Director of Studies
Twin Group is an award-winning provider of education, travel, work experience, accommodation, and employment services. We offer a diverse number of life-enhancing services to our clients and every member of our team is essential in achieving this.
We are looking for several talented Directors of Studies to manage and ensure the smooth running of the Academic Programme at residential Summer Schools in the UK and Ireland.
Twin Summer Centres are offering residential full-board summer contracts, managing a teaching team with 30 contact hours each per centre, at 6 different locations:
Wellington College
Gloucester
Canterbury
Edinburgh
London Docklands
London Kingston
Contract: Temporary
Hours: Variable, including evenings and weekends.
The Director of Studies will provide ongoing support for EFL Teachers in the preparation, coordination, and teaching of English. We are looking for Academic Managers who are both excellent classroom practitioners, with experience in a variety of teaching contexts, and at the same time, competent EFL Managers. The position requires a steadfast commitment to delivering a high-quality experience to all key stakeholders, from students and Group Leaders to our Host Institutions, whilst ensuring that all staff are fully motivated, committed, and driven in making each day a success.
Our centres run from 4 to 6 weeks and our students, who are under the age of 18*, come from all over the world, typically staying for 13 nights where they complete a 30-hour English Language Course along with activities on site, half-day and full day excursions, and evening activities.
You will oversee the whole academic programme with the support of the Centre Manager, and in some centres, the Assistant Director of Studies. The programme runs from breakfast to lights out and you will be fully trained before the centre opening and supported throughout the summer in the day-to-day operation by our experienced Summer Centres Head Office Team.
You will use your positive, professional attitude, initiative, creativity, and exceptional organisational skills to lead the academic team.
*Some centres may include international high school students who turn 18 before they arrive at the summer centre, there will be appropriate provision and safeguarding measures in place to accommodate them on which you will be fully trained.
Responsibilities
Leadership and management of the on-site teaching team, including carrying out their induction and guiding them on all aspects of their role.
Fully support the Centre Manager in the day-to-day operation of the campus.
Observe all teaching staff, providing feedback, support, and guidance on all aspects of lesson preparation and delivery.
Coordinate the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training for all teachers.
Organise and manage the placement tests, academic timetabling, course planning, student feedback analysis and student certificate delivery.
Ensure that all lessons start and end on time and be prepared to cover any teacher absences.
Hold regular meetings with Group Leaders and Students, ensuring that they are fully informed on the academic process, and deal with any academic concerns.
Monitor student discipline in the school and, where appropriate, act in liaison with the Centre Manager.
Support the Centre Manager with the collection, review, and implementation of student feedback in line with company policies and procedures.
Safeguard and promote the well-being of all students in our care.
Take on the roles of First Aider and Fire Warden.
Actively encourage students to use English in and outside of the classroom.
Actively ensure all students and staff are always wearing lanyards.
Foster a positive and inclusive learning environment for all and promote good student behaviour.
Always comply with health and safety.
Always maintain a continuous overview of teachers on- and off-site.
Carry out any other reasonable tasks as required by the company.
Education /Qualification
TEFLQ diploma in ELT/TESOL as specified by the British Council (see below)
Eligible to work in the UK.
Aged 18 or over.
Clear DBS / Garda Vetting (to be carried out by the Company).
British Council TEFLQ Guidance:
Diploma-level qualifications are higher-level qualifications, usually taken by teachers with relevant experience who wish to follow a career in ELT/TESOL. To be considered by the Scheme as a valid diploma in ELT/TESOL, a qualification must:
- Be externally validated by a reputable examination body (usually a university or recognised examination board) and/or regulated by a national regulating body such as Ofqual in England, Qualifications Wales (QW), Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), or CCEA in Northern Ireland.
- Require candidates to have prior EL/ESOL teaching experience.
- Contain at least five hours’ supervised teaching practice (i.e. teaching practice where a qualified and standardised assessor observes the trainee teacher teaching real students and gives feedback on his or her performance)
- Contain at least 100 hours of ELT/TESOL input.
Examples of ELT/TESOL diploma-level qualifications:
- Diplomas in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages listed by Ofqual or similar national regulators, at Level 6/7 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (or relevant equivalent level) * (*Where delivery is modular, all modules must be completed successfully for the teacher to be considered TEFLQ)
- PGCE: Post Graduate Certificate in Education with ELT/TESOL (Level 6/7).
Other qualifications that providers can consider to be diploma level (provided that they meet the validation, entry requirements, teaching practice and input criteria listed above) are:
- University ‘diploma in ELT/TESOL’ courses.
- Overseas qualifications (equivalent to a PGCE, BEd or MA/MSc in ELT/TESOL) which qualify teachers to teach ESOL in state educational institutions in their country of origin.
- A qualification in ELT/TESOL management.
Certain combinations of qualifications are accepted as equivalent to TEFLQ. Examples of these are:
- PGCE in English and a TEFLI certificate in ELT/TESOL that meets the validation, teaching practice and input criteria listed above.
- PGCE in Foreign Languages and a TEFLI certificate in ELT/TESOL that meets the validation, teaching practice and input criteria listed above.
- PGCE PCET: Professional/Post Graduate Certificate in Education, (Post Compulsory Education and Training) – ESOL specialism, and either an Additional Diploma (ESOL) in the Lifelong Learning Sector or Diploma (ESOL) in the Lifelong Learning Sector or a TEFLI certificate in ELT/TESOL that meets the validation, teaching practice and input criteria listed above.
- Postgraduate qualification in ELT/TESOL or related subjects and a TEFLI certificate in ELT/TESOL that meets the validation, teaching practice and input criteria listed above.
- A qualification in ELT/TESOL management (no teaching practice) and a TEFLI certificate in ELT/TESOL that meets the validation, teaching practice and input criteria listed above.
Postgraduate master’s degrees in ELT/TESOL (or related subjects)
- Master’s degrees (MA/MSc etc) in ELT/TESOL or related subjects can be considered TEFLQ provided they meet the validation, teaching practice and input criteria listed above.
- Where the teaching practice (only) criterion is not met and the teacher is not TEFLI, a teacher with this qualification will be considered TEFLQ for the purposes of the Scheme where there is documented evidence that he or she has been systematically observed teaching for a minimum of five hours by a TEFLQ academic manager or teacher trainer post-qualifying. Records of such observations can be carried forward from one employer to another.
- Please note: the above does not apply to certificate or diploma-level qualifications without a supervised teaching practice component.
Personal Skills
Be committed to safeguarding and the promotion of student welfare.
Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a customer-focused approach.
Desirable, but not essential:
First Aid Certificate completed within the last three years.
Safeguarding Level 2.
Experience working with under-18s.
Experience Leading and Managing a team.
Experience as a teacher trainer.
Additional Information
Directors of Studies are paid from £720 to £900 per week depending on the size of the centre and previous experience plus accrued holiday pay of 12.07% in the UK.
Each week includes 1 day off.
Please Note:
The successful candidate must be able to work in the UK.
Twin is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Successful applicants will be required to undertake a standard or an enhanced disclosure via the DBS or Garda Vetting, depending on the role itself.
All gaps in CVs must be explained satisfactorily.
Proof of identity and qualifications will be required.
Successful candidates will be required to complete a one-hour online safeguarding training before commencing employment.
We are dedicated to ensuring that all job applicants and members of staff are treated equally, without discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age.
Disability Confident Employer
Disabled applicants should indicate in the Equality of Opportunity section of the application form if they wish their application to be given consideration under the Disability Confident scheme.
If you are invited to interview, please advise the recruitment administrator what adjustment you would require at the interview in as much detail as possible to enable arrangements to be put into place.
We ask all applicants if they want to be considered under this scheme. By opting into this scheme, you are disclosing that you have a disability solely for the purpose of the interview guarantee and we will not assume nor infer that you wish to disclose or record your disability in any other way – including any reasonable adjustments you may need if you are employed.
Access to Work Scheme
You can apply for Access to Work if you need support to get back to work.
You can apply using the online service or apply by phoning Jobcentre Plus on:
Telephone: 0800 121 7479
Textphone: 0800 121 7579
Safeguarding, Welfare and Prevent
Twin Group is committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, the prevention of radicalisation, and promoting the welfare of all our customers, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Twin Group has as a Safeguarding Policy which all staff must read and comply with. Successful applicants who will work directly with children and/ or vulnerable adults will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS/ Garda Vetting and complete mandatory training.
Equality & Diversity
We are dedicated to ensuring that all job applicants and members of staff are treated equally, without discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age.
Twin Training has an Equality and Diversity Policy, and it is the responsibility of all staff to comply with this.
Confidentiality
The post holder must maintain the confidentiality of information about customers, staff, and other Twin Training stakeholders. Some work is of a confidential nature and information gained must not be communicated to other persons except in the recognised course of duty. The post holder must always meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act (UK) and Data Protection Legislation (Ireland) (GDPR).
Health & Safety
Employees must comply with the provisions of the ‘The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (UK) and the Safety, Health, and Welfare at Work Act 2005(Ireland) and must take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions whilst at work. Employees are also required to co-operate with their employer to enable them to perform or comply with any statutory provisions. The organisations efforts to promote a safe and healthy working environment can only succeed with the full cooperation of its employees.
Flexibility
This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties and responsibilities only. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role in conjunction with their line manager. The post holder may be asked to carry out any other reasonable and lawful duty or instruction.