Teacher of Biology - Penicuik High School - MID06550

Job Description

Salary Scale: £33,594 - £50,589

Fixed Term from 3/3/25 until 27/02/2026

35 hours

Currently, Midlothian has 6 secondary schools, 32 primary schools (19 of which have nurseries) and 2 stand alone nursery schools. Our special school, Saltersgate, provides support for children with a range of physical, social, emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties. The schools range in size from our smallest primary school with around 20 children to our largest secondary with over 1200 pupils. We have a diverse range of school catchments, from rural to urban settings. We are fortunate to have a growing number of new build schools, with 15 of our primary schools and 2 secondary having been built within the last 10 years and several new builds planned.

Penicuik High School

Penicuik High School is a six year non-denominational school which serves the southern and western parts of the town of Penicuik in Midlothian. The current roll is 640 and it is expected that the roll will continue to increase over coming years. The school is set in the heart of Penicuik and has provided education on the current site since 1937. There are firm plans to renovate the older part of the school and rebuild other parts of the campus to create more modern facilities in the next few years. The school offers the full range of courses to our students from the Broad General Education phase through to National

Qualifications in the senior school. The school is developing an improved curriculum offer that meets the needs of all young people. We are also proud to be an inclusive school that is continuing to work on ensuring the needs of all our learners are met. Structural changes to our building have allowed us to become more compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act allowing easy access to almost all areas of the school and we have now developed capacity within the building to house our integrated Student Support Services.

Our school is well served in terms of technology with every department having access to IT facilities including interactive whiteboards and all young people now have access to Chromebooks linked to the new Equipped for Learning strategy and the Midlothian Education google workspaces. The school also maintains three computer suites one of which is the Business Education classroom.

Being sited alongside the Penicuik Leisure Centre has enabled our students to have access to a good range of sports facilities as well as having a modern library facility close to the school which complements our own Library centre.

The school is supported by an active School Parents’ Partnership group who are our de facto Parent Council.

For more information about the school please go to the school website at https://penicuik.mgfl.net

Interview Date: Week Commencing 6th January 2025

Requirements

Pre Employment Checks/Requirements for Teaching Positions

If you are successful, our offer of employment will be conditional on satisfactory completion of pre-employment requirements, such as medical screening, two written references, one which must be from your most recent/current employer, verification of your original qualifications and your eligibility to work in the United Kingdom. Registration with the General Teaching Council and a satisfactory PVG check for Regulated Work with Children will also be essential.

General Teaching Council Scotland

Teachers applying for permanent posts should be fully registered with the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS). For further information on registration please visit: www.gtcs.org.uk

Regulated Work with Children

This post is considered Regulated Work with Children, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act, 2007. Therefore, it is an offence to apply if you are barred from working with children.

Successful candidates will require a PVG Scheme membership for Regulated Work with Children. You will be required to join the Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update check prior to commencing employment with Midlothian Council, the cost of which will be met by you. The fee for a Full PVG Scheme Membership is £59. You will be required to re-pay this amount to the Council by salary deduction over 6 consecutive pay periods. The fee for a PVG Scheme Record Update is £18. You will be required to re-pay this amount to the Council by salary deduction over 2 consecutive pay periods. If your employment concludes before the amount is re-paid in full, the outstanding balance will be deducted from your final salary. 

In your application we ask for information under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. We ask you to disclose any unspent convictions. Disclosures should be made by writing to or emailing the Employment and Reward Manager, in confidence, giving details of the offence(s), penalty and date(s) of conviction. Applicants should note that failure to disclose a conviction which is subsequently advised through a Disclosure Scotland check may result in the withdrawal of any offer of appointment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar an applicant from working with Midlothian. Decisions regarding suitability for positions of trust which are subject to vetting will be dependent on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of the offence(s).

For further information on the PVG Scheme please visit: www.disclosurescotland.co.uk

How to Apply

Please apply on-line. Facilities are available at all public libraries in Midlothian.

If you have difficulty applying for this post or in accessing the attached documents, or if you have a disability and reasonable adjustment is required, please call to speak to a member of the Recruitment Team stating the post reference number.

If you are a trainee of a Midlothian Council Training Programme, have a disability or you are a care experienced young person you are eligible for a guaranteed interview if you meet the essential criteria for the post.

Closing Date

Sunday 15th December 2024