Co-Director

Bilingual European School (BES) was founded in 1999 as a natural continuation of the British American Pre-School (BAPS), which opened in 1987. The school is now very highly respected as an outstanding international school, an institution with solid foundations that stays abreast of current research in education and one which is committed to seeking excellence in teaching and learning.

The school is located only a few kilometers from the heart of Milan and accommodates an Early Years section for children aged from 2 years old, a Primary School for children in Years 1-5 and a Middle School for students in Years 6-8.  Nurturing the potential of each child’s formative years in an environment full of inspiration, challenge, and achievement, the Bilingual European School provides a stimulating dual language education within the context of a forward-looking instructional approach, based upon the constructivist theory of education. With a talented and dedicated international faculty of inspiring teachers, the school encourages children to develop their full potential in both English and Italian, to achieve personal excellence and to become informed global citizens committed to life-long learning.

Bilingual European School currently has approximately 300 pupils in the primary school and 95 in the middle school with a further 170 children in the Early Years. There is additional room for growth in student numbers and the school is continually extending and improving its excellent facilities to provide for the increase in student roll.

The British American Pre-School follows the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and operates a full immersion English programme. As an IB World School, the primary school teaches the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and is also fully recognised by the Italian Ministry of Education. In the Middle School, students follow the core requirements of the Italian Ministry of Education including Italian Language and Literature, Humanities, Science and Maths. The program in the primary school is taught 50% in English and 50% in Italian to ensure complete bilingualism, but this increases in the middle school to 60% Italian and 40% English, so as to consolidate and extend English proficiency while also ensuring that students are well prepared for excellent results in the Year 8 national examination and for admission to the best Italian high schools. The school’s mission is to develop the intellect and character of each learner by providing the opportunity for an outstanding bilingual education with a global perspective. The mission is focused on three specific areas: learning, character and community.

Learning

BES provides a challenging dual language program that engages learners through inquiry and collaboration. The school encourages its students to think critically, to take risks and to be creative. It challenges learners to strive for personal excellence, and values the intellectual, social, artistic and physical development of each student, which have a significant impact on their academic achievements and personal growth. The school aims to provide a stimulating environment that fosters a life-long love of learning.

Character

BES assists students in developing strength of character by learning to make appropriate choices and by taking responsibility for their actions. The school expects its students to embody the attributes of the IBO Learner Profile, to take thoughtful and appropriate action, and to develop their unique potential. It seeks to inspire the compassion and international mindedness necessary for learners to contribute responsibly to the global community

Community

Respect for individual differences and appreciation of cultural diversity are central values of BES. The school celebrates the open exchange of ideas between its learners and the community and strives to create a climate of inclusiveness.  BES encourages all members of its learning community to contribute actively to the energy and enthusiasm for learning that characterizes the BES experience. BES is committed to creating a caring and supporting learning environment by establishing a partnership of collaboration among children, teachers, staff, parents and members of the community.

The school has an ongoing strategic plan with continual initiatives for improvement, such as the one-to-one iPad programme which was introduced throughout the school over the past year.

The Bilingual European School is owned by Co-founders Deborah Chilver and Luca Paloschi who, together with a wider Board of Directors, take responsibility for the strategic growth and development of the school. The Board consists of Luca Paloschi (President), Deborah Chilver, Carlo Florenzi and Monica Tonini. On an operational level, Deborah Chilver takes responsibility for the leadership of the school’s Early Years section (BAPS) and Luca Paloschi is the school’s CEO, taking responsibility for the school’s finances and administration.

Community and global-mindedness is central to BES’s mission. The school has an ongoing relationship with its sister school in Kenya, a school for local orphans set up and led by Deborah Chilver, and this is representative of their commitment to helping their students acquire a global perspective and to assume responsibility for others.

The Board are currently seeking to appoint a Co-Director to lead the Bilingual European School from April or August 2018, or as soon as possible. Due to the bilingual nature of the school, the leadership structure will comprise two co-Directors, one of them being Mr Mauro Spicci, who has been the Coordinator of the BES Middle School for three years. Mr Spicci benefits from a strong international background and a deep knowledge of the Italian Ministry of Education requirements.  He played a key role in the accreditation of the BES Middle School by the Ministry of Education. The other Co-Director will be an English-speaking education professional who has a deep understanding of the PYP and MYP philosophy. Together, the Co-Directors will be responsible for the leadership of the school and will work together closely and collaboratively, supported by the Board as well as a strong senior leadership team including the PYP Coordinator, Mary Marjerisson.

The successful candidate will be a highly qualified educational leader, with substantial experience and demonstrable success in school leadership and with a deep understanding and knowledge of the IB PYP and MYP curricular. He/she will be a collaborative, flexible, inspiring leader and team player, with a real passion for teaching and learning. Experience with bilingual education would be a distinct advantage, but most importantly they must have a global mindset and a desire to support young people in taking action and shaping the world.

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Edward Clark on +44(0)1256 862840 or +44 (0)7718 588616, or email at edward@lsceducation.com.  To apply for the post, please visit www.lsceducation.com and submit your up-to-date CV and a letter of application, quoting code ‘BES’. The letter should incorporate how you meet the person specification, why you are applying for the position and what particular attributes and qualities you would bring to the role.

Key dates:

Closing date: 16 February 2018
Longlist interviews: 19-21 February 2018 (by Skype)
Shortlist interviews: 19, 20 March 2018 (in Milan, Italy)

The Bilingual European School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undergo relevant background checks.