Senior Teacher - Adults and B2O

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity. Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries. We connect. We inspire.

Role Description/Purpose

• Maintain and enhance professional development and academic quality in the teaching centre through the management of in-house teacher development programmes and support.
• Provide learners with a rewarding and stimulating English language learning experience.
• Promote and ensure high-quality teaching and effective learning of English.
• Support the wider aims of the British Council and its cultural relations mission.

Role Context

As a Senior Teacher, you will support the British Council’s global English strategy by:

• Providing academic management and support to the teaching team for adult general English and B20 courses.
• Implementing plans for teaching, product, and service delivery.
• Planning, coordinating, and communicating across teams and customer groups.
• Demonstrating best practice and enhancing the British Council’s reputation as a global authority in ELT and professional skills.

Role Accountabilities

Teacher Support

• Provide effective line management and support for staff including observations as per performance management guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Ensure that all teaching is delivered to standards set out in teachers Role Profiles, the Global Statement of Approach and British Council Global Teaching Standards.
• Proactively monitor the well-being of all line managees and provide an appropriate level of personal support.
• Act as duty officer where appropriate to provide support for teachers, parents, students.
• Assist in the recruitment, induction and onboarding of new teachers.
• Provide or set up mentoring programmes for new teachers/teachers teaching new life stages etc where appropriate.

Teaching Excellence

• Contribute to the design and implementation of an annual CPD programme which aligns with Regional Teaching Excellence Action Plan.
• Actively identify appropriate opportunities for staff learning and development.
• Act as a role model for good classroom practice by encouraging teachers to observe you or others teaching, doing demonstration lessons, leading teacher development sessions and conducting observations.
• Share thought leadership.
• Routinely monitor developments in ELT theory and practice and bring these to the attention of your teaching team through presentations, practical sessions, recommended reading.
• Represent the British Council at local ELT conferences, where appropriate.
• Proactively look for opportunities to highlight examples of best practice within the centre and externally.

Teaching

• Plan, prepare and deliver one regular class of high quality English language teaching that meets the needs of different customer groups taking into account individual learning needs and modes of learning.
• Plan, prepare and deliver regular high quality professional skills courses that meets the needs of different customer groups taking into account individual learning needs and modes of learning.

Product and Service Delivery and Development

• Ensure frameworks to support teaching and learning (Statements of Approach, IP, Teaching Standards Framework, Product guidelines, TEAP- Teaching Excellence Action Plan) are understood and implemented by academic colleagues in their day-to-day work.
• Ensure other relevant colleagues (e.g. Teaching Operations, Customer Services, Teaching Assistants) are aware of frameworks to support teaching and learning.
• Ensure teachers communicate relevant policies to learners (e.g. statement of approach, behaviour policy, product information, EDI etc) during the course and support and advise other teams with communications (e.g. Customer Services and Marketing).
• Work with the Teaching Operations and Customer Services teams to deal with academic enquiries or complaints ensuring teachers are fully briefed and consulted where appropriate.
• Contribute as appropriate to cluster / regional product team.
• Contribute to the regional monitoring and evaluation of global products and related services to meet students’ needs.
• Organise the piloting of new courses and materials where relevant.
• Introduce new products to teaching staff and provide training and support for teachers.

Safeguarding, EDI and SEND

• Embed Safeguarding culture in teaching and learning through contributing to country safeguarding risk assessment and plan and implementing assigned actions.
• Act as Deputy / Safeguarding Focal point as appropriate to size of country operation and risk profile.
• Embed EDI through delivery of regional EDI objectives and workplans through local teaching teams (e.g. through Teaching Excellence Action Plan - TEAP).
• Act as or support country SEND champion / Country SENCO and work with Teaching Operations, Customer Services and other colleagues as appropriate to ensure teaching centre inclusion policy is effectively embedded in the centre.

Customers and Stakeholders

• Maintain good relationships with customers and colleagues.
• Ensure customers are aware of British Council’s cultural relations role and help develop opportunity for students to gain some understanding of the UK and its values and to participate in inter-cultural interactions either in class or as out of class activity.

Qualifications & Experience

Education: University degree or equivalent (essential)
Professional Qualification and Certification:

• Essential: Recognised diploma in EFL i.e. DELTA/ Trinity Diploma (TEFLq) or equivalent.
• Desirable: Relevant MA/post graduate qualification, Train the Trainer qualification (previously TAP).

Role Specific Knowledge and Experience:

• Essential: 4 years post-certificate experience (and/or equivalent to 2,400 hours), Experience in teaching relevant age groups to be specified by the centre, University/Vocational students aged 18 to 25 (400+hours), Adults General English 18+ (800+ hours), Extensive knowledge and experience of management and delivery of teacher training, Experience of line managing/ coordinating teaching teams.
• Desirable: Relevant work experience, with a proven track record of delivering soft skills and business communication courses to clients from public and/or private sectors.

Further Information

Language: High proficiency in English i.e. CEFR level of C2/ IELTS Band 8+ in each of 4 sections of the academic module.
Right to Work: This role is open to all applicants including those who need to relocate to undertake the role. Candidates who do not have a natural right to work in the country will be provided with immigration clearance and visa support. Please note visa approvals are beyond the British Council’s control so any job offer will be subject to securing the required right to work. Relocation support as set out in the British Council international relocation policy is available.
Working Hours: In Singapore members of the academic management team will have one of the following work patterns: Monday to Friday, Tuesday to Saturday, Wednesday to Sunday, Sunday to Thursday. Contractually, academic managers may be scheduled to teach / train / cover any time between 9am and 9.30pm on working days and may typically be scheduled to work either mornings and afternoons, or afternoons and evenings. We will endeavour to avoid split shifts where possible, but these may be necessary depending on operational needs. Staff will be scheduled to work five (5) consecutive days and receive two (2) consecutive rest days. Generally, these days will be in line with the above working patterns, however the British Council reserves the right to change working patterns as needed.
Expectations: The successful candidate will primarily support teachers and trainers delivering Adult General English and B20 (professional skills) courses. From time to time, they may also be required to support Young Learner provision, including advising teachers, teacher training and covering classes where operationally necessary.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement: We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement: The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org