Head of Pastoral (Secondary)
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Start Date: August 2025
Region: Far East and South East Asia
The School
Established in September 2015 in partnership with a prestigious UK boarding school, this school is located in the southern development zone of thriving city of Chengdu, China.
The school provides a comprehensive K-12 education, beginning with a bilingual Pre-Prep program that focuses on developing basic conversational skills in both languages. Following the British Curriculum, students are fostered in seven key areas and encouraged to explore independent learning through Forest School, and Reggio Emilia teaching methods.
In Prep School, students are encouraged to use Chinese while also building a strong foundation in English. The innovative integrated exploration course, tailored for the southwest region, combines elements of IPC, Singapore and Hong Hong curriculum, encouraging students to critically explore different subjects and integrate their knowledge to develop problem-solving skills.
Senior school aims to prepare students for further education overseas, with senior students studying IGCSE and A-Level qualifications, enabling them to apply to top universities in the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada. The holistic approach to teaching also encompasses physical education, music, art, extracurricular activities, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, developing each student's leadership, social skills, and personal interests.
Living and Working in Chengdu
Spanning across an area of approximately 10 Hectares (150 Mu), the campus is only 800 meters from Metro Station and a 30-minute drive from Chengdu Business Centre. Chengdu is a key economic hub in South West China with a population of 14 million including 14,000 ex-pats working for a variety of companies, including Intel, Toyota, Microsoft and various international schools. Chengdu has a high standard of living but lower living costs and this has given the city the reputation of easy to move to and hard to leave. It is a popular tourist destination; famous as home to the Pandas, Sichuan food, mountains, temples and Giant Buddhas.
Role and Requirements
The Head of Pastoral plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of pupils by leading a passionate team of pastoral care and management, and fostering a culture of pastoral excellence. Central to the role of Head of Pastoral (Seniors) is the Pastoral Leadership, Safeguarding, Pupil Standards, Welfare and Discipline, Organization, Leadership and Management of Pastoral Staff and Parental Communications to enhance the Pastoral management system across the whole school by collaborating with Pastoral Teams in Prep School.
The successful candidate must have the strategic vision, appreciation of the school heritage, understanding of the iGCSE and A-Level programmes, strong interpersonal and leadership skills and exceptional professionalism, to lead the continuing development and growth of the school as an outstanding British international school committed to capturing the school ethos and vision.
- Minimum bachelor's degree and a recognized teaching qualification (e.g. PGCE);
- Minimum 10 years' teaching experience
- Outstanding Pastoral Experience
- Previous experience of working in an international school
- Prior experience of a school capturing the British independent school ethos, or experience in an international school in China is preferred.
- Sensitivity to the cultural differences found in China and the willingness to develop and maintain a cross-cultural approach to work
- A willingness and commitment to contribute fully to the life of the pupils and school beyond the academic day, including active participation in the academic enrichment and co-curricular programmes
- Flexibility to teach within the iGCSE and A-Level programmes, if required
- An openness to assist with any other duties, tasks or jobs as may be reasonably requested by the Headmaster.
For details of the position, please ask for a copy of the full job description.
Salary and Benefits
- TBD (Monthly teaching salaries are from RMB 20-30K)
TLR bonus for taking extra responsibility
Housing allowance or free apartment in close proximity to the school
Annual flight reimbursement allowance up to RMB 11,000
One-off relocation fee RMB10000
Contract completion gratuity
Medical insurance
Tuition free seats for up to 2 dependents (must be age 6-17).
National and academic holidays with full payment
Personal Development support
2 year contract