Welcome to Bangkok Patana School Recruitment Online
Mission and Essential Agreements
Mission and Essential Agreements
Our mission is to ensure that students of different nationalities grow to their full potential as independent learners in a caring British international community.
Essential Agreements for Learning and Teaching at Bangkok Patana School
As teachers we understand the vital role that we play in the education of students at Bangkok Patana School. At all times we behave in such a manner as to be good role models for the students in our care.
Teaching is a profession that requires commitment and this is central to our success as teachers. We set high expectations of our students and ourselves and agree that the following are essential to our roles as teachers at Bangkok Patana School:
1. Professional Characteristics:
1.1 We think systematically about our practice, reflecting and learning from experience and our colleagues
1.2 We engage and motivate our students, through meaningful experiences, to acquire knowledge, skills and attributes which prepare them for their futures
1.3 We work collaboratively with students, colleagues, parents and outside agencies and take care to ensure effective communication with them
1.4 We commit to an ongoing programme of professional development, both formally and informally
1.5 We work together in following common policies that help us to achieve our educational goals
2. Teaching Skills:
2.1 We plan our lessons to reflect and build upon what has been previously learned and differentiate according to our students' needs
2.2 We evaluate our lessons regularly to inform future planning
2.3 We use a wide range of assessment methods to provide evidence of achievement which informs future teaching and learning objectives
2.4 We enhance student progress by employing a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies to make learning both effective and enjoyable
2.5 We value our pedagogy and encourage continuity and creativity in the curriculum using cross curricular links where appropriate
3. Learning Environment:
3.1 We ensure that our classrooms foster self-esteem, respect, responsibility and challenge
3.2 We create an environment where students can be flexible, independent and reflective learners
3.3 We challenge students to take risks in their thinking in order to promote further learning
3.4 We provide students with the opportunity to work co operatively and value each other, thereby valuing their contributions
3.5 We ensure equity of opportunity for all members of the learning community
About Bangkok Patana School
Bangkok Patana School
Bangkok Patana School was established in 1957 to provide a British education for the children of expatriate families in Thailand. It was recognised by the Thai government in 1964 and was accorded the name ‘Patana’, which is the Thai word for development. The school has grown considerably over the past 20 years and now occupies an award-winning, air-conditioned facility on the south-eastern fringe of Bangkok. The school constanly develops its facilities which includes specialist classrooms and labs, Indoor Sports Hall, Foundation Stage facility, and a 912,000 m2 Arts Centre. Altogether the campus occupies 19 hectares of land.
Governance of the school is vested in a self-perpetuating, non-profit Foundation Board, which includes representatives of the Thai government, the Thai and international business and professional community and members of the parent body. The Steering Committee of the Board meets regularly and oversees the operation and management of the school. The Head of School, Matthew Mills, directs the academic programme of the school and the Business Director, Andrew Gordon, leads the business teams. A Staff Consultative Committee meets informally with the Head of School and Business Director on a regular basis to receive updates and discuss various issues.
Because the school is a Thai charitable organisation and receives its licence directly from the government, the Chairman of the Foundation Board, Dr. Tej Bunnag, whose involvement with Patana goes back many years, represents the school’s licence holder.
Bangkok Patana School is an independent school in the tradition of British, American and Australian private education, and our primary source of income is from tuition fees. We receive no funding from either the British nor Thai governments.
We are a non-selective school, with an enrolment policy that welcomes children with learning differences that permit mainstreaming. We have a 14-member Learning Support Team that works throughout the school. We do require students to be proficient in English, and give priority to those with English as a first language. The school comprises the Primary School (Nursery and Kindergarten to Year 6) and Secondary (comprising Year 7 to Year 13). At November 2011, we had approximately 1,123 students in Primary and 1,055 in the Secondary School. 20.09% of our students are of British origin with 18.05% from North America, Australia and New Zealand. A further 14.37% are European with most of the balance drawn from Thailand and South East Asia. In total our student represents over 59 nationalities.
The majority of our teachers are British, although you will find colleagues from Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, the United States and a number of other countries. Together they bring to the school a wealth of educational expertise and international experience. The age profile is fairly broad, with the majority falling in the 25-45 group. Like all independent schools, there are high expectations placed upon the teachers. Teachers behave and dress in a professional way which reflects the expectations of expatriate and local communities. They are also required to participate fully in the school’s extensive extra-curricular activities programme.
The leadership of the schools is built around two systems:
Firstly: the two Principals (Primary School and Secondary School); Assistant Principals and Senior Teachers.
Secondly: In Primary there is a joint leadership of each of the Year group teams. A Head of Year and Head of Curriculum lead the pastoral and academic programme, supported by an Assistant HOY. In Secondary, leadership is through Faculty Teams led by Heads of Faculty and Subject Coordinators and pastoral tutors led by Heads of Year.
School Structure and Leadership
The leadership of the schools is built around two systems:
Firstly: the two Principals (Primary School and Secondary School); Assistant Principals and Senior Teachers.
Secondly: In Primary there is a joint leadership of each of the Year group teams. A Head of Year and Head of Curriculum lead the pastoral and academic programme, supported by an Assistant HOY. In Secondary, leadership is through Faculty Teams led by Heads of Faculty and Subject Coordinators and pastoral tutors led by Heads of Year.
Bangkok Patana School Academic Organisational Chart
Leadership Structure, Primary School
Secondary School Academic Structure
A system of incentive allowances ensures that responsibility is recognised and rewarded. Our intention is that Patana teachers will gain professionally from being with us and that their careers will be enhanced by the experience.
Many Patana teachers move on to promoted posts overseas or back in the UK.
The Students
The Students
Naturally, our students come first. Many of our students arrive at Patana from overseas and study here for a limited period of time before moving on. Their average stay is three to five years, although there is also a group of long-stay families whose children will be with us until they enter higher education.
Most of our students have travelled widely and think nothing of flying to Penang or Singapore to compete in a regional sports event, or a drama festival or MUN conference - examples of events in which we have recently participated. Our students are articulate, open, and confident and have the charm and courtesy that comes from exposure to an international lifestyle. They also have personal and social needs that arise directly from these varied experiences and it would be a mistake to assume too great a degree of maturity from their social ease. Many have experienced a considerably interrupted education thus far and have reached the stage where they need a programme of consolidation and constancy, before further development.
Facilities
Facilities
Our wonderful new buildings have been designed to ensure that teachers in adjacent areas can work and plan as teams. Shared spaces have been well positioned and it is common to find numbers of parents and ancillary staff/assistants working with small groups of children in every part of the school. Parental help during school educational activities is readily forthcoming.
Among the features of the Patana campus is a large 602-seat Theatre, a range of studio and rehearsal rooms, a suite of music and practice rooms, and two Libraries with a combined collection of over 50,000 volumes. We have a large, and exceptionally well-appointed Sports Hall, a gymnasium and a smaller hall offering facilities for dance and movement, an Examination Hall, three swimming pools (one of which is an Olympic-size pool), soccer and rugby fields, landscaped gardens and a traditional Thai sala, which houses the Head of School's office.
Primary classrooms mirror the best in the UK: all are equipped with interactive whiteboards.
The Secondary School has well-equipped science facilities and a superb technology suite with design and control technology workshops. A new, state-of-the-art Arts building has opened which provides a theatre and black box in addition to music and art facilities.
In addition, there are two large hard courts which fulfil a variety of functions, from sports competitions to covered performance areas.
The school continues to upgrade its technology infrastructure with a cross-campus network using fibre optic and wireless LAN systems. We have seven ICT labs, three of which are situated in the Primary School. All classes are equipped with teacher computer consoles with internet access and LCD projectors and screens. All Primary classrooms have interactive whiteboards as well as some classrooms in each faculty area in Secondary. Secondary students in Year 10 - 13 are required to bring their own laptop computers to school and in August 2011 this will expand to include Year 7 - 9.
The Curriculum
The Curriculum
The school receives regular updates on curricular issues in the UK, and in fact worldwide. We are, therefore, well aware of the pace of development, pedagogical innovations and trends and are able to take an informed and considered view of things before deciding how to respond.
Our Mission, Learning and Teaching Policy and Essential Agreements for Learning and Teaching drive the curriculum which is devised to serve our UK and international student body.
Patana is committed to delivering the English National Curriculum in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, with a combination of I/GCSE courses at age 16 and the International Baccalaureate Diploma at 18. Our teaching approaches are interactive and we encourage learning through direct experience. The school has adapted the IB Learner Profile which identifies attributes that permeate all aspects of learning.
Throughout the age-ranges, activities are based on exposure to the external environment. A coherent programme of residential visits begins in Year 3 and continues up to and includes Senior Studies. In the Secondary School, curriculum-based visits extend beyond Thailand, and include trips to China, Vietnam and Cambodia. Both the Primary and Secondary Schools’ sports activities take our students to a range of countries within the region.
Ultimately, we are concerned with the achievement of excellence. Experience has shown that this comes more readily when children are committed to tasks which they find challenging and which are rooted in their personal experience. We welcome teachers who agree with and practise this philosophy.
Curriculum Technology
Students at Patana use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to enrich and extend their learning across the whole curriculum. All but the smallest classrooms at Patana have Internet connection and projectors operated from a teacher’s computer. Many of the classrooms also have interactive whiteboards and certain areas of the school are wirelessly networked. The school also has seven computer rooms and three laptop trolleys for student use. Access to computers is currently being reviewed to ensure students have access to technology whenever it is appropriate.
All teachers have the facilities to integrate the use of ICT in all areas of the curriculum. In addition, ICT is taught as a discreet subject.
Patana has an extensive web-based administrative system which was developed and is maintained in-house. It includes a database of teaching and learning resources as well as a Learning Management System.
Curriculum Technology
Students at Patana use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to enrich and extend their learning across the whole curriculum. All but the smallest classrooms at Patana have Internet connection and projectors operated from a teacher's computer. Many of the classrooms also have interactive whiteboards all areas of the school are wirelessly networked. The school also has 10 computer rooms and a one-to-one laptop programme has been introduced in the Secondary School.
All teachers have the facilities to integrate the use of ICT in all areas of the curriculum. In addition, ICT is taught as a discreet subject.
Patana has an extensive web-based administrative system which was developed and is maintained in-house. It includes a database of teaching and learning resources as well as a Learning Management System.
Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA)
Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA)
Like many schools that serve expatriate communities, Bangkok Patana School is a focal point for the British and international community. Social and recreational opportunities for young people, which would normally be provided by local communities in the UK, are simply not available in Thailand. Parents and children, therefore, have additional expectations of the school to provide a programme of after-school and weekend activities. Each afternoon, our sports fields and gyms are filled with students participating in a range of sports and athletic activities, while our drama studios and art rooms provide cultural and aesthetic activities for them. One of the contract requirements of Bangkok Patana School is that our teachers participate fully in our ECA Programme, committing themselves to at least one weekly activity over the course of the year or a different activity each term. We seek staff, therefore, who are willing to be guides, mentors and coaches beyond the classroom, and who are open to the opportunities that such involvement will provide.
Staff Development
Continuing Professional Development
At Patana we offer a learning environment to which teachers respond with great motivation and energy. Expectations are high and the rewards are many. ‘Life-long Learning’ is our philosophy and there is a strong commitment to professional development for all staff. Teachers contribute to planned developments and lead INSET wherever possible. We also bring in external providers from the UK and other countries to deliver programmes.
In the South East Asian region there are also a number of organisations that provide up-to-date training, and teachers regularly attend courses and workshops and return to school to share information with colleagues. Teachers attend workshops organised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia (FOBISSEA) and the Council of International Schools (CIS) and Eastt Asian Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS). Courses such as ‘Training for Middle Leaders' observing lessons Andy Philips, 'Learning with the Brain in Mind - John Joseph', 'How Children Learn - Patterners and Dramatists - Fran Paffard', ' Understanding Multilingualism and Learning in International Schools - Dr. Virginia P. Rojas' and 'Teaching and Learning - THE NEXT GENERATION - Paul Ginnis with Sharon Ginnis' are examples of courses attended. These titles give you an idea of the range of opportunities available.
In the last 12 months we have established links with the University of Bath and are now a study centre for their Masters programme.
The Continuing Professional Development opportunities provided by and supported by the school help our teachers to grow professionally while they are in Bangkok. When they move on to new posts they take with them enhanced skills and a wealth of experience.
A recent development has been the introduction of an allowance for Personal Continuing Professional Development which is available after teachers have worked at Patana for two years. It can be used to help fund a range of approved courses.
We encourage our teachers to develop a professional portfolio detailing their achievements during their time at Bangkok Patana.
Primary School
Primary School
The Primary School spans the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. It is led by a Principal, with a Senior Leadership Team consisting of an Assistant Principal and three Senior Teachers. The Assistant Principal oversees all aspects of learning. Two of the Senior Teachers are responsible for coordinating the day-to-day pastoral work of Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and the third leads assessment.
The Year Group Teams provide the basis for planning and organisation in each of the years. The teams are jointly led by a Head of Year and a Head of Curriculum, supported by the Assistant Head of Year. Collective planning and mutual support are strengths of the system. The Year Teams provide a very supportive environment for new members of staff, and a colleague is appointed as a mentor in the first year. Class teachers play a key role in the pastoral care of the students.
The Primary School’s positive behaviour policy and calm working environment contribute to happy, orderly and focused children, who are eager to learn. We have adopted the ‘circle-time’ model for much of our Personal, Social, and Health Education work, following the Jenny Mosley.
We view good relationships with parents as being essential to the learning process and encourage an active partnership based on excellent two-way communications. Teachers are expected to operate an “Open Door” policy.
The Primary School follows the English National Curriculum and has successfully introduced a "connected learning" approach to the integration of subjects and are striving to ensure our programme meets teh needs of 21st Century learners. We incorporate some IPC units and have adopted teh IB Learner Profile attributes across the Primary School. A recent focus is the exploration of learning and teaching styles and thinking skills and we are working on the full integration of ICT into the everyday work of the classrooms. The Heads of Curriculum ensure continuity and progression throughout the school within each Year group where they coordinate the planning. A recent focus is the exploration of teaching and learning styles, thinking skills and the phased introduction of the Primary Strategy.
Being an international school for many of our students, English is not their first language. Class teachers will therefore need to support these children with the support of our EAL team. Most EAL support is “in-class” with instructors and specialist teachers providing focused intervention and help.
Planning ensures that differentiation takes place within the classroom and caters for the needs of all students. We use APP as the basis of our formative assessment and for the time being administer National Curriculum Tests at Year 2 and Year 6. Special needs support is, however, available for those where this has been identified by their ILP (Individual Learning Plan). Support takes the form of advice to the class teacher, in-class support and, on occasions, targeted withdrawal for individual or small group work.
From Year 1, all students have lessons in Thai Studies. For expatriate children, the main focus is on Thai culture and history with some related language and vocabulary. For the Thai nationals, the programme focuses on developing literacy skills in Thai.
The school employs subject specialist teachers to teach PE and swimming, music and ICT. We have technicians who assist in the preparation of Art, DT and Science lessons. Modern Foreign Languages are taught by specialist teachers at Key Stage 2.
The facilities are excellent and amongst the best in the world. Modern, spacious classrooms, including a purpose built Foundation Stage centreand a new Year 5 and 6 building, together with shared areas and specialist teaching facilities provide a rich and stimulating learning environment. We share with the Secondary School a large modern sports hall and two state of the art teatres. All classrooms are equipped with Smartboard. This is enhanced by high-quality displays and a most attractive physical setting.
All teachers enjoy the benefits of very generous non-contact time. This enables them to be even more effective in the classrooms and give time to meeting the needs of all the students.
We seek understanding, strong professionals who have a real awareness of how children learn through first-hand experiences and who reflect this in their classroom practice. All teachers contribute to the life of the school and place great importance on creating opportunities outside the classrooms. We are looking for enthusiastic team players who are prepared to be flexible and can ‘throw themselves into the job’!
Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1
There are currently 26 classes who work within the four Year-group teams. Each class has around 20 students.
In our Kindergarten 1 (UK Nursery) and Kindergarten 2 (Reception) classes, the curriculum is based on the UK EYFS. Each class is supported by teaching assistants. The children in the Foundation Stage are housed in our purpose-built facility which was opened in January 2004. The classrooms are very well equipped and there are attractive outdoor play areas. A Learn to Swim pool is available for children in Nursery and K1.
In Key Stage 1, there are eight classes per Year group (Year 1 and Year 2) and these are supported by teaching assistants. EAL support is provided for those children whose English is not sufficiently developed to fully access the curriculum. EAL instructors give in-class support and may withdraw children to work in small groups, closely following the themes in literacy and the other subjects.
All students are formally assessed at the end of Key Stage 1 using the National Test materials from the English National Curriculum.
The Senior Teacher (FS/KS1) oversees pastoral matters in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.
Key Stage 2
In 2010/11 there will be 32 classes with around 22 students per class. Each Year group has assistants that provides clerical and in-class support.
The English National Curriculum forms the basis of the teaching programme and from Year 3 onwards, our Modern Languages programme offers students the opportunity to study French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Japanese or Thai. EAL assistance is provided by a team of specialist teachers and instructors through in-class support and more focused sessions.
At the end of KS2, all students sit the English National Curriculum Tests in Mathematics, and English.
The residential visits programme is an integral part of the curriculum . The visits usually take place in January each year. All Key Stage 2 teachers take part in these visits.
The Senior Teacher (KS2) oversees pastoral matters in Key Stage 2.
Secondary School
Secondary School
Key Stage 3, 4 and Senior Studies
The Secondary School spans Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Senior Studies. It is led by a Principal, two Assistant Principals and two Senior Teachers.
One Assistant Principal oversees the academic curriculum and is supported by an assessment team throughout the Key Stages. The Secondary School is organised into faculty areas, each under the management of a Head of Faculty. Coordinators are appointed to manage specific subject disciplines within the faculties or to oversee specific areas such as learning and teaching within a department or faculty.
In the Secondary School, we place equal emphasis on the pastoral system and devote two periods every week to tutorial sessions. The Assistant Principal for Student Welfare and the Senior Teacher for Key Stage 3 lead pastoral developments and work with the Heads of Year. The seven Heads of Year all play an important role in the management of the school, each one having a slightly different emphasis in line with the requirements of their particular Year group, including oversight and reporting of students’ progress. The Pastoral Team are also responsible for reporting to and consultation with parents.
In May and June our students sit the I/GCSE and International Baccalaureate examinations. Our results are extremely good with extremely high pass rates. This success is due to our able, dedicated and enthusiastic staff who work extremely hard and contribute widely to the life of the school both inside and out of the classroom.
We require excellent classroom practitioners who have experience of teaching the English National Curriculum, I/GCSE courses and preferably the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme. We are looking for enthusiastic teachers who see the importance of all aspects of school life. The role of all teachers is threefold:
(i) to have a sound knowledge of their subject;
(ii) to contribute to curriculum development;
(iii) to act as a tutor/support tutor and deliver the pastoral programme.
Living and Teaching in Bangkok
Living and Teaching in Bangkok
Bangkok is a thriving international metropolis, with a population in excess of 12 million people, who come from all parts of the world. Patana serves a community that features expatriate and local, high-achieving families, who give whole-hearted support to the school. Our parents expect the best and know how to express that expectation to those responsible for delivering their children’s education.
Living as a teacher in Bangkok is as exhilarating and frustrating an experience as you could find anywhere. Thailand is a wonderful country for travel and the people are friendly and open. Western teachers have to remember, however, that we are essentially guests in this country and, while our contribution is valued and respected, we are expected to observe cultural sensitivities at all times.
Things often happen more slowly here (travelling within the city being a prime example) and if you are the kind of person who is easily irritated when things do not go just according to plan, you had better reconsider making this application! Working and living here is fun and rewarding but can be demanding and as stressful as any urban environment; it is really up to each individual to see both of these aspects as an integral part of being in Thailand.
For our part, we ensure that expatriate teachers are accommodated in good quality, air conditioned housing in the general vicinity of the school. During the first year of contract, teachers are required to live in school-sponsored accommodation close to the school. We provide two or three-bedroom apartments. For subsequent years, teachers take the designated housing allowance and make their arrangements either locally or nearer to the city centre. Traffic congestion in central Bangkok, while improving, can, at times, be frustrating so it is advisable to consider living close to the school. Transport to and from Patana is provided free for expatriate teachers who live in designated accommodation near to the school. Taxis are not expensive and will get you into and back from the city centre. In town, the sky train (elevated railway) and new metro, have greater improved mobility in recent years. An extension to the skytrain, which will have a station very close to school, is due to open early in 2011.
Teaching Couples and Families
Teaching couples with young children are advised to think carefully before applying for overseas teaching posts; while Bangkok has many positives, including good medical facilities and the availability of maid/nanny care, it is also a large tropical city with transport and pollution issues. Many families make the adjustment to living here very happily but, before applying, you should consider what could be termed “family life-style” and expectations.
The Rewards
The Rewards
The precise point at which a teacher’s salary is calculated will be in line with the Bangkok Patana School pay scale. Varying levels of incentive allowances are awarded to those who lead teams or participate in curriculum development activities.
A detailed salary offer will be discussed at interview and will later be confirmed with the formal offer of a contract. Our scales and benefits are highly competitive and among the best in Thailand.
Finally...
Finally...
The experience of working here will certainly enhance your career and expand your horizons, as you will read in the teachers’ comments that follow. An interesting fact that will support this is our track record in seeing former teachers secure senior positions in other schools. Recently, seven former staff members have become Deputy Heads, two have become educational inspectors, two were appointed Principals of international schools and another Head of an international high school. This represents two things: firstly, the quality of Patana teachers and, secondly, the quality of the Patana experience and the benefit of professional development we provide for our staff.
We therefore seek to recruit professionals of the highest calibre, individuals who will also grow with us as we expand our own horizons. If you think that you can match our expectations, then please submit an application, and thank you for considering Bangkok Patana School.