The British School Caracas seeks committed, experienced and enthusiastic candidates for the 2012/13 academic year in the teaching positions outlined. Candidates should possess an internationally viable teaching qualification, at least two years teaching experience, with a background in the UK National Curriculum.

The School offers a very attractive salary package (virtually tax free), including accommodation, international medical insurance and return air fare.

Please email a letter of application (with recent photograph) and CV to recruitment@tbscaracas.com attached as a Microsoft Word document or a PDF file.

Science

TBSC seeks a committed, experienced and enthusiastic Science teacher to teach a combination that includes KS 3 General Science, IGCSE Coordinated Science and an IB Diploma science discipline (preferably Physics). Experience teaching Cambridge Coordinated Science as well as an IB Diploma would be an advantage. The desired candidate will offer a contemporary approach to Science teaching and have the capacity to liaise effectively with teachers across the whole school to ensure continuity in science learning throughout the school.

History

TBSC seeks a committed, experienced and enthusiastic Humanities teacher to teach KS 3, IGCSE and potentially IB Diploma History classes in 2013/14. The capacity to offer an additional subject would be desirable. Experience teaching Cambridge IGCSE as well as IB Diploma would be an advantage. We require a passionate educator with a contemporary approach to teaching and have the capacity to liaise effectively with teachers across the whole school. As the school is expanding into the IBDP, we require a teacher who has the capacity to be flexible in the subjects they offer.

EAL Specialist

TBSC seeks a committed, experienced and enthusiastic English as an Additional Language practitioner to coordinate the development of the EAL programme.  The desired candidate will possess a mainstream teaching qualification and experience although a DELTA or Masters in EFL/Linguistics with extensive experience teaching YLs will be considered. Knowledge of CLIL and/or ESL in the Mainstream is essential. The desired candidate will offer a contemporary approach and have the capacity to liaise effectively with teachers to implement a programme that identifies needs and develops effective learning strategies. Students enter the school in Pre-School and Kinder with little English but are keen learners in a caring learning environment with a supportive parent body.

Librarian

TBSC seeks a committed, experienced and enthusiastic Librarian in 2013/14. The desired candidate will possess technical skills to operate and develop a library, preferably with a librarian qualification. We require a contemporary approach to this role and the capacity to make the library a central focus for the school and to teach primary classes in the library. As the school is expanding into the IBDP, we require a person who has the energy to oversee the development of a second library space for the secondary area. This person will inspire and entice students to come to the library to read and enjoy the learning opportunities created.

TEACHING

The school year consists of 180 teaching days (185 staff days).

Classes at TBSC don’t exceed 20 and very often are a good deal smaller. There are two, parallel mixed ability classes in each age group from Pre-School to Yr.6. We have dedicated facilities for ICT, DT, Art and Science. Classrooms are light and well equipped. They all have ceiling fans and most have air conditioning. The school is equipped with:

  • Hall with stage

  • Music rooms

  • Dining area for Years 3 to 11

  • Library

  • Amphitheatre with stage, lighting and sound system

  • Networked computers throughout the school

  • Interactive whiteboards in most classrooms

  • Hard surface playground marked with courts for football, basketball

We offer specialist teachers for Spanish, PE and Music. We have an active PTA. The Board of Governors are all directly elected parents.

The Head of School acts a Chief Executive Officer and the educational leader of the school. He is assisted by a Deputy Head, Key Stage Coordinators, Learning Support Coordinator and Director of Studies, who form a School Management Team. There is an extensive support and administrative staff, including teaching assistants in all KS1 and EYP classes.

A typical teaching load of:

  • 22-24 lessons in a 35 lesson week (KS 3/4)

  • 34 lessons in a 45 lesson week (KS 1/2)

  • One Club/activity per week

  • Subject area responsibility

Medical

International health insurance is provided by BUPA. We have a full time SRN School Nurse on site and we are within minutes of a world class clinic that can handle any likely emergency.

Housing & Transport

Housing is provided by the school in a secure, furnished, one bed roomed apartment including kitchen equipment. A lower, local cost of living than teachers are used to in the UK applies here and essentially teachers use local salary for food, clothes, utilities, transport and entertainment. Not many teachers bother with cars. Apartments are close enough to walk to school. Teachers share lifts, taxis or use local buses and the metro. Teachers are unlikely to need to bring much with them for their apartments, just personal items, music, a laptop, clothes, back-packing gear etc. We provide a freight allowance. Single teachers use this to pay for excess baggage on their arrival flight. The British School Caracas is well resourced but some teachers like to travel with books or other teaching resources (and Marmite!) that they can’t do without. You are provided with a settling in allowance on arrival in local currency.

Salary

If you were to be offered an interview for a teaching appointment at The British School Caracas a salary assessment would be calculated based of the number of your completed years of teaching since qualification. We have a 17 point incremental, local salary scale.

We conform to all the requirements of Venezuelan employment legislation. Staff receive a portion of their salary in dollars which is paid off-shore. The balance is paid in local currency. Most teachers live out of their local salary and use any surplus to purchase flight tickets and make travel arrangements from Venezuela.

Flights

A return allowance equivalent to a return ticket to point of contract is provided at the beginning and end of the initial, two year contract, and every year subsequently that a contract is extended by mutual agreement. A mid-contract flight allowance is provided mid-contract.

Social Life

Single teachers can pursue an active social life and visit restaurants, clubs, salsa dance halls, cinemas and other places of entertainment on a regular basis with expatriate and Venezuelan friends. Once or twice a term colleagues organize weekend trips to the beaches about four hours driving from Caracas. It is possible to fly to offshore islands and places of interest in the interior.

The school provides an induction programme on arrival and Spanish tuition for one hour per week for the first term. Most teachers continue this at a higher level. English is not widely spoken outside the school and small, British/American community, so it is necessary to become proficient enough in Spanish to shop, ride on public transport and participate in simple conversations.

Teachers move freely around the area where the school and their apartments are located. Altamira is one of the leading, residential areas of Caracas. Naturally everyone exercises caution, just as you would in any, large, capital city.

Venezuela

Internet websites and publications such as Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide provide quite a good introduction to Venezuela.

Teachers travel widely within the country. Eco-tourism and adventurous, outdoor pursuits are popular. The following are typical destinations:
• Mérida and the Venezuelan Andes
• Mochima, a National Park on the eastern Caribbean coast with access to good beaches
• Henri Pittier National Park, a cloud forest reserve with access to good beaches
• Los Llanos, a vast Pampas like savannah grassland with interesting wildlife
• The Gran Sabana in the south and including Angel Falls and the flat topped mountains called tepuys. This area was the inspiration for ‘The Lost World’ by Jules Verne
• The Orinoco River and Amazonas. This is an opportunity to interact with indigenous people in the rain forests
• Offshore islands like Los Roques and Margarita

The British School Caracas, backs on to the mountainous Avila National Park where there are waterfalls, paths and camp sites. Caraqueños enjoy the outdoors and use the Avila and other parks freely. There are periods of rain but generally the weather is pleasantly warm and sunny throughout the year.