Job Introduction
Crestwood Community School is one school, with two campuses serving central Eastleigh. We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and ambitious person as a Teacher of English to start in September 2025. The English Faculty is an exceptionally upbeat, forward-thinking, and innovative department, which is cohesive, team-spirited and collaborative. We are looking for someone who can play an active role in contributing to the already high standards within the faculty, fostering an inquisitive approach to English and inspiring a love of reading.
The English faculty is a key faculty across both campuses. We appointed two new Achievement Leaders earlier this academic year (following the promotion of the incumbent) who share the role and split this by Head of Key Stage 3 and Head of Key Stage 4. They are both enthusiastic, approachable and highly supportive. They work with the faculty to promote collaborative planning, enhance teaching and learning, and to drive up standards of achievement and attainment.
The faculty comprises two Achievement Leaders, working with an Assistant Achievement Leader, nine main scale teachers and two Assistant Headteachers. They are a cohesive team and have a strong commitment towards the highest standards of teaching and learning through a thematic, coherent and engaging curriculum.
Crestwood Community School had an Ofsted inspection in February 2024, which confirmed that we continue to be a ‘good’ school. The report stated that at Crestwood “there is a welcoming, friendly atmosphere”. They also said that “teachers and support staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at the school. They particularly value school leader's careful consideration of their workload and well-being so that they can focus their efforts fully on pupils’ education.” In addition, Ofsted report that “many pupils, staff and parents describe the school as a ‘big family’. This is a happy school, where staff and students want to be. The #Crestwoodfamily pervades through everything we do.
As a school we take staff wellbeing seriously. We offer staff the following:
- wellbeing weeks, with no commitments scheduled after school
- free lunch every day
- free tea and coffee
- half termly cooked breakfasts
- accrued inset days, taken as twilights, giving staff an additional 4 days off a year
- One wellbeing day per year (during term-time), to be taken at their chosen time (after a qualifying period)
- weekly thank you bulletin
- birthday cards
- heads discretionary leaves of absence for family events
- acts of random kindness
- access to mental health first aiders
Our Ofsted report from February 2024 stated that at Crestwood “there is a welcoming, friendly atmosphere”. They also said that “teachers and support staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at the school. They particularly value school leader's careful consideration of their workload and well-being so that they can focus their efforts fully on pupils’ education.” In addition, Ofsted report that “many pupils, staff and parents describe the school as a ‘big family’.
We are one school over two campuses, serving the children of central Eastleigh, which is a vibrant town, with large amounts of development in both business and residential areas. There has been an expansion in the primary sector with several local schools undergoing expansion to their buildings to accommodate the growth in student numbers. Crestwood merged with the former Quilley School in 2016 to provide one secondary school for Eastleigh, something new and exciting, offering high quality education for the children of Eastleigh. In 2022 we became oversubscribed in every year group and are operating a waiting list across both campuses. The two campuses are situated at Shakespeare Road and Cherbourg Road and both offer the same high quality education to all year groups with little movement of students. Staff are predominantly one campus based but may be expected to teach across both sites, whilst playing an active part in their innovative and high-performing teams. Across both campuses we have been successful in establishing a strong culture and ethos, typified by the #Crestwoodfamily.
As Head Teacher I have a clear vision and an absolute determination to improve the provision of education across Eastleigh. We care deeply about our school, the staff, the students and the community we serve, we are a school with a heart. We as a school are clear about our improvement agenda and we work cohesively as a school wide team. As this was our fifth consecutive “good” grading it demonstrates that at Crestwood we are continually providing a consistent quality in all we do, against a backdrop of tougher standards and criteria to be judged against.
The English Faculty is a leading faculty across both campuses. The faculty teaches both Language and Literature and follows AQA syllabus at KS4.
In English, students will have eight 60 minutes per fortnight. At Key Stage 3, they explore a wide range of topics focusing on a variety of themes over the three years. Within each theme, students study a breadth of texts ranging from Lightning Strike, Lord of the Flies and The Giver. All Key Stage 3 students also regularly visit the library and undertake ‘word study’ to unpick the morphology and etymology of key vocabulary. The faculty frequently take part in author and poet workshops to further broaden students’ exposure to a variety of texts. At Key Stage 4, students study Language and Literature through an interweaving curriculum, focusing on An Inspector Calls, Macbeth, poetry and A Christmas Carol as their GCSE set texts. Students are able to experience these texts through a range of extracurricular trips and visits as well as their study in the classroom.
We have enhanced our campuses significantly over the past few years. We have refurbished nearly all areas across the school. We have had a new crescent area and roof at Shakespeare which has enhanced the building significantly. The Cherbourg Campus is situated between the town’s two post-16 providers. The site is well maintained with specialist facilities in excellent condition throughout, including 5 new Science rooms and refurbished Sports Hall. In totality we are a school continually on the up and have a can-do-more attitude.
As a new member of staff you will be well supported: we have a comprehensive induction process, and you will be given an Induction Mentor and a ‘professional buddy’. We hold the Investors in People Gold standard, and see professional learning as a major strategic priority.
For the successful candidate, a commitment to raising standards and a passion for developing young adults is essential: this entails a commitment to all learners, to excellence for all, and a belief that a good school makes a significant difference to learners’ life chances, levels of attainment and the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
Attached documents
