Teacher Vacancies in the Tamagawa Academy English Predominant (EP) Program
Available Position from October 1st 2024: Homeroom Teacher / PE Specialist. We are interested in applications from teachers with experience or interest in teaching PE to children at primary school either as a specialist or in a supporting role.
Length of initial contract: 2 years
About Tamagawa Academy
Tamagawa Academy was established in 1929 and built upon a balanced educational philosophy encapsulated in Zenjin (‘Whole person’) education.
Tamagawa Academy has been authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School since 2009 and currently offers the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes bilingually in English and Japanese. In addition to the IB, in 2016 the school started an English partial immersion program called the English Predominant (EP) program in elementary school grades 1-5. This is designed to be a feeder program to prepare children for the language and learning demands of the IB from grade 6.
About the EP Program
The EP program follows the Japanese National Curriculum and Tamagawa Academy’s unique approach to primary education. We are not a PYP school, however, roughly 60% of the program is taught in English.
| Subjects taught in English | Grades 1 and 2 | Grades 3-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Taught by homeroom teacher | English, math, integrated studies (a cross-curricular blend of art and craft, science and social science) Moral Studies Study Hall |
English |
| Taught/supported by specialists | PE, Music | PE, Music, Art |
There are 53 teachers in the primary division, of whom 19 are non-Japanese teachers.
Each EP class has two homeroom teachers – one Japanese and one non-Japanese. Lessons are 45 minutes long and teachers have twenty lessons or fewer each week.
The vast majority of our children come from Japanese families and start with no English in grade 1. By the time the children graduate at the end of grade 5 they are expected to reach CEFR B1 level (intermediate level). Although they make rapid progress in English, teaching is far closer to TEFL than working in an international school, especially in the first few years of the program. Candidates with experience in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to young learners, especially in Japan, will be at an advantage. Candidates applying from international school teaching backgrounds or home country teaching backgrounds are welcome but need to be aware that Tamagawa Academy is a Japanese school.
Job Requirements
| PE Teacher Job Requirements | Essential | Desirable |
|---|---|---|
| A valid teaching certificate for elementary school-aged children | ○ | |
| Experience teaching PE to children of this age range | ○ | |
| English at native level | ○ | |
| Qualifications and/or experience in teaching English as a foreign language | ○ | |
| Experience living and working in Japan | ○ | |
| Ability to speak Japanese | ○ | |
| Ability to coach swimming | ○ | |
| Ability to coach skiing | ○ |
Description of Duties and Responsibilities: Please refer to the attached file
Job Description for Homeroom Teacher with a role in PE.PDF
General Employment Information
Number of openings: one
Compensation: Salary (in accordance with the school's rules and regulations), transportation expenses
Social insurance: Health insurance, pension, workers' accident compensation insurance, unemployment insurance
Initial Contract period: October 1st 2024 – March 31st 2026
After the initial contract, contracts may be renewed annually for a further 3 years by mutual agreement (for a total employment period of five years).
※Depending on circumstances and performance, teachers may be offered tenure after the initial contract or at any other renewal point in the five-year period.
Holidays: Sundays, Saturdays, national holidays, August 1 to August 31 and winter vacation
Vacations: Annual paid vacations, congratulation or condolence leave, etc.
Personal information: Personal information submitted will be used only for the purpose of employment selection and will be handled appropriately in accordance with the school’s privacy policy.
Measures against passive smoking: No smoking indoors, separate smoking areas (outdoors)
Official Recruiter: Yoshiaki Obara, Tamagawa Gakuen Educational Corporation President
What we offer
- A generous salary
- A generous salary
- Private health insurance
- Subsidized tuition fees for the children of staff (roughly 50%)
- One-way economy class airfare for employees hired from outside Japan
- Relocation allowance for employees hired from outside Japan
- Sponsorship of Tokyo special teaching license for teachers who show commitment and potential
- A comprehensive in-house professional development program
- A beautiful campus less than 45 minutes from central Tokyo
- A friendly and relaxed work environment
Hiring Process
- Deadline for Applications: Friday, September 6th 2024
- Once required documents have been submitted, you will receive an email confirming your application.
- Applicants who pass the initial screening will be notified by September 9th and a first interview will be arranged. We encourage applicants to visit the school for a face-to-face interview. If this is not feasible, a video interview will be arranged.
- Candidates who pass the first interview and wish to proceed with their application will receive detailed information about salary and conditions of employment.
- The second stage of the application process is a demonstration lesson. Applicants who are unable to visit the school in person must submit a video of a class and/or a lesson plan.
- Candidates who pass the second interview and are happy to accept a position will be recommended to the board and a final confirmation interview with the President of the Academy and other board members will be arranged.
- After this interview, applicants are sent an employment agreement which must be signed and returned to confirm appointment.
Qualified candidates should apply by submitting the following documents to the contact listed below.
- A resume/CV completed using the attached form.
- The contact information of at least 2 recent professional referees who can confirm your teaching-related experience and abilities. All referees should be education professionals at a recognized institution who directly supervised you. Please ask referees to submit their reference directly to us using the attached format.
- A copy of your teaching certificate(s) and/or licenses
- A short covering letter outlining your educational philosophy
Contact for all enquiries and application information:
Damien Pratt, Lead Teacher for Academic Affairs (K-5 Bilingual Programme)
email: bles@tamagawa.ed.jp
