Green Oasis School - Shenzhen

Job Vacancies at Green Oasis School in August 2012

Primary School:

Due to expansion of the Primary School we are seeking  a new  teacher for the Reception Class as well as teachers of Keystages  1 and 2.

Teacher of PE (with possibility of Head of Primary PE)

Secondary School:

We have vacancies for the following posts commencing August 2012:

Head of Music

Maths teacher (up to IGCSE level)

Science teacher (KS3 Science and either Physics or Biology to IGCSE level)

English Teacher

Teacher of English as an Additional Language

Working at Green Oasis School

The school employs committed teachers who are passionate about teaching and who wish to travel to China not just to teach but also to learn. To qualify for a work permit any expatriate must be granted a Foreign Expert Certificate by the Department of Immigration and this requires either a degree in Education or other relevant degree plus a PGCE and a minimum of two years experience teaching at the level being applied for.

The children at the school are exceptionally well behaved and staff regard them as a pleasure to teach. Academic standards are high but we do have some students who struggle with English, especially when they first arrive. To help with this, every primary class had a local Teacher Partner. Most of our TPs have a degree in English and receive regular training in EAL. The school has an EAL department which offers teachers in-class support and students out-of-class support. There are around 360 pupils in primary and 200 in secondary.

Contact time for teachers is a maximum of 18 hours per week and teachers can designate up to 4 hours in the working week when they can be out of school for shopping etc.  Staff are expected to be at school by 8.00 a.m. and school ends at 3.40 p.m. The school is well situated in the commercial centre of Shenzhen.

Green Oasis is a close knit community and an ideal school for teachers who are moving to China for the first time. The whole staff, from both primary and secondary, frequently socialize together and there is a staff soccer game every Friday after school. Many of the staff get involved in local charitable events. There is a good expatriate lifestyle with bars and restaurants to cater for those who enjoy nightlife and the party scene but there is also plenty of the authentic China where you can visit a teahouse or watch the old men flying kites in the park. The nearness of Hong Kong provides an easy source of western shopping and restaurants. When the Chinese experience all becomes a bit too much you can pop across the border and be just a short train ride from a Marks and Spencer’s. 

The salary offered is very high by Chinese standards and should allow any teacher to live comfortably even while sending money home for a mortgage or student loan.  The cost of living is considerably lower than in the UK or USA and, provided you don’t expect to dine and drink at Western style restaurants and bars every night, you can easily save money. The school pays for the flights of all family members from their home country to China and back to that country when the teacher leaves the school. There is also an annual flight allowance of 8,000 RMB each for the teacher and their spouse mid-contract. To qualify for this the teacher must have worked at the school for a full year.

Free education is provided for the children of teachers up to IGCSE level at Green Oasis and, if they achieve a minimum of four passes at IGCSE, there is a reciprocal arrangement for them to attend our sister school, Shenzhen College of International Education, for A-level, without charge. There is a tax-free housing allowance which is under review at this time and may be increased in the near future. This covers the cost of a modest apartment and most staff supplement this to allow them to live in more luxurious accommodation.

School holidays are as follows: Summer holiday from late June to late August(7 weeks), National Day Holiday in early October (1 week), Christmas and New Year (2 weeks), Chinese New Year (2 weeks) and Labour Day Holiday (1 week) plus all other Chinese Public Holidays.

The school reimburses flight costs and various expenses on arrival. New teachers are housed in a hotel near the school for their first week in China while they look for a suitable apartment. The Foreign Liaison department will help to find an apartment and are available to sort out any problems with communication. Because landlords demand a considerable deposit (usually 2 ½ months) plus the first month’s rent newly arrived teachers sometimes find they need to bring a good deal of money with them, however reimbursement of flights and expenses on arrival help in this respect.  The school will also give an interest free loan (up to half a month’s salary) to any staff who find they do not have sufficient funds to cover their deposits or for any other emergency expenses.

The school provides a basic medical insurance for staff and spouses and accident insurance for children. The best doctors in China work in Government hospitals and charges are very much lower than in other countries.