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Head of Boarding and Boarding Houseparent

Head of Boarding and Boarding Houseparent

International School of Milan

Italy

  • Expired
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
26/08/2024
Apply by:
31 January 2024

Job overview

The International School of Milan is seeking an exceptional Head of Boarding, to lead our dedicated boarding team from late August 2024. The role is a non-teaching, residential post with dedicated accommodation, utilities, as well as full board during termtime. We are also seeking a second boarding houseparent at this moment in time: therefore, whilst we would welcome single applications, these combined posts would especially suit a couple who are seeking to work together as a team. If applying as a couple, please upload both of your CVs, as well as a combined letter of application.

This is an outstanding opportunity for boarding professional(s) with a strong background in pastoral care and safeguarding to lead our boarding provision, as well as to be key players within our whole school student support team. You will be responsible for the well-being of all boarders within our fabulous modern boarding house, with the aim of fostering a warm, homely, supportive and caring environment, within which all boarders will flourish and grow.

Our Boarding provision currently caters for up to 42 students of any nationality, aged 14-18, with many students joining us from overseas. We are an all-through IB continuum school, with boarding students progressing from IBMYP (G10-11) to IBDP (G12-13). Thus, an international and multi-cultural outlook is a key requirement for all members of our boarding team. Fluency in the English language is essential, and any ability in other languages would also be an advantage.

Working shifts are varied, and will include regular evening and weekend duties, as well as an expectation of continued provision for boarders during public holiday periods. Thus, the role includes the leadership of after-school, weekend and public holiday trips and activities for boarders. Our boarding house closes during longer holidays when boarders will travel home. Throughout July and early August, the boarding house is utilized for our summer camp, which is run by a separate team.

The final deadline for applications is Wednesday 31st January 2024. However, an early application is definitely advised, as we will begin interviewing strong applicants online as soon as possible, and reserve the right to make an appointment prior to the closing date.

 

The position:

The first role is for an exceptional Head of Boarding, to lead our dedicated boarding team from late August 2024, and to act as our lead Boarding Houseparent. The role is a non-teaching, residential post with dedicated accommodation, utilities and full board during termtime. We are also seeking a second boarding houseparent at this moment in time, and the second houseparent would also undertake full duties within our boarding house.

We strongly value a growth mindset at IS Milan, with ongoing professional reflection and development a core expectation for all staff. Previous experience of boarding is essential: we would welcome applications from anyone who is seeking to develop their career within our vibrant and exciting location and culture, as well as from more experienced boarding houseparent(s). Initial training (including for safeguarding and child-protection) is routinely provided to anyone appointed to our boarding house, and you will be supported by our DSLs, as well as by our wider student support team.

The IB Learner Profile is at the core of our school’s philosophy, and it is especially important that our boarding staff model this through their daily interactions, building strong and positive relationships with our students. Global citizenship, a respect for diversity, and inclusivity, are central to everything we do.

 

Key Responsibilities:

As Head of Boarding, you will:

•   Oversee all aspects of our boarding provision, leading and line-managing our boarding staff team;

•   Model and develop a positive atmosphere for our boarding students, ensuring expectations are clear, whilst also offering support, flexibility and understanding when necessary;

•   Be responsible for safeguarding the needs and well-being of all boarders, in close liaison with our DSL and Heads of Student Welfare, as well as with our school medical team as may be necessary;

•   Communicate regularly with the parents of all boarders, ensuring strong relationships and a positive partnership;

•   Work with other administrative staff to communicate and address the needs of the boarding house and team, ensuring swift and proactive resolution of any issues; 

•   Ensure appropriate duty staffing of the boarding house at all times, including during evenings, weekends and during public holidays;

•   Oversee the schedule of evening, weekend and public holiday trips and activities;

•   Collaborate closely with any member of staff on any issue relating to boarders;

•   Collaborate with our admissions team regarding the arrival of new boarders;

•   Celebrate the achievements of boarders within our newsletters and other publications;

•   Any other duties that may reasonably be assigned to a Head of Boarding.

 

Our Boarding Houseparents:

•   Are resident within our boarding house;

•   Are allocated regular duties within our boarding house, including during evenings, weekends and public holidays;

•   Assist with our programme of evening, weekend and public holiday trips and activities;

•   Assist with emergency situations outside of your duty times if necessary;

•   Develop and sustain positive relationships with all boarders, prioritising their well-being and safety.


The ideal candidate will have:

  • enthusiasm and passion for working with students between the ages of 14-18;
  • previous experience as a boarding houseparent, with safeguarding experience;
  • appropriate qualifications to support the role;
  • a commitment to supporting internationalism, diversity and inclusion;
  • a commitment to professional growth and development.


To apply please include the following:

• Cover Letter which clearly outlines why you are interested in the role and in the school – please write this jointly if applying as a couple;

• CV with photo – please upload both CVs if applying as a couple;

• Contact details of referees, one of which must be the Head/Director from current/most recent appointment.

We will begin interviewing strong applicants as soon as possible, and reserve the right to make an appointment prior to the closing date.

About International School of Milan

Our School is part of the Inspired Education Group

Inspired Education is the leading global group of premium schools, with over 80 premium private schools spanning six continents providing premium education to over 70,000 students ensuring they all receive a first-class learning experience from Kindergarten to Year 13.

We offer you the chance to work/live in an exciting new location, collaborate with passionate educators, develop your skills, and grow in a role that inspires you.

Please visit our careers site for further information and to see our latest opportunities - https://careers.inspirededu.com/

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MILAN

Founded in 1958, ISM caters for approximately 1000 students from more than 60 nationalities. Our current campus opened in September 2013, incorporating a theatre, swimming pool and a superb gymnasium as well as specialist classrooms, labs, libraries, arts and music areas. Wifi is enabled throughout the campus to support the school’s 1:1 learning project and every student has access to a personal tablet or laptop.  ISM is managed by a Headmaster, who reports to the Board of Directors, while the internal management structure reflects our commitment to the International Baccalaureate. The Primary Principal is responsible for learning in the PYP from Early Years to Grade 6, while in the Secondary School responsibility is divided between the MYP Principal and the DP Principal.  All of our sections are fully authorized for the three IB programmes – PYP for Kindergarten to Grade 6, MYP from grades 7 to 11 and the Diploma Programme in grades 12-13. ISM is the most established IB school in Italy and has an outstanding record of results in the Diploma

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Our Primary School caters for around 500 students with two-form entry in Early Years leading to three-form admission in grades 1 to 6.  We moved into the current campus in September 2014 so we enjoy excellent facilities on site including access to a swimming pool, a large gymnasium and a theatre, while students in Upper Primary can access some of the more specialised facilities (such as science and IT labs) usually used by Secondary classes . Young learners also benefit from our extensive professional support team which includes nurses, doctors and an educational psychologist all based in the school. Our educational inspiration derives principally from the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, for which we have been a fully authorised school since 2004.  The learner-centred and inquiry-driven approach of PYP has become a central characteristic of our climate, and we are proud of the resources, facilities and learning opportunities that we provide.  Training for PYP is provided within the school but within 12 months of appointment every teacher also has the chance to attend one of the IB’s training workshops. As an international school we also look for excellent practice from a range of sources besides PYP and we make ample reference to the work of Reggio Children in Italy, and we are proud of the international backgrounds and experiences of our teachers and assistants. All schools in the ISE group work collaboratively and there are exchanges of experience across our sister schools in other cities, who also collaborate on common projects or innovations.

Our classrooms are exciting centres of collaborative learning and this extends to the philosophy and vision of relations between teachers and families. We believe that collaboration with families is of particular importance and our teachers interact comfortably and confidently with parents as well as being imaginative and flexible classroom practitioners.

We expect high standards in teaching and learning with a special awareness to language acquisition and literacy since the majority of students do not have English as their mother tongue.

For the past two years we have adopted a 1:1 tablet project across the Elementary School and all teachers use iPads in their regular activities. While not expecting all candidates to have extensive experience of 1:1 approaches to learning, we do expect that teachers are excited about the potential provided by these tools and feel comfortable with the technology.

We are looking for dynamic, flexible and collaborative Primary teachers who are keen to work in an innovative curriculum and help to motivate excited international learners.

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Secondary School caters for about 500 students in Grades 7-13. It is divided into two distinct sections. Grades 7-11 follow the MYP while courses in grades 12-13 lead to the IB Diploma. We aim to create age-appropriate learning environments for the different phases of Secondary School and some staff members will be allocated teaching and pastoral responsibilities with either the younger students (grades 7-10) or the older ones (grades 9-13).  In general, classes are not set into ability groups with the exception of Maths, but all courses are taught to a high level and we expect that teachers will be committed to maintaining high standards with our international student body. The MYP encourages an ongoing internal review of curriculum and assessment and we are looking for teachers who have an interest in developing and innovating in these areas. For instance, we actively promote cross-curricular collaboration and authentic strategies to assess learning, and while our programmes in all subjects are fully documented and operational, new teachers will find that on-going innovation continues to be features of school. At the same time we expect that teachers will see their roles as more than subject specialists. We promote a positive ethos in relations with students and teachers should genuinely enjoy involvement with the age groups they are working with, including extra-curricular projects as well as mainstream school. There will be ample opportunity to attend training and development workshops for MYP and IB Diploma. A portion of contact time may include a pastoral role as form teacher or an allocation for extra-curricular activities or in the community service component of IB. The ability of some teachers to work in different subject areas is an advantage (though not a requirement) since this enables flexible planning for our expanding population.

More information about IBO, PYP and MYP can be found on www.ibo.org

We are looking for teachers who can support additional activities such as:

• Model United Nations - a popular extra-curricular activity with a strong tradition (www.thimun.org)
• Global Issues Network – we have a long standing commitment to GIN (www.global-issues-network.org).
• We are looking for staff who will be keen to participate in our annual Summer Expeditions, lasting three weeks, which have taken student groups to Ladakh, Madagascar, Indochina, Costa Rica and Thailand
• We are also looking for teachers interested in our project to integrate technology into learning using wifi-enabled tablets or laptops

Build a career with Inspired Education

Inspired schools remain anchored in the vibrant cultures of their respective locations, and collectively, they form an international community that nurtures each student's academic and personal development in a progressive, dynamic, and innovative learning environment.

Specialist-led, extracurricular activities and exchange programmes are woven into the fabric of Inspired's approach to schooling, resulting in a well-rounded, diverse student population of engaged, active learners who confidently apply their wide-ranging skills within a global context.

Students benefit from a robust, holistic, international curriculum formed around the Inspired three pillars of modern education: academic excellence, sports, and performing & creative arts, with dedicated, highly qualified teachers who demonstrate Inspired's exemplary methodology. In the application of a student-centred teaching model, Inspired schools achieve outstanding examination results and, importantly, nurture happy, multi-skilled individuals who have faith in their abilities. Inspired students are empowered to fulfil their potential and are fully equipped to thrive in a modern world.

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Applications closed