We will be advertising for a Lead Teacher of Mathematics to join the school in September 2025. This is a full time post but applicants wishing to work for 0.8 across five days or those seeking to job share will also be considered. The advert will go live before the end of term. The application deadline will be 1pm on Tuesday 21st January with in-person interview taking place on Thursday 30th January 2025.
To apply for any current vacancy, please complete both the EMS Employment Application Form and the EMS Personal Details Form and email them to jobs@exeterms.ac.uk.
Pay: £13.45 per hour inclusive of holiday pay
Hours: Variable – please see details below
Invigilator Person Specification
Exeter Mathematics School (EMS) is a unique state-funded 6th form, specifically designed to meet the needs of able mathematics students throughout the South West.
We are looking to increase our bank of invigilators to provide an efficient and effective invigilation support service to the school and ensure the integrity of its examinations.
You will be responsible for the supervision of students, confidential exam papers/documentation and information relating to students and assessment records. If you have the ability to work on your own initiative as well as part of a team and have excellent communication skills we would like to hear from you.
This year we have work available from 22nd May to 20th June 2025. Exam sessions run in the morning from 8.30am or in the afternoon from 12.30pm. Each session lasts for approximately 2-3 hours (although some may be longer).
There will also be other invigilating opportunities throughout the academic year, during the Autumn and Spring Terms.
Further information about the school is available on this website. Additional information for applicants and an application form are on this page. To apply, complete the application form and personal details form at the top of this page and email to jobs@exeterms.ac.uk
If you would like more information or the opportunity to discuss this post, please get in touch by emailing our Exams Officer – jopotts@exeterms.ac.uk.
Successful candidates will need to be available to attend invigilator training, we will holding a training session on Tuesday 29th April 2025 – there will also be additional on-line training.
EMS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to satisfactory DBS checks, together with the receipt of references.
If you are an experienced teacher of A-level Further Maths and interested in occasional work teaching, please get in touch by emailing kburnham@exeterms.ac.uk.
We are open to employing someone in this role or being invoiced by a self-employed teacher. We will book you for planned absence due to our regular teachers taking part in training, outreach or other activities. We would also like to be able to contact you on the morning of any unplanned absences.
Please note that we recruit for this position twice per year. To express your interest, please fill in a form here and we will contact you when the next round of applications opens. In the meantime, full information about the role can be found below.
The backbone of Axiom’s (previously MESME) approach is Maths Circles. These are small groups of pupils who meet weekly to tackle a curriculum of challenging maths problems. It’s an approach that’s worked successfully in other countries, and which Axiom has brought to the UK. The beauty of Maths Circles is that they’re about the relationships as much as the maths.
We are seeking passionate and dedicated mentors to support and develop the mathematical thinking and curiosity of high prior-attaining KS3 and 4 students through our exciting enrichment programme, Axiom Maths Circles.
Benefits of working as a Maths Circles mentor:
If you enjoy maths problem solving and are keen to develop this in others, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!
Maths Circles Mentor Commitment
Salary: £45 per week, inclusive of holiday allowance
The following quotes are taken form our most recent staff survey in January 2024.
“I think the school has strong communication and although I don’t teach. I understand clearly the objectives and purpose of the school.”
Line Managers
“My manager is perfect. The exactly correct balance of leaving me to get on with it and supporting/challenging when required.”
“My manager is absolutely brilliant. I feel really supported in my job, and I can trust that I will be pulled up when I make mistakes and helped to learn from them. Can not emphasise enough how amazing my line manager is.”
“My manager is always looking for new ways of delivering topics and regularly facilitates the sharing of ideas within the department.”
“My line manager is the best one I have ever had and I appreciate all their efforts to support me.”
“[My Manager is] extremely encouraging (but in a way that is based in fact and I know isn’t empty words), has good ideas, encourages me to try new things and has offered to be a listening ear at any time I need it. “
“Frequent check-ins, meetings, and feedback allows me to progress well in my role. Feedback is always constructive and improvements clearly pinpointed. It is always given in a positive, non-critical way.”
Colleagues
“The teaching team is the most supportive and compassionate team I have ever worked with.”
“My co-workers are fantastic! They are really supportive and I never feel as if anything is too small to ask about. They have made learning about my job a very positive experience. I like the fact that I not only have links with those I directly work with on the pastoral team, but I have met others from across the school through mental health check-ins, progress meetings, and having a peer support buddy.”
“My colleagues are amazing and we always come together when things are tough.”
“Having supportive colleagues is one of the best features of working at EMS. They inspire me to try new and better ways of doing things.
“I think the cooperative spirit of the staff here is one of the key strengths of the school.”
Training and Development
“I have been granted opportunities to do teacher outreach and work with U-maths. This has helped me develop.”
“I have been given many opportunities to complete courses and CPD since starting in my role.”
“I feel confident the school will support me in undertaking any learning and development I will need.”
“I have been provided with so many appropriate training and development opportunities.”
Fairness and Inclusion
“The most accepting place I have ever worked in and a real feeling of being valued.”
“EMS feels like a very safe environment for me from both staff and students and I try my best to also give back to that.”
“EMS is a very inclusive school and all staff are valued for their contribution.”
“Feedback is always constructive, and I feel valued and respected. I am free to make decisions that I feel are appropriate at that moment in time, within the schools policies, and that my ability to make the right decision is valued.”
“I think we tend to be aware of our colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses, and in my experience this is played out by highly valuing their strengths and offering support in areas of weakness.”
As a 6th form our contracts are not typical school contracts. As such you have an entitlement to 40 days (8 weeks) of holiday each year plus bank holidays, all of which are taken outside of term time. In addition, we have a shut down period at Christmas which is not taken from your holiday allowance.
When you work Saturdays, you receive an additional day of holiday in lieu of the time you are in school. For a full-time teacher this tends to be 5 days / 1 week (pro rata for part time).
Our term times are similar to Exeter College: we normally break up for school holidays about 5 to 10 days into July and return to school on A-level results day (mid-August).
In the summer, teachers will always have at least 3 consecutive weeks of leave, but there are often more weeks available. At Easter, all teachers will have at least 1 week of leave and may be required to work for two or three days for outreach activities. We have also, for example held admissions interviews in February half term, requiring teachers to attend for up to two days.
We don’t tend to ask teachers to attend site during non-term time unless there is a specific reason such as training, outreach, or admissions events. These are planned at the start of the academic year, enabling teachers to plan their holiday time with certainty.
The table below is indicative of the how holidays may be taken by a full-time teacher who has worked for five Saturdays. The total number of discretionary days leave may vary, for example, depending on when bank holidays fall over the Christmas period.
The non-teaching roles vary greatly, some staff have term-time only contracts whilst others are employed for the full year. Some work “normal” office hours and others overnight. The information in this section is based on a full time member of staff who works for the full year, the principles are consistent with other roles but precise details will vary.
Full time is 37 hours a week.
The main school building is open between 0800 and 1800 on most week days and typically working hours fall between 0830 and 1800. Notable exceptions are boarding staff who work evenings and overnight and outreach staff who sometimes need to work on Saturdays to support events.
Annual leave is for 25 days a year plus bank holidays and additional Christmas closure days. The school has period of time over Christmas during which it is closed, this may vary each year but it is typically for two weeks. All staff take holiday during the shutdown period but this is not taken from their annual leave, in effect adding to their overall holiday allowance. The real beauty of this is that with every member of staff on holiday, you wont return in the New Year to an enormous string of emails and messages!
Non-teaching staff are expected to take their annual leave when students are on school holidays. In exceptional circumstances exceptions will be made but taking leave during the term time is not the norm.
All EMS employees have access to a range of resources and support through the Health Assured EAP. The programme includes:
Our staff and students have access to the facilities at Exeter College including HR support and Gym membership (for a small fee).
It’s a small gesture of our appreciation for your work that we provide tea, coffee and milk for staff and no charge. We hope it makes your day a little easier.
Teachers are entitled to join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme: Teachers’ Pensions
Non-teaching staff are entitled to join the Local Government Pension Scheme: LGPS member site
The staff team is truly fantastic, welcoming, helpful and kind. It’s one of the very best things about working here (the students being the other). It’s not possible to overstate just how supportive they are – if you’re having a tough day someone will pick you up, if you’ve had a brilliant success, your colleagues will celebrate with you.
This scheme offers EMS staff a range of lifestyle savings vouchers from retailers, typically giving up to 5% off a purchase. It also gives access to Salary Sacrifice benefits which include:
