General information about positions at the school.

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Vacancies are normally advertised on the School’s web site. In addition, positions may be advertised on jobbnorge.no, larerjobb.no, finn.no and in the teachers magazine «Utdanning». Recruitment agencies may also be used.

What are the requirements for working in the Primary and Lower Secondary School (Year Groups 1-10)?

We are generally looking for teachers with in-depth study of the core subjects such as Norwegian, English, mathematics and the sciences. Added to this, we are looking for additional qualifications and competence in other subjects depending on need.

Applicants must have good English, both oral and written. It is advantageous if applicants can teach subjects and topics in both English and Norwegian. Additional weight may be attached to international experience.

Bilingual teaching (Content and Language Integrated Learning – CLIL) and science subjects are fields of focus in the School.

First and foremost we require teachers with experience from school development, adapted education, assessment for learning and pedagogical use of IT in teaching.

For the assistant positions we require applicants with relevant, preferably pedagogical, qualifications and experience.

A need for temporary staff is mostly covered internally. The School seldom makes use of external supply teachers.

What other types of positions are at the School?

As the School is an independent school, most tasks affecting the School must be covered internally. That means that we also have staff members with financial-administrative, technical and health-related backgrounds. It therefore makes most sense to employ people with a good knowledge of English regulations. In any case, good English skills are an essential requirement.

We are looking for competent and versatile applicants who will cooperate for the best of our pupils, both in academic and social terms based on our core values: safe, creative, knowledgeable and engaged.

The School’s motto is “The best of both worlds”. The applicants must see the opportunities which exist to create a good school in a bilingual working day with roots both in British and Norwegian language and culture.

In order to achieve a more even gender balance the School aims to recruit more men. It is also an aim to employ more members of staff with a Norwegian-English background.

Terms of employment

The School is formally speaking an employer resident in England. The working conditions are therefore regulated by the labour legislation of England and Wales. The Board is the formal employer for all positions.

All employees at an English School are required to provide a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) Check, renamed DBS checks in January 2014. All applicants have to fill in a medical questionnaire before they are offered a position. The School will assist with this.

Salary, pension and income tax

Basic salary for teachers and assistants is set out in the School’s salary scales which reflect the importance of competence and years of experience. The salary is stipulated in pounds. Employees also receive a London Allowance which at the moment is GBP 4,370 per year for a full time position.

Salaries for other positions are decided individually.

Members of the Norwegian State Pension Fund (SPK) may maintain their membership by paying an obligatory rate of 2% and an individual additional rate of 7,5%. The School pays employer’s contribution.

Employees who are not members of SPK, are offered membership of a local pension scheme with a minimum contribution of 5%. The School pays employer’s contribution.

All employees are liable to pay tax in Great Britain and tax is deducted monthly. Concurrently Norwegian citizens may also be liable to pay tax in Norway. That means that salary and tax from Great Britain has to be declared to the tax authorities in Norway. Every employee is responsible for sending a notice of change of address to the Norwegian Authorities and to look after their own tax affairs. The School assists with information.

Moving abroad

Some of our employees live permanently in London, whilst others live here for a period. If you are moving from Norway to Great Britain you can find useful information on the internet. More information is to be found here: Life in London

Finding somewhere to live

There is a large market for rental properties both locally and in other parts of London. The rent is generally higher than in Norway. Be aware that as a tenant you are normally responsible for paying Council Tax which is in addition to the rental.

Social security and health services

As resident and employed in Great Britain you will usually be a member of the National Insurance scheme. Your NI contribution is deducted monthly.

It can also be possible to maintain your membership in the Norwegian National Insurance system by paying an additional fee. “Nav Utland” has more information. Be aware that an application has to be registered with “Nav” before moving from Norway.

Everyone who is resident and employed in Great Britain has to acquire a National Insurance Number. This works almost like a personal number (“personnummer”) in Norway. Further information about National Insurance, tax, social security and health services are to be found on the web pages of the relevant authorities:

www.gov.uk

www.hmrc.gov.uk

Disclaimer

The information here is not binding for employment conditions. Employment conditions will follow the guidelines in the School’s Employee Handbook and individual contracts with their attachments. The rates for membership in SPK are decided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Norway.

The School is not responsible for changes in the law and regulations which might lead to changes in pension rates, health service, social security services, employment conditions or similar. The School is not responsible for the content of the internet sites referred to here.

April 2013