Job Description

Primary Literacy Specialists - Required September 2020 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Myland English Hub, based at Myland Community Primary School in Colchester, is seeking to add to our cohort of expert primary school teachers to develop and work as Primary Literacy Specialists. The attached Application Pack gives information about the programme and how teachers and their schools can apply to be involved.

The closing date for applications is 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 7th July 2020.

Background

In September 2018 the Department for Education announced 34 English Hubs. This network of some of the best performing primary schools has been set up to improve reading standards across the country and improve education outcomes for the most disadvantaged children, particularly in underperforming schools.

Benefits for participating teachers and their schools

The Literacy Specialists are at the heart of the English Hub Offer. Literacy Specialists will benefit from a national training programme in order to become experts in teaching early language and reading in Reception and Key Stage 1.

Participating in the programme will provide the following benefits to the Literacy Specialists and their schools:

Literacy Specialists will develop:

understanding of excellent practice in teaching early language and literacy, with a particular focus on Systematic Synthetic Phonics
skills of teaching, planning and assessment in order to effectively support pupils to make excellent progress
ability to support teachers, within their own school and in other schools, to improve standards
Literacy Specialists will have the opportunity to work closely with the national English Hubs Training Centre, the Myland English Hub team and the national and local communities of Literacy Specialists.

The Literacy Specialist's school will benefit from high quality and sustained support in embedding outstanding early language and literacy teaching across the school.

Who should apply?

Prospective applicants must meet the following criteria:

Qualified Teacher Status
Employed as a teacher in a Primary/Infant/Junior school and regularly teaching phonics to the same class of children at least three days/week with consistently good or better outcomes
Able to fulfil the programme requirements and time commitment outlined in the attached document
Highly effective teaching skills in early language and literacy as evidenced by internal/external/Ofsted observation
Passion and enthusiasm for teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics
Ability to work collaboratively with others
Successful track record of working effectively with other professionals in their own school
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
An understanding of what constitutes effective early language and literacy teaching and the ability and confidence to communicate this
An understanding of the importance of fidelity when teaching a phonics programme and having decodable books which match the phonetic sounds children have been taught.

Myland English Hub will look to appoint Literacy Specialists so that they both meet the criteria as set out above, but also fit into the Hub's strategic plan for developing early language and literacy teaching across the following geographical areas:

Essex (NE, Mid, South and West quadrants); Suffolk (including Babergh, Ipswich, Suffolk Coastal, Waveney and Mid Suffolk)

All relevant information is contained in the Application Pack (attached). All applications must be made via the Hub application form contained in the pack and returned to englishhub@myland.essex.sch.uk by 4 p.m. on Tuesday 7th July 2020.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Rebecca Jarrett (Hub Lead) on 01206 852109.

Myland Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This appointment is subject to safer recruitment procedures including an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and medical clearance.