Art and Design Teacher

English School Los Olivos was founded in 1976 as a nursery school, soon growing into the primary and secondary school it is today, offering a British education for Spanish and non-Spanish children, from the ages of 3 to 18. The school has been a member of the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS) for nearly 30 years. It is authorised as a British School by the Spanish Ministry of Education and all studies completed at the school are recognised as valid in both the British and Spanish education systems.

Los Olivos has a mixed one-form intake with a large majority of students of Spanish origin and mostly from the Valencian Community. The school is secular and apolitical and is run as a cooperative of teachers who all share and work towards the same educational ideal: to link the enrichment of experiencing a foreign culture and learning a foreign language with an educational philosophy based on responsibility, dialogue and mutual respect. We aim to enhance every child's individual development by meeting their personal needs and well-being, providing a caring, happy, safe and healthy environment in which children feel secure and are motivated and challenged to achieve the highest educational standards they can.

The school provides an excellent standard of British education while at the same time ensuring quality coverage of the compulsory subjects from the Spanish curriculum of Spanish Language, Literature, History and Geography and Valencian and preparing the students for their future lives as socially, culturally and environmentally aware citizens and employees. In addition to meeting all students’ overall educational needs, non-Spanish students benefit from an excellent level of integration into the local community and strong possibilities for inclusion in higher education in Spain.

The programmes of study for Foundation and Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 give coverage of the National Curriculum adapted to the needs and situation of our students. In Key Stages 4 and 5 students obtain internationally recognized GCSEs, AS and A level qualifications, providing them with opportunities for entering higher education both locally and in other countries.

The school is located in Campolivar, a peaceful residential area which is a 10-15 minute drive from Valencia and can also be reached on public transport.  Valencia is a lively city which has managed to retain its traditional Spanish character whilst at the same time having the advantages of a modern city. It offers a wide range of shops along with cultural activities such as theatre, art galleries and concerts and is bustling with bars, terraces and restaurants. Currently both the city’s football teams are in the first division. It mixes the architecture in the old city with some spectacular new work. The traditions of the city are very much in evidence in the fiestas that are celebrated throughout the year with the Fallas fiesta in March being the highlight.

The school consists of two separate sites within 100 metres of each other. The Primary Department is in Carrer de Pi Panera, 25 and the Secondary Department in Avenida de los Almendros, 13. The two centres function independently, but at the same time they are near enough to maintain close daily contact and share certain activities.

The Primary building, apart from the classrooms for each age group from 3 to 11 year olds, has its own library, a Music room, a multi-purpose room, a sports area, an infants' play area, a dining-room and a kitchen. The Secondary Department is in a building which was opened in September 1997. The facilities include a library, an I.T. suite, 2 Science laboratories, a Music room, 2 Art workshops, a sports area, a garden, a dining-room and a kitchen.

The school has a warm, friendly atmosphere and its small size and the permanence of the staff and students help to create a close relationship between pupils and teachers.

We would like each child to live in a caring, healthy and safe atmosphere, developing his or her individual personality. The children should feel that their school belongs to them and that they all share a common venture, knowing and respecting each other. They should appreciate the importance of observation, knowledge and creativity. They should be critical, but with reflection and dialogue, feeling free in thought, word and deed. In short, they should develop as people and be happy, through the following values:

• Mutual respect, tolerance and non-discriminatory education
• Solidarity and companionship
• Dialogue, reasoning and a constructive and critical spirit
• Respect for the environment
• Responsibility towards work
• Pleasant atmosphere and courteous behaviour
• Order, calm and cleanliness