Job Description

Information Pack

Completed applications should be emailed to recruitment@mgs.org


Closing date: 9am Monday 6 October 2025

WELCOME TO MGS

Welcome to The Manchester Grammar School, and thank you for your interest in joining us.




Our history dates back to the time of Henry VIII, when The Manchester Grammar School was


founded in 1515 by Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, to provide 'godliness and good learning' to


the poor boys of Manchester.




The School proceeded to build a reputation as one of the country's leading educational


establishments, a position it still holds today as an independent day school.




Much has changed in the intervening five hundred years, but our core mission to educate the


brightest young men in the North of England regardless of their social, cultural, religious and


financial background, has not.




We aim to teach boys to think for themselves and to develop a life-long love of learning. Lessons


are taught by academic specialists with a passion for their subject, and teaching goes well beyond


the narrow confines of examination syllabuses, offering our students the best preparation for the


very top universities, both in this country and abroad.




There is, however, much more to an MGS education than what happens in the classroom. What


makes this School truly special is the outstanding achievement of our pupils in areas such as sport,


music and drama, and in keeping with Hugh Oldham's aims we produce well-rounded young men


who have a true sense of service to their communities.




I do hope that you will enjoy finding out more about us.

Martin Boulton

High Master

THE ROLE

We are seeking to appoint a Teacher of English to join our large and highly successful


department. This is a full time, fixed term contract for one year from 1 January 2026 to


31 December 2026, to cover maternity leave. For the appropriate candidate, however,


we may also be able to offer a part time, fixed term contact for the same time period.


This can be discussed at interview.


Teachers at MGS benefit from being members of the Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS).


We are looking for a teacher with a lively passion for and wide-ranging knowledge of


literature, who is able to provide challenging and enriching teaching for our lively,


talented pupils. The successful applicant may have many years' teaching experience or be


newly qualified, but will have excellent academic qualifications and a desire to promote


academic rigour and scholarship. A-level English Literature teaching may be available to


an appropriate candidate. Experience of delivering public speaking or debating skills


would also be an advantage.




Members of the Department contribute to the provision of specialist English teaching in


Year 5 and 6, within the framework of our Junior School Enrichment programme.




Alongside their teaching duties, all teaching staff have a pastoral role as form tutors and


are expected to play a full and active part in the co-curricular programme of the School.




The Department consists of thirteen English specialists. While being provided with all the


advice and guidance that may be required, the person appointed will have considerable


freedom to teach to their strengths within the framework of the curriculum. Colleagues


find this degree of professional autonomy, combined with the chance to work with bright,


energetic and highly motivated pupils, both liberating and inspirational.


The Department has modern, purpose-built accommodation which provides a spacious


suite of nine bright, airy classrooms, a shared office, and a quiet work room. The


Department possesses an extensive stock of books, audio-visual and ICT resources. All


teachers and pupils have Microsoft Surface laptops.

THE DEPARTMENT

In Years 7-9 teaching focuses on introducing pupils to a wide range of literature, developing boys'


writing skills, and ensuring that they have the chance to participate in Speaking and Listening


tasks. We are fortunate in being exceptionally well-resourced in terms of our stock of books. Each


Key Stage 3 class enjoys one lesson per fortnight in the integrated Garner and Paton Libraries,


which are extremely well-resourced and staffed by a team of passionate and qualified librarians.




Academic success is high. In the Sixth Form we currently offer OCR A Level English Literature and


OCR A Level English Language. This year we have around 25 boys studying English in Year 13, and


around 20 have begun studying English courses in Year 12. All pupils thinking of studying English


at university are given the opportunity for additional tuition from the Lent Term of Year 12


onwards through our University Challenge programme, and the group usually contains one or two


Oxbridge applicants. Members of the English Department also contribute to the Sixth-Form option


programme by offering a wide range of courses based on language, literature, media and culture.




Year 10 and Year 11 students currently study the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English


Language and English Literature courses (4EA1 and 4ET1 respectively).




The Department regularly publishes magazines which showcase pupils' imaginative work, and


organises creative writing competitions which also generate contributions for the literary section


of the school magazine, Ulula. A wide range of extra-curricular clubs exist, including 'Dust and


Monsters' for talks by Lower School pupils, and Sitcom Club, in which boys write and film their


own episode of a sitcom over the course of the academic year. Debating societies are run at all


levels throughout the school, and pupils are entered for a number of debating and public speaking


competitions with much success both at local and national level. There is a Sixth Form Reading


Group which holds regular meetings with pupils from other schools and a similar Middle School


group runs for Years 10 and 11. The Department also runs a group called Lit Soc which is a forum


for pupils to give presentations on areas of literary interest. Author visits and workshops play an


important part in inspiring pupils. A large number of theatre trips take place every year, not only


to the major Manchester theatres and other local venues but also further afield, including


Stratford and London.


The Department is responsible for the setting and marking of the English papers in the Entrance


Examinations.

WHY WORK AT MGS?

The School

The Manchester Grammar School is an exciting, stimulating and rewarding community in which


to work.


The School was founded in 1515 to prepare able boys from the Manchester area, regardless of


their background, to go to Oxford or Cambridge. MGS has gained an international reputation for


academic excellence and enjoys a strong record of success with top universities, both in the UK


and overseas.


We take our motto, Sapere Aude, ('Dare to be Wise'), as meaning that we must challenge our


pupils and expect to be challenged by them, and this is one of the things which makes teaching at


MGS so rewarding.

Our teachers

We value our teachers and offer a wide range of benefits, including:


The Manchester Grammar School has its own generous salary scale, significantly above
main scale rates


Membership of the Teachers' Pension Scheme Access to private medical insurance Approximately 16 weeks school holiday a year An extensive range of bespoke professional development opportunities Salary sacrifice scheme for cycle to work Significant discount on School fees Employee assistance programme Use of the School's extensive library facility Free use of the onsite gym and swimming pool Staff-led activities such as yoga classes and book clubs Free car parking on site People who teach at MGS come from every walk of life, but all have a love of their subject and the


ability to inspire and challenge able pupils.


Every year, we welcome ECTs as well as experienced teachers into the Staff Common Room. We


expect all applicants to have an excellent degree; however, a teaching qualification is not


essential, and we provide support for those who wish to become qualified after appointment. We


are deeply committed to the professional development of our staff. Teachers who have taught for


a number of years often join us to gain extra experience before moving on to become a head of


department or take up a pastoral role elsewhere. Many colleagues leave us to take up deputy


headships and headships; likewise, many staff choose to stay with us.

Our co-curriculum

The co-curriculum is central to the ethos of MGS. Life outside the classroom is extraordinarily


vibrant, both in terms of its diversity and quantity. It is a source of great enjoyment and challenge


for our pupils and staff alike. It includes a great range of sport, music, drama, adventure,


volunteering and intellectual activities.


The School values the passion and commitment of its teachers in sharing their interests and


enthusiasms with pupils outside of the classroom and seeks to enable staff to play to their


passions whenever possible. Staff are given significant autonomy over the activities they


organise, and our pupils are given equal freedom to develop passions of their own. All staff are


expected to commit to our co-curricular programme and you can expect to be asked about this at


interview.


We have lunchtime clubs and societies (many run by pupils) covering every possible area of


intellectual interest. We have 24 musical groups with 280 participants, and typically stage a dozen


drama productions each year, in our superbly equipped theatre and drama studios. We have 95


sports teams and 40 different sports. In outdoor pursuits every year we have numerous treks in


the UK and overseas, as well as four camps involving 250 pupils. We offer a wide range of outdoor


pursuits and are one of the largest centres for D of E in the North West. Alongside this there is a


vast range of educational trips and visits, both in the UK and abroad. On average, each pupil


spends twelve days a year on trips. Visit our website to find out more.

Our pupils

The School comprises 1650 boys in Years 3 to 13. All boys are assessed for entry on the basis of


their potential by observing their individual talents over the course of an assessment day. A


formal entrance exam only plays a part in entry to Year 7; pupils awarded places in the Junior


School are given entry to the Senior School. Entry standards are high with successful applicants


performing well above national averages. Our admissions policy aims to be needs-blind to enable


the School to be a diverse community of talented individuals from all backgrounds.


Boys come from across the North-West and from every type of background, and the boys who


join the School each year come in equal numbers from maintained and independent primary


schools.

Bursaries and social mobility

MGS's Foundation Bursary Appeal has been one of the most successful appeal of its kind held by


any school and is a cornerstone of our ethos. Its aim is to ensure that a place at MGS is available


to any boy who passes our entrance assessments, regardless of his family's financial background.


More than 200 boys currently receive full or partial means-tested bursaries. (The average bursary


is 90% of the school fee). Our long-term ambition is to be needs-blind, so that every boy who


passes our entrance assessments can take up a place, regardless of his parents' ability to pay.

Our facilities

Facilities are excellent. Recent developments have included a new sports hall, international


standard hockey astro-turf and tennis courts, and the purchase of a new Steinway Model D grand


piano for the Memorial Hall. We have an exceptionally equipped theatre and drama studios and


award-winning Junior School buildings. A state of the art Sixth Form Centre is under construction


and due to open in 2025.

Manchester and the North-West

Manchester is a vibrant and exciting place, as you would fully expect of Britain's second city. One


of the fastest growing cities in Europe, it has a cosmopolitan outlook, a flourishing, varied cultural


life and excellent restaurants and nightlife. It is a wonderful, stimulating place to live, with


outstanding sport and leisure facilities, catering for every possible interest.


Whilst offering all that you would expect from a major city, Manchester has the advantage of being


very accessible and enjoys excellent transport links. London is only two hours away by train and


Manchester's international airport is only five miles from the School. The Peak District National


Park, the Pennine Way and the Cheshire Plain are within an hour's drive, whilst the Lake District


and Snowdonia can be reached in less than two hours.

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates of any age and any level of experience are invited to apply. Appropriate induction and


support will be given. MGS provides full support to enable ECTs to obtain QTS. Further


information about the School is available on our website.


Applicants should complete an application form: this can be downloaded from the vacancies


section of the School's website, and emailed to recruitment@mgs.org. The closing date is 9.00am


on Monday 6 October 2025, and we expect to hold interviews shortly after.


The Manchester Grammar School is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome


applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and


promoting the welfare of children and successful applicants will be required to undergo child


protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the


Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).


Both our Safer Recruitment policy, and Safeguarding and Child Protection policy may be viewed


on our website .

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in the School and for taking the time

to apply. However, please note that, because of the high volume of applications we receive,

we regret that we are unable to reply individually to each application.

September 2025