Teacher of Chemistry
BOLD BEGINNINGS START HERE
A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD
Thank you for your interest in LEH and in joining our team. At LEH, we combine ambition with joy to create something extraordinary. We want our pupils – and our staff – to reach for the highest goals in a happy and supportive environment.
With almost a thousand pupils from Year 3 to Year 13, our girls are some of the most academically able in the UK. We have a moral imperative to help them realise their potential and to provide an education that gives them the confidence to feel brave and undaunted about their future achievements and impact.
Our strategy, Facing the Future Undaunted, captures what we stand for: brave learning, imaginative thinking, and joyful discovery. We are one of the UK’s leading independent girls’ schools, and we are proud that our pupils consistently achieve some of the best results in the country – but what matters most is that they leave us feeling fulfilled, confident, compassionate, and ready to take on the world.
We are looking for colleagues who share our excitement, our high expectations, our ambition and our sense of fun. If that resonates with you, we would love to hear from you.
Best wishes
Rowena Cole Head
LEH provides girls with a distinctive education that prepares them to take their place at the table, in the room and in the world, in their chosen sphere.
LEH fosters a culture that supports every pupil to achieve excellence and success, both shared and individual, to be fulfilled, and to have significant impact in every way she chooses.
OUR VALUES
• We choose to succeed.
• We rise to challenges.
• We lift those around us.
• We inspire trust.
• We encourage personal agency
• We embrace joy and laughter
OUR STRATEGY
In an external environment as changeable and unpredictable as ours, knowing the strength, capability and character of our pupils, their ambitions for the future and the impact we know they will have in the years to come, is what fuels us with much-needed hope and optimism.
This is what sits at the core of LEH’s strategy: Facing the Future Undaunted. It’s a declaration of our aims and ambition for LEH and for every pupil, and it sets out our collective goals as a school community over the next few years. Shaped with the involvement of our pupils, parents, staff, alumnae and governors, our strategy embodies all that we stand for as a school for highly capable girls.
Our four core strategic objectives are what guide the work of everyone at LEH:
1. A Bold Voice for Girls’ Education
We will push forward the boundaries of educational knowledge, informed by research that focuses on delivering the best possible education for girls.
2. Academic Excellence in Every Area
We will deliver consistent academic excellence and provide an outstanding educational experience for bright girls, offering stretch and challenge in a context of kindness and care.
3. A Culture of Success for All
We will enable a culture of success for all, where everyone is expected to deliver their best for themselves and for each other.
4. A One-School Approach
We will harness the strength of being one school, delivering an outstanding joined-up education.
ABOUT LEH ABOUT LEH
LEH is one of the UK’s leading independent schools, providing highly capable girls with a distinctive education that prepares them to take their place at the table, in the room and in the world, in their chosen sphere.
As a selective independent school for girls aged 7 to 18, we believe that academic ambition and personal happiness are not mutually exclusive. In our classrooms, corridors, and across our 24 acres of playing fields, you’ll find a culture of relaxed excellence; a place where pupils are encouraged to think deeply, question boldly, and engage in spirited, respectful debate.
Here, challenge is not something to be feared but embraced – because it comes with the right support. Our teaching goes beyond the curriculum, nurturing curiosity, independence, and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. We don’t just teach girls what to think, but how to think – equipping them with the critical thinking skills and intellectual confidence to thrive at school and far beyond.
LEH was founded more than 300 years ago. Today, we are proud to be a school like no other with a rich history and a forward-focused vision.
WHY WORK AT LEH?
Working at LEH means being part of something extraordinary.
• Exceptional Pupils: Our girls are highly capable, curious, spirited, and full of potential. They are a joy to teach and inspire us daily with their enthusiasm, kindness, and determination.
• Academic Excellence: LEH consistently ranks among the top schools in the UK, with pupils achieving outstanding results and progressing to leading universities around the world.
• Innovation and Ambition: We don’t stand still. Our teaching and learning is forwardlooking, creative, and research informed. You’ll have the freedom to innovate – and the support to make it a success.
• A Community that Celebrates Joy and Laughter: LEH is alive with energy. Whether it’s on the sports field, in the theatre, the music studio, or in the lab, our pupils throw themselves into school life with passion and fun and we’re proud that they perform at the highest levels.
• Professional Growth: We invest in our people. From leadership opportunities to excellent professional development, we want you to thrive here just as much as our pupils do.
• Exceptional Facilities: From state-of-theart science labs to a professional theatre and outstanding sports complex, you’ll have the tools and spaces to bring learning to life, all set in 24 acres of green fields. We also have parking and bike racks on site for all staff.
• Reward and Recognition: Competitive salary and benefits, complimentary tickets to outstanding drama and music productions, free lunch, and access to our superb facilities are just the start.
LEH is a place where careers are enriched, where talent is celebrated, and where joy is part of every day.
ABOUT LEH SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
All staff working at LEH will have some contact with children and will therefore be in regulated activity. Staff with teaching duties will be responsible for the pupils that they teach and may also have additional specific pastoral or other responsibilities for other pupils they do not teach. In addition, all staff will regularly interact with pupils who may seek assistance or otherwise interact with them whilst moving around LEH.
In all cases, the post holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the pupils is to adhere to and ensure compliance with LEH’s safeguarding policies and procedures at all times. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and LEH is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are “spent” unless they are “protected” under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
LEH is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
At LEH, we believe in the power of education to transform lives and the importance of diversity to enrich these transformations. We are committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment for all that celebrates the unique identities, abilities, and aspirations of each member of our school community.
LEH TEACHING STANDARDS
In order to create a culture of academic excellence and success, LEH teachers will:
Create a purposeful and challenging learning environment
• Have clear and high expectations; promote and model the ‘pupil academic expectations’ and ‘pupil pledges’
• Show care for all learners; build relationships modelling respect, empathy, professionalism and academic integrity
• Consistently use routines, transitions and instructions to encourage excellent behaviour
• Use seating plans and assign pupils for all group activities, changing them frequently
• Consistently use the school systems for rewards and sanctions
• Embrace difficulty and celebrate mistakes as part of the learning journey
Plan lessons that maximise learning
• Establish clear success criteria
• Plan effectively and flexibly for the needs of all learners, providing challenge and support
• Provide opportunities for independent and collaborative work
• Be aware of and promote cross curricular links
Apply effective teaching strategies
• Use questioning techniques (e.g. No hands up) that encourage deeper thinking, embrace struggle and enhance the learning environment
• Use appropriate exposition (considering cognitive load); model concepts and provide examples
• Allocate time for practice using tasks and scaffolding designed to facilitate learning
• Establish effective routines such as: Think-Pair-share; See-think-wonder; Use of mini-whiteboards; PosePause-Pounce-Bounce
• Be adaptive in your teaching in response to the pupils’ progress
Inspire lifelong learning
• Model lifelong learning and passion for your subject in order to deliver challenging and engaging lessons which are intellectually stimulating and inspire pupils
• Promote Fundamental British Values
• Be open to, and stay up to date with, new ideas and educational research
• Be reflective in your practice, seeking appropriate feedback
Provide assessment and feedback that moves learning on
• Use a variety of assessment techniques to provide useful feedback and to inform planning (MS forms quizzes, mini-whiteboards, regular retrieval practice/ low stakes testing, no hands up questioning, homework tasks and whole year group assessments)
• Use available data to monitor and secure progress
• Assess your pupils’ needs; Ensure you are aware of their prior knowledge
• Offer regular comment-based feedback (both written and
ABOUT LEH ABOUT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
At LEH, we believe that academic ambition and personal happiness go hand in hand. Our selective Senior School welcomes highly academic pupils from Year 7 to Year 13, achieving some of the highest public examination results in the country. But our focus extends beyond academics, with a strong emphasis on balance, joy and personal fulfilment.
In our classrooms, corridors, and across the playing fields, you’ll find a culture of relaxed excellence – a place where students and staff are encouraged to think deeply, question boldly, and engage in spirited, respectful debate. Challenge is embraced, supported by a community that values curiosity, creativity, and care.
Our teaching goes beyond the curriculum, nurturing a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. We equip pupils with the intellectual confidence and critical thinking skills to thrive at school and beyond.
Life at LEH is enriched by an outstanding co-curricular programme, where girls flourish in the creative arts, on stage, in music, on the sports fields, and through countless opportunities to pursue their passions and develop new talents. Whether performing in our theatre, creating in our studios, or leading clubs and societies, pupils – and the staff who inspire them – are encouraged to explore their full potential.
Joining LEH means becoming part of a vibrant, forward-looking community that values excellence, wellbeing, and the joy of lifelong learning.
Science at LEH
The Chemistry Department
Department Information For Teacher of Chemistry
Science at LEH is very well-resourced with sixteen teaching staff and seven technicians in the faculty, and well-resourced laboratories all of which have been refurbished or newly installed in the last twelve years.
In Years 7 and 8, pupils are taught Science with one teacher, following an inhouse KS3 course. All Science Departments contribute to the teaching at this level.
The separate sciences are taught from Year 9 by specialist teachers.
For IGCSE, approximately 85% of girls study the three separate sciences, with the remainder taking Combined Science GCSE (Double Award).
The number of girls opting to study science subjects at A Level is very high, with four groups for Chemistry, four groups for Biology and two groups for Physics in each year group.
This thriving and expanding department currently has six full-time teachers and two full-time technicians. There are currently four specialist Chemistry laboratories each with two fume cupboards, an interactive TV linked to a networked computer. All teachers and students have their own iPads. The department also has its own office with a computer for each member of staff and printing facilities.
Most members of the department contribute to the teaching of KS3 science in Years 7 and 8, which includes modules of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. In Year 9, we start the IGCSE course. All members of the Department teach the Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry course and some also teach the Chemistry sections of the Edexcel Combined Science GCSE. Class sizes vary but usually have between 20-22 students. GCSE results have been excellent with around 62% of students achieving Grade 9 and 83% with an 8 or 9 in recent years.
Sixth Form students follow the Edexcel A Level Chemistry course. Each group is taught by two members of the department and teaching groups contain no more than 12 students. The department also prepares girls for Oxbridge and medical/dental/vet applications, provides enrichment classes in addition to the normal curriculum, and enters girls for the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, the International Chemistry Olympiad and with quite a bit of success over the years in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Schools’ Analyst Competition.
Over recent years we have had a good number of students who have gone to study Chemistry, Biochemistry, Materials Sciences, Earth Sciences, Engineering and Medicine at Oxford as well as Natural Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge and of course sciencerelated courses at many other top Universities.
General Teaching Job Description
• To plan, prepare and teach lessons as required by the department.
• To set homework and mark written work regularly and ensure that the correct procedures are followed if work is missing, incomplete or late.
• To set, supervise and mark school examinations and core practical’s for public examinations.
• To assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of pupils and to communicate this information to parents via written reports and Parents’ Evenings. To provide written information for UCAS applications and other similar forms.
• To provide guidance and advice when subject choices are made.
• To review methods of teaching and programmes of work and participate in arrangements for further training and professional development.
• To contribute to departmental extra-curricular activities.
• To consult your line manager about any problems occurring over academic matters, such as aspects of the curriculum or the syllabus for GCSE or A-level.
• To keep records of attendance at lessons as required.
• To encourage as much use as possible of the school libraries and other resources.
• To invigilate and undertake administration associated with public examinations.
• To maintain good order and discipline among pupils and safeguard their health and safety.
• To use the behaviour management points system on the school’s management information system and consult Assistant Heads or Form Tutors about serious discipline problems or any other difficulties pupils may cause, or may appear to be having.
• To contribute to PSHE and General Studies programmes as required.
• To attend Departmental, Year, Staff, Parents’ and INSET meetings.
• To attend assemblies.
• To provide cover for absent staff, especially within the department, and to carry out other duties as required.
• To act as a Form Tutor if required.
• To adhere to school policy on safeguarding and update training as required.
• To ensure the safeguarding and well-being of children and young people at the school in accordance with school policies.
Teacher of Chemistry Person
A strong academic background and a good honours degree or equivalent in Chemistry or other related subject
A teaching qualification e.g. PGCE
The ability to teach Chemistry at KS3, KS4 and A level
Specification
Essential Desirable Assessment via application form/ interview/lesson observation/written task
✓ Application form
✓ Application form
Application form Lesson observation
Very good teaching, communication and interpersonal skills ✓ Lesson observation
A willingness to participate in extra-curricular activities and trips
Interview
Excellent written and spoken English ✓ Written task Interview
Good ICT skills
Efficiency and reliability
Active support of the ethos and aims of the school
Committed to the safeguarding and well-being of children and young people
Application form
Interview
Interview
Interview
ABOUT LEH OUR STAFF BENEFITS
Healthcare cash plan
A healthcare cash plan is provided to help with the cost of everyday health expenses such as dental, optical, and physiotherapy treatments.
Cycle to work scheme
Take advantage of the Cycle to Work Scheme, enabling savings on bicycles and accessories while encouraging a healthier commute.
Teachers’ Pension Scheme / LEH Group Pension Scheme
Access to the generous Teachers’ Pension Scheme, ensuring long-term financial security in retirement.
Non-teaching staff are eligible to join the LEH Group Pension Scheme, a defined contribution scheme (with life assurance) designed to support long-term financial wellbeing.
Relocation assistance package
Financial support is available to assist with the costs of relocating, making your move to the area as smooth as possible.
School fee reduction
Significant reductions in school fees are available for staff members with children enrolled at the school. LEH also has an arrangement for fee reduction for staff with children attending Hampton School.
Employee Assistance Policy
A confidential Employee Assistance Programme offers free support, advice, and counselling for both personal and work-related matters.
Free lunches, tea and coffee
Complimentary lunches are provided daily, along with unlimited tea and coffee throughout the day.
24-acre campus with superb facilities
Enjoy working in a beautiful 24-acre campus featuring modern teaching spaces, sports grounds, and tranquil outdoor areas.
Free parking on site
Free and secure on-site parking is available for all staff.
On-site library access
Staff have full access to the wellstocked on-site library for personal and professional development.
Use of swimming pool
Enjoy use of the school’s swimming pool at designated times, supporting health and wellbeing.
Annual flu jab
An annual flu vaccination is offered to staff on-site to help maintain health during flu season.