Summer jobs / employment for English teachers and activity staff at English Coury Schools.

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Summer jobs and employment

Summer 2012

Teachers | House Parents | Junior Carers | Director of Studies 

Sports Organiser | Junior Activity Organiser | Social Organiser | Course Manager
 

 

"The motto of 'fun, friendship and learning' is no simple motif - it's an accurate summation of what ECS provides."

 Read what other people say about working with us

 

Now recruiting for Summer 2012

Dates of employment (including training):

8 July - 5 August inclusive for Sibford (teenagers 14 - 17)

8 July - 12 August inclusive for Port Regis (children 7 - 14).

Send your CV and / or complete our Employment Application Form

nb: Under UK law we cannot employ non-EU residents. See below for further information

General information applying to all posts:

English Country Schools is a British Council Accredited summer school organisation for children and teenagers. English Language teaching is combined with a programme of sports, social activities and excursions in beautiful countryside locations. We promise to provide ‘fun, friendship and learning in a healthy natural environment’ to the young people in our care.

We aim to offer:

  • High levels of supervision
  • A friendly, family atmosphere
  • International mix: a maximum of 4 boys and 4 girls are accepted on each course who share the same mother tongue. This encourages children to speak English together and become 'internationally-minded' through contact with others from different countries and cultures.
  • Effective, enjoyable English lessons from specialist teachers
  • A fully inclusive programme of teaching, sports, workshops, excursions and insurance
  • High standards through regular inspection by The British Council and membership of the Young Learners Special Interest Group of English UK.

We want students who attend English Country Schools to:

  • Learn a lot of English

  • Learn more about themselves and other people

  • Have a great time and develop confidence and social skills

  • Return home healthy and refreshed

  • Return to their studies with renewed enthusiasm and determination

We want staff to:

  • Work to the best of their ability within a supportive and professional working environment

  • Enjoy working with the young people on the course

  • Develop personally and professionally, formally and informally during the course

  • Leave with a sense of achievement and a desire to return in the future.

Why work at ECS?

  • We limit the number of students on each course to a maximum of 5 boys and 5 girls who share the same mother tongue. This means you’ll be working with a truly international group whose common language is English.
  • All our students arrive and depart on the same date: we don’t do weekly arrivals and departures and this makes life much easier for everyone.
  • We pride ourselves on our good working conditions. All staff will be provided with food and accommodation in the school and will receive a full, 24-hour day off weekly plus normally one session (morning, afternoon or evening) off daily.
  • Our courses take place in beautiful countryside settings in Dorset and Oxfordshire. Each school has excellent sports facilities that staff are encouraged to use.

Please note:

  • All staff will be interviewed in person or by telephone / Skype; qualifications will be verified; references will be followed up and background checks will be carried out. Teachers who already possess a Criminal Records Bureau certificate will be given priority.

  • Smoking is not allowed on our courses.

  • Looking after children is hard work: you will be expected to act in a professional manner at all times and give your very best.

  • Staff accommodation is not luxurious. Expect your room to be clean on arrival and cleaned weekly during your stay. Don’t expect en-suite facilities. We will try to give you a separate room but in some cases rooms may have to be shared with another member of staff.

Induction

Before you arrive we will send you detailed information about your role. There is a pre-induction meeting for key staff and a full day of induction for all staff just before the course, providing an opportunity to meet your colleagues, get to know the school and grounds and prepare for the arrival of students.

The application process:

  1. Read the summaries below. If you wish to apply for a post, send your CV preferably with our Employment Application Form

  2. If we wish to employ you we will send you further details about the post, contact your referees for confidential references and arrange an interview.

  3. Interviews will be preferably by video Skype but we are also happy to interview at our home office near Cheltenham or if necessary by telephone.

  4. If we offer you a post we will send you a Letter of Appointment setting out precise terms and conditions, together with additional pre-course information. If you wish to accept the post you must sign and return the Letter and the Police Form within 14 days.

 


 

 Teachers

Teachers should be qualified with a PGCE / BEd or a university degree plus a recognised TEFL qualification that includes an observed teaching component; and at least one year's relevant experience.

We also welcome applications from PGCE qualified primary teachers not necessarily qualified in EFL who are experienced in using arts, crafts, stories, songs, games, movement, etc, for our youngest students (7 – 10 year olds) at Port Regis.

On our course for teenagers the third teaching period is a 90-minute workshop in digital photography, poetry, film-making, drama, grammar and pronunciation and producing an on-line course journal. Teachers with experience in these areas are particularly welcome.

Teaching materials are drawn from a variety of published texts appropriate to the age group. Each week a core of activities includes an out-of-class project, a music-based lesson, a debate or discussion leading to a piece of writing (older students), a literature-based lesson, a computer-based lesson and a DVD-based lesson.

In addition to teaching on five mornings per week, teachers assist on a rota basis with sports, social events and excursions and carry out supervisory duties such as assisting house parents at bed times.

Payment is around £397 per week (£355 per week salary plus 12.07% statutory annual leave payment), depending on experience and qualifications, plus full board and lodge in the school.

If you have proven professional competence, enjoy working with children or teenagers, get on well with your colleagues, are sociable and well-balanced, have plenty of energy and enjoy hard work, we'd love to hear from you. If you have experience in working in a residential situation, hold a current First Aid qualification, have a particular interest in sport, can play a guitar…. so much the better. Smoking is not allowed on our courses.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 


 

House Parents

The job of house parents is to maintain a safe, healthy and secure domestic environment for boys or girls aged 11 - 14 (at Port Regis) and 14 -17 (at Sibford). Work includes supporting and supervising students in their boarding houses, overseeing (but not doing) laundry and cleaning, encouraging participation in the course,  maintaining bedroom lists, dealing with any problems that arise. Teachers help the house parents in the evening and at bed times. House Parents are expected to assist with some excursions and with the afternoon sports or the evening social programme.

If you enjoy being with children or teenagers, have a calm personality and are sufficiently mature to maintain authority, we'd like to hear from you. Experience of living in a residential situation and of working with the relevant age group is essential. A First Aid qualification is desirable.

Payment is around £245 per week depending on qualifications and experience, plus full board and lodge in the school. Sometimes we can combine house parenting with another role, for example Social Organiser, in which case payment will reflect the extra commitment.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 


 

 Junior Carers

These positions are now full

There are two Junior Carers - one male one female - who are similar to House Parents (above) and who jointly look after about 40 of the youngest children aged 7 - 10 at Port Regis. The ideal candidate will be a trustworthy, responsible and patient person who enjoys spending time with young children. Many of the children will be away from home for the first time and they will turn to you for attention and support. This is an opportunity to be closely involved at an important and exciting time in their lives and to develop experience of working with children from different countries and cultures. You'll be expected to assist with all aspects of their stay, including joining in activities. You will be assisted by other staff at busy times, for example at bed times. Payment is around £224 per week depending on qualifications and experience, plus full board and lodge in the school.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 


 

  Director of Studies

This is a non-teaching post providing ongoing academic support and supervision of the teaching team. The right candidate will be qualified with the RSA Diploma or equivalent plus relevant experience. If you are an enthusiastic and well-organised educator who is up to date with current teaching and teacher-training theory and practice, with particular reference to children, we'd love to hear from you. You should be able to lead and motivate the teaching team and encourage high standards while dealing sensitively with any difficulties that may arise. You should preferably have experience of working within a residential situation. Like teachers you will be expected to assist on a rota basis with sports, social events and excursions and carry out supervisory duties such as assisting house parents at bed times.

Payment is in the region of £420 per week depending on qualifications and experience. Accommodation and full board in the school is provided free of charge.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 

 
 

Teaching Manager

This post at our Port Regis centre is similar to that of Director of Studies above but is for teachers with considerable experience of working with young children in an EFL setting who may however lack a formal high-level EFL qualification. Sometimes we will appoint two teaching managers on half-time teaching contracts. It will suit teachers who wish to develop experience at management level who have a particular interest in working with young children. We are looking for individuals willing to lead, demonstrate, professionally develop and generally enthuse our EFL teaching team with a variety of ideas, games and activities suitable for younger learners on a holiday course in the English countryside. Like teachers you will be expected to assist on a rota basis with sports, social events and excursions and carry out supervisory duties such as assisting house parents at bed times.

Payment is in the region of £385 per week depending on experience and qualifications. Accommodation and full board in the school is provided free of charge.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts. 

 


 

Junior Activity Organiser

These positions are now full

The Junior Activity Organiser is in charge of planning and implementing the afternoon sports and evening social programme for 7 - 10 year olds at Port Regis. The Junior Activity Organiser has the help of two Activity Assistants, one male and one female. House parents for this age group - Junior Carers - also assist. For this post you must be a responsible person who has experience of and enjoys working with primary age children. Patience, energy, good humour and good organisational skills are all required. A first aid qualification and experience of living and working in a residential situation are desirable.

Payment is from £275 per week depending on experience and qualifications. Accommodation and full board in the school is provided free of charge.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 

 

Sports Organiser

These positions are now full

The Sports Organiser  is a key member of staff who leads the activity team in planning and implementing a full, varied and safe programme of sports each afternoon so that the students will learn new sporting skills, have fun and get plenty of exercise. This post requires an experienced and qualified professional and pays accordingly. You must be a responsible and organised person, able to lead and motivate others, energetic with a sense of fun. You must also have patience and proven ability to relate well to children or teenagers. A First Aid qualification is essential. Like all staff you'll also be expected to assist on a rota basis with excursions and light supervisory duties such as assisting house parents at bed times.

Payment is around £397 per week (£355 per week salary plus 12.07% statutory annual leave payment), depending on experience and qualifications, plus full board and lodge in the school.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 


 

Social Organiser

The Social Organiser plans and leads a safe and varied programme of evening social activities so that the children will mix, have fun and practise their English.

If you're an outgoing, creative person with proven organisational skills, enjoy working with children or teenagers, are responsible and hard working, we'd love to hear from you. You'll also be expected to assist on a rota basis with excursions and light supervisory duties such as assisting house parents at bed times. This post can sometimes be combined with that of House Parent at increased pay.

Payment is in the region of £287 per week depending on experience and qualifications. Accommodation and full board in the school is provided free of charge.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 

 
 

Course Manager

These positions are now full

The Course Manager has wide-ranging responsibilities that fall under the general headings of administration, communication, representation, supervision and leadership.  If you can prove that you:

  • Are a good team leader

  • Understand and relate well to young people

  • Can be fully committed to the aims and aspirations of our course and the organisation as a whole

  • Have good administrative skills

  • Are personally self-sufficient and competent

..then we'd love to hear from you. Posts are almost certainly filled for Summer 2010 though we are always interested in hearing from good candidates for backup and future reference.

Payment is negotiable depending on experience and qualifications. Accommodation and full board in the school is provided free of charge.

Please also read our general information applying to all posts.

 


note: EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTION

The rules for non-EU citizens to work in the UK are complex and changing. If you do not already possess a valid permit to work in the UK you will need to make your own enquiries as to what you might need. See http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/ for further information.

Christopher Etchells, 2012

 

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