Recruitment Policies
Before Bangkok
Teaching and learning support staff who accept a contract to begin working at Shrewsbury at the start of the new academic year (August), will be given access to a range of useful information and resources in the weeks and months before their arrival.
Every June, new staff have the opportunity to meet their fellow new colleagues and a member of SLT in an informal setting in central London, and where the details of the upcoming induction week are also distributed and shared in person.
Induction and Orientation for International Teaching Staff
Teaching and learning support staff who accept a contract starting at the beginning of the academic year (August) will be required to attend two weeks of induction and orientation activities prior to the start of term.
Most new teaching staff (and their families) travelling from the UK opt to travel on a group flight from London Heathrow, which arrives in Bangkok in time for the induction. Shrewsbury staff travel to the airport to meet travellers arriving on the group flight, and accompany you back to your accommodation.
The induction time allows new staff to become familiar with the school facilities, their teaching spaces and resources, IT systems, policies, processes and codes of conduct. Important visa and permit paperwork is also completed, medical checks performed and bank accounts activated. A cash advance is provided ahead of the first end of month salary deposit in September.
After the induction period for new staff, 2 whole staff INSET days are scheduled prior to the start of Term 1, where you will meet your new colleagues and plan for the term ahead.
VISA Requirements and Work Permits
The school has a team of full time visa personnel who will provide support and liaison with the visa and work ministries to help staff obtain their residence visa and work permits. Please note that it is the responsibility of the employee to obtain an initial 90-day visa for extended entry into Thailand (depending on the arrangements for your own country).
The CPD (Continuing Professional Development)
The majority of regular training will take place on site via scheduled INSET sessions and visits from guest experts, but many staff will also attend meetings and courses in venues around Thailand and other countries in Asia. Occasionally staff members will fly to England or even America for key courses, such as training for the Harkness Method, which takes place at Exeter College, Boston, USA. Trainers from the UK and elsewhere also come to Shrewsbury’s Bangkok campuses to lead training with select members of staff.
There will be a weekly inset session dedicated towards CPD, taking a variety of formats. This could be a chance for staff to cascade information or activities they have experienced having attended a course, or an opportunity to develop a key area of the curriculum. Typically these will be workshops in style, encouraging staff members to think deeply about their practice, constantly thinking about how they could do an even better job. Staff are also encouraged to take part in Webinars as well as other reflective forms of development such as Mindfulness seminars.
Through the work of staff, Shrewsbury Bangkok is an active member of both the Bangkok Teacher Network (BTN) and FOBISIA organizations. Through this we have developed strong links with other schools in the region, opening up further chances for CPD, through reciprocal visits and shared training.
One of the key principles of both BTN and FOBISIA is to offer affordable opportunities, often through JAWS sessions (Job – Alike – Workshops) where many attending have the opportunity to lead a session on a particular expertise as well as learn from others doing a similar job to them in a different school.
The Riverside campus has recently hosted JAWS sessions for Teaching Assistants (BTN), attended by over 300 people, Early Years Professionals (FOBISIA) and MFL practitioners (Open). Other agencies such as Dragonfly and the Knowledge Source Institute host regular courses in Bangkok which have been well received by staff members attending.