Graduate Coach - English

Pupils and staff enjoy belonging to a vibrant school community where caring, respectful relationships are the norm
- Ofsted (January 2024)

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Graduate Coach
- English to join King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy and support our pupils to develop their confidence, knowledge and skills in English.

Working closely with colleagues within the English department and wider academy, you will provide targeted academic support to pupils through in-class support, small-group intervention and bespoke 1:1 work. You will help pupils to overcome barriers to learning, reinforce key English skills and support them to make strong progress and achieve the outcomes of which they are capable.

This is an excellent opportunity for a graduate who is passionate about English and working with young people. It would particularly suit someone looking to gain valuable experience within a secondary school environment and develop their skills alongside experienced teaching professionals.

We are looking for someone who reflects our academy values in the way they work every day:

• Bold
  - You will be confident in encouraging and motivating pupils, helping them to challenge themselves and overcome barriers to their learning.
• Ambitious
  - You will have high expectations for every pupil and be committed to helping them achieve the very best outcomes in English.
• Collaborative
  - You will work closely with English teachers and colleagues across the academy to ensure pupils receive consistent and effective support.
• Kind
  - You will build positive, supportive relationships with pupils, providing the patience, encouragement and understanding they need to grow in confidence and succeed.

Most importantly, you will be joining a supportive community of Senior Leadership, Teaching and Support staff where  staff feel valued and appreciate how their workload and wellbeing are considered by leaders at all levels , as recognised by Ofsted.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is a dynamic and forward-thinking school, recognised as the most improved school in the West Midlands and the fifth most-improved school in the country by the Fairer Schools Index in January 2025. We are also proud to be the first Birmingham City Academy School in conjunction with Birmingham City Football Club, creating further opportunities and experiences for our pupils.

We are incredibly proud of the journey our academy is on and are looking for a like-minded professional who shares our commitment to achieving the very best outcomes for our young people. Our pupils  know staff have high expectations of them and want them to be successful , while both staff and pupils are  rightly proud of how much Balaam Wood has improved over recent years .

At Balaam Wood, daily life reflects our values of being bold, ambitious, collaborative and kind, and we look forward to welcoming a new colleague who will help us continue that journey.

Who will you be joining?

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is located in South West Birmingham. The academy is rapidly improving and continuing to benefit from having joined King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham which has led to investment across the academy, including the availability of cutting-edge technology in each classroom. King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is proud to be part of The Schools of King Edward VI Birmingham which supports its schools, faculties/departments and individual staff to work collaboratively.

The successful candidate will benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities encompassing the potential to experience schools across the Foundation and to pursue professional qualifications. There will be opportunities to collaborate with other schools and to benefit from their expertise and resources.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy has the highest aspirations and expectations for all members of its community. As a member of staff, you will be valued, challenged and supported in making a difference to the lives of our young people. We expect the same of our pupils. We demand courtesy, endeavour and resilience from all of our pupils and the support of their parents and carers.

We are exceptionally proud of our academy and our young people and would encourage interested applicants to come and spend some time with the leadership team to understand our shared vision, have a look around and experience what life is like as part of our community.

The King Edward VI…