Information Pack
Completed applications should be emailed to
Closing date: 9am Monday 6 October 2025
WELCOME TO MGS
Welcome to The Manchester Grammar School, and thank you for your interest in joining us.
Our history dates back to the time of Henry VIII, when The Manchester Grammar School was
founded in 1515 by Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, to provide 'godliness and good learning' to
the poor boys of Manchester.
The School proceeded to build a reputation as one of the country's leading educational
establishments, a position it still holds today as an independent day school.
Much has changed in the intervening five hundred years, but our core mission to educate the
brightest young men in the North of England regardless of their social, cultural, religious and
financial background, has not.
We aim to teach boys to think for themselves and to develop a life-long love of learning. Lessons
are taught by academic specialists with a passion for their subject, and teaching goes well beyond
the narrow confines of examination syllabuses, offering our students the best preparation for the
very top universities, both in this country and abroad.
There is, however, much more to an MGS education than what happens in the classroom. What
makes this School truly special is the outstanding achievement of our pupils in areas such as sport,
music and drama, and in keeping with Hugh Oldham's aims we produce well-rounded young men
who have a true sense of service to their communities.
I do hope that you will enjoy finding out more about us.
Martin Boulton
High Master
THE ROLE
We are seeking to appoint a Teacher of English to join our large and highly successful
department. This is a full time, fixed term contract for one year from 1 January 2026 to
31 December 2026, to cover maternity leave. For the appropriate candidate, however,
we may also be able to offer a part time, fixed term contact for the same time period.
This can be discussed at interview.
Teachers at MGS benefit from being members of the Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS).
We are looking for a teacher with a lively passion for and wide-ranging knowledge of
literature, who is able to provide challenging and enriching teaching for our lively,
talented pupils. The successful applicant may have many years' teaching experience or be
newly qualified, but will have excellent academic qualifications and a desire to promote
academic rigour and scholarship. A-level English Literature teaching may be available to
an appropriate candidate. Experience of delivering public speaking or debating skills
would also be an advantage.
Members of the Department contribute to the provision of specialist English teaching in
Year 5 and 6, within the framework of our Junior School Enrichment programme.
Alongside their teaching duties, all teaching staff have a pastoral role as form tutors and
are expected to play a full and active part in the co-curricular programme of the School.
The Department consists of thirteen English specialists. While being provided with all the
advice and guidance that may be required, the person appointed will have considerable
freedom to teach to their strengths within the framework of the curriculum. Colleagues
find this degree of professional autonomy, combined with the chance to work with bright,
energetic and highly motivated pupils, both liberating and inspirational.
The Department has modern, purpose-built accommodation which provides a spacious
suite of nine bright, airy classrooms, a shared office, and a quiet work room. The
Department possesses an extensive stock of books, audio-visual and ICT resources. All
teachers and pupils have Microsoft Surface laptops.
THE DEPARTMENT
In Years 7-9 teaching focuses on introducing pupils to a wide range of literature, developing boys'
writing skills, and ensuring that they have the chance to participate in Speaking and Listening
tasks. We are fortunate in being exceptionally well-resourced in terms of our stock of books. Each
Key Stage 3 class enjoys one lesson per fortnight in the integrated Garner and Paton Libraries,
which are extremely well-resourced and staffed by a team of passionate and qualified librarians.
Academic success is high. In the Sixth Form we currently offer OCR A Level English Literature and
OCR A Level English Language. This year we have around 25 boys studying English in Year 13, and
around 20 have begun studying English courses in Year 12. All pupils thinking of studying English
at university are given the opportunity for additional tuition from the Lent Term of Year 12
onwards through our University Challenge programme, and the group usually contains one or two
Oxbridge applicants. Members of the English Department also contribute to the Sixth-Form option
programme by offering a wide range of courses based on language, literature, media and culture.
Year 10 and Year 11 students currently study the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English
Language and English Literature courses (4EA1 and 4ET1 respectively).
The Department regularly publishes magazines which showcase pupils' imaginative work, and
organises creative writing competitions which also generate contributions for the literary section
of the school magazine, Ulula. A wide range of extra-curricular clubs exist, including 'Dust and
Monsters' for talks by Lower School pupils, and Sitcom Club, in which boys write and film their
own episode of a sitcom over the course of the academic year. Debating societies are run at all
levels throughout the school, and pupils are entered for a number of debating and public speaking
competitions with much success both at local and national level. There is a Sixth Form Reading
Group which holds regular meetings with pupils from other schools and a similar Middle School
group runs for Years 10 and 11. The Department also runs a group called Lit Soc which is a forum
for pupils to give presentations on areas of literary interest. Author visits and workshops play an
important part in inspiring pupils. A large number of theatre trips take place every year, not only
to the major Manchester theatres and other local venues but also further afield, including
Stratford and London.
The Department is responsible for the setting and marking of the English papers in the Entrance
Examinations.
WHY WORK AT MGS?
The School
The Manchester Grammar School is an exciting, stimulating and rewarding community in which
to work.
The School was founded in 1515 to prepare able boys from the Manchester area, regardless of
their background, to go to Oxford or Cambridge. MGS has gained an international reputation for
academic excellence and enjoys a strong record of success with top universities, both in the UK
and overseas.
We take our motto, Sapere Aude, ('Dare to be Wise'), as meaning that we must challenge our
pupils and expect to be challenged by them, and this is one of the things which makes teaching at
MGS so rewarding.
Our teachers
We value our teachers and offer a wide range of benefits, including:
* The Manchester Grammar School has its own generous salary scale, significantly above
main scale rates
* Membership of the Teachers' Pension Scheme
* Access to private medical insurance
* Approximately 16 weeks school holiday a year
* An extensive range of bespoke professional development opportunities
* Salary sacrifice scheme for cycle to work
* Significant discount on School fees
* Employee assistance programme
* Use of the School's extensive library facility
* Free use of the onsite gym and swimming pool
* Staff-led activities such as yoga classes and book clubs
* Free car parking on site
People who teach at MGS come from every walk of life, but all have a love of their subject and the
ability to inspire and challenge able pupils.
Every year, we welcome ECTs as well as experienced teachers into the Staff Common Room. We
expect all applicants to have an excellent degree; however, a teaching qualification is not
essential, and we provide support for those who wish to become qualified after appointment. We
are deeply committed to the professional development of our staff. Teachers who have taught for
a number of years often join us to gain extra experience before moving on to become a head of
department or take up a pastoral role elsewhere. Many colleagues leave us to take up deputy
headships and headships; likewise, many staff choose to stay with us.
Our co-curriculum
The co-curriculum is central to the ethos of MGS. Life outside the classroom is extraordinarily
vibrant, both in terms of its diversity and quantity. It is a source of great enjoyment and challenge
for our pupils and staff alike. It includes a great range of sport, music, drama, adventure,
volunteering and intellectual activities.
The School values the passion and commitment of its teachers in sharing their interests and
enthusiasms with pupils outside of the classroom and seeks to enable staff to play to their
passions whenever possible. Staff are given significant autonomy over the activities they
organise, and our pupils are given equal freedom to develop passions of their own. All staff are
expected to commit to our co-curricular programme and you can expect to be asked about this at
interview.
We have lunchtime clubs and societies (many run by pupils) covering every possible area of
intellectual interest. We have 24 musical groups with 280 participants, and typically stage a dozen
drama productions each year, in our superbly equipped theatre and drama studios. We have 95
sports teams and 40 different sports. In outdoor pursuits every year we have numerous treks in
the UK and overseas, as well as four camps involving 250 pupils. We offer a wide range of outdoor
pursuits and are one of the largest centres for D of E in the North West. Alongside this there is a
vast range of educational trips and visits, both in the UK and abroad. On average, each pupil
spends twelve days a year on trips. Visit our website to find out more.
Our pupils
The School comprises 1650 boys in Years 3 to 13. All boys are assessed for entry on the basis of
their potential by observing their individual talents over the course of an assessment day. A
formal entrance exam only plays a part in entry to Year 7; pupils awarded places in the Junior
School are given entry to the Senior School. Entry standards are high with successful applicants
performing well above national averages. Our admissions policy aims to be needs-blind to enable
the School to be a diverse community of talented individuals from all backgrounds.
Boys come from across the North-West and from every type of background, and the boys who
join the School each year come in equal numbers from maintained and independent primary
schools.
Bursaries and social mobility
MGS's Foundation Bursary Appeal has been one of the most successful appeal of its kind held by
any school and is a cornerstone of our ethos. Its aim is to ensure that a place at MGS is available
to any boy who passes our entrance assessments, regardless of his family's financial background.
More than 200 boys currently receive full or partial means-tested bursaries. (The average bursary
is 90% of the school fee). Our long-term ambition is to be needs-blind, so that every boy who
passes our entrance assessments can take up a place, regardless of his parents' ability to pay.
Our facilities
Facilities are excellent. Recent developments have included a new sports hall, international
standard hockey astro-turf and tennis courts, and the purchase of a new Steinway Model D grand
piano for the Memorial Hall. We have an exceptionally equipped theatre and drama studios and
award-winning Junior School buildings. A state of the art Sixth Form Centre is under construction
and due to open in 2025.
Manchester and the North-West
Manchester is a vibrant and exciting place, as you would fully expect of Britain's second city. One
of the fastest growing cities in Europe, it has a cosmopolitan outlook, a flourishing, varied cultural
life and excellent restaurants and nightlife. It is a wonderful, stimulating place to live, with
outstanding sport and leisure facilities, catering for every possible interest.
Whilst offering all that you would expect from a major city, Manchester has the advantage of being
very accessible and enjoys excellent transport links. London is only two hours away by train and
Manchester's international airport is only five miles from the School. The Peak District National
Park, the Pennine Way and the Cheshire Plain are within an hour's drive, whilst the Lake District
and Snowdonia can be reached in less than two hours.
HOW TO APPLY
Candidates of any age and any level of experience are invited to apply. Appropriate induction and
support will be given. MGS provides full support to enable ECTs to obtain QTS. Further
information about the School is available on our website.
Applicants should complete an application form: this can be downloaded from the vacancies
section of the School's website, and emailed to The closing date is 9.00am
on Monday 6 October 2025, and we expect to hold interviews shortly after.
The Manchester Grammar School is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome
applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children and successful applicants will be required to undergo child
protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Both our Safer Recruitment policy, and Safeguarding and Child Protection policy may be viewed
on our website .
We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in the School and for taking the time
to apply. However, please note that, because of the high volume of applications we receive,
we regret that we are unable to reply individually to each application.
September 2025