Head of House and Boarding Parent

Prem Tinsulanonda International School, known simply as ‘Prem’, is a prestigious IB-World School that serves the local and expatriate community of Chiang Mai, as well as being home to some 150 globally diverse boarders. We are proud to be the first four-programme IB School in Thailand (PYP, MYP, DP and CP), and offer an outstanding holistic education on a campus of great natural beauty. All students at Prem, from Early Years through Grade 12, learn and thrive in multi-faceted ways, and during their educational journey they will enjoy: The seven acre farm, our new Forest School, the Olympic-sized swimming pool, the golf driving range, archery range, he Tennis Academy, football and cricket pitches, fitness gym and gymnasium, cookery school, leadership courses, and service learning all within Prem’s landscaped waterways in beautiful, rural Chiang Mai.

Academic Year 2020-21 will see the House System richly embodied within the Boarding Environment. The four Boarding 'clusters' for Girls and Boys, together with the Junior School 'cluster' will each be dedicated to a House. Four Heads of Houses and four Deputy Heads of Houses will be appointed, together with Junior School House Parents and Deputy House Parents. Together with the Boarding Director, Heads of House will assist in developing the unique character, attributes, flavour and future traditions of their house. They will also take responsibility for the monitoring of wellbeing and academic achievement and being the critical point of contact between parents, their children, and their teachers. 

The Head of House and Boarding Parent will receive a 40% reduction in teaching load.

Reports to and is evaluated by: Director of Boarding

Major responsibilities and functions include:

Responsibility for the Boarding Environment:

● To be the main point of liaison between the parents and the school. To ensure that parents receive all important documentation translated into their own language where necessary. 

● To be the main point of liaison between Boarding and the school and to ensure that the students in Boarding have an advocate and source of warm support at all times.

● To ensure that that the health and safety of each child in Boarding is your overriding priority.

● To ensure that Prem’s Health and Safety Guidelines are observed at all times and that neither the physical nor the social environment presents any risks to students; to undertake regular checks.

● To ensure that regular fire, earthquake and lockdown procedures are carried out. 

● To ensure that standards of cleanliness, maintenance and décor are appropriate for Prem.

● To facilitate a boarding ethos which strikes a balance between freedom and responsibilities appropriate to the range of age levels.

● To ensure that rules and regulations are strictly adhered to and that students avoid behavior that is damaging to Prem’s reputation within the community.  

● To write reports that are personalized and informative for parents, including students’ assessment of their own progress.

● To work with Deputy House Parents and Boarding Mentors to ensure a rich range of evening and weekend activities appropriate to age, gender, and interests.

● To ensure that students partake in a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, sleep & healthy food. 

Assist with the marketing and promotion of Prem Boarding:

● To represent and promote Prem Boarding at local Chiang Mai and Bangkok events where possible

● To be an enthusiastic advocate for Prem Boarding and the four IB Programmes on the website, on social media and print materials.

● Where time allows, to show prospective students and families around the Boarding Houses being an advocate for Prem and IB Mission and Vision.

Assist in the development of the House System:

● To work collaboratively with the Director of the House System to enthusiastically affirm a robust and life-enhancing House System.

● Together with the Director of the House System plan for eight diverse House Competitions per year. 

● Liaise with the Director of the House System to plan, disseminate and monitor the reward system. 

● To ensure that the House Competitions ensure healthy competition and graceful winning and losing.

Additionally, the Head of House will:

● Embody the Prem, IB  and Round Square Mission, Vision and Values and serve a role-model for intercultural understanding and inclusivity, demonstrating compassionate care towards self and others at all times. 

● Be an active member of the Student Support Team, advocating for students to ensure necessary attention,  support or recognition.

● Attend meetings with the nursing staff in regard to relevant student health information. 

The successful candidate must hold the following qualifications and experience:

● A valid teaching qualification or qualification in social / psychological welfare

● A minimum of 5 years’ experience in education.

● A track record of successful pastoral care

The following experience would be very helpful:

● Previous successful experience in a Boarding role 

● Previous successful experience of residential youth programmes.

● Previous experience working with EAL learners in a multi-cultural and inclusive environment.

● Experience of supporting and delivering a successful House System.

Desired personal attributes of the Head of House / Boarding Parent include the following:

● Action-oriented with a commitment to excellence across all personal and professional endeavours.

● Outstanding interpersonal skills: approachable, a good listener, an effective communicator able to undertake empathetic conversations with a wide range of constituents 

● A problem-solver with a customer-oriented mind-set.

● An ability and enthusiasm for working with young people.

● Integrity, empathy and sensitive honesty.

Benefits: 

• Competitive salary

• Return air fare at beginning and end of contract.

• Tuition fees included for children of teaching staff.

• Accommodation available on site close to all school amenities.

• Living in beautiful rural Chiang Mai, Thailand.