Following a recent promotion to the Leadership Team, we are seeking an inspiring Subject Leader of Geography. The successful candidate will provide strong academic and strategic leadership, driving a shared vision and an ambitious curriculum that secures excellent outcomes for all students. The successful candidate will lead and support a collaborative team, ensuring excellent standards in teaching, learning, assessment, and student progress through effective monitoring, use of data, and promotion of best practice. They will play a key role in staff development, recruitment, and wellbeing, while fostering a positive and high-performing departmental culture. The role also involves contributing to whole-school decision-making, championing the subject within and beyond the classroom, and enriching students’ learning through wider opportunities. In addition, the Subject Leader will oversee the department’s resources, budget, learning environment, and examination processes, ensuring efficient and effective administration that supports outstanding educational outcomes.  There may also be an opportunity in the near future for the successful candidate to apply for the post of Head of Faculty: Humanities.

Geography is a strong and successful department, with its work recognised positively during the School’s most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022, where our Quality of Education was rated as Outstanding. The department strives to be at the forefront of teaching and learning in the School and is passionate about teaching Geography in a dynamic way. 

The core idea of the Department of Geography which governs the attitudes towards education and decision making is celebrating geographical thinking. We want to inspire in our students a sense of wonder about the world and a genuine desire to understand it. Through our curriculum, we aim to foster a lasting curiosity and fascination with the world and its people.

The department is well resourced, working in four spacious classrooms. There is a wide variety of media to support teaching and learning.

At Key Stage Three the department has a bespoke, innovative curriculum of engagement for KS3 students.  Coupled with our progression framework, we aim to enact, in the Ofsted vernacular, an “imaginative and stimulating geography curriculum” skillfully designed to match the full range of pupils’ needs and to ensure highly effective continuity and progression in their learning”. 

In Year 7 our geographical journey begins with a foundation year for students, equipping them with developing capabilities to understand places, explore how places are interconnected and how they change, and how to enquire and communicate effectively.  In Year 8 we focus on global issues and sustainability in order to understand concepts such as change, risk, pressure, development, and inequality.  Year 9 focuses on key geographical processes and concepts to consolidate studying geography at Key Stage 3, but also to act as a preface to GCSE Geography, should students choose this route.  Here we study more classic fields such as weather and climate, but also apply more contemporary thinking from Geographies of disease. Classes in year 7 have three 1 hour periods per fortnight. Classes in year 8 have four, 1 hour periods per fortnight. Classes in year 9 have two, 1 hour periods per fortnight. 

Geography is the most popular option at GCSE level in recent years, with five teaching groups in Year 10 and Year 11. At GCSE level, students follow the OCR B syllabus. Key Stage 4 students have five 1 hour periods per fortnight. At GCSE students have the opportunity to go to Sicily to study hazards. Students also go to Cambridge for their Human fieldwork and Hunstanton for their Physical fieldwork. 

At A-level we follow the OCR specification. There are two teaching groups at A-level in Year 12 and Year 13. All Year 12 students have the opportunity to participate in fieldwork to Snowdonia London and Sheffield as well as local fieldwork. All the fieldwork opportunities help develop skills to prepare the students for their NEA.

Grades are excellent at both GCSE and A-level. The last set of results we had a 48% of students achieve a grade 7,8,9 at GCSE. 26% of students achieved a grade 8 or 9 at GCSE. 

At A-level 27% of students achieved an A or A*. 80% of students achieved A* to C.

We are proud of our strong, dedicated staff and warm community spirit, and we believe this role would be an ideal next step for an individual who thrives in a busy, high-achieving setting and who values professionalism, discretion, and a collaborative approach. For someone with appropriate experience and a desire to contribute to a school that consistently sets the bar high, this is a superb opportunity to develop further and make a lasting impact. 

Bourne Grammar School is a high-achieving selective grammar school with a strong reputation for academic excellence and a supportive, inclusive ethos, where pastoral care lies at the heart of our community. Our vision is to inspire and empower everyone to believe, grow and succeed together, and this underpins everything we do. With a clear mission to provide the best atmosphere and the best support, we strive for the best results—defined not only by academic success, but also by the personal development and wellbeing of our students. As an employer, we ensure strong professional development opportunities and encourage staff to identify ways in which they can improve and develop.

Why join Bourne Grammar School?

We believe that the success of our students depends on the wellbeing, development and support of our staff. We are proud of the positive and collaborative culture within our school and are committed to ensuring colleagues feel valued and supported in their professional lives.

Alongside excellent opportunities for professional development, staff benefit from:

• The opportunity to work with highly motivated, respectful students who are keen to learn
• Supportive and approachable leaders who value staff voice and provide clear guidance, professional trust and encouragement
• A strong culture of professional collaboration and support across departments
• Opportunities to contribute to trips, enrichment activities and the wider life of the school
• Free access to our on-site fitness suite
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) through BUPA, offering confidential advice and support for personal, financial and mental wellbeing
• Cycle to Work scheme, supporting healthier and more sustainable commuting

We are committed to creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and able to flourish both professionally and personally.

We welcome visits from prospective applicants and these can be arranged by telephoning Miss Karen Wood on 01778 422 288 ext 222 or email hr@bourne-grammar.lincs.sch.uk. For further details about the role, or the School, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Bourne Grammar School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and to maintain a child-centred approach to safeguarding.

The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, online searches as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates, and other pre-employment checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Bourne Grammar School is an equal opportunities employer.