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Cover Teacher, HARRIS FEDERATION
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About Us
Harris Garrard Academy is a school that disrupts the status quo in order to drive social mobility for our young people. Our academic results have placed us in the top 10% nationally for secondary and 5% for our primary phase; transforming students' lives forever. We are located in the wider South Thamesmead area and are accessible by fantastic rail and bus transport links (we are on the Elizabeth Line, Bus Super loop bus route). The academy’s stunning working environment is within a purpose-built school designed by Norman Foster and nominated for the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2004.
Our vision is clear: nothing is impossible and everything is possible, irrespective of personal characteristics or background. Every problem has a solution. We believe we are more robust, resilient, and determined as a team than as a group of individuals. We support, challenge, and hold each other to account at all levels within the academy to ensure that our students achieve their potential, are motivated, engaged, and fully prepared for life beyond our academy.
As one of Harris’s successful all-through academies, staff at all levels belong to a strong, cohesive team working with Executive Principal Wayne Barnett and Head of Academy Kristen Gringeri and the wider SLT team. Staff can expect to grow with us as we continue to innovate and evolve as an academy. With ample opportunity to build on CPD, your potential is limitless with us.
To learn more about working in our academy and what we can offer you, view our academy page via the “why work at” button.
Summary
We are looking to appoint a resourceful Cover Teacher at Harris Garrard Academy to provide classroom cover in the absence of teachers. This role will likely suit you if you have previous experience in a similar role, providing cover within an educational establishment.
This role is suitable for an unqualified teacher and is paid on the UQT Scale.
Main Areas of Responsibility
Your Key Duties Will Be:
- To supervise lessons for absent teachers.
- To allocate, explain, and oversee cover work set.
- To report to the relevant Cover Manager any deficiencies with cover work set to include quality or appropriateness of cover.
- To offer general assistance to students in completing cover work in class.
- To follow the academy’s in-class behavior management and referral systems.
- To organize the day’s lessons efficiently in advance so that they run as smoothly as possible.
- When not engaged in carrying out cover, to undertake administrative or student support duties at the direction of the line manager or the relevant Vice Principal.
- Occasional supervision of post-16 students in their study base.
- To take registers in all lessons and promptly report any in-lesson absences.
- To liaise directly with teachers to ensure cover lessons are delivered to a high quality.
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Qualifications & Experience
We would like to hear from you if you have:
- Qualifications to A Level standard or equivalent.
- Knowledge of strategies to recognize and reward efforts and achievements towards self-reliance that are appropriate to the age and development stage of the students.
- Basic knowledge of SEN and other learning barriers.
- Strong organization and time management skills.
- Relevant experience in successfully supervising groups of children aged 11-16.
- Previous experience in a school or comparable large organization.
- Understanding of a secondary school environment.
- Ability to provide classroom cover – within agreed parameters – in the absence of the class teacher.
- Ability to consistently and effectively implement agreed behavior management strategies.
- Ability to use language and other communication skills that students can understand and relate to.
- Ability to establish positive relationships with students and empathize with their needs.
- Ability to demonstrate active listening skills.
- Ability to provide levels of individual attention, reassurance, and help with learning tasks as appropriate to students’ needs, encouraging the students to stay on task.
- Ability to monitor the students’ response to the learning activities and, where appropriate, modify/adapt activities agreed with the teacher to achieve the intended learning outcomes.
For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.
Professional Development & Benefits
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Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.
In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.
Safeguarding Notice
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Equal Opportunities
The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.
We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable, and mutually supportive learning and working environment.
Next Steps
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.
Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.
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