'I like to see a student bossom': Headmaster reveals 'semi-literate' applications received for job at top boarding school

Brighton College headmaster Richard Cairns appalled by poor standards

Of 30 applications for assistant head role, 12 were 'semi-literate'

One chemistry teacher gave his date of birth as 1053



Another addressed covering letter to 'Mr Richard'



Head calls for minimum education standards for teachers



A headmaster has revealed the 'semi-literate' job applications he received from state school teachers vying for a post at his top boarding school.

Among the spelling mistake-ridden CVs received by Richard Cairns were boasts that one history teacher liked 'to see a student bossom' (sic), while a chemistry teacher gave his date of birth as 1053.

Mr Cairns, the headmaster at leading private school Brighton College, was so appalled at the poor standards displayed by candidates for the post of assistant headteacher that he has made details of their applications public.

Standards: Brighton College headmaster Richard Cairns said that of the 30 job applications he received from state school teachers for a job at his school, 12 were 'semi-literate'

Among the 50 CVs and covering letters Mr Cairns received, 30 were from state school teachers.



Just one state school teacher was among the final eight candidates, and he did not get the job.

Mr Cairns told The Sunday Times: 'Of the 30 from state schools, 12 were semi-literate. These are serving teachers and this is really worrying.'

The headmaster said the spelling errors, coupled with the low standard of academic qualifications achieved by many of the applicants, showed the failings of many teachers working in state schools.

He questioned how such candidates with low A-level grades and third-class university degrees could impart basic education to children and called for the introduction of minimum standards which potential staff must meet before they are allowed to teach.

Candidates: Among the applicants for the assistant headteacher position at the Sussex school, pictured, was a teacher who said he liked 'to see a student bossom'

SHAMED: SLOPPY ERRORS THAT WERE SO BAD RICHARD CAIRNS MADE THEM PUBLIC



Mr Cairns also said that many teachers between 25 and 40 who had themselves been taught in state schools had never been taught basic grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.

Among the CVs received was one from a chemistry teacher, who used the word 'form' instead of 'from' when describing how long he had been a teacher, wrote that he had been born in 1053 and included two pages documenting his experience of flying a single-engine aircraft.

He also wrote about being a keen sailor three times in his application.



Others had poor qualifications, including C,D, and E grades at A-level, with one hoping to land the post despite having achieved just five O-levels and a typing certificate.



One candidate wrote his application in block capitals, while a woman teacher said her skills involved 'diversity and cultural competence'.

A history teacher wrote that he 'liked to see a student bossom', while other letters addressed Mr Cairns as 'Mr Richard', or simply 'Cairns'.

Mr Cairns said that he would like to see a minimum standard introduced in which teachers had achieved at least three B grades at A-level, and a 2:1 degree in their chosen teaching subject.

Last week a new international study revealed that British pupils lag behind leading nations including Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and the Chinese city of Shanghai.

The study was carried out as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and focused on applied skills rather than theoretical knowledge.



The findings show that the UK's average score for maths was 494 and in reading it was 499, roughly average for all countries and on a par with the Czech Republic, France and Norway.

Results: Although students from Brighton College regularly celebrate getting top A-level grades (pictured last year), some of the teachers applying for a job at the school had not done so well in their exams

Britain did better in science with an above-average 514 points, similar to Australia, Ireland and Slovenia.

Official figures have shown that one-in-five of state secondary school maths teachers in England do not have a maths degree, with the same being true of 34 per cent of physics teachers.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said that a record number of high-achieving graduates are now applying to become teachers.

'We are reforming teacher training to attract the best graduates and professionals, investing £4m in professionals, investing £4m in professional development for existing teachers and reforming pay so schools can attract the best teacher who have the greatest impact on their pupil's achievements,' he said.