Job Introduction

Mathematics is a flourishing subject at Westminster. Our pupils are highly responsive, and our aim is to make Mathematics lessons opportunities for the collaborative development of ideas, not simply for instruction in set methods or preparation for examinations.

Most pupils at Westminster relish a challenge and enjoy Mathematics for this reason: we want them all to tackle problems they find and learn to deal independently with them, and we hope to offer them the opportunity to do so as an integral part of our lessons. There are 14 full-time members of the department and two part-time. Most pupils are able to go well beyond the requirements of the GCSE in the Lower School, although we do not enter pupils for these examinations early: our policy is one of enrichment rather than acceleration. We currently follow the OCR syllabus at this level, and we expect virtually all pupils to achieve at least grade 8 in Mathematics; the large majority achieve grade 9.

About 80% of the Sixth Form, one-third of whom are girls, are taking A-level Mathematics, following the OCR syllabus, and about half of these also take Further Mathematics. The School achieves 80 or more Oxford and Cambridge places each year, and many of our Further Mathematics candidates will be preparing for university entrance in mathematically-based subjects. We enter many pupils for the full variety of national mathematical challenges: a number of them are usually capable of reaching high levels in the Mathematical Olympiads. The Mathematics classrooms, all equipped with interactive whiteboards, are in one part of the School; this area also includes a room of computers and class sets of laptops, which are used in our teaching at all levels. We do not specialise: all our teachers cover the whole range of the syllabus, including new developments as they arise, and we expect department members to teach throughout the School at all age and ability levels. The department provides a very supportive environment to start one’s teaching career, and more experienced teachers enjoy the lively discussion of Mathematics and the teaching and learning that characterises it.

Role Responsibility

We are looking for a well-qualified individual who will be able to teach Mathematics to all year groups. They will inspire enthusiasm in their pupils and help maintain Westminster’s very high academic standards.

A Mathematics degree is essential. Experience in teaching is a positive attribute, but the successful candidate might not have taught before. We have previously employed both qualified and unqualified teachers, and there is a great deal of support within the department for people looking to begin a career in teaching. As well as teaching Mathematics at all levels within the School, the successful candidate must be calm under pressure, well-organised, efficient and able to work effectively with staff, pupils and the wider community. They would be expected to take a proportionate share in the teaching timetable of the department and extra-curricular activities as directed by the Head of Mathematics. In addition to their academic teaching, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the pastoral and co-curricular life of the School.

Line manager

The Teacher of Mathematics reports to the Head of Mathematics. All Teachers are responsible to the Deputy Head (Academic) on academic matters, to the Under Master on discipline, pastoral, welfare and safeguarding, and ultimately to the Head Master.

Teaching and Learning

The Teacher of Mathematics is expected to:

• Ensure excellent quality of teaching and learning.
• Apply, where appropriate, technology capability to enhance learning and teaching.
• Plan, prepare, teach and evaluate lessons, activities and learning and teaching strategies in line with Schemes of Work located on our Intranet.
• Provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment in which consideration is given to the individual development of all pupils.
• Differentiate learning and teaching and associated resources in a manner that challenges and interests the pupils and is appropriate to their needs and skill levels.
• Apply any recommendations and guidance for pupils with specific learning or welfare needs or disabilities, as directed by the Head of Learning Development, or on the pupil’s personalised learning plan.
• Contribute to and maintain consistency with internal and relevant external marking schedules and moderation procedures.
• Engage pupils fully in the assessment and self-evaluation process.
• Carry out a range of formative assessments of pupils’ attainment to acknowledge and inform progress.
• Record and report on pupil progress and achievements in accordance with the School’s requirements, including formal reporting points such as parents’ evenings and written reports.

All teachers at the School are expected to:

• Promote and support the School’s Aims and Vision.
• Adhere to and support the School’s policies and procedures.
• Accept responsibility for the welfare and care of all pupils, at all times.
• Undertake break and supervisory duties as designated by Senior Management
• Cover classes for absent colleagues as directed by Senior Management.
• Attend staff meetings, parents’ evenings and other meetings and school events, such as the Carol Service and school concerts, outside normal hours.
• Attend relevant school trips, normally including one residential visit per year.
• Undertake any other duties or tasks as the Head Master, the Under Master or the Governing Body may reasonably require
• Engage positively in and contribute to INSET activities offered by the School.
• Be involved in new initiatives within the School as part of ongoing professional development.
• Take an active interest in maintaining subject knowledge, learning networks and current educational research.
• Respect all members of the school community, irrespective of position, gender, age, ethnic background or any other protected characteristic
• Pastoral care and pupil management
• Put pupils at the centre of everything you do, taking a pastoral interest in pupils around the School, so that they feel valued and cared for.
• Take the role of Form Tutor or Form Support Tutor within a year group.
• Monitor the welfare of class pupils, providing guidance, advice and support, and fostering self-esteem.
• Motivate pupils through praise, while being firm.
• Actively maintain the high standards of behaviour and uniform of pupils in the classroom and in all school locations and activities.
• Write and maintain relevant records for individual pupil files and writing reports
• Communicate, respond to and consult with parents on a regular basis maintaining records, as appropriate
• Communicate and consult with other departments or members of staff to implement recommendations, policies or guidance

The Ideal Candidate

Please refer to the below (attached) person specification.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Package Description

Required for: September 2025

Location: Deans Yard - Westminster School

Contract: full-time, permanent

Salary: Westminster has its own salary scale, and new members of staff are placed at a point relevant to their qualifications and experience. Details of salary will be discussed at interview with those candidates who are short-listed.

The deadline for applications is 16:00 on Friday 7th February 2025. Interviews will take place w/c Monday 10th February 2025.

About the School

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff.

Our teaching staff — the Common Room — are friendly and welcoming and all new teachers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here, both inside and outside the classroom. Common Room social events are regular and varied, with plenty of opportunity to socialise outside working hours.

It also does not matter where you come to us from. Some teachers come to us straight from university or having just taken a PGCE. Some have taught in independent schools before while others come from the state sector, or another industry altogether. The common ground is that all our teachers have a great knowledge and love for their subject and are willing to be fully involved in the life of the School and the lives of the children who study here. The School has a vibrant co-curricular programme that offers a wide range of opportunities beyond the academic curriculum. We welcome candidates who can contribute their energy and expertise to the co-curricular life of the School as well as the academic.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. However, we know we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London. Pupils achieve exceptional examination results and entrance to some of the top universities in the world. It is a busy, passionate and purposeful place where independent and deep thinking is enjoyed, encouraged and respected by all, and where holistic excellence is nurtured and valued.

While the School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country, its commitment to academic life does not make it a hothouse for passing examinations. Pupils’ success at examinations and entry to leading universities is instead a result of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation, well beyond published syllabuses. Pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged and our aim is to ensure that their enthusiasm for learning is developed further, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the future. At Westminster, pupils have the freedom to lead on projects outside of the classroom and embrace a whole range of extra-curricular activities and interests. A host of pupil-led societies take place every week at the School, often with expert guest speakers, and pupils can choose to study an additional language, play an instrument or two, volunteer in local primary schools, row along the Thames, take part in plays and musicals, and much more. 

The School’s ethos resides in the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s Elizabethan foundation, where it is stated that: ‘the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. Whilst academic and cultural attainments are highly prized at Westminster, the School is fully committed also to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2028, the School will welcome both girls and boys at 13+ entry, offering a Westminster education to all. By 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, all year groups at Westminster School and Westminster Under School, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence. 

Westminster School