Teacher of Business and Maths

Staff – Principles and Expectations

Staff enjoy working at the UTC and relish the opportunity to be part of providing an alternative type of education. Our expectations are high but staff also feel supported in their working life.

“I’ve never worked anywhere else where I’ve felt as looked after as I do here. I genuinely think UTC care for and look after its colleagues and I don’t just feel like a number”

UTC staff survey 2022

All staff of the UTC are expected to:

• Model only the highest of standards in relation to work ethic, behaviour, dress code and conduct.
• Demonstrate personal and professional integrity, promoting the vision and values of the UTC.
• Enable a climate that engenders personal growth and success for all staff and students.
• Commit to the provision of a curriculum which enables real workplace experiences and the opportunity to engage in employer-led and industry-sponsored projects.
• Demonstrate and develop in students the Student Leaver Profile.
• Positively promote the belief that all young people can achieve beyond national expectations given their starting points and that all, without exception, will progress to university, employment and/or training.
• Commit unconditionally to ensuring that all groups of students, irrespective of their starting points will thrive, eradicating any notion of ‘gaps’ in performance or ‘labelling’ between groups.
• Be flexible in the way they work to meet the needs of the UTC students.

Terms and Conditions

For clarity of understanding and expectations, the main UTC staff policies, terms and conditions are based on nationally-recognised policies, terms and conditions that have been adapted to make them relevant to the operation of the UTC, with the differences made explicit. The key differences are:

• We have created a different learning climate for students and this means a different way of working for staff.
• Main-scale teachers will prepare and deliver a ‘standard’ teaching load of 23 subject lessons a week, plus enrichment and support time. This will be adjusted appropriately for those with leadership responsibilities, ECT’s and part-time staff.
• Staff will be required to be on site for the full UTC day – they are longer days than most schools.
• We follow Durham LA’s term dates. Six training days are built into the school year along and staff are expected to work the equivalent of two additional days a year. This is taken in the form of events for student recruitment. Flexibility is assumed in this approach to allow for individual needs and appropriate notice will be given of the events. Department time is given on a Wednesday afternoon and the last Friday of every term is committed to CPD with students working from home.
• Staff are expected to attend businesses on visits with students as appropriate.
• As a small strategic team running a school, flexibility is needed in every role and as a member of this team being able to adapt, problem solve and be fully committed is essential to this role.