Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the British International School Gambia. As a prospective teacher for the school, we want you to gain a flavour of the school, what makes us special and what it will be like to be part of our community.
BISG is The Gambia’s premier British International School. We will be opening our doors to our first set of students in September 2022. Our air-conditioned, well-resourced, state-of-the-art classrooms are spread over the four floors of our newly built facility located in Kotu, with two direct accesses from the main Bertil Harding Highway. We will begin in September 2022 with admission into only Years 7 to 10 (Forms 1 – 4) and progress to Year 11, 12 and 13 (Forms 5, 6 and 7) in September 2023, 2024, and 2025 respectively.
We are proud to offer a British style education to the wider community of The Gambia. The British education system and its qualifications are recognised, valued, and respected around the world and is thorough preparation for students to progress to colleges and universities of their choice in any country.
We believe our school is a small first-class facility resourced to the highest level and will be staffed with dedicated, skilled and committed teachers, ensuring the education on offer is amongst the very best available anywhere in the world. Our teaching team will be strong and innovative, constantly re-visiting ways of bringing the curriculum to life. Often this will be done using the most modern technology, but our classrooms will remain ordered and disciplined and we will place great value on trusting relationships between students and their teachers. The students themselves will be a delight to teach – they will be motivated, intelligent, and hardworking.
We consider our teachers to be the most valuable as well as an expensive resource for the school. For the school to achieve and maintain the standards of a reputable and renowned international school, it must recruit and retain good teachers who in return will enjoy their experience and benefit professionally from their time with the school. We will strive to ensure that relationships are based on mutual respect, trust and understanding and that colleagues feel their contributions to the school are valued, their needs are recognised and their participation makes a difference to them personally and to the school as a whole. To achieve this desired outcome, the school has prepared a well-planned induction programme, a varied and interesting programme of continued professional development opportunities through the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and a supportive system of performance management.
Underpinning all that we will do as a school is the belief that all children can be successful at school, and they should be encouraged to make the most of their talents. Success can be achieved in a variety of ways. Academic success is valued highly, but it is also our belief that the all-round development of each child is just as important. Through an extensive extra-curricular programme, the school will provide an array of opportunities for each child to succeed and then recognise, praise, and celebrate these achievements. This will make the children feel good about themselves and have a more positive and confident attitude generally. We want our students to feel proud of themselves and the school.
Being a COBIS (Council of British International Schools) candidate school brings a global network of schools together. BISG is proud to be a COBIS candidate school. This means our teachers will benefit from several professional development opportunities offered by COBIS.
We will expect a lot from our children as we encourage them to develop into adaptable, responsible, and accomplished individuals. Our students will be confidently and independently prepared for life as global citizens in a global workplace. The traditional virtues of good manners, politeness, and tolerance, for us translated into multi-cultural contexts, still count for so much in life and will be constantly reinforced to the students.
May we conclude by encouraging you to apply to the school for the vacant teaching positions available.
Further details for teaching post effective September 2022
We are currently recruiting to fill all available positions before our opening date in September 2022
THE SCHOOL
The British International School Gambia (BISG), is a selective, independent, co-educational day school. It will provide a British style education for children from diverse backgrounds, operating from a modern newly built campus in the vibrant and cultured Kanifing Municipality. BISG will provide high-quality education in a first-class facilities resourced to the highest level. The Cambridge Lower Secondary and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) will be taught from Years 7 to Year 11. The Cambridge AS and A-Levels will be taught from Years 12 to 13.
FACILITIES
All classrooms are equipped with desktop computers, projectors, and whiteboards. The school also has specialist suites for Science, Music, ICT and Art. We also feature special ‘breakout’ areas for more individual small group work. The whole building has high-speed wireless network access.
STAFFING
In the first year, we are expected to be 22 members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) all together, from different nationalities.
CURRICULUM
BISG considers itself to be a learning-focused school, aiming to provide the skills, knowledge and understanding for our pupils to become successful lifelong learners. To do this, we will define what good learning is, how we achieve it and for what purpose. We will ensure that this is shared with the whole school community. Secondary education at the British International School Gambia will consist of three distinct, consecutive phases. It will deliver a curriculum that is both stimulating and challenging, providing a broad and balanced education that is essential in preparing students for the future.
ACCREDITATION AND RECOGNITION
The school will be a registered centre for the UK examination board CIE (Cambridge University International Examinations). It is also a COBIS candidate school so teachers and students should expect high quality standards from a body that accredits over 400 educational institutions in over 80 countries.
MISSION STATEMENT
The British International School Gambia’s mission is to nurture each unique member of our school community to become a lifelong learner and global citizen to achieve their greatest potential, in a caring and supportive academic environment. At the British International School Gambia, we act with integrity and treat one another with respect, learning together as responsible global citizens.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS SOUGHT
Essential:
• Degree level qualification.
• Teaching qualification.
• Teaching experience in a UK, Commonwealth, or reputable international school.
• The ability and experience to teach across the age range from Year 7 to Year 13.
• Competence and confidence with ICT in the classroom.
PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES SOUGHT
• Positive attitude
• Flexible approach
• Accepting of responsibility
• School comes first
• Appearance – look good and be good (Dress Code)
• Deep pride in the quality of their work
• Committed to the students
• Positive role models
PERSONAL QUALITIES SOUGHT
• Fluent English speaker
• A positive and professional approach to school life
• Personal confidence and determination
• A willingness to go the “extra mile”
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Good communication skills both orally and in writing
• Reliability and integrity
• Sense of humour
• Creativity and vision
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Able to manage own time and workload
• Highly organised and able to prioritise
• Good ICT skills
• Awareness of and sensitivity to Gambian culture
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM US?
• To be treated fairly and with respect
• A safe, attractive and friendly working environment
• First-class facilities
• A generous level of resources and materials
• Fantastic children
• To work hard – we have high expectations of our teachers
• Opportunities for continued professional development
• Collegial support
• A good standard of living within The Gambia
WHAT MAKES OUR LESSONS SPECIAL?
• Dedicated, skilled and committed teachers
• First-class facilities and resources
• Availability of modern technology
• Innovative learning ideas including brain-based learning
• Stimulating learning environments
• Each child is developed as an independent learner
• Ordered and disciplined classrooms
• Trusting and caring relationships
• High levels of enjoyment
• Homework set regularly
WHAT MAKES THE SCHOOL SPECIAL?
• A British education is respected worldwide.
• High standards of behaviour
• Individual successes are recognised, rewarded, and celebrated
• A wide range of extra-curricular activities
• The all-round development of each child as a global citizen
• Students develop as life-long learners
• Traditional virtues and good manners are reinforced
• Children feel proud of themselves and the school
• An international mix of students
INTERNATIONAL TEACHING
If you haven’t taught overseas before you might like to consider whether you are the sort of person who is likely to easily adapt to teaching in another country by considering how you would respond to the following general advice:
• Learn as much as possible about the host country in advance so that you have realistic expectations
• Anticipate a challenging adjustment period of at least three months before deciding the move and whether you like it or not
• Do not expect to be able to replicate your current lifestyle
• Look for what is here, not for what isn’t
• Always try to understand the host country’s perspective. It will be different!
• Develop a tolerance for ambiguity and frustration by being flexible and open towards the new culture
• Do not expect of the new culture the same sense of urgency or availability of conveniences
• In all things be flexible look for ways to strengthen and maintain your enthusiasm
• Maintain a sense of humour, but most importantly be ready to laugh at yourself.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply for any position, please email the following documents to
recruitment@bisgedu.org
We do not accept hard copy applications.
• Personal Statement
• CV
• Scan of Teaching/Degree Certificates
• Scan of Police Clearance Certificate
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 19th April 2022 although we reserve the right to pursue good applications on receipt. We will be conducting interviews locally in The Gambia, for those who apply locally and Zoom interviews for overseas applicants when appropriate. Further information can be obtained from our website at www.bisgedu.org.
Summary of Salary and Benefits
- Basic salaries within West Africa rarely match those of schools in the UK or indeed some other parts of the world.
- However, the cost of living in The Gambia is considerably lower than most countries and we are confident our teachers will have a high standard of living on the BISG salary.
- New teachers will be placed on the salary scale according to qualification and previous relevant experience.
- The salary scale will be reviewed to keep the school competitive.
The benefits available for overseas teachers include:
- A basic salary paid in Dalasi and displacement allowance paid in Pounds Sterling.
- Support with settling in – first month accommodation is provided by the school.
- Health benefit.
- Air tickets for at the start and end of the contract.
- Gratuity payment at the end of the final contract with the school based on the number of years of employment.
- A contract renewal incentive bonus scheme.
The current benefits available for locally hired teachers include:
- A basic salary paid in Dalasi and an incentive allowance paid in Pounds Sterling.
- Health benefit.
- Gratuity payment at the end of the final contract with the school based on the number of years of employment.
- A contract renewal incentive bonus scheme.
Please email any questions to
recruitment@bisgedu.org
Kind regards
Chairperson, Board of Governors.
The British International School Gambia is an equal opportunities employer and aims to appoint the best candidate for the position regardless of race, gender, age, or disability.
“The British International School Gambia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and evidence of police clearance check for the last two years in your current country of employment will be required.“
Vacancies For September 2022
No Vacancies at the momment
