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SECONDARY VACANCIES

There are three full time positions still to fill in the Secondary School but there is a certain amount of flexibility in terms of the subjects that candidates could offer. In all cases, the ability to offer a second subject would be a considerable advantage but is not a requirement. We are looking for subject specialists in Chemistry, Biology and English, able to teach across the secondary age range up to IB Diploma level.

Teachers also have to cover the requirements of the Mexican system (this is already built into our internal programmes) and be responsible for grading students within this system. There is plenty of support for newly arrived teachers from Lead Teachers and senior management in this aspect.

The school day is from 7:30 to 2:30 and teachers will be expected to teach up to 27 classes in a 40 period week. The normal duties of lesson preparation, setting and grading of homework and exams, writing reports, etc. are expected of all teachers.

All teaching is in English and pupils have a high standard of spoken English, although their written work is sometimes weak. Sixth form classes tend to be small (rarely more than 15) whilst other classes have between 20 and 25 pupils. Teachers should be committed to a student-centred approach and be prepared to engage students in practical, investigative, problem-solving activities.

Although the school is well established, we are always seeking to improve the way in which we combine two education systems and cultures in order to serve best the needs of our students and to this end we have introduced funding for teachers undertaking research and development relevant to the school's development plan. We are therefore keen to find teachers with plenty of ideas and the enthusiasm to get involved in the evolution of the school. In the informal atmosphere that prevails in the school there is ample opportunity for all teachers to take part in the development of new initiatives.

In particular, we are in our first year of offering the Diploma programme of the International Baccalaureate Organisation and are working towards implementation of the MYP. This is an exciting moment to be part of the school and all teachers will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience and training for the development of a career in international education. In particular, the need for collaborative planning within and across traditional subject boundaries has increased dramatically and we consider this to be a critical element of the job, which means that we are looking for teachers who are genuinely committed to teamwork and are willing to overcome the language and cultural barriers that make this process more challenging.

Teachers coming from Britain are normally expected to be form tutors and we regard their work as an important contribution to the special nature of our school here in Mexico. There is a tutor period in which pupils follow a pastoral curriculum and the role of the form tutor is seen as being very important by many of our parents. Tutors are organized into four teams, each led by a Lead Tutor.

As well as daily briefing sessions there are weekly departmental meetings and planning sessions in which specific issues relating to the relevant subject area are discussed and tutor meetings in which problems relating to specific pupils or groups are looked at. Teachers are expected to attend parent evenings from time to time and to take their share of break duties and substitutions for absent colleagues. In addition we also have a variety of cultural and social events throughout the year – plays, shows, special events, etc and although not compulsory it is generally expected that staff will participate in or at least attend these events.

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