From the Head of School

 

Recruiting the Right Teachers 

In an icy mid-January, August is a distant prospect.  But at ISA we have been preparing for it for a while.  Before the winter holidays we worked out our needs so that we can come back ready to recruit for the next school year.  It may seem early but this is when international teachers look to make their move.  

A school can never be any better than the teachers it employs.  Finding the right people isn’t an incidental part of a school leader’s job; it is essential - and to get it right, we have to start with a clear idea of what we are looking for.  

First the law.  All teachers in Scotland are required to be registered with the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS).  This means they need a degree and a recognised teaching qualification.  They also need a police check (known as a PVG - Protection of Vulnerable Groups) which covers Scotland, the UK and 18 partner countries, as well as police checks from other countries they have worked in.  In addition, we phone references from previous employers to make sure no concerns are overlooked.  

Of course, these are the minimum requirements; our mission statement aspires to “excellence in education.”  We want our specialist teachers to be passionate about their subject; all our teachers to be student focused; and to have thought deeply about how children learn; to be able to communicate and engage; to believe that every child can progress in a full range of aptitudes and skills, and to have strategies to make that progress a reality.  They must ensure “a safe and caring learning environment.”

We are also an international school, with values such as respect and diversity.  We expect our students to become global citizens.  We need teachers who don’t merely accept our values and ambitions, but will actively promote them.

There is a lot to think about, and why it is a bit of a process.  We can’t just place an ad in the local paper or on our website and expect to get the breadth of applications we need to make the right choice.  We also use international recruitment agencies that screen candidates and provide confidential references with standard questionnaires on a range of attributes.  We follow up with interviews with different people to get a range of perspectives.  

This weekend I am at an international job fair in London with Paul Bertolotto and Sarah Cusworth.  We will be able to choose candidates with international experience.

Recruitment is an investment of time, money and thought that is essential to maintain ISA’s tradition of care, opportunity and excellence in changing times.