Vakleerkracht
Teacher for our Dutch Enrichment Programme (DEP)
Teacher for our Dutch Enrichment Programme (DEP) – fulltime
Optimist International School (OIS) is a Dutch public primary school, a young, vibrant, and colourful school located in Hoofddorp. We pride ourselves in supporting and challenging every international student to achieve excellence in their development. We place particular emphasis on providing the students with opportunities to demonstrate agency and collaborative skills, as well as finding
ways for them to serve others and contribute to the wider community. We are proud of our diverse and inclusive culture.
Our mission
It’s our mission to create an environment that empowers children to bring out their inner magic through diverse learning opportunities,
where children take responsibility for their own learning journey to reach their full potential and become lifelong learners.
OIS offers two programmes which can be considered as two learning pathways:
• the International Programme running from group 1 – 7. This prepares for international secondary education starting at the age of 11. Most learning is in English, following an international curriculum (IPC), and approximately 15% in Dutch to allow students to integrate in Dutch society
• the Dutch Enrichment Programme (DEP), an alternative additional programme for our upper primary running from group 6 – 8. This prepares for secondary education in the Netherlands starting at the age of 12. Learning is in English and Dutch, gradually more Dutch is added with an academic focus
Some key features of our DEP are:
• Academic Dutch Proficiency: Academic and Dutch language conventions are taught explicitly to enable the students to become more proficient in their understanding and use of the language, setting a strong foundation for success in Dutch secondary education and beyond.
• Tailored Curriculum: Integrating age-appropriate International Primary Curriculum units with focused Dutch language studies, ensuring students are challenged academically and prepared for future educational endeavours.
• Progressive Language Immersion: Classes are taught in both English and in Dutch, with the language of Dutch increasing, tackling more complex aspects of the language as the child continues throughout the programme.
• Enhanced Cognitive and Social Skills: Students will have opportunities to further develop executive functions, essential mental skills for secondary education and beyond. They help students to plan, focus, juggle multiple tasks, stay focused on a task, develop healthy habits, social relationships and self-esteem.
• Supportive Learning Environment: With small class sizes and personalized attention, we meet each student’s learning needs, promoting confidence and excellence.
• Experienced multilingual learning specialists: Led by experienced multilingual learning specialists dedicated to nurturing Dutch language proficiency and ensuring a language friendly supportive learning environment.
We are looking for a qualified teacher for our DEP-programme. If you are a dynamic and inspirational Teacher seeking a new adventure, we would like to hear from you!
The successful applicant will have a strong understanding of the needs of international primary education with experience in teaching Language acquisition, preferably in both English and Dutch. They will have the capability to deliver a high-quality language programme aligned with the School’s Mission and Vision.
We welcome new colleagues from different backgrounds and highly encourage people from around the world to apply for this position and/or candidates with a Dutch cultural background.
What will you do on a day-to-day basis?
Teachers of Optimist International School are committed to:
• High quality teaching practice
• Creating dynamic learning environments
• Collaborating on the development and evolution of our curriculum
• Building positive relationships with students, staff, and parents
DEP-teachers need to be committed to:
• Developing a strong language acquisition programme in English and/or Dutch
• Collaborating with colleagues to developing our DEP further on curriculum design and development of the language programme
• Teaching in a multilingual environment with flexible approaches that meet individual linguistic needs of students.
The successful candidate will:
• Be strong in teaching and understanding aspects of multilingualism, have a willingness to develop
• Be strong in didactics and pedagogics
• Be experienced in the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) or similar inquiry-based curriculum
• Be willing to develop own learning concepts, activities and materials.
• Be flexible and thoughtful about learning and what language fits best for that learning.
• Be able to engage, and adapt learning for the needs of students at all levels
• Be enthusiastic about promoting international understanding.
• Be an innovator who is committed to learning and up to date with current research
• Be an inspiring, challenging, and empowering educational motivator
• Be flexible, creative, and resilient
• Participate fully in all aspects of school life within and beyond the classroom
What will you bring to the table?
The ideal candidate for this role will have the following qualifications, experience, skills, and attributes:
- A minimum 4-year recognised teaching qualification, including a bachelor’s degree or equivalent teaching diploma (PGCE) or Dutch equivalent
- Preferably a qualification in second or additional language learning (EAL, ELL) or Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2)
- International teaching experience is a benefit but not essential
- Fluent in Dutch and English (verbal and written)
- Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills
- Willingness to partake in professional development sessions
What is in it for you?
We are looking for candidates that are willing to go the extra mile for our young school to be successful. In return, you will be part of our welcoming optimistic international team that brings a wealth of educational knowledge. The OIS team is a supportive and collaborative team where professional growth is encouraged, and ideas are valued. You will work in a vision-driven environment that fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork, with colleagues who are passionate about making a difference. We believe in empowering each other to excel. The successful candidate will have great opportunities to gain expertise in multilingual learning, using home languages in lessons and other professional development. OIS is offering a competitive salary to a successful candidate for this role.
Why is Safeguarding important to us?
We take caring for the physical and emotional health of each member of the school community very seriously. As a school, we are committed to safeguarding and expect all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. We will follow safer recruitment practices and pre-employment background checks before any appointment is confirmed.
What should you do next?
Please send a letter of motivation together with your resume to Cheryl Embleton, HR Manager, by filling out the application form on our website. Thereafter, we will arrange an informal conversation with all suitable candidates.