Putney High School
England
£41,730 - £65,490 per year
Salary:
GDST Teachers' scale
Job type:
Full Time, Part Time, Maternity Cover
Start date:
01 January 2026
Apply by:
13 October 2025
Job overview
Teacher of Chemistry (Maternity Cover)
Contract Type: Fixed term (maternity cover)
Contract Hours: Full-time. We are open to discussing the possibility of part time (FTE 0.8)
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and well qualified individual to join our successful and thriving Chemistry department.
Science at Putney is about the will to find out. We aim to open up the minds of the students to an understanding of the value, relevance and importance of scientific endeavour in the world around them. Experimentation is at the heart of our approach, and we take full advantage of the excellent laboratories, resources and facilities available to or students.
If you are an enthusiastic graduate with a good honours degree in Chemistry or a related subject, with excellent knowledge and practical experience in Chemistry, we would be delighted to hear from you. The ability to teach general science at Key Stage 3 is also required, and to teach A level Chemistry is desirable. This post would suit either a newly qualified teacher or a more experienced teacher looking for career development and offers the opportunity to teach well motivated and high-achieving students.
About the School
As one of the UK's leading schools, Putney High School is rightly proud of its exceptional academic results and pastoral care. A spirit of intellectual agility and engagement is at the heart of the school's ethos, with pupils stretched, challenged, and supported inside the classroom and beyond.
The school is set in leafy, tranquil grounds close to the heart of Putney and to the River Thames.
The school is part of the GDST, the UK's leading network of independent girls' schools. We can offer a variety of benefits, such as:
* Competitive salaries and pay progression
* Competitive terms and conditions of employment
* Generous pension scheme
* Free life assurance benefit
* A discount of up to 50% on fees for children at GDST schools
* Access to extensive professional development opportunities
* Training grants for qualifications
* Interest free loans for training, computer purchase loans and season ticket loans
* A Cycle to Work scheme
* Retail and lifestyle discounts
* Financial guidance and support
* 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
Application Guidance
For details about the role, person and school, please refer to the Candidate Brief under the Documents Section. Further details about our school can be found on our website and social media profiles.
To apply for the role, please download and complete the application form and upload onto TES. Alternatively, you can email your application form to
Applications must be received by: Monday 13 October 2025 at 9am
Interviews to be held: Thursday 16 October or Friday 17 October 2025
The Council of The Girls' Day School Trust is committed to equal opportunities in employment. The Council's policy aims to ensure that all employees are recruited, trained and promoted on the basis of ability, the requirements of the job and relevant and objective criteria.
No employee or job applicant should receive more or less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, nationality, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, gender reassignment, creed or disability in any matters to do with employment.
The full Equal Opportunities (Employment) Policy is available on request.
Attached documents
Teacher of Chemistry (mat) Candidate
10.58MB
Other document
418KB
About Putney High School
Putney High School
35 Putney Hill, Putney
London
SW15 6BH
United Kingdom
Putney High School has been at the forefront of educating girls since 1893 when it began life as 'East Putney High School'. Over 125 years later, we are one of the UK's leading independent girls' schools, a pioneering school of the Girl's Day School Trust (GDST) and consistently ranked among the top performing schools both in London and the UK.
The school is located at the top of Putney Hill, in a leafy corner of south west London, within a short walk of the River Thames. With a Junior School, Senior School and purpose built Sixth Form Centre on site, Putney sits within an extensive campus of mature trees and spacious lawns, blending original Victorian architecture with stunning new sustainable development.
Academically high-achieving, Putney High School succeeds in being both down-to-earth and dynamic. We provide an inspiring, scholarly and exceptionally broad education for over 1000 pupils aged between 4 and 18 years old. Our ethos is one of 'modern scholarship' which makes learning challenging, fun and above all, relevant. Lessons encourage curiosity and explore everything from entrepreneurship and oracy to AI and design thinking.
For us, wellbeing is key to everything, from our award-winning Biophilic Classroom design to our Breathe environmental programme. Whoever they are or want to be, our inclusive and democratic culture ensures students build friendships and develop their intellect knowing they are valued as individuals, able to make a difference.
Right from the off, pupils are inspired to develop a love of learning and quickly develop the "can-do" attitude, resilience and adaptability that are a hallmark of our many trailblazing alumnae, and which make the school such an exciting and rewarding place to work.
We are a warm and welcoming community of innovative and intrepid thinkers where staff and students are encouraged and enabled to discover their passions and to branch out intellectually beyond the confines of the curriculum. Putney's departing Year 13 are consistently awarded the highest grades at A Level and go on to further study at the finest educational establishments in the UK and abroad.
Our award-winning research projects position us at the forefront of educational leadership and have been recognised by the Chartered College of Teaching and seen us shortlisted for TES, i25 and Pearson awards. We are even the recipients of a highly prized Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal. Our innovative teaching methods and research into the Science of Learning keep us at the cutting edge of our profession and allow us to ensure that every pupil and member of staff is given the opportunity not only to achieve his or her potential, but to truly flourish.
Putney is a forward-thinking school that believes not only in the importance of a first-rate education, but in offering one that is in tune with an evolving future. There is excitement and opportunity in the air here – pupils have a voice and there is a bold inquisitiveness which sees staff and students collaborate in fresh new ways, making the most of cross-curricular links between departments and fuelled by a genuine passion for new ideas and technologies.
We are committed to equipping young people with the creative mindset and agility that will set them apart in the modern world. Our Putney Ideas Exchange (PIE) and Residency programme offer students access to thought leaders and experts in their fields.
While Putney students are unashamedly ambitious, they pursue their passions with energy and enthusiasm, finding time for a huge range of interests and activities beyond the curriculum. They throw themselves into the huge range of co-curricular activities on offer and are as likely to be found in Med Soc or Bridge Club as they are to be found on the river, rowing out of the school's own Boathouse at Putney Bridge. There is a vast array of sports, art, music, drama, clubs and societies available – many of which are devised and run by pupils themselves.
Being such a busy London school, we take seriously our responsibilities to our community and embrace involvement with local schools and institutions through volunteering and other partnership initiatives. Ours is a kind, healthy and happy community that while it is high achieving, remains compassionate, grounded and aware of responsibilities to one another and to the wider world.
Our Breathe and Positive Schools programmes focus on environment and wellbeing, taking action to encourage positive behaviours and habits of mind. Putney students go on to be ambassadors for these values in every sector and in every corner of the globe; ready for adventure, conscious of their responsibilities, and eager to make a difference through the many exciting goals that they pursue.
Whatever role you play in our vibrant school community, our democratic and inclusive ethos provides the best possible environment in which to thrive; one where the wellbeing and personal development of every individual is paramount and where every door is there to be opened.
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