The British School of Costa Rica is looking for a Educational Psychologist. Please see the job description to the left. Interesting applicants should be send their CV together with a cover letter (no more than 300 words) that explains why you would be a good fit for this role to staff.applications@bscr.ed.cr
Job Description
SECTION: Whole School
ACCOUNTABLE TO: SDS Coordinator
Main responsabilities:
- Implement the School’s support programmes, policies and procedures (academic and non-academic) for all students
- Provide support and orientation to students, staff and parents in cases where the learning process is being affected (e.g. learning challenges, inter-personal conflicts, emotional difficulties, behavioural issues etc.)
- Process referrals from staff and parents and undertake appropriate follow up in order to develop Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
- Coordinate and implement the strategies detailed in the individual education plan
- Refer students to different external specialists according to the needs of the individual student
- Organise meetings with all relevant parties, both internal and external, in order to ensure that each students needs are accommodated in the most effective way possible
- Keep professional and up to date records of all cases
- At the start of every learning cycle ensure that all staff members are provided with all of the relevant information about each student’s learning needs
- Monitor the progress and adaptation of new students
- Coordinate with other internal members of staff (e.g. Nurse, Heads of School etc.) when cases require joint follow up
- Produce and present workshops on relevant topics for teachers, parents and students
- Participate in relevant professional development and ensure that knowledge about the field is kept up to date
- Analyse and interpret relevant school, local, national and international data in order to guide decision-making
- Ensure that the School carries out all statutory responsibilities regarding all students with specific learning needs
- Provide professional guidance to staff and parents with regard to meeting student’s specific needs
- Advise the SDS Coordinator on priorities for deployment of staff and utilize resources with maximum efficiency
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the overall policies, procedures and plans of the School
- Contribute to and encourage a positive school culture
- Ensure that the welfare of students remains a priority at all times
- Communicate clearly with the SDS Coordinator to ensure that all cases are followed up appropriately
Person Specification:
| Essential | Desirable | |
| Qualifications | ||
| A university degree in educational psychology or a related field | ✔ | |
| A relevant Master’s degree | ✔ | |
| Experience | ||
| At least 2 years experience of working in a school environment | ✔ | |
| Experience working with students who have English as a second language | ✔ | |
| Professional Skills, Knowledge and Understanding | ||
| Fluency in English | ✔ | |
| Working knowledge of Spanish | ✔ | |
| A developed knowledge and understanding of current pedagogy | ✔ | |
| Attributes | ||
| Have a flexible approach to working and enjoy being a positive team member | ✔ | |
| Have effective communication, organization and time management skills | ✔ | |
| Be able to manage own workload effectively and respond swiftly to tight deadlines | ✔ | |
| Good interpersonal skills with the ability to enthuse and motivate others and develop effective partnerships | ✔ | |
| Willingness to share expertise, skills and knowledge and ability to encourage others | ✔ | |
| Maintain a personal commitment to Professional Development linked to the competencies necessary to deliver the requirements of the post, including being reflective on their own practice and the practice of others | ✔ | |
“Aligned with the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection” (International Task Force on Child Protection, June 2016 Report: Outcomes and Recommendations). As such this appointment is subject to the provision of an appropriate criminal record check and the satisfactory return of professional referees.
IMPORTANT
- In making an application, for both local and international contracts, candidates are asked to make it absolutely clear for what position they are applying. The School will not necessarily reply to speculative applications; only to those sent in response to advertised positions. However we do keep a limited database of previous applications.
- We only contract qualified teachers who have at least two years of relevant, prior experience. Also, we teach English throughout the school as a first language and because of this, we do not offer international contracts to EFL or ESL teachers.
- If you qualify and are interested in applying for any of our job openings, please email us at staff.applications@bscr.ed.cr with a copy of your CV and a brief description as to why you think your qualifications and experience would make you a good candidate for the advertised post.
To apply for this job email your details to staff.applications@bscr.ed.cr.