The International Schools Review Forum

Can anyone give me any information about the conditions at Graded in Brazil?
- school climate - living conditions/safety - money - sport facilities

Any feedback would be great.

What specifically do you want to know?

School climate - colleagues are friendly, student population is about 50% Brazilian- many others from other countries in South America, atmosphere is very professional- A LOT is expected of teachers, curriculum was all over the place, but this is being addressed,

Facilities- A little outdated (but all classes have projectors, e beams, etc) & a little cramped right now. Beautiful new Arts Center. Architects have been consulted & developed plans to refurbish the rest of the school. Pretty decent sports facilities for the fact that space is at a premium in Sao Paulo- but there is no pool.

Living conditions- depends on your situation as housing allowances vary greatly. Almost all new hires are put in apartments within walking distance of the school.

Salary- Generous (especially considering what most Brazilians live on), but Sao Paulo is a VERY expensive city. If you're a saver, you can do well. If you are not careful, the money can go quickly. The school does give you the option of a retirement contribution

Excellent answer...Thanks Indogal.

Do you know much about the PE dept.? how many teachers?

What kind of schedule to they run? block?

and last but not least...I had a former Graded teacher tell me that her whole apt. complex got "held up" at the same time. Everyone that was home got robbed. True? Safety a constant concern?

Actually, I'm not sure the school hires international teachers for PE. I believe all the PE teachers are Brazilian. Many employees at the school are. It's due to a Brazilian law that states:

"There is a ratio of foreign employees an employer may have in Brazilian jurisdiction. With a few exceptions, the general rule is that companies have to maintain at least two-thirds of Brazilian employees, or two-thirds of the total amount of salaries payments to Brazilian employees"

Because of this, most of the positions that go to teachers from overseas are in areas like English, Science, Math etc.

There are other reputable international schools in Sao Paulo that might hire PE teachers from overseas if you have your heart set on Brazil. You may want to look into Chapel or St. Paul's.

As far as safety concerns, you need to be careful, like in any big city, and you hear stories of bad things happening, but I have never personally felt unsafe

I would really like to work here. Do they accept teachers with trailing spouses?