Spanish Language Assistant in Godalming

About the school

Charterhouse is an independent coeducational school founded in 1611 and set on a 250-acre campus in Godalming, Surrey. The school offers entry at 13+ and 16+, a wide curriculum including A-levels and the IB Diploma, and an extensive co-curricular programme. The Modern Languages department comprises 17 teachers, six native speakers and three language assistants. It is housed in a modern centre with dedicated classrooms equipped with projectors and interactive boards. Languages taught include French, German and Spanish up to GCSE, A-level and the IBDP.

The role

This fixed-term position for one academic year is for a native Spanish speaker who wishes to gain practical classroom experience teaching speaking, exam preparation and cultural understanding to Sixth Form and Year 9 pupils while contributing to boarding-house life. The post carries the potential to extend to a maximum of two years and provides recent graduates or those exploring a career in education with a structured introduction to classroom practice within a large Modern Languages team and a residential school setting.

Key responsibilities

• Teach small groups, mainly Sixth Form, to prepare for speaking exams through discussions, role plays, presentations, debates and article analysis.
• Support Year 9 native-speaker groups and practise GCSE oral exam material with pupils in Years 9–11.
• Assist Sixth Form students with essay structure, vocabulary and idiom where required.
• Select, create and record listening and reading resources and contribute to departmental teaching materials.
• Assess and monitor pupil progress in line with departmental policy and liaise with the Head of Language, teachers and tutors.
• Promote Spanish through displays, clubs, language societies, debating, films, plays and other cultural events.
• Attend departmental meetings and contribute to extra-curricular language activities when agreed with the Head of Modern Languages.
• Participate in agreed boarding-house duties, including evening duties, overnight on-calls and weekend duties, and provide tutoring within a House.

Requirements

• Native speaker of Spanish.
• Degree-level education or equivalent.
• Confident and accurate oral and written Spanish.
• Some awareness of GCSE and A-level curricula; IBDP awareness is desirable.
• Good communication, interpersonal and administrative skills together with ICT competence.
• Willingness to take part in boarding-house duties and co-curricular activities.
• Prior classroom or tutoring experience is desirable.
• Experience preparing students for oral examinations and supporting differentiated learning is desirable.

Benefits & package

• Furnished accommodation during term time and board provided via the dining rooms.
• Minimum 26 hours per week during term time on a Monday to Saturday pattern as timetabled.
• Competitive contributory occupational pension scheme.
• Cash Health Plan with Medicash, personal accident insurance and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Payment for eye tests and contribution towards corrective eyewear.
• Death in service benefit, subject to scheme rules, and school fee remission, subject to eligibility.
• Membership of the School Sports Centre and reduced subscription for the 9-hole golf course.
• Cycle to Work scheme and salary sacrifice for electric vehicles, subject to eligibility.
• Lunches during the normal working day, free on‑site parking, library access and invitations to school events.
• Continuing professional development as part of the School’s talent management programme.