff. Most holidays will be taken during school holiday periods.
Lunch | A complimentary lunch.
Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks’ full pay, then 10 weeks’ half pay) and paid dependant leave.
Working at Highgate
A culture of community, kindness and belonging
Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
In a recent ISI inspection (Dec 2021), it was noted that “Pupils show exceptional respect for, and appreciate diversity within the school and wider community, and their own and other cultures, demonstrating sensitivity and tolerance to those from different backgrounds and traditions.”
Staff wellbeing
Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
Charitable work and sustainability
As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure
- Closing Date: 27th February 2023
- Timing of interviews: w/b 27 February 2023
Contact: Kwasi Agyei-Owusu , Partnership Teaching Coordinator is happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply hereInclusion
We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
Safeguarding
As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. 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 and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you apply
Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities.
Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.