Head of Classics

at  Westminster School

Job Introduction
Classics is thriving at Westminster, both in the classroom and via its rich and extensive co-curricular contribution. The Head of Classics thus occupies a pivotal and highly valued place in the intellectual and cultural life of the School. This post presents an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and expert Classicist to join and lead the department as the School transitions towards full co-education from 2028.
The department comprises six full-time colleagues in total and has an enthusiastic, dedicated and supportive atmosphere. We have a strong commitment to rigorous and stretching language teaching: at all levels the pupils learn to translate into the target language, and all Upper School pupils study prose composition. Our schemes of work take the pupils far outside and beyond the linguistic and literary prescriptions of the public examinations (OCR), roving across the gamut of the Classical disciplines. Opportunities abound for visits to the world-class museums, universities and theatre on our doorstep in central London, as well as for cross-disciplinary initiatives with other departments and trips further afield and abroad. Our focus on high standards of teaching and learning leads our pupils to exceptional results at GCSE, A level and university entrance.
Currently all pupils study Latin and Greek in Year 9; in subsequent years both subjects are optional. Typically each year about 50 pupils sit GCSE Latin, about 25 GCSE Greek. In the Upper School, about 25 pupils per year group study Latin, about 8 Greek; typically around 10 pupils per year secure places to study Classics at the most prestigious universities.
The successful candidate will lead and inspire the Classics colleagues to maintain and further develop this flourishing programme. They will also collaborate with other Heads of Department on the ongoing curriculum review, which aims to maintain Westminster’s very high academic standards while also continuing to develop and refine curricula and pedagogy in light of the School’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and technological advancement.

The Head of Classics is responsible to the Head Master for:

• the successful teaching of their subject and its contribution to the educational aims of the School in ways that will inspire pupils;
• the provision of leadership to departmental colleagues, playing a significant role in their review and professional development;
• the efficient administration of the department’s resources, facilities and budget;
• the effective representation of the department both within and beyond the School.

Heads of Department also work closely with the Deputy Head (Academic) as their line-manager and can expect their full support.
As senior members of the staff establishment, Heads of Department are expected to be fully conversant with all school policies and to play their part in promoting good conduct among pupils and staff both within departments and throughout the School.
Main Responsibilities

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

The Head of Department is responsible for:

• checking that all teaching and public areas of the department offer a safe environment for both pupils and teachers to work in and that all the activities in which the department engages are conducted safely, with full risk assessments being carried out when necessary, and for reporting any deficiencies or concerns appropriately;
• managing the department’s teaching area and keeping under review its use of space, liaising with the Bursar and Chief Operating Officer to ensure that decoration and maintenance is carried out to a high standard as required;
• ensuring that the departmental budget is a realistic projection of the needs of the department and that up-to-date records of expenditure are maintained during the course of the year so that requirements for the future can be accurately assessed;
• the provision, within the agreed budget, and management of the department’s resources;
• ensuring that all teachers are adequately resourced with books, materials and other equipment deemed necessary to carry out their teaching duties effectively;
• the provision of books and other material to be issued to pupils and the maintenance of records of expenditure rechargeable to parents and passing these to the Bursar and Chief Operating Officer’s office in good time for accounting and billing purposes;
• implementing the procedures which are associated with the department’s public examination entries, including managing any internal assessments which may form part of these, and, in particular, maintaining a formal document setting out how these will be conducted;
• co-ordinating and ensuring the appropriateness and validity of the department’s contributions to UCAS and other references;
• managing the department’s contribution to the School’s admissions testing as required;
• liaising with the Under Master and Deputy Head (Academic) to ensure that absent colleagues’ classes are appropriately covered, either within the department or externally;
• ensuring, during Lower School Expeditions, that the department can deliver its academic programme whilst simultaneously contributing fairly to the staffing of expeditions.

The Head of Department is responsible for supporting the successful delivery of their subject’s contribution to the education of Westminster’s pupils, both within and outside formal lessons. They will ensure:

• that teachers are aware of new ideas, methods and resources within the subject, its particular contribution to knowledge, and have the opportunity to exchange ideas and good practice with other members of the department, with other departments at the School and with the educational world outside Westminster;
• the occurrence of lesson observations and / or sharing of lessons on a regular basis to help foster ideas between teachers and pupils; and the encouragement of dissemination of information about good practice within and across departments where appropriate;
• that displays and other material that might encourage wider interest in the subject, or support pupils’ learning, are provided in the department’s teaching areas;
• that teachers have available the resources necessary to encourage enthusiasm for, as well as achievement in, the subject;
• that pupils of all abilities and levels of interest have opportunities for engagement with the subject in a variety of ways, throughout the school day, and that appropriate deeper and wider engagement is available for those with a special interest in the subject;
• that the subject is appropriately represented in the curriculum beyond the classroom, for instance by offering pupils the opportunity of developing their own interest in the subject through the Lower School Activity (LSA) and Options programmes, promoting and supporting academic societies and lectures, as well as running one-off projects and field expeditions, educational visits or prize essays where appropriate;
• that informed and detailed guidance on taking the subject is available to members of the department, pupils, parents, prospective entrants and teachers at relevant times, in particular when GCSE and A-Level choices are being made and when pupils are deciding about university courses, and other possible post-Westminster destinations;
• that appropriate support is provided for those who wish to study the subject at university, both current pupils and, in accordance with the School’s policy on post A-Level applications, for Old Westminsters

The Head of Department has responsibility for the management of members of the department in their academic role and shares responsibility for their work in the School as a whole, their welfare and their professional development. They will:

• provide departmental input into the School’s professional development and review process as required
• be aware of external opportunities for professional development in the subject and its teaching, and bring these to the attention of members of the department as appropriate. Identifying individual staff training needs and monitoring these, and offering development opportunities at regular intervals (these might be teaching-related to include refresher courses on treatment of topics or teaching techniques, or be subject- or career-related);
• delegate responsibilities, as required, within the department and offer opportunities for developing new or changing aspects of the department’s remit, so that members of the department gain appropriate experience as part of their professional development. Identify opportunities for the development of special areas of responsibility within departments (if appropriate) in order to give all teachers a sense of their own development and value within the department and to the subject;
• mentor individual staff within the department and see this as key to an integrated and effective team (with formal appraisals carried out within the framework of the School’s published policy on review and professional development);
• construct, in conjunction with the Deputy Head (Academic), the departmental timetable; allocate teaching periods to teachers commensurate with their full- or part-time status, in accordance with the expected commitments of teaching staff and taking account of responsibilities which are weighted against teaching periods (for example, special responsibility reductions). Ensure that teachers within departments are appropriately qualified to teach the relevant topics on the syllabus;
• ensure that communication within the department is effective and includes everyone in the department via regular (minuted) departmental meetings. Meet all teachers within the department on a regular basis to ensure they are in touch with the teaching practices and expertise of individuals within it; be visible around the department and be equally approachable for pupils and teachers who may wish to discuss subject-related issues with them;
• take part, as required, in the process of appointing new staff, in liaison with the Head Master, the Deputy Head (Academic), other members of SMC as appropriate, and the Director of People;
• take part if required by the Head Master in formal staff management processes, such as the disciplinary procedure;
• manage, in conjunction with the Bursar and Chief Operating Officer, support staff and peripatetic teachers attached to the department;
• be the first line of support in providing guidance, and if necessary action, for a teacher who is having difficulties with a class or with individual pupils (e.g. because of poor behaviour, lack of effort, and/or a lack of progress);
• have care for the welfare of staff within the department in accordance with the School policy