The School
Founded in 1964, the British School of Reggio Calabria has been part of the prestigious IH World network of schools since 2015. As a member of AiSLi (a highly-regarded association of English Language Schools in Italy) and a Cambridge English Platinum centre, the school is committed to providing quality language courses and exam preparation. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement and teacher development, in recent years we also became a CELTA centre and run a number of courses in different subjects in local state schools.
The school is a learning organisation which places great importance on the professional development of all its members of staff. We hold regular teacher-training events, often inviting external trainers (e.g. Adrian Underhill, Jim Scrivener) to deliver workshops just for our teachers. We aim to provide an inclusive, international environment, for both staff and students, which celebrates diversity and cultural exchange. The students range in age from pre-schoolers to adults and the Young Learner and subject teaching (including IGCSE preparation) departments in particular have seen a steady increase over the past few years.
In addition to classes held on the school premises, courses are organised in local primary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens. The school also runs regular teacher training workshops and seminars for teachers in state schools and more experienced teachers.
As part of IH, both our teachers and students collaborate with IH schools around the world not only in an effort to promote intercultural awareness and understanding, but also as a way of building lasting friendships and connections.
Working With Us
Working with us provides the opportunity to:
- Further your practical experience of teaching in a quality, caring school which offers a wide variety of class types. Previous teachers have commented how working with us has prepared them well for a move into mainstream education.
- Be funded to undertake Cambridge International training course for teaching Biology IGCSE.
- Increase your knowledge of language testing and assessment in one of the largest authorized Cambridge ESOL Centres in Southern Italy (proud holders of the prestigious “Platinum” status for the past few years).
- Become a Cambridge ESOL Speaking Examiner (dependent upon experience and relevant only to those with EFL experience and qualifications).
- Learn from a team of friendly, supportive peers (there is a full-time teaching staff of 23 teachers, including an academic management team) whose experience is wide and varied.
- Give and receive constructive feedback from regular observations and appraisals.
- Benefit from our excellent professional development programme which includes INSETTs, regular observations, coaching, appraisals, peer observation, team-teaching, drop-in lesson planning support, reading groups, conferences etc.
- Settle into the school and the city by attending a fully-paid induction course and 25 hours of Italian lessons, for teachers below a B1 level.
- Access a wealth of resources (e.g. Interactive Whiteboards / TVs, computer rooms, VR equipment, Wi-Fi throughout, up-to-date and well-stocked teaching resource library). For teachers working with offsite courses, a netbook or laptop and portable speaker is provided for the duration of the contract.
The Position
The position involves working primarily with teenage students and teaching a combination of English as a foreign language and Biology IGCSE.
The role-holder will be required to work a maximum of 24 contact (in-class) hours per week, including between 6 and 8 hours of Biology. Some or all of the Biology hours will be online lessons on Zoom or Google Meet, whereas all other lessons will be face-to-face onsite or in schools. There is an additional 3 hours on average per week dedicated to training, development and admin. As an EFL teacher, you will plan and deliver effective and engaging English lessons to the students of the school and as a Biology teacher, you will prepare upper secondary students (high school) for the IGCSE examination in Biology. As many of the lessons will be with students in local state schools, this is an excellent opportunity for anyone who may want to gain experience in mainstream education too.
We offer a permanent Italian contract, where you would be working between the months of September and June each year. All teachers have 2 consecutive days off each week and can use the school car / bikes at the weekend to explore the hidden beauty that is Calabria.
Essential Requirements
You must have a CELTA, Trinity TESOL, or equivalent initial teaching qualification. Either an A-level or equivalent in Biology or a good working knowledge of the Biology IGCSE syllabus. Support and assistance with the visa application and work permit is provided for non-EU nationals and the school will reimburse 50% of the total costs for the visa application.
Other Benefits
- Visa: Assistance provided for visa applications and work permits, with 50% of the costs being reimbursed by the school.
- Accommodation: Accommodation found within walking distance of the school at a cost of approximately 25–35% of monthly salary.
- Holiday: 24 days holiday per annum, pro-rata. Paid sick leave.
The City
Reggio is a warm, friendly city, situated right next to the sea on the toe of Italy. Join the locals each evening for a kilometre-long passeggiata on its palm tree-lined promenade and enjoy the stunning views of Sicily and Mt. Etna. The centre of Reggio has shops, bars and places to eat but is also small enough for everything to be within easy walking distance. Reggio is one of the safer cities in Italy, with very little petty crime, and, depending on the season, there is plenty to do in Reggio and its surroundings: from walking along the beaches and sailing, to skiing in the nearby mountains and eating in a cosy agriturismo. Our teachers love exploring the undiscovered Calabrian countryside with the dramatic and impressive backdrop of the Aspromonte mountain range.
The city is also ideally situated for visiting other places in Italy with a small port (ferry to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands), a train station (including a fast train to Rome), and an airport (flights to Rome and Milan). If you’re looking for direct international flights, Catania or Lamezia (roughly 1 hour away) have different direct connections.
Find out the top 10 things our teachers love about living in Reggio Calabria: britishschoolrc.com/work-with-us/the-city
Watch our video to find out more from our teachers: youtube.com/watch?v=L5mGXFT3v1Q
