Job Description

Job type:

Full Time, Permanent

Start date:

September 2025

Apply by:

4 May 2025

Job overview

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Cottenham Village College is seeking to appoint a Lead Practitioner of Maths to join a successful subject team. We are looking for someone who can support the development of the department and further develop the role and contribution of mathematics at the College. The successful candidate would join a team of teachers who are experienced, reflective and enthusiastic. The Lead Practitioner will support the team to explore and embed subject-specific pedagogical approaches in the classroom so that all our young people experience a well-taught and ambitious mathematics curriculum. They will also assist with raising standards of student attainment and achievement within the department, monitoring and supporting student progress and supporting staff development to meet those aims.



The successful candidate will be an experienced and excellent classroom practitioner with a track record of strong outcomes and of supporting other colleagues.



We support the enactment of this ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum through a traditional approach to teaching, behaviour and culture. We believe that schools must teach powerful knowledge, 'the best that has been thought and said' and an 'entitlement curriculum' for all. We utilise explicit instruction and have drawn upon Lemov's 'Teach Like A Champion', Rosenshine and other recent developments in cognitive science. We believe in a culture of scholarship that is warm and strict, disciplined and joyful and where there is 'purpose not power'. As a school we support teachers by ensuring impeccable behaviour, so that teachers can focus on teaching and pupils can focus on learning.



We are values-driven, and our vision is to provide an inclusive, aspirational and academic education for all our students, so that all of them will learn, thrive and lead successful lives. We are unapologetically ambitious for every child, no matter what their background, prior attainment or needs. We want to ensure that all our students have the option to be able to go to university or aspirational alternative. We are not going to reduce expectations because of a child's background or home life, or because they are new to English or have a special education need. In fact, the opposite is true. It is our job to redouble our efforts to help children overcome these barriers so that they can flourish.



We value our staff highly and treat workload very seriously. Our systems are high leverage, ensuring you can really focus on your core purpose - teaching, in a sustainable way, unhindered by bureaucracy or poor behaviour.

What we offer:

A wide range of support and progression opportunities A knowledge-rich curriculum built on 'powerful knowledge' influenced by the importance of subject-specificity, and by thinking such as Rosenshine and Lemov Collaborative planning with centralised, shared units of work and resources A feedback policy focused on whole class feedback - no onerous marking policies Disruption-free learning Highly visible/supportive senior leaders who will support you Centralised detentions, including homework detentions No formal graded lesson observations - just ongoing 'no-stakes' feedback cycles to develop our practice Excellent ongoing CPD, career development and promotion opportunities across the Astrea Cambridgeshire region Opportunity to complete NPQs An unrivalled professional progression model A friendly staff team in a village location

What we are looking for:

The successful candidate will be:

A highly effective teacher with detailed knowledge of curriculum and assessment Passionate about their subject Values-driven, committed and self-motivated Flexible, resilient and positive Empathetic, positive and self-aware Aligned to our values and mission. If you are the type of person who fits with our culture, you will love working here Someone who passionately believes that all children can achieve, no matter what their starting point, background or needs. Someone that does not make excuses for what children can achieve

Interested in applying?

If this is something you are interested in, looking for a new challenge, have a passion for education or maybe all of the above, take a look at the Applicant Brief to find out more about the role and how to apply.


We actively welcome visits and would be delighted to show you around our academy to appreciate fully our excellent learning environment.


Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to satisfactory background checks including references and enhanced DBS checks.



All queries should be directed via email to headspa@astreacottenham.org

About

Cottenham Village College

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Cottenham Village College

High Street, Cottenham, Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB24 8UA
United Kingdom

+44 1954 288944

About Cottenham Village College

Cottenham Village College, part of the Astrea Academy Trust, a highly successful 11-16 mixed academy situated close to the beautiful city of Cambridge; here you will find hard-working, well-behaved students and dedicated staff who are committed to a fully inclusive, comprehensive education. There are around 880 students on roll and CVC shares the site with a special school, The Centre School, which is also administered by the Astrea Academy Trust.



The college is a friendly, positive and exciting place to work and to learn and we take great pride in the high standards our students consistently achieve. We have very high expectations of all members of the college community and provide an inclusive, friendly and supportive environment in which everyone can thrive and achieve. Students leave as happy, well-qualified and well-motivated individuals who go on to excel in local sixth forms, colleges, universities and the wider world.



The college was established in 1963, one of several village colleges in the region that were the inspiration of educational pioneer Henry Morris, who believed that the school should be at the heart of its community and that education should be a lifelong process. This vision of a school that serves and involves its whole community, that fosters high aspirations and inspires a love of learning is as central to our ethos today as it was when it opened.

Zoe Andrews

Principal

Vision and values

A school at the heart of a small community, Cottenham Village College works hard to engage with local families. The secondary school has a strong academic focus, with a diverse and engaging curriculum on offer and a wide range of subjects both at Key Stage 4.



In order to get the best out of students, teachers set rigorous standards in terms of behaviour and attendance. Students are encouraged to developed respect for themselves, their peers and staff members.

Ofsted report

Cottenham Village College was inspected in October 2023, achieving a 'good' rating in all areas and an overall grading of 'good'.

"The school's well-designed curriculum supports pupils to achieve well. The results of national examinations in 2022 were impressive, placing the school in the highest 20% of schools nationally for progress and attainment in many subjects"



"Teachers have strong subject knowledge and deliver the curriculum effectively. They help pupils remember knowledge over time by regularly reviewing what has been taught. Teachers check what pupils know and understand. They provide timely support for pupils who need it."



"Staff report positively about pupils' experiences while at Cottenham. Staff have confidence in the leadership of the school and appreciate leaders' support to maintain positive workload."



View Cottenham Village College's latest Ofsted report

Astrea Academy Trust

Astrea Academy Trust is committed to high quality professional development and career opportunities for all staff, we are also passionate about cultivating our own talented workforce. At Astrea we believe that we can provide these unique roles by providing a huge opportunity to join a dynamic team working across the entire organisation. For more information about the Astrea Academy Trust please visit our website astreaacademytrust.org

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion at Astrea Academy Trust

Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.



Astrea Academy Trust embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. As an equal opportunity employer, we consider all requests for flexible working as we know that diversity fosters creativity and innovation.



We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities that we serve. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive and building our culture of belonging. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in Astrea's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQI+ people.



All successful appointments will be subject to suitability checks in accordance with KCSIE, including identity, Right to Work, prohibition, qualifications, online searches, two references and enhanced DBS check including the Children's Barred List.



The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, which provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974