Permanent Full Time Teacher of Chemistry to A Level

PERMANENT FULL TIME TEACHER OF CHEMISTRY TO A LEVEL

General Information

The Wallace High School is a co-educational, voluntary grammar school founded in 1880. The annual intake of pupils into Year 8 is 170 and there are some 300 pupils in the Sixth Form. The school draws its pupils from Lisburn and the surrounding area.

The Chemistry Department

The Department consists of the Head of Department, four full-time teachers and a technician. GCSE Chemistry is taught by subject specialists at Key Stage 4. Sciences are taught separately at Key Stage 3.

Main Responsibilities

• To be responsible to the Principal through the Head of Chemistry for the effective teaching and learning of Chemistry Key Stage 3, 4 and Chemistry A Level.
• To teach Chemistry in accordance with school policies and practice, and in pursuit of high standards of pupil achievement.
• To act as Class Tutor to an assigned group and carry out duties in accordance with school policies and practice.
• To be actively involved in extra-curricular activities.

The above responsibilities are subject to the general duties and responsibilities contained in the statement of conditions of appointment.

This job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post. It will be reviewed regularly and may be subject to modification or amendment at any time after due consideration.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

Applicants must (from 1 September 2026)

• Have a good honours degree in Chemistry (2:2 minimum) or a good honours degree in which Chemistry is a major component.
• Be a qualified teacher on the date of appointment recognised by the Department of Education (NI) and be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland.
• Show ability to teach Chemistry to A Level.
• Be able to demonstrate the effective use of ICT in teaching and learning.
• Possess good interpersonal skills.

Desirable Criteria

Preference may be given to applicants who (from 1 September 2026)

• Have experience of teaching Chemistry to GCSE.
• Have experience of teaching Chemistry to A Level.

The Board of Governors reserves the right to enhance the above criteria at shortlisting.

Applications

It is preferred that application forms are emailed in Word format to the Principal's Personal Assistant, Mrs McDowell, . An acknowledgement will be sent by return of email. Applicants should ensure that they indicate clearly on their application form how they meet the criteria.

The closing date for receipt of application forms is Friday, 13 November 2026 at 12 midday.

All applicants will receive written confirmation of whether they have been shortlisted or not.

In order to comply with DE guidelines on Child Protection shortlisted applicants should bring an original birth certificate and/or marriage certificate (if appropriate) plus photographic ID to their interview.

NB: It is an offence for an individual who is on either of the Department's Lists (UP List and/or List 99), or who is the subject of a disqualification order from the courts, to apply for, or offer to do any work, paid or unpaid, in a regulated position.

Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT TO ALL EMPLOYEES

The policy of the Board of Governors is to provide equal opportunities for all job applicants and employees.

All appointments and promotions are made on merit. The School does not directly or indirectly discriminate on grounds of religious belief, political opinion, race, gender, sexuality, marital status or disability.

To ensure that selection procedures are consistent and seen to be fair by all employees and job applicants, job descriptions and personnel specifications are used; the main duties and necessary requirements for any vacant post are clearly defined.

All vacancies are advertised. All applicants are initially required to complete an application form which, where applicable, is accompanied by a request for a voluntary unsigned statement on community background for the collection of equal-opportunity data. This request form is not included as part of the formal application but is retained separately and has no influence on any employment decision. Where short-listing is appropriate to the filling of the vacancy, interviews are offered on the basis of job-related criteria; written assessments, with reasons for acceptance or rejection, are retained for a period of one year on each individual interviewed.

The School maintains a neutral working environment in which no employee, pupil or visitor should feel embarrassed, threatened or intimidated because of his/her religious belief, political opinion, race, gender, sexuality, marital status or disability. The display by an employee or pupil of flags, emblems, posters or graffiti or the circulation of any material or any activity whatsoever likely to give offence or cause apprehension among particular groups is therefore prohibited. All members of the school, staff and pupils alike, are expected to contribute positively to the maintenance of good community relations. Employment contracts make clear that any break of equal-opportunity practice is regarded as a disciplinary offence.

The Board commits itself to keep under review the operation of its equal-opportunity policy, as specified in Article 55 of the Order, to take account of changing circumstances, adopting, where necessary, appropriate affirmative action measures to ensure the provision of equality of opportunity and fair participation for all sections of the community.