“You have been a tutor, friend, inspiration, a teacher and, at times, almost a parent.”

The above quote from a parent of a student I used to tutor sums up the role of an international form tutor perfectly.

A form tutor should be the student’s first port of call, and the most important person in a child’s time at school, overseeing both their academic and emotional progression, as they transition through some of the toughest years of their lives.

The role of a form tutor in an international school

Working internationally brings extra considerations to this role, though, that teachers in the international sphere should be aware of: here are four key areas that are worth giving extra attention.

1. Celebrate difference

The international form tutor should allow international mindedness to flourish within form time, by promoting a mutual respect for the differences within the group, allowing students to celebrate their culture and learn from others.

Simple activities such as allowing students to give presentations regarding the country they have come from or have lived in are an effective way of doing this.

These be done at special times of the year for that country or culture and can involve students showing national dress or bringing in national food. Language mentoring, Model United Nations and country quizzes are all ways in which students can learn from each other, too.

Activities like these help the form tutor to get to know each student and learn about their backgrounds and interests.

The form tutor can get involved, too. In my school in Japan, I have made and taken pancakes into my form to highlight Shrove Tuesday, for example.

Creating more permanent reminders of where they call home is also a great idea, such as through pictures and photographs that can be placed on the wall as a display.

This is often much appreciated and gives the students a feeling of ownership and belonging.

2. Discuss difference

Of course, while much of this is about celebrating each other’s cultures, it can also lead to times when students have to learn that people can have different ideas that don’t align with their own.

Form tutors could use time with their class to guide students to discuss these sorts of things, perhaps using contemporary news stories that take in different points of view - perhaps where they live now and where they have previously lived.

A memory that sticks in my mind is of a Japanese student leading a discussion in form comparing and contrasting female rights in Japan and Saudi Arabia, where she had previously lived.

Such discussions, though, should occur after the form tutor has built an environment of trust, where all feel comfortable giving their views.

3. Help settle new students

A form tutor also needs to be aware of the challenges new students can face when moving to a new school and a new country, and create a community where other students welcome them warmly.

It is a good idea to buddy the new student up to ensure they have a friendly face who can tell them where everything is, and, just as importantly, how everything works inside, which may be very different to where they have left.

Form tutors, too, need to gauge how a student is settling in and not try and rush them into the community.

In my present school, for example, a school song is sung twice a day in form time, with different students playing the piano and conducting to others - not uncommon in Japan.

This can seem very daunting to a new student, though. So I give them time to settle in before they have to perform in front of their peers.

This focus also extends to ensuring that students understand the culture of the school and the country they are in: for example, taking shoes off before an assembly, not talking on trains and not eating while walking on the school grounds are all probably entirely new behaviour expectations.

As such, outlining these norms can be crucial to a smooth start where they avoid any upsetting and entirely avoidable transgressions of new rules.

4. Make time for families

Furthermore, the form tutor is a link between the student’s family and the rest of the school community.

Checking in with the family on how they and the student are settling in and pointing them in the direction of any support that is needed is much appreciated and creates a great base for the forthcoming relationship.

The form tutor can also make the family aware of school events such as welcome barbecues, local support services in their home language and even cultural events.

For example, I once let a family who had recently migrated from the UK know about a local remembrance service in Yokohama. This was something that helped them engage in a tradition they all knew to make the transition that little bit less daunting. 

It can be tough at times to juggle all of this, but get it right and being a form tutor can feel like a hugely valuable role.

Oliver Furnival is interim IB curriculum manager at Tamagawa Academy, Tokyo