We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and committed Principal Teacher of Philosophy and Religion to lead our successful Philosophy and Religion Department. 

As Head of Department, the Principal Teacher is responsible for the effective leadership and management of the Department in all its aspects, including the key areas of curriculum development and delivery, policy and administration, management of resources, ethos and discipline, and staff development within the Department. 

Religious and Moral Education is taught under the title Philosophy and Religion as a core subject at Heriot's from the start of Senior School in S1 and S2.  Certificate courses in RMPS and Philosophy taught from S3 to S6 at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level. The department also offers Higher Psychology and Higher Sociology to pupils in S5 and S6.  The Department has an excellent record of success in public examinations.

The Philosophy and Religion Department is staffed by specialist Philosophy, RMPS, Psychology and Sociology teachers, comprising the Head of Department, one full-time teacher, and two part-time teachers one of whom leads the teaching of Psychology and Sociology.

In addition to curricular commitments, the successful candidate will be required to participate fully in the extra-curricular life of the School.

Interviews for this role are expected to take place on Friday 22nd March & Thursday 28th March. 

When you join the team at Heriot’s, you become part of our community, where the contribution of every individual is important and valued.  The Heriot’s motto, to “distribute chearfullie”, is at the heart of school - distributing of kindness, of support and of generosity remains as live today as it was in 1628 when George Heriot founded the school.

Our most recent staff survey reported that 97% of employees at Heriot’s feel motivated and happy to work here and we aim to provide a friendly, welcoming, and supportive environment for all of our people.  This aim is reflected in the package we offer which, for our teaching staff, in addition to salary (which includes a Heriot’s enhancement), teacher holidays and pension, includes:

• Enhanced sick pay, maternity and paternity pay
• Family friendly policies (Including Personal Emergency Leave Days)
• Continued professional development opportunities
• Travel to work schemes
• School Fee Remission (non-contractual benefit)
• Employee Assistance programme, including 24/7 counselling helpline and high street, supermarket, and general retail discounts
• Opportunities for involvement in the wider school community

We aim to attract and retain a diverse group of talented people, who are committed to upholding the school’s ethos. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Please see attached full job description. 

In addition to excellent proven teaching skills, the successful candidate will demonstrate a sound understanding of current curricular issues in Scottish education in general and those relating to the teaching of his/her own subject area. You must be able to:

• articulate the place of Philosophy and Religion in the curriculum and what  the subjects should seek to achieve in a child’s education;
• show a vision for the further development of the Department at Heriot’s;
• be adaptable and flexible and able to manage change in pursuing a high quality provision of  Philosophy and Religion at Heriot’s;
• demonstrate leadership and management skills of a high order; a commitment to quality assurance, self-evaluation and staff development will be particularly important. 

Additional Information
Heriot’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.
This post is considered Regulated Work with Vulnerable Children and/or Protected Adults, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 and the successful candidates will be required to obtain membership of the PVG scheme.

Please note that parking is not available on our campus

George Heriot’s Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.

George Heriot’s School is governed by George Heriot’s Trust, Scottish Charity number SC011463

George Heriot’s School

It might be difficult to imagine a school you haven’t seen, situated in the shadows of Edinburgh Castle on a World Heritage site, echoing the Castle’s turreted structure in its striking main building, The Wark.

George Heriot’s School foundation stone was laid in 1628, thanks to the vision of early philanthropist, goldsmith and court jeweller George Heriot. George Heriot’s vision, inspired by what he had witnessed at Christ’s Hospital School, was to create a school for fatherless children. The school opened its doors in 1659 and expanded in the 1800’s to create a further 18 out-schools for the children of Edinburgh, educating many thousands of children before the advent of the 1872 Education Act, when schooling became managed by the state.

The school has survived Cromwell’s troops, two world wars and evolved in its nine-acre city centre site to become today the leading independent school in Scotland, as voted by The Sunday Times in 2021. Heriot’s is a modern and vibrant hive of co-educational learning, with 1,668 children from age 4-18 filling its corridors, turrets and learning spaces to study the Scottish curriculum, learning to question, to respect rights, to develop confidence in their own voice and above all, leaving with a skill set to carve their place in the modern world.

Herioters today go on to become actors and writers, advocates and scientists, doctors, researchers, public servants and more, many continuing the legacy of its founder by supporting the school’s Foundation.

As Scotland’s oldest independent school, on the cusp of celebrating a 400-year anniversary, the school is a good example of widening access. Fees are kept comparatively low (approximately half the level of two other Edinburgh independent schools), with 31 children studying at the school on full bursaries and 61 children attending through the Foundation, set up by George Heriot to educate the fatherless bairns of Edinburgh. Any child who has lost a mother or father through bereavement, and lives within a defined local area, is entitled to apply to study at George Heriot’s. Over the years, some 4,400 children have studies at Heriot’s through the Foundation. The school provides £1.3 million to bursarial support each year.

A selective school, the academic standards at Heriot’s are high . .. it is a school for children for whom academic success is important and as such, pupils are encouraged to try their hand at all that is on offer. The study of traditional SQA subjects at National, Higher and Advanced Higher level is complimented by specialist classes in less mainstream areas such as choreography, current affairs, surfing, robotics/AI, Lego, debating, creative writing, and Highland Dancing. 

In the Nursery, the school has dedicated teachers, delivering high quality learning experiences to promote creativity, curiosity, independence and kindness. Weekly specialist lessons include Physical Education, Music, Outdoor Learning, Resilience, Mindfulness, Story Massage, Philosophy, Science and Technology. Philosophy is taught from Nursery to Primary 7 using the P4C method, with parents attending the school’s workshops to develop their own philosophical thinking. Heriot’s is the only school in Scotland to have achieved a Gold Award from the SAPERE organisation, which recognises the high standard of teaching and participation in this subject.

There are many advantages to teaching children Philosophy. It improves literacy and language skills, encourages children to develop articulacy and self-expression, nourishes concentration and thinking skills and invites young people to be effective in collaboration, group work and reasoning. The Learning Enhancement team delivers a programme which incorporates Philosophy, Resilience, Teambuilding and Mindfulness, setting up good habits for life. 

In Senior School, there is a choice of 34 examined subjects for pupils to study, from human biology to psychology, mandarin, politics, economics and graphic communication, to name a few. 

Heriot’s has recently been awarded its third consecutive gold award for being a UNICEF Rights Respecting School. The rights of every child are central to school life, including promotion of rights respecting attitudes and language across year groups, from diversity, equality and inclusion lessons to pupil-led assemblies celebrating Diwali, Black History Month, Dyslexia awareness and more. Receiving the recent award from Independent School Magazine is a tremendous fillip for the school, according to Principal Gareth Warren: ‘’Third party recognition of what we do gives us encouragement that amongst 700 schools UK-wide, we are achieving something special. Today we look to the future to ensure the content of curriculum, the pupil experience we offer and the availability of a compelling extra curricular offer remain at the forefront of our agenda’’.