MFL Teacher (French with Spanish or German)

Full-time or Part-time

Didcot Girls’ School & Didcot Sixth Form

Role commences 1^st September 2025

Salary/allowances: MPS/UPS scale point

 Closing date: 8am Friday 17^th January

 We welcome applications from experienced and newly qualified teachers

The Post

This is a key post in a strong and innovative department. We are looking for a teacher with a genuine and infectious passion for teaching languages who will enthuse and engage the students they teach; a teacher with high expectations for all students whatever their prior attainment.

 The ideal candidate will have a passion for learning and high standards and will enjoy drawing on evidence-based practice from wider trends in pedagogy to give our pupils the very best teaching in Modern Languages. You will be someone who can contribute positively to our school ethos and values and who shares our vision to ensure limitless opportunities for young women.

 The successful applicant will ideally teach French to KS5 and Spanish or German to KS4. The ability to teach Spanish or German to a higher level would be an advantage.

Please make clear in your application which languages and to what level you can teach.

For further information about the role or department, please email Valerie Morris, Head of MFL at vmorris@didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk

 We highly value the professional development of all of our staff and leadership opportunities run through the heart of the school for students and staff alike. There are exciting opportunities across our Trust to access the most recent research -based training in pedagogy and leadership so that all staff are continually able to develop their practice. This is complemented by dedicated collaborative planning and subject specific curriculum development time each week. 

The Department  

The Modern Languages Department is staffed by a supportive group of 7 teaching

staff and 3 Foreign Language Assistants. We are also working in partnership with Oxford Brookes University on their Hanban programme and have a teacher placed with us during the academic year to support the teaching of Chinese Mandarin. Results at all levels are strong and following an upward trend. At GCSE results are excellent across all languages: Chinese Mandarin (95% 4+), French (95% 4+), German (94% 4+) and Spanish (82% 4+).

Accommodation

Teaching rooms all with ceiling mounted projectors and Promethean boards

30 laptops for students

Curriculum

At Key Stage 3 students are taught in mixed ability classes. All students study Spanish and then either French or German over the course of Years 7 and 8 and specialise in one language in Year 9, although they can choose to continue with two.  Some students in Year 7 opt to follow the Mandarin Excellence Programme when they join the school and they study Chinese Mandarin and Spanish in Years 7 and 8. We use a range of resources for our schemes of work, including units from the Studio course for French, Jin Bu for Chinese, Viva for Spanish and Stimmt for German.

In Years 10 and 11 we run GCSE courses in German, French, Spanish and Chinese Mandarin as part of our options programme, following Edexcel specifications for all languages and using Pearson Edexcel published resources tailor-made for this exam board. All examinations are taken in Year 11.

We are also part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme which is a very exciting intensive learning programme where students are taught 4 hours of Chinese every week from Year 7 upwards, with the expectation they will study the subject throughout their time at the school and into the Sixth Form. This programme features immersion learning in China in Year 9 and a university residential course in Year 10.

MFL options are increasingly popular in the joint Sixth Form with all four languages offered across our joint Sixth Form with St Birinus School (the boys’ school located s short walk away and part of the Ridgeway Education Trust). We follow the AQA specification for German, French and Spanish and the IB course for Chinese Mandarin.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We have a very strong enrichment programme for our students including in and out of school competitions and weekly support/extension clubs for both upper and lower school. We run regular trips abroad which are very popular, from a short residential trip to Northern France with Year 7 students to longer visits to Paris, Madrid, Munich and China. Didcot is twinned with the German town of Planegg and we have strong links with the school there.

International Schools Award

Didcot Girls’ School has held the International Schools Award for over twenty years. As a Languages Specialist school in the days when specialisms were available, the school has a long tradition of and commitment to language learning and approximately 65% of each year group will opt for at least one MFL GCSE. We believe it is essential that our school community is outward-looking and international in its focus in order to prepare our young people for global futures. 

The School

Didcot Girls’ School is a dynamic school. In November 2022, the school was judged  as continuing to be Outstanding. As Ofsted recognised, we invest in all of our staff:

“Leaders support staff very well. They have established a collaborative and respectful working environment. With the trust, they provide highly valued training and leadership programmes. Staff are exceptionally proud to work at the school.”

Ofsted also noted the high standards within the school and commented that “Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.”

We are a values-driven school, committed to high quality teaching and learning and respectful relationships within an inclusive learning community. Developing stimulating and student-centred teaching and learning is at the centre of our school development work. We work hard to ensure that all girls’ education enables our students to develop confidence, leadership skills and high levels of aspiration.

We are committed to continuous professional development and have wide-ranging training and development opportunities. We are also mindful of the competing demands people face in their lives and make every effort to accommodate flexible working.

Summer 2024 GCSE results were superb with 81% of all students achieving 4+ in English and Maths, and 66% doing the same at 5+.  Results at A level in the mixed sixth form shared with our partner school, St Birinus School, are also extremely strong with 30% of grades awarded as A* or A and 62% achieving Grades A*-B. These results place us as one of the highest performing schools in the county.  

Employing great staff is key to the success of our school: the Headteacher is actively involved in every interview process.  

We understand that valuing and developing our staff is the best way to release and realise their potential. In return, we seek staff who are passionate about working with young people, resilient, and with a truly growth mindset. If this is you, we look forward to hearing from you!  

Didcot Girls’ School is a Family Friendly School, committed to supporting our staff so that they can carve out a professional and personal life that is fulfilling and balanced.  

RET – Ridgeway Education Trust

As a member of Ridgeway Education Trust, Didcot Girls’ School (Ofsted Outstanding November 2022) works in close partnership with St Birinus School (Ofsted Good, February 2020). The two schools share a 400 strong mixed Didcot Sixth Form (Ofsted Outstanding, November 2022) which is based predominantly at St Birinus.  

Application process: 

Ridgeway Education Trust is committed to safeguarding, equality and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff working in all its schools to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to satisfactory enhanced DBS, references and pre-employment safeguarding checks.  All Leadership roles will require a Section 128 check.  The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining a post. All cases are considered confidentially and according to the nature of the role and information disclosed.  

To view our Safeguarding policy, please visit our website: https://www.didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk/265/school-policies

 Please be aware that you will be required to bring your original degree certificate, proof of residence and photographic ID, as applicable, to interview and online searches may be made for shortlisted candidates, as part of due diligence checks.

Didcot Girls’ School is a Family Friendly School, committed to supporting our staff so that they can carve out a professional and personal life that is fulfilling and balanced. 

Our RET Staff Charter summarises the commitment we make to all staff who join and work at Ridgeway Education Trust.

We are committed to expressing our values of high-quality learning, respectful relationships and an inclusive environment in the day-to-day experience of staff and students throughout the school.

Didot Girls’ School is an equal opportunities employer.