Secondary Assistant Houseparent - Suzhou, China - August 2024

This is a well-respected school in Suzhou, China, looking for a well-qualified and experienced Assistant Houseparent. This Assistant Houseparent role is dedicated to the care, development and
support of the boarding pupils. Flexibility, resilience and commitment to a residential boarding post are essential requirements combined with the ability to make strong relationships built on trust are essential elements of the role. Boarders from age 14 to 19 make up about 55% of the student population of the School The boarders are integrated into the life of the school. They operate a 5-day teaching week with boarding staff provide care in the evenings and at weekends. Teachers contribute to a programme of activities for all students after school in an extensive Co-curricular programme.
There are three boarding houses which vary in size. The houses are divided into floors, with a boarding tutor assigned to each floor. Each House is led by a Houseparent, each of whom has other school responsibilities, so support is needed in the day-to-day running of the House. Boarding staff should enjoy the company of young people and have an understanding of their needs. There are some students who do not return home at the weekend due to either family circumstances or the location of their home. The Assistant House-Parent will be the main point of contact for these students and their parents and organise activities for them at the weekend. PLEASE ASK EDVECTUS FOR THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION.

The successful candidate must meet the following criteria:
• Bachelor degree with relevant working experience
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Proactive work ethic
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Able to work outside of normal hours including weekends
• Ability to speak Chinese and English (desired)
• Enthusiasm for and commitment to working with 14-19 year olds
• Excellent communication skills with staff, students and parents
• Willingness, ability and skills to contribute to co-curricular activities
• Flexibility
• Ability to build strong relationships and resolve conflicts

An attractive and competitive remuneration package will be offered to the chosen candidate that includes annual flights, accommodation, domestic allowance, shipping and medical cover.

This is a selective, English-medium, co-educational high school (that opened in September 2012) offering three and four year preparation courses for Chinese High School students to prepare for admission to overseas universities. They take IGCSE and A Level examinations and there is also a range of extra-curricular activities to participate in. Class sizes are kept small and students are hard-working and motivated meaning it is a delight to teach them. This year, class sizes averaged 17; the upper limit for class sizes is generally 30. As almost all students are ESL, every teacher is an English teacher! The school is well equipped including interactive technology in classrooms. Staff are expected to supervise / mentor at least one extra curricular activity each week – many staff do much more than this. They are a selective school and student behaviour is very good, so teachers can focus on learning rather than behaviour issues.

The school is in Suzhou which is dubbed as the Venice of China and considered one of the richest cities of the country, Suzhou is one of China's top tourist attractions, located on the Taihu Lake Plain 100 kilometres to the west of Shanghai and 200 kilometres east of Nanjing in the Easter part of the country.

Please contact Edvectus for more information and details of how to apply.