In this interview, Harry talks about teacher training, the induction process, and what makes Hangzhou DSAS a great place to develop and grow your education career.

1. What are some features of the school that make it unique?

The International School is easily one of the warmest environments I’ve worked in. Our staff have plenty of time to plan and deliver their lessons, which means we have high quality learning happening right across the school.

We’ve got very small class sizes with, on average, about 10 students per class. As a result of this smaller community, we have a very close relationship with our parents. Teachers know them by name and communicate with them on a regular basis.

This intimacy, warmth and congeniality is a palpable feeling that you can feel in your interactions with people.

This is also reflected in the student work that is displayed on walls in staff offices, classrooms, and corridors. We have a genuinely pleasant environment in which to work here.

2. In terms of teacher training, what are some areas that you find teachers need the most help with?

An area that keeps coming up is EAL provision. As we are a bilingual school, the level of English is quite diverse. While we have a big chunk of native level speakers, we also have students whose English is less advanced.

A big part of the professional life of our teachers is getting better at helping those students with the language support they need. This is an area that we continue to place time and attention on.

Finally, we have a twilight session program. During the first couple of weeks, when you are hearing about systems and policies, it can be quite overwhelming. For this reason, we have optional sessions that new teachers can attend in the latter two thirds of the first semester.

Staff can come and sit in on a very informal 45-minute presentation about the systems and operations that we have in the school. This is designed to consolidate any new information or instructions that new teachers may have missed out on in those opening couple of weeks.

4. How do you transition from induction to professional development? 

During the first half of semester, the focus for new staff, from their leadership, should be to not burden them with too much scrutiny or punitive monitoring.

Of course, if there is a major red flag, you can’t just sweep it under the table. But our teaching cohort is very solid this year – we are lucky to have some superb teachers here both in the International section and also in the school as a whole.

The approach that I advocate is to give new teachers every opportunity to get their feet under the table, to feel comfortable and at home. More often than not, that will be the biggest conduit to helping them do well in the classroom.

It is not always easy to transition into a new position in a school. Parents often compare the incoming teacher to the previous teacher, and sometimes that can create unreasonable expectations.

We want new teachers to feel supported by their managers through challenges like this. That can be a powerful message for the rest of the staff, and really permeate the culture of the school.

Feeling trusted and supported can really help teachers to adapt to their new work environment in the best possible way.

5. Why should a teacher in China choose to move to Hangzhou to work at Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science?

Hangzhou itself is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in China. In addition to this, our campus is young enough to still feel state of the art.

Another advantage is our relative maturity. As we enter our fifth year, we’ve gone through those teething problems that a lot of the new startup schools often have. We have gotten to the stage where we have established practices, and established routines.

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

The staff and school community here is very warm and congenial. Many of our expat staff have not been home for the best part of three years. As a leadership team, and as a school, to try to fill that void a little bit.

Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science has a comprehensive welfare program. This includes flexible half days a couple of times a semester. We also have a social calendar that has two social functions for the whole staff to attend every month.

We are always trying to create the feeling of “a home away from home” as best we can.

Finally, continuing education is an important part of the school’s culture. I’m just about to finish an NPQH, which the school have supported me in. Other people in the school are doing Masters or PGCEs. In many cases that have been assisted financially in completing these courses.

We invite great teachers to join us, and we want them to grow with us. We want them to enjoy working at this wonderful school, and become the best they can be with us.

The post Professional Life at Kings appeared first on Dipont Education.

Presented by Stephen Keown, Executive Principal, the theme of the event is “Welcome to Our Learning Community”. Representatives from the school’s leadership team will cover topics such as the pursuit of academic excellence, professional development, and what it’s really like to live and work in Hangzhou, the jewel of the Yangtse delta.

The event promises to be a great opportunity for you get direct insights about teaching and learning at Hangzhou DSAS, while also having the chance to speak directly with key representatives from the school.

Speakers at the event include the following:

Stephen Keown, Executive Principal

Stephen, who has worked in education for over 20 years, knows that the effectiveness of any school is related to the quality of its teachers.

In his keynote address, Stephen will share his belief that to truly unlock the potential of every student they must feel valued individually. High quality teachers embody this belief.

Celia Zhang, Head of Finance and Administration

Celia and Harry bring a wealth of international and Chinese education experience to their respective roles.

Harry Roberts, Head of International School, Student Support, and Pastoral Care

In a presentation on professional life at King’s They will share a fascinating overview on how the school supports the professional development of staff, including orientation, well-being and continuing professional development.

Thomas Merchant, Head of Mathematics

Tom and Jasmine are experienced members of our learning community.

Jasmine Wilkinson, Head of Grade 5,

 They will share their experience of living in Hangzhou, the jewel of the Yangtse delta. They will also share their perspectives on working in Dipont Hangzhou School of Arts and Science.

School Leadership Q & A

After the presentations, you will have the chance to ask questions about employment at our school. These will be answered directly by the school leadership group. Led by Stephen Keown, Executive Principal, representatives from the executive committee welcome the chance to communicate directly with quality teachers who are interested in joining their team.

Meet the Subject Leaders

Subject Leaders from a range of disciplines, including English, Maths, and Science, and specialist courses such as drama, will attend. They will be available to field your queries about joining our learning community that aspires to excellence.

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Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science was founded through partnership between world class schools. These include the RDFZ group, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China (commonly known as RDFZ) and King’s College School, Wimbledon (KCS). The mission of Dipont Hangzhou School of Arts and Science is to create a learning community which integrates the best of international and Chinese education.

We welcome education professional across all disciplines and grade levels. Join us in the great work we are doing In education in China.

To register for the Hangzhou Dipont School Online Teacher Recruitment Open Day, click here.

Places are limited. Register soon to avoid disappointment!

Learn more about Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science here.

The post Welcome to our learning community. appeared first on Dipont Education.