Welcome letter

Welcome and thank you for your interest in working at Harrogate Grammar School. HGS is a special place and OFSTED recently gave us an Outstanding judgement in all areas. Following this achievement, we remain determined to strive for excellence in all that we do. I believe that a highly skilled team, within a positive and happy working culture, can deliver the best provision for our children. I hope that the information below will inspire you to join our team. 

Here at HGS, we focus on helping each student become the best they can be by providing a positive, inclusive environment in which young people find and develop their strengths. ‘HGS is an extremely rewarding place to learn’ and our broad and balanced curriculum demonstrates our commitment to ‘excellence for all’. Our mission is to support every young person as they develop into confident and unique individuals by promoting and modelling kindness and mutual respect.  

If you join our HGS family, you will enjoy the friendly and positive culture that we live and breathe in our school. Every member of staff has a voice, and this underpins our culture of openness, honesty, and transparency. We expect all leaders to work with humility, listening carefully to their teams and striving to fulfil our core purpose of ‘excellence for all’. We pride ourselves on our forward-thinking and innovative approach to leading and supporting our team. As a valued member of HGS, you will receive recognition for achievements, along with opportunities for development and coaching. These are available for you in return for hard work, commitment, and a passion for maximising the life chances of every student. 

Through expert teaching, exceptional pastoral care, and a culture of respect, HGS students make progress significantly above average in both GCSE and A Levels. Our impressive examination results, making us one of the highest-performing comprehensive schools in the country, are the positive outcome of our commitment to excellence, the dedication of our staff, the hard work of our students and the support of families. Our pioneering iPad for Learning scheme enables students to access the most up-to-date resources to engage with and gives teachers the opportunity to use the iPad to help learning really stick. We support new staff with training on how to use the iPad as a central tool for learning. Our pioneering seven principles of teaching and learning also help new staff settle into the expectations of our school, providing you with real clarity on how we teach at HGS. 

As a member of the Multi-Academy Red Kite Learning Trust, and a part of the Red Kite Teaching School Alliance, led by our CEO Mr Richard Sheriff OBE, collaboration is an integral part of our work. Through working with other high-achieving schools and institutions, we strive to nurture ambition, deliver excellence, and enrich children’s lives. The nationally recognised Teaching School Hub at HGS helps us to keep pace with national developments and places us at the forefront of teaching practice. We also lead the regional Maths Hub and Computing Hub programmes, which harness national and international teaching expertise and innovation, to spread outstanding training for the benefit of all students. The outward looking culture of HGS provides you with lots of opportunities for career development, access to the very best training and links to networks that place your career on the national stage. 

I believe that we have a very special culture at HGS and that all staff have a responsibility to nurture that culture for our current students and for the future generations who will work and study at our school. We want you to enjoy every working day and to feel supported to reach your full potential in your career. I am excited by your interest in joining HGS and helping us to achieve our ambitious aim of excellence for each and every child. If you feel you would fit into an environment that will inspire you, support you, and one that values hard work and positivity, then please get in touch, either by email - HGSHRDept@hgs.rklt.co.uk or call Marie-Louise Howard, HR Assistant on 01423 531127 ext. 7573.

I look forward to receiving your application. 

Yours sincerely 

Neil Renton | Headteacher