Recruitment FAQs - The British School in Tokyo

Overseas-hire teachers

Where is the British School in Tokyo?

BST is located in the western part of central Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. We have 2 campuses; one is about 10 minutes’ walk Shibuya station, on the Yamanote line, about halfway between Shibuya and Harajuku, for students from Nursery to Year 3. Year 4 and up students are on a campus on Showa Women’s University near Sangenjaya station in Setagaya-ku, which is two stops from Shibuya on the Den-en Toshi line.

What kind of school is BST?

We are a co-educational school from Nursery through to Year 13. We broadly follow the National Curriculum of England (although we are mindful of our setting in Japan) and we follow the UK school year, from September to July with 180 contact teaching days.

Do you have any requirements regarding qualifications or experience?

Teachers must have a recognised teaching qualification, either a UK qualification, such as a B.Ed. or PGCE, or a qualification from your home country that allows you to work in a state school.
Usually our teachers have had recent exposure to teaching in the British system in the UK or overseas but this is not always the case.

Where do you advertise?

We advertise on our website and in the Times Educational Supplement (usually both online and in print). We also occasionally use some other teaching based websites like Teach Apply, the Guardian Schools Recruitment and Teaching Abroad Direct.

How do I apply?

Please complete the online BST application form at https://www.bst.ac.jp/employment and upload along with a cover letter, up-to-date CV and recent photograph of you. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
If there are no jobs listed that are suitable you can send your CV through to us at bstrecruit@bst.ac.jp
Please do not send additional documents, especially large .pdf or .jpeg photos/scans of passport copies, diplomas, references etc. They will block up the system and will go straight in the bin.
Please resize photographs before sending (800x600px or smaller is fine)

Can I apply from overseas?

Yes, most of our classroom teachers are recruited directly from the UK but we consider applications from across the world, especially since in recent years there are many more British International Schools overseas.

I’m not British, can I apply?

Yes, however see the section above on experience and qualifications.

When will I hear back from you?

You will receive an automatic reply from us acknowledging your application. After this we will then only contact successfully short-listed candidates, although we may contact you and ask for references prior to short-listing.

How will I be interviewed if you’re in Japan and I’m not?

Short listed candidates are initially interviewed over Skype. Then Head Teachers visit the UK, close European countries and countries close to Japan to observe all candidates teaching in their school; after this interviews will take place, usually in London or, if we have a number of candidates in one part of the country, somewhere more local. For Teachers not in the UK we will interview initially via Skype - after this the arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Do you cover interview travel expenses?

Yes, if you incur travel costs please let your interviewer know and they will pass you an expenses reimbursement form – please return to BST with receipts.

What does the school benefits package cover?

The benefits package for teachers, in addition to salary, is as follows:

Additional 5% of salary as a pension contribution
Subsidised accommodation
Annual home leave flight
Relocation flight and shipping to and from Japan
Health insurance
Daily commuting allowance
Subsidised places at BST for dependent children

What does the school cover in terms of relocation?

We provide a single economy class air ticket from the UK (or where you are recruited from) to Japan when you join and also a single economy class ticket back to the UK when you leave – this is for teachers and dependant family members.

We also provide a generous relocation allowance for belongings based on a volume shipment from your point of recruitment to Japan and back again. The volume differs for single teachers and families.

Does BST sponsor visas for non-Japanese staff?

Yes, we ensure all full-time and part-time staff have a valid work visa when they start with BST. We will also arrange visas for dependent family members. Please note that the sponsorship process can take 6-to-8 weeks.

In order to be eligible for a work visa in Japan you must have a degree. We do not sponsor visas or arrange work permits for supply staff. Please note that Japan Immigration does not allow dependant visas for unmarried couples, so we will not be able to arrange visas for boy/girlfriendsor fiancés. Same-sex couples are not able to obtain spouse visas even if they are married.

Can I work before my visa is ready?

No, it is illegal.

Can I get a discount on school fees if I send my children to BST?

Yes, if you have dependent children of school age they will be eligible for a place at BST (assuming their English is of an appropriate standard) with teaching staff discounts, please contact the HR department for more details.

Do I need to be able to speak English?

Yes, the language of the school is English therefore a reasonable degree of proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

What about Japanese?

No, not for classroom teacher roles

What checks are done on applicants?

We take safeguarding very seriously and require successful applicants to obtain an enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) or ICPC (International Child Protection Certificate) check, or national equivalent. We will also ask for at least two references, one of which should be your current/most recent Head Teacher.

Local-hire teachers and teaching assistants

Where is the British School in Tokyo?

BST is located in the western part of central Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. We have 2 campuses; one is about 10 minutes’ walk Shibuya station, on the Yamanote line, about halfway between Shibuya and Harajuku, for students from Nursery to Year 3. Year 4 and up students are on a campus on Showa Women’s University near Sangenjaya station in Setagaya-ku, which is two stops from Shibuya on the Den-en Toshi line.

What kind of school is BST?

We are a co-educational school from Nursery through to Year 13. We broadly follow the National Curriculum of England (although we are mindful of our setting in Japan) and we follow the UK school year, from September to July with 180 contact teaching days.

Do you have any requirements regarding qualifications or experience?

Teachers must have a recognised teaching qualification, either a UK qualification, such as a B.Ed. or PGCE, or a qualification from your home country that allows you to work in a state school.
Usually our teachers have had recent exposure to teaching in the British system in the UK or overseas but this is not always the case.

How do I apply?

Please complete the online BST application form at https://www.bst.ac.jp/employment and upload along with a cover letter, up-to-date CV and recent photograph of you. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
If there are no jobs listed that are suitable you can send your CV through to us at bstrecruit@bst.ac.jp
Please do not send additional documents, especially large .pdf or .jpeg photos/scans of passport copies, diplomas, references etc. They will block up the system and will go straight in the bin.
Please resize photographs before sending (800x600px or smaller is fine)

Can I apply from overseas?

Locally-hired teachers and TAs are generally hired in Japan, so it is very unlikely we will recruit someone from overseas. However if you have a plan to come to Japan anyway, for example you will be a trailing spouse, then we would be interested in your application.

I’m not British, can I apply?

Yes.

When will I hear back from you?

You will receive an automatic reply from us acknowledging your application. After this we will then only contact successfully short-listed candidates, although we may contact you and ask for references prior to short-listing.

Where will I be interviewed?

Interviews for TA and local-hire teacher positions take place at BST, on either campus.

Do you cover interview travel expenses?

No.

What does the school benefits package cover?

The benefits package for local-hire teachers and teaching assistants, in addition to salary, is as follows:

Health insurance
Daily commuting allowance

Does BST sponsor visas for non-Japanese staff?

Yes, we ensure all full-time and part-time staff have a valid work visa when they start with BST. We will also arrange visas for dependant family members. Please note that the sponsorship process can take 6-to-8 weeks.

In order to be eligible for a work visa in Japan you must have a degree. We do not sponsor visas or arrange work permits for supply staff. Please note that Japan Immigration does not allow dependant visas for unmarried couples, so we will not be able to arrange visas for boy/girlfriendsor fiancés. Same-sex couples are not able to obtain spouse visas even if they are married.

Can I work before my visa is ready?

No, it is illegal.

I am a dependent, can I work at BST?

If you have a degree – yes, we can arrange a work visa for you.
If you don’t have a degree – yes, we can arrange a work permit to go along with your dependant-visa status; however you will only be able to work for a maximum of 28 hours per week.

Can I get a discount on school fees if I send my children to BST?

No, there are no discounted places for children of locally-hired teachers or teaching assistants.

Do I need to be able to speak English?

Yes, the language of the school is English therefore a high degree of proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

What about Japanese?

This is not necessary for teachers or TAs, though it is beneficial to the school as we have Japanese speaking students.

What checks are done on applicants?

We take safeguarding very seriously and look for successful applicants to obtain an enhanced DBS(Disclosure & Barring Service) or ICPC (International Child Protection Certificate) check, or national equivalent where possible. We will also ask for at least two references.

Business group (non-education) staff

Where is the British School in Tokyo?

BST is located in the western part of central Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. We have 2 campuses; one is about 10 minutes’ walk Shibuya station, on the Yamanote line, about halfway between Shibuya and Harajuku, for students from Nursery to Year 3. Year 4 and up students are on a campus on Showa Women’s University near Sangenjaya station in Setagaya-ku, which is two stops from Shibuya on the Den-en Toshi line.

What kind of school is BST?

We are a co-educational school from Nursery through to Year 13. We follow the National Curriculum of England (although we are mindful of our setting in Japan) and we follow the UK school year, from September to July.

Where do you advertise?

We usually advertise for business group positions on our website and on some local recruitment sites such as CareerCross and Adecco.

How do I apply?

Please complete the online BST application form at https://www.bst.ac.jp/employment and upload along with a cover letter, up-to-date CV and recent photograph of you. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
If there are no jobs listed that are suitable you can send your CV through to us at bstrecruit@bst.ac.jp
Please be clear which role you are applying for when you send your application in.
Please do not send additional documents, especially large .pdf or .jpeg photos/scans of passport copies, diplomas, references etc. They will block up the system and will go straight in the bin.
Please resize photographs before sending (800x600px or smaller is fine)

Can I apply from overseas?

Business group staff are generally hired in Japan, so it is very unlikely we will recruit someone from overseas. However if you have a plan to come to Japan anyway, for example you will be a trailing spouse, then we would be interested in your application.

I’m not British, can I apply?

Yes.

When will I hear back from you?

You will receive an automatic reply from us acknowledging your application. After this we will then only contact successfully short-listed candidates, although we may contact you and ask for references prior to short-listing.

Where will I be interviewed?

Interviews for business group positions take place at BST, on either campus.

Do you cover interview travel expenses?

No.

What does the school benefits package cover?

The benefits package for business group staff, in addition to salary, is as follows:

Health insurance
Daily commuting allowance
Generous holiday allowance

Does BST sponsor visas for non-Japanese staff?

Yes, we ensure all full-time and part-time staff have a valid work visa when they start with BST. We will also arrange visas for dependent family members. Please note that the sponsorship process can take 6-to-8 weeks.

In order to be eligible for a work visa in Japan you must have a degree. We do not sponsor visas or arrange work permits for supply staff. Please note that Japan Immigration does not allow dependant visas for unmarried couples, so we will not be able to arrange visas for boy/girlfriendsor fiancés. Same-sex couples are not able to obtain spouse visas even if they are married.

Can I work before my visa is ready?

No, it is illegal.

I am a dependent, can I work at BST?

If you have a degree – yes, we can arrange a work visa for you.
If you don’t have a degree – yes, we can arrange a work permit to go along with your dependant-visa status; however you will only be able to work for a maximum of 28 hours perweek.

Do I need to be able to speak English?

Yes, the language of the school is English therefore a reasonable degree of proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

What about Japanese?

This is necessary for some business group roles and preferable for all.

What checks are done on applicants?

We take safeguarding very seriously and look for successful applicants to obtain an enhanced
DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) or ICPC (International Child Protection Certificate)
check, or national equivalent where possible. We will also ask for at least two
references.

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