Head of English Department

The British School, Rio De Janeiro (Urca Campus)

Brazil

Job type:

Full Time, Fixed Term

Start date:

03 August 2026

Apply by:

1 November 2025

A wonderful opportunity has arisen for an experienced, well-qualified and ambitious teacher to lead our popular and successful English department within the secondary section of the school (age The Urca site of The British School, Rio de Janeiro is a secondary school site of approximately 500 students which follows a UK style Key Stage 3 curriculum, IGCSEs at Key Stage 4 and the IB Diploma at Key Stage 5. The majority of students in the school are from local Brazilian families with a small number of expatriate children; despite the large number of non-native English speakers, results in English are very strong and usually significantly above world averages. The English department has recently undergone a number of improvements including a Key Stage 3 curriculum review and introduction of the Accelerated Reader programme in 2025.

We are looking for an inspirational Head of English to take over the leadership of the department. They will ideally have experience working in high-performing international contexts with experience of IGCSE and IB curriculums. The next Head of English will be both an exceptional classroom practitioner who can lead by example, and an effective leader and manager who can provide vision, motivate and challenge colleagues, as well as administer the department efficiently and effectively.

The school can offer modern facilities, motivated students, collaborative colleagues, a competitive salary, accommodation provided by the school and a unique environment to work at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain. Staff are provided with a school laptop and access to a variety of online platforms to support teaching and learning, along with a strong commitment to the professional development of all staff. Class sizes are small (below 20) and staff receive a generous time allowance for planning and marking. The school provides free lunches and children of staff can attend the school free of charge. Rio is an extremely attractive and affordable place to live with a huge variety of activities on offer, a warm climate and opportunities for travel around Brazil and to neighbouring countries.

To apply, please submit a short letter of application (clearly stating the date of availability for appointment), full curriculum vitae, and the contact details of three referees, one of which must be your current or most recent employer.

Deadline for receipt of applications is Friday 31st October 2025.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the recruitment process early should suitable candidates be identified before the advertised closing date.

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The British School, Rio De Janeiro (Urca Campus)

Avenida Pasteur 429, Urca

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

The British School, Rio de Janeiro (TBS) was founded in 1924 and is a co-educational, non-selective, non-denominational, international, non-profit school serving students from the ages of 2 to 18 years. The school has an enrolment of around 2160 students across 3 school sites in the city of Rio de Janeiro: Botafogo (Primary); Urca (Secondary); and Barra (Primary and Secondary). TBS is an international school catering for over 30 different nationalities, although the largest proportion of around 85% is Brazilian, or locals with dual-nationality. TBS is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), is a member of the Latin American Heads Conference (LAHC) and is an IB World School.

The British School, Rio de Janeiro follows: the International Primary Curriculum (including Early Years) in the Primary sections at Botafogo and Barra; the UK Key Stage 3 curriculum for students from 11 to 14 years of age; and Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma programme in the last 4 years of the Secondary sections in Urca and Barra. Apart from Portuguese and foreign languages, all classes are taught in English.

Values and Vision

The Core Values of The British School, Rio de Janeiro are; Compassion, Integrity and Determination. The school strives to inspire all students to achieve their full potential in an internationally minded, welcoming and inclusive learning environment. TBS aims to prepare students for life-long learning and to be ready to contribute positively to society. As well as the academic curriculum, the school places significant emphasis on a holistic learning experience through a wide range of extra-curricular and co-curricular programmes, such as sporting and cultural activities and community service.

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