English

Students’age: 15-18

Classes/week: 20-26

Duration of class: 43 minutes

Office hour: 07:50-12:00; 13:30-18:00 (Flexible when no classes)

Mathematics/Economics/Chemistry/Physics/Biology---Teaching information

Curriculum: IGCSE / A level /AP

Job Requirements: Mathematics/Economics/Chemistry/Physics/Biology major preferred；Experience in teaching/studying these subjects preferred.

English Teacher ---Teaching information

Curriculum：IGCSE English/ English Literature /IELTS/TOEFL

Job Requirements：English literature/linguistic/history/education major preferred；Experience in teaching Chinese high school students preferred.

A brief description of the ideal candidate

Applicants will normally be expected to have at least a bachelor’s degree in the subject they are going to teach, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or the equivalent qualification that gives them a licence to teach in their own country and a minimum of 2 years experience of teaching a relevant course at an appropriate level. English teachers are flexible for teaching experience but certificates for teaching English as the second language over 120 hours are at least required.

Information about the school

Beijing Luhe International Academy (BLIA)opened in impressive new purpose-built accommodation in September 2005 and enrolled the first students on its English A level programme at the same time. This programme is aimed at Chinese students who wish to apply to study at university in the UK or other English-speaking countries. The academy’s ‘parent’ school, Beijing Luhe High School, is a very famous, prestigious and highly achieving school within the Chinese school system and has a number of longstanding international links. Luhe High School is very unusual, if not unique, in the Chinese school system. It was originally founded by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1867 as a missionary school when Tongzhou Boys’ Boarding School was opened. By 1889, it had developed into an advanced academy called North China College that included a primary school, a middle school, a high school, a college and a seminary. In 1918, the university part of the school was moved to west Beijing and later became the highly regarded Yenching University, while the secondary school that remained was named Luhe High School. It is situated 18km due east of Tian’anmen Square on a large, beautiful campus that features buildings from the beginning of the 20th century as well as extensive open green spaces with lawns, tree-lined avenues and a lake; it is particularly beautiful in spring when the trees are full of blossom. The building of modern teaching facilities, administration areas and accommodation has been done in a style that retains the school’s traditional ambience. The school has many alumni who are distinguished within China and the wider world, including the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations in the mid-1980s. Luhe High School and its new International academy are the kind of places that attract able young people with ambition and the drive to succeed.

Working at Luhe

The salary offered by the school is significantly more than is needed to live comfortably in Beijing and very competitive compared to similar employers. In addition the school offers an accommodation allowance to enable staff to rent a comfortable modern flat with western-style amenities close to the school, although accommodation can also be offered within the school if it is preferred. Teachers receive a package that includes insurance and flights allowance for their spouse. Contracts are normally for two years, renewable by mutual consent. At the end of a two year contract a gratuity equivalent to two months’ salary is payable, subject to satisfactory appraisal in each of the two years. The school provides bilingual assistance to help with the obtaining of a work permit and residential visa, opening a local bank account and other administrative requirements. Health care and flights to and from China are also paid for. The students are hard-working, respectful and well-behaved. The biggest challenge is to get them to think and work independently, since the teaching methods used at A level or AP are very different from those they have been used to in their Chinese education. The school is committed to providing the resources necessary to teach; it wants to ensure that its students have every chance of success. We want to appoint teachers who are keen to develop themselves professionally. In 2009 we were accredited to provide the Cambridge International Examinations Certificate for Teachers and Trainers – the first centre in China to be so accredited, we understand – and we offer this professional level qualification to our teachers, running one programme per year.

Living in Beijing

Beijing is one of the world’s great cities, with a number of iconic world-renowned sites, including the Great Wall of China, Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. It is heavily populated and the traffic can be congested, but the staging of the Olympics in 2008 brought massive investment in the city’s infrastructure, not least in the subway system to which new lines have been added. There are two subway lines: Batong Line and Line 6, and the trains every few minutes for the 40 minute ride to central Beijing, which costs a few British pence. Several subway lines are being constructed and planned because of Tongzhou’s  important  status as the sub-center of Beijing, which means Tongzhou is the site where Beijing Government will be located in 2017. When Luhe opened in the 19th century it must have been situated in the countryside to the east of Beijing, but now Tongzhou has formed the sub-center of Beijing that has seen great development recently. That development means that there is plenty of modern, well-built accommodation and facilities like a large Carrefour supermarket, Wanda Plaza,  a very famous shopping Mall, houses various shopping outlets, a multiplex cinema and the Wal-Mart, and a Universal Studio, the largest one in the world,  is being built that will be open in 2019……. Central Beijing, its heritage sites and international life are easily accessible from Tongzhou. A ride back in a licensed taxi late at night takes less than 30 minutes on the expressway and costs about £8 (RMB 80). Summer can be hot and humid and winter a bit cold (but dry). Autumn and spring are very pleasant and are the best times to travel and go sight-seeing. The staff of the school are very friendly and welcoming, as are the Chinese in general, and social events and trips are put on for the expatriate staff from time to time. Compared with other similar cities in other parts of the world, Beijing is very safe, although, like anywhere else, sensible precautions against pickpockets and the like need to be taken in crowded areas full of tourists.