This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic Teacher of Psychology to join a forward-thinking and high-achieving department, in an outstanding School.
The vacancy is for a full-time Maternity Cover post, from September 2025.
Psychology at Hampton aims to instil in pupils a long standing fascination for the subject – to truly appreciate the power of the brain and potential to measure behaviour in a scientific way. Teaching up to and including A2 and Oxbridge level you will be committed to passing on your love and expertise of the subject as well as promoting and maintaining the high standards of achievement of the pupils and contributing to the development of outstanding teaching practice across the department.
Over 50 Hampton boys study Psychology in the Sixth Form so the role involves planning inspiring lessons and dealing with marking and reporting. Hampton is an academically selective school; the challenges include stretching the most able pupils up to Oxbridge level. Some contribution to the wider life of the School is also expected from staff at Hampton.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach up to 30 (40 minute) lessons per week, which would usually include a games afternoon and a form tutor period. A contribution to the wider life of the School is also expected from staff at Hampton and Teachers may be responsible to other colleagues in their work, (e.g. a Form Tutor will have the Head of Year as their immediate line manager for pastoral work).
Hampton is one of the country’s foremost independent schools where equity, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our ethos. Hampton is rated 'exceptional' by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) for pupils’ achievements and learning. Inspectors also praised the School for fostering a culture “in which the individual matters and everyone’s contribution is valued.”
The School has its own salary scale and offers generous non-contractual benefits, well above the maintained sector, to attract high-calibre candidates. There is very strong commitment at Hampton to supporting the continuing professional development of colleagues. Accommodation may also be available.
We encourage applications as soon as possible however the School reserves the right to offer the post at any stage in the appointment process.
The Department
Psychology at Hampton is now well established after having started over ten years ago and is only available at A Level. The numbers taking A Level are growing each year, with the boys attracted by a combination of the stimulating, novel subject matter and innovative, engaging teaching. The vast majority of boys secure A* - B grades and an increasing number are going on to study Psychology at UK universities, including Oxbridge, which is a key indicator of the department’s success.
The course offers a fascinating introduction to aspects of psychological theory, research and current practical applications. It provides an insight in to why we behave the way we do and uncovers fundamental human processes that act upon us on a daily basis. The subject matter is wonderfully diverse and the relevance to the Hamptonians is immediately recognisable.
The aims of the AS and A Level Psychology courses are to encourage the learners to engage with the world as Psychologists. Pupils learn about how the mind and behaviour are governed by both intrinsic and extrinsic forces, and how to apply the rules of many psychological approaches to different situations.
They study theories, empirical evidence and practical applications which include treatments for Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depression.
Although full guidelines and support material are provided for the course that we teach, the ethos of the department is to encourage individual teachers to shape the basic themes and material according to their own enthusiasms and specialisms, and the developing interests of the class groups. We seek to create a classroom ethos of collaboration and discussion, in response to a variety of high-quality stimuli. The last few years have seen a significant growth in the range of departmental resources, and we are excited by the enrichment that this continuing process provides.
There is a large departmental office, with work areas, suitable reference books, teaching materials and supplies of examination papers and worksheets. All classrooms are equipped with interactive white boards and all teachers are provided with a school laptop.