Candidate Brief for the position of Head of Psychology from September 2022
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Candidate Brief for the position of
Head of Psychology from September 2022
Mayfield School
Mayfield is a vibrant, happy and successful independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to
18. Founded in 1872 by the Venerable Cornelia Connelly and the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), the School is
set within 75 acres of beautiful Sussex countryside, conveniently located just outside Royal Tunbridge Wells, within an
hour of central London by train and with easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow airports.
Inspired by its founding principles, which remain at its core today, one of the School’s greatest strengths is its proven
ability to unlock and develop the unique potential and talent of each girl in an inspiring learning environment. A
Mayfield education combines academic excellence, breadth of opportunity and exceptional pastoral care. It is an
inclusive community, seeking to support and challenge all members on their spiritual journey. There are currently just
over 400 pupils in the School of whom almost half are boarders.
The School enjoys excellent facilities, including an award-winning Sixth Form Centre; a specialist Science Centre;
internationally renowned creative arts teaching and learning facilities; an indoor swimming pool; a Technology Suite
and a first-class Equestrian Centre on campus.
School Ethos
The vision of Mayfield’s founder, Cornelia Connelly, to educate young women to respond to the needs of the age
remains central to the School’s education philosophy today. As a Catholic school, proud of our heritage, we are
committed to helping each girl discover and develop her unique talents, to be herself and to make that self what God
wants it to be, whether she considers herself to be religious or not. Unostentatiously, faith remains fundamental to
the life of the School and provides a moral and joyful framework for daily life; encouraging integrity, generosity,
compassion and courage within an inclusive community, which welcomes all. The School’s motto ‘Actions Not Words’
is embodied in our voluntary service programme, which promotes a spirit of personal and social responsibility, but is
pertinent to every area of the School.
Mayfield’s Aims and Objectives
The School aims to achieve its vision by:
▪ Providing a stimulating and creative curriculum that fosters academic excellence
▪ Offering a wide range of opportunities to encourage equally the spiritual, intellectual, creative, physical and
emotional development of each pupil
▪ Encouraging in each pupil a sense of achievement and the confidence to make a difference in a demanding and
constantly changing world
▪ Creating a distinctive environment in which the experience of living together enhances the lives of all pupils and
staff
▪ Fostering a vibrant community for those of the Catholic and other faith traditions where worship is integral to the
life of the School and each is encouraged to serve God and other people
▪ Enabling each member of the School community, resident or non-resident, actively to support and contribute to
the shared values of the School
Mayfield encourages equally the intellectual, creative, physical, emotional and spiritual development of each pupil.
Every girl is accepted for who she is and we instil in her the confidence to find her strengths and build on them. Whilst
Psychology, Maths and Science are amongst our most popular and successful subjects at A Level, we also have a first
class reputation for creativity and excel in the creative and performing arts. Girls are encouraged to continue to
combine Arts, Science and Humanities up to and including in their A Level studies.
Academic study is complemented with a rich and diverse variety of activities beyond the classroom. With everything
from dance or debating, to philosophy, drama and music with a full programme of sporting opportunities including
cricket, fencing and top class equestrian facilities on campus, girls are challenged and supported to realise their full
potential, thereby endowing them with a lifelong love of learning and the opportunity to grow as individuals.
Mayfield girls progress to prestigious universities including Oxford and Cambridge, and increasingly to the US and
Europe, to study a wide range of subjects. Just as important as enabling academic success, is ensuring that girls leave
Mayfield with enduring friendships, open minds, strength of character and the lifelong support of a global community.
The values, skills, aspiration and resilience we nurture in the girls prepares them to respond to the opportunities and
challenges of the 21st century and to make a positive difference in the world.
Benefits of working at Mayfield. Mayfield is a warm and welcoming school community, bringing together a diverse range of girls and staff. We have an international community with 20% of our girls from overseas, including almost 30 different nationalities, and girls from affluent backgrounds and those on 100% bursaries, who work together and build friendships based on who they are and where they are going, rather than where they have come from. Small class sizes with girls who are keen to learn enables a level of trust and partnership between students and staff to emerge. The school has a generous budget for professional development enabling all teachers to enhance their teaching skills and academic areas of interest, beyond simply the examination syllabus. The Coffee Staff room provides an area for relaxation away from the girls, where tea and coffee making facilities are available, along with a supply of morning break cakes and biscuits. The School’s in- house catering team provides complimentary lunch with a variety of healthy and nutritious options available, although an on-site cafe is also available for staff to purchase additional snacks or barista coffee if required. Staff also benefit from on-site parking, free use of the School indoor swimming pool and fitness suite as well as opportunities to join in staff sessions in things like Yoga or Modern Greek lessons! Whilst many staff commute to work from the surrounding areas, around fifty members of staff and their families live in School accommodation within Mayfield. Mayfield is a small vibrant village, with a regular bus service and excellent train links to central London from the nearby villages of Wadhurst and Crowborough, or Tunbridge Wells. There is also easy access to the picturesque South Downs and Sussex coastline. Mayfield has a strong active local community with a wide range of events ranging from a slow film festival to an annual carnival. Along the high street are a comprehensive range of independent shops, pubs and cafes and a regular. Services in the village also include a doctor’s surgery, dentist, pharmacy and a primary and pre-school. We have a strong link with local Catholic Schools, including Sacred Heart in Wadhurst and local primaries. Our local Catholic Parish Church is St Thomas’s in Mayfield but during term time, staff are also welcome to attend Sunday mass in the school Chapel. The Catholic Life of the School –inclusive of all faiths and none Throughout the day-to-day life of the School, a basic aim of all who work with the girls is to help them achieve Cornelia Connelly’s maxim: “Be yourself but make that self what God wants it to be”. Each member of the community, whatever their faith background, or lack of it, in their own way, shares in the endeavour to educate young women of faith and reason, prepared to ‘respond to the needs of the age’. Students in all years attend daily prayers in Tutor Groups, led by Tutors or members of the Tutor group, and weekly liturgies which are co-ordinated and usually led by the Lay Chaplain. Students are encouraged to participate in a variety of liturgical forms and to engage in the planning of liturgies. Staff are encouraged to be involved as much as they wish. In addition to Sunday Mass, which all boarders are expected to attend, there is a voluntary weekly evening Mass and a range of prayer groups open to all. There are also Whole School masses every half term and on Holy Days of Obligation which staff are expected to attend. Girls sing in Schola and Chapel Choir and have sung in Arundel, Southwark and Westminster Cathedrals as well as The Vatican. Our Sixth Form sacristans organise the altar servers and several girls and staff act as Eucharistic Ministers. Staff are welcome to join the Chaplaincy team. Every year the Bishop visits as part of the programme and returns to confer the sacrament of Confirmation on candidates, and we regularly have girls who are choose to be received into the Church or make their First Holy Communion at this celebration. He also visits as part of the Lent Talks and is supportive of the life and mission of the School.
Boarding at Mayfield Boarding has always been an integral part of Mayfield life and over recent years has become an increasingly important part of the life of the school. We have four boarding houses: Leeds for our junior girls in Years 7 and 8; St Gabriel’s and St Michael’s for our Middle School girls in Years 9 to 11 and St Dunstan’s the Sixth Form house. Approximately 50% of girls will board during their time in school. Each house has a Housemistress and Assistant Housemistress who are supported by Resident tutors. We also have graduate Assistants, some of whom are considering a career in teaching or involved in our Graduate Teacher Training programme. We do not have exeat weekends, per se, but girls are able to return home at the weekends, should they wish, if they do not have weekend commitments. At the weekend Sports fixtures, a programme of activities and trips take place. Some departments hold ‘master-classes’ and clinics, or schedule rehearsals and practices. Day girls are welcome to be involved in all weekend activities. All staff are expected to contribute to the extra-curricular life of the school, including some weekends over the course of the year. Resident staff play a more extensive part in the boarding life of the School.
The Psychology Department at Mayfield School The Psychology Department is committed to ensuring that each girl fulfils her potential, by creating an environment where Sixth Form students can work with understanding and yet still be challenged and extended. Psychology is a very popular subject choice among Sixth Form students, combining with a wide range of other subjects. There are currently two sets in both Year 12 and Year 13, following the AQA-A specification. Psychology teaching takes place in a dedicated well-equipped teaching room in the Sixth Form centre. The classroom is fitted with an interactive whiteboard and ICT is used regularly as part of the delivery of Psychology. Optional topics taught can be at the discretion of the Head of Department to suit their own particular interests and experience. Current topics taught and resourced at A2 are gender, stress and aggression. The successful candidate is likely to be the sole teacher of Psychology and would teach Sixth Form students who are able, enthusiastic and interested with an ability to convey a passion for the subject that goes well beyond the confines of the examined curriculum. The department gets excellent results and a number of students each year chose to study Psychology at Degree level (including Oxbridge). The Head of Department should be willing and eager to help promote Psychology as a Degree choice and prepare such students for applications, interviews and undergraduate study. Job Description for Head of Psychology Teachers at Mayfield School are required to have a good degree in a relevant discipline and possess strong subject knowledge: academic staff can expect to teach across the age range of 11-18. All staff at Mayfield School are expected to maintain the highest standards of behaviour: they should be familiar with and actively support the Holy Child Ethos of the School and the Cornelian Principles and uphold the basic principles outlined in the DfE Teachers’ Standards. An appreciation of and commitment to the value of education for girls is essential. The Head of Psychology at Mayfield School is expected to work closely with the Head of Sixth Form and Director of Studies to promote a holistic and creative approach to education: supporting the education of the whole individual, in line with the educational philosophy of Cornelia Connelly and the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and being an enthusiastic proponent of education for girls. In addition to the general expectations of a classroom teacher, the Head of Psychology will have the following responsibilities: General Responsibilities ▪ Develop and review departmental policies and practices to consolidate and build on the performance of the Psychology Department and ensure the continuing progress and enthusiasm of the girls. ▪ Contribute to whole-school strategy as part of Curriculum Committee, Heads of Departments and other appropriate groups. ▪ Develop and review the departmental handbook, the departmental SEF and schemes of work.
▪ Complete an annual performance evaluation of examination results and progress to discuss with the
Headmistress.
▪ Analyse and interpret relevant data to inform policies and target setting.
▪ Develop and sustain good working relationships with colleagues, girls and parents.
▪ Work with colleagues to formulate aims, objectives and strategic plans for the department which will have
coherence and relevance to the needs of girls and to the aims and strategic plans of the School.
▪ Contribute to the extra-curricular and weekend programme.
▪ Market the department with current and prospective girls and feeder schools.
Teaching and learning
▪ Lead by example by modelling innovation and excellent practice.
▪ Ensure a curriculum which challenges, engages and informs; is accessible to all students and is reviewed regularly
▪ Provide opportunities to challenge the most able and support weaker members of School – inside and outside the
classroom.
▪ Encourage independent learning and self-evaluation.
▪ Within the department, implement School policies and practices for assessment, recording and reporting, using
this information to support on-going improvement. Contribute to whole-School reviews of these policies and
practices.
▪ Establish clear schemes of work and ensure that all staff are familiar with teaching objectives and outcomes.
▪ Ensure targets for achievement and understanding are set, reviewed and evaluated.
▪ Ensure information about pupils’ achievements and difficulties is used effectively to facilitate continuing progress
and appropriate support.
▪ Monitor teaching and learning through lesson observation; looking at pupils’ work etc.
▪ Contribute to the extra-curricular enrichment programme in the School.
▪ Promote cross-curricular initiatives
Management of Staff
▪ Lead, inspire and motivate colleagues so that they are supported while still being accountable for their
performance with SMT.
▪ Hold regular departmental meetings to ensure efficient administration and sharing of information and resources
within the department.
▪ Assist with the recruitment and deployment of departmental staff and with the induction programme for ECTs
and other new staff.
▪ Organise sharing of good practice within the department and with other departments.
▪ Regularly monitor departmental staff, annually appraise individuals as part of the School cycle and discuss and
monitor the CPD of departmental staff.
▪ Anticipate key pressure points in the year and plan accordingly.
▪ Help and support staff in establishing constructive working relationships with pupils and colleagues.
Administration – Resources
▪ Plan, implement and monitor the departmental budget: ensure that costs are controlled, value-for-money
maximised and accurate inventories are maintained.
▪ Stock control, including monitoring appropriate use, management and organisation of resources.
▪ Set and mark entrance scripts for girls and feedback results to Admissions.
▪ Plan and organise internal examinations
▪ Take responsibility for subject entries in public examinations and establish good links with the Examination
Officer.
▪ Oversee and monitor department tracking and reports to ensure accuracy of material.
▪ Be present on A level Results Day and provide advice to pupils and parents as required.
▪ Maintain links with the IT department and ensure that IT is used effectively to enhance the quality of teaching
and learning in Psychology.
▪ Oversee general administrative tasks.
▪ Maintain current resources and draw on a wide range of new opportunities to develop and introduce new ideas.
▪ Create a stimulating and effective working environment.
▪ Be responsible for the Health & Safety in your Department and inform the Maintenance Department of any
concerns about the fixtures and fittings.
Contribution to the wider life of the School
▪ Undertake the role of Tutor, as requested.
▪ Carry out regular duties and supervision, on a rota, during the School day and after lessons end to help facilitate the
smooth running of the School.
▪ Be familiar with the Teaching Staff Handbook and the School policies included within it.
▪ Carry out such duties as are allocated by the Deputy Head and Director of Studies or other Senior Management
colleagues, including cover for absent colleagues and examination invigilation. Respond punctually, efficiently and
in accordance with the guidance in the Staff Handbook.
▪ Contribute to the broader Mayfield educational provision in a way which builds on your talents and expertise. For
instance running extra-curricular trips, clubs or societies.
▪ Attend School and year group assemblies, Liturgies and Inter-house competitions, supervising pupils when needed.
▪ Attend staff meetings, parents’ consultations, results days, Open mornings, Prize Giving and similar important
School functions out of school hours.
▪ Contribute to the boarding community by being involved in Saturday afternoon activities on six Saturdays across the
School year (or equivalent).
▪ Illustrate the ability and desire to promote Mayfield in the wider community.
▪ Maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour especially with regard to attendance and punctuality.
▪ Adhere to school policies and procedures including professional conduct, Safeguarding and Child Protection
guidelines.
It should be noted that the above list of duties is not necessarily an exhaustive statement of the final responsibilities of
the post. It is intended to give an overall view of the position and should be taken as guidance only. The post holder
may be required to undertake any other reasonable task requested by the Headmistress for a Head of Department
which fall within his or her capabilities and which are in accordance with the usual practice of a Catholic Independent
Boarding and Day School.
All staff are expected to promote safeguarding and child protection as a fundamental part of their role and will be
supported in this respect by ongoing professional development.
All Mayfield Teaching Staff
▪ All teachers are expected to adhere to the Teachers’ Standards as outlined by the DfE and updated regularly.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards. Full details of the terms and conditions of
employment are found in the teaching staff employment contract.
▪ All staff are expected to contribute to the boarding and extra-curricular life of the School which may include some
evenings and weekends.
▪ No member of the teaching staff may undertake private coaching of Mayfield girls without the permission of the
Headmistress.
Application Process
Mayfield School has its own application form, which is available via the website. Applications should be supported
with a covering letter, explaining how you see yourself contributing to the Mayfield School community.
We offer excellent working conditions in an outstanding environment. Mayfield has its own generous pay scale and
pension scheme. The salary package for this position will reflect the qualifications and experience of the successful
candidate. All staff are expected to contribute to the extra-curricular programme.
For further information please visit our website www.mayfieldgirls.org/vacancies where you can access our requisite
application form. Ms K Brennan Head of HR by e-mail for further details and our requisite application form.
hr@mayfieldgirls.org.
The School is an equal opportunities employer.
The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.
Mayfield School
Head of Psychology– Person specification
ATTRIBUTES ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE
▪ Outstanding classroom practitioner able to use
of a variety of teaching and learning styles ▪ University, including Oxbridge
▪ Teaching experience across the full age and preparation experience
EXPERIENCE ability range of the School ▪ Ability to teach an additional
▪ Proven ability to inspire and challenge the most subject to KS3 could be
able of students and understanding of the useful.
challenges for less able scientists
QUALIFICATIONS/
▪ A good Degree in Psychology or related discipline
EDUCATION/TRAINING ▪ Understanding of current and planned ▪ PGCE or equivalent
ATTAINMENTS examination requirements
▪ Awareness of practical strategies to motivate
▪ Use of variety of teaching and
learners and raise achievement
learning styles
▪ Good ICT skills
SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE ▪ Interested in application of ICT
▪ Good literacy skills (written and spoken English)
OR SKILLS skills to learning and teaching
▪ Ability to work under pressure and be flexible
of Psychology
▪ Excellent communication skills
▪ Ability to manage and lead a
▪ Good understanding and working knowledge of
team including part-time staff
Health & Safety requirements
▪ Enthusiastic and motivated
▪ Highly organised ▪ To be positive about the need
▪ A commitment to and interest in the wellbeing, for innovation and change
DISPOSITION support and achievement of girls ▪ Reflective on good practice
▪ A willingness to challenge oneself to seek with a willingness to seek
continuous improvement continuous improvement
▪ A good sense of humour ▪ Ability to work under pressure
▪ A team player
▪ Experience of organising own
LEADERSHIP AND ▪ Leading by example trips and visits
MANAGEMENT ▪ Excellent organisational and administrative skills ▪ Experience of innovating and
▪ Building cross-curricular links managing change in teaching
and learning
▪ The potential to offer something extra to the
▪ Willingness to lead the
School and its students to enhance the girls’
INTERESTS development of extra-
learning outside the classroom
curricular provision in
▪ Willingness to contribute to the extra-curricular
Psychology
programme of the School
▪ Commitment to the Catholic ethos of the School ▪ Experience of working in a
ETHOS
▪ A sense of excitement about teaching and working boarding environment and/or
with young people Catholic education
Mayfield School
The Old Palace
High Street
Mayfield
EAST SUSSEX
TN20 6PH
Tel: 01435 874600
Email: enquiry@mayfieldgirls.org
www: mayfieldgirls.orgYou can also read
