Parkside Community College is a small, caring school for pupils aged 11-16, with incredibly high expectations in all aspects of school life.

We are proud of our achievements in helping our pupils to strive for excellence. Our GCSE performance in 2023 placed us in the top 30 schools in England for progress. We are always looking to improve what we do, and our community helps us to remain a leading school in Cambridge and beyond. We expect all of our staff, pupils and parents to 'play their part' in making Parkside Community College a great place to learn and to grow. We also place a great emphasis on responsibility, good citizenship and ethical decision-making in all year groups.

We are very proud to have again been judged Outstanding by Ofsted in April 2023. The inspectors recognised that: ‘teachers are happy’. We provide regular training to equip teachers with strong subject knowledge; we collaboratively to ensure their workload is manageable, and we have established a highly inclusive ethos where all are welcomed.

We offer 120 places in each year group and believe deeply in the power of ‘human scale’ education, where every pupil is very well known and strong relationships help teachers support their classes to achieve exceptional outcomes. Our intake is diverse: we have a large proportion of higher attainers on entry; however, we also support a cohort of pupils with Special Educational Needs. We welcome many pupils who join us from overseas, with a range of ability in English.

The school is part of United Learning’s cluster in Cambridge, working closely with neighbouring schools Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology, Coleridge Community College, The Galfrid School and Trumpington Community College. This collaboration allows us to share expertise, access to joint services, and enrich the educational experience for all.

For staff, this approach helps to streamline processes and manage workloads effectively, supporting excellent outcomes while promoting a healthy work-life balance, allowing us to support and invest in our staff more effectively.

Parkside Community College aspires to a culture of excellence, shared by all staff and pupils. We are dedicated to ensuring each pupil gains the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to make a success of their future lives. We have a strong ethos, built on the superb relationships across our community and very high standards of behaviour.

We are committed to supporting our colleagues to be highly effective teachers. Our teaching is informed by Rosenshine’s Principles, and we meet regularly as a staff body for CPD. We have a consistent behaviour policy that enables colleagues to teach without disruption.

The school was built in 1912 and is situated in the heart of Cambridge, in two sites overlooking Parker's Piece. We are only a few minutes from the city centre, and a 20-minute walk from the main Cambridge train station, which has regular trains to London Kings Cross.

‘This is a small school where pupils enrich their understanding of a much wider world’ Ofsted, 2023

Benefits

Parkside Community College is part of United Learning, a growing group of schools whose aim is to provide excellent education to children and young people across the country. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued and appreciated. As a group we can reward you better than any school could alone, and this includes your employee benefits – more pay, more time, and more support. We offer the best pay in the sector, three extra INSET days for planning, guaranteed personal days, great training for your career, and more. For more information, please visit our website - www.unitedlearning.org.uk/careers/rewards-and-benefits.

In addition, staff benefit from:

• Free car parking behind the school

• Supportive network with over 7,000 colleagues across the country

• Comprehensive wellbeing programme with extra meeting-free INSET days

• Bespoke career pathways for every member of staff

• Remuneration packages and perks 

• In-house educational and business support

United Learning

United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and shortlisted candidates will be subject to an online check. 

United Learning values diversity and inclusion and is committed to creating and sustaining a more diverse workforce. We welcome applications from professionals of minority ethnic origin and from majority ethnic professionals who share our commitment to inclusion and diversity. We always appoint on merit, and we are open to discussing flexible working options.