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Notes for prospective teachers
Introduction to working at the Continental School
Updated for the school year 2008-2009
The School Campus
The school campus is situated in Obour, a new district on the outskirts of Cairo, about 20/25 minutes by car from Heliopolis. This new campus, which was opened in 2000, covers an area of 12,000 square meters of beautifully landscaped ground, swimming pools and sport facilities. The school campus comprises three schools, all of which enjoy first class facilities and fully air-conditioned classrooms. The campus is served by a fleet of school buses for the transportation of staff and students.
1. The Continental Language School (CLS)
The CLS is a regular mainstream school that follows the Egyptian National Curriculum but the medium of instruction is English. There are approximately 550 students on roll from KG1 to year 9 in the school year 2008-2009.
2. The Continental International School (CIS)
The CIS is a British International School which follows the British National Curriculum. This is a new school that opened in September 2005 and there are approximately 150 students on roll from Foundation to Year 10 in the school year 2008-2009.
3. The Continental School of Cairo (CSC)
The CSC is a small British special education school for children with learning difficulties and special educational needs. Presently there are 50 pupils on roll.
School Philosophy
The Continental school is a vibrant, outward-looking community, which encourages a happy, friendly atmosphere in which pupils can thrive. We want all our pupils to value academic excellence and to realise that it is attainable. We aim to encourage a love of learning, a spirit of enquiry and an independence of mind. We wish to develop the self-esteem and self-confidence of our pupils and to encourage them to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities in a stimulating environment. We aim to foster good relations between staff and pupils and between the pupils themselves. The school encourages consideration and tolerance of others and is committed to developing in its pupils a strong sense of personal responsibility and a commitment to serving others.
Our goal is to prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st Century. We want the pupils who come here to leave us as confident young adults who are able to make the most of the opportunities life will offer them. Indeed, our eyes are firmly set on the future as well as the present and, as a school, we are always looking for improvement in various ways. Bringing out the best in our pupils is our priority, but we also seek to bring out the best in the school’s structures and programmes as we adjust to the ever-changing demands being placed on education in Egypt.
Our approach to Learning
Our aim is to encourage pupils to think for themselves - to develop an approach to their work which will give them the confidence to tackle any task undaunted. The importance of independent learning and self-motivated study is reinforced by the wide variety of teaching methods used in the school - research projects, oral presentations, discussions and debates. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions, and are also equipped with the skills to be able to answer them. They are supported and guided in facing new challenges and taking increasing amounts of responsibility for their own study. We aim to arm our pupils with the tools for lifelong learning.
We realise that the curriculum must suit Egyptian children living in Egypt. The National curriculum of England which we follow in the CIS is adapted to be culturally and environmentally suitable. As part of the curriculum, Arabic and Religion (Islam or Christianity) are taught by Egyptian specialist staff. The school has a comprehensive range of subject handbooks which are followed in all subjects, updated annually and reviewed by heads of department, coordinators and curriculum developers.
Beyond the curriculum
One of the key aims of the school has always been to teach students that education is much more than just passing examinations. To this end, opportunities are offered to students at every level to extend and challenge themselves above and beyond the curriculum. A large number of clubs exist, and every year these change and grow, reflecting the particular interests of the students and the teachers. The whole school also works to raise money for a wide range of local and national charities.
School year
New teachers normally arrive in Cairo during the last week of August to settle into their apartments and get familiar with the city before commencing work. The first day of work for new teachers is usually the first day of September. Students in the CIS start school in the first week of September while students in the CLS and the CSC start the week after. The school year is divided into 2 terms. Term 1 runs from September to late January and term 2 runs from mid February to mid June. A school calendar is published at the beginning of every school year showing all school holidays. There are approximately 170 actual teaching days in a complete school year.
School Days and hours for students
The school hours for students are from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Sunday to Thursday (our weekend is Friday and Saturday). On Thursdays, students stay an hour longer for extra curricular activities in which all teachers are involved.
Teachers’ working hours and days
Teachers working hours are from 8:00AM to 4:00PM Sunday to Thursday. Our weekend is Friday and Saturday, so the first thing new teachers should learn and get used to is that Sunday is a working day here! Most staff come to school by school bus arriving just before 8:00 am. The bus journey takes on average 25-30 minutes from Heliopolis. While the teaching day finishes at 3:00 pm, teachers work until 4:00 pm for correction, marking and general preparation of their work.
Students
The students are mostly Egyptian and come from well-off families. The children are usually co-operative, polite and keen to learn. Egyptian parents have high expectations of their children and most students work hard and strive to achieve high grades.
Staff
Our teachers are our most valuable asset. They are well looked after and are treated with respect. The school has a cosmopolitan teaching staff with Egyptian teachers working alongside approximately 15 expatriate teachers from the UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand. Over the years, we have had very experienced early-retirement teachers work for us, young and middle-aged teachers and teaching couples. Many of our staff have stayed on, are happy and continue to renew their contracts. Some have been with us from day 1 and have now assumed positions of responsibility within the management structure.
Teachers in the Continental school work hard; such is the nature of our profession. However, we do our best to ensure that staff are not over-timetabled and try to take into account the travel time to and from school, respect for each teacher’s personal time and the fact that they want to be able to see as much as possible of the fascinating country they are living in.
Teacher’s Accommodation
Recruited teachers receive a tax free monthly housing allowance which enables two teachers to share a flat comfortably. Teachers who do not like to share must supplement their housing allowance (i.e. pay the difference in rent) to have their own private apartment. Whatever arrangement you make, you will live well and comfortably.
Flats are spacious in comparison with the UK. The apartments will have two or three bedrooms, a decent kitchen, living room, dining room and entrée, one or two bathrooms, and are fully furnished, down to cutlery and linen. All will have a telephone and air conditioning, washing machines and TV. The school gives you a settling-in allowance of LE1,000 for all the odds and ends you need to be comfortable.
Many teachers share as this is obviously more economical and means that you can find a good furnished flat. However, sharing does not mean being without your privacy and everyone has their own room in flats of this size. It is worth noting that small single accommodation is almost impossible to find. Families in Egypt are usually extended and no one has ever thought of building bed-sits. Rents for the type of shared accommodation described above, in the area of Heliopolis, can range from LE. 3,500 – 4,000 per flat per month. Note: this is per flat – so 2 people sharing would pay half the rent each.
Residency
The school is responsible for ensuring the proper residency status of all employees and teachers are not required to go to government offices trying to sort out their status. We do it for you. Applicants who have worked in other International schools abroad my have had to leave their passports with the school, to prevent them breaking contract. We do not do this and abhor this practice.
Induction and Orientation
New teachers are given a full orientation and induction programme. When you arrive late August we are very aware that you are coming to Egypt when it is hot and it’s all a bit confusing. The orientation covers living in Egypt, Do’s and Don’ts and the local education system, plus a variety of social events where you can meet colleagues. Before school starts, there is a preparation period when you are working with experienced colleagues who help you get ready. Throughout the year staff meet regularly with their relevant head teacher who provides support and guidance.
Living on the Salary
Teachers obviously have varying perceptions of the adequacy of their salary. Your salary, paid in local currency, does enable you to live at a very comfortable standard, afford good accommodation (if you opt to receive accommodation allowance rather than school provided flats) eat out, take holidays and participate in a range of activities such as joining sports clubs, clubbing, taking up new hobbies or just travelling around. Everyday bills for phones, electricity and gas are reasonable and travelling around the city by taxi or going to different parts of Egypt by plane, bus or train is cheap.
The Continental school pays extremely well by local standards. As a teacher you are working very much ‘in Egypt’, not in a remote isolated expatriate community or compound. If you have serious financial commitments at home, such as a large mortgage or expensive pension schemes, the exchange rate will be against you and you should not apply. We will advise you honestly because if you are not content and happy working with us this hurts you, the school and the students. If, on the other hand, you would like to consider working in a well-resourced school that pays serious attention to its curriculum, staff and students, then consider us.
Just remember that the general cost of living in Egypt is so much cheaper than it is in the UK With no rent to pay and free transportation to work, our teachers can live very well here and do many things they cannot normally afford to do back home on their UK taxable salaries!
We hope you will join us.
Mostafa Elnimer
School Director
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