Homeroom Teacher / Music Specialist or with a supporting role in Music, Tamagawa Academy Primary Division, Tokyo

Tamagawa Academy was established in 1929 and built upon a balanced educational philosophy encapsulated in Zenjin (‘Whole person’) education. The school has been an authorized International Baccalaureate World School since 2009 and currently offers the IB Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma Programmes (DP) bilingually in English and Japanese.

In 2016 the primary school started an optional partial-immersion program called ‘English Predominant’ (EP) in grades 1-5. The program follows the Japanese National Curriculum and Tamagawa Academy’s unique approach to primary education, not the IB Primary Years Programme. However, to prepare children for the language and learning demands of the IB MYP from grade 6, around 60% of lessons are taught in English.
There are 53 teachers in the primary division, of whom 19 are non-Japanese teachers. EP classes have two homeroom teachers – one Japanese and one non-Japanese. Lessons are 45 minutes long and teachers have twenty lessons or fewer each week.
Almost all of the children come from Japanese families and start with no English in grade 1. They are expected to reach CEFR B1 level (intermediate level) by the end of grade 5. Although they make rapid progress in English, teaching is far closer to TEFL than working in an international school. Candidates with experience in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to young learners, especially in Japan, will be at an advantage. Candidates applying from international school teaching backgrounds or home country teaching backgrounds are welcome but need to be aware that Tamagawa Academy is a Japanese school.

- English at native level
- A valid teaching certificate for elementary school-aged children
- Qualifications and/or experience in Teaching EFL to Young Learners
- Experience teaching English
- Experience teaching primary-age children
- Experience / interest teaching music, especially singing
- Ability to play piano and/or other instruments

- Understanding and/or experience of teaching CLIL
- Experience teaching synthetic phonics
- Experience living and working in Japan
- Ability to speak Japanese

Main Responsibilities:
- Homeroom teacher (together with a Japanese partner teacher)
- Teaching around 20 hours per week of classes
- Developing teaching materials that support high quality lessons and sharing these
- Creating and/or updating unit plans using the format specified by the school and sharing these before units are taught
- Being familiar with curriculum requirements and teaching in line with these
- Working with the head of music to plan, teach and develop resources for music
- Implementing strategies that support and scaffold language learning within lessons
- Ensuring that all students make good progress in line with school expectations
- Keeping accurate assessment records and submitting grades against objectives at designated times during the academic year
General Responsibilities
- Understanding the school’s education philosophy and ethos and implementing school policies and rules. Providing guidance to students on these when necessary
- Maintaining a high standard of professionalism at all times
- Communicating well with children, parents, colleagues and other staff
- Attending morning briefings and regular staff meetings
- Participating in professional development activities in line with school requirements
- Maintaining a safe, clean, tidy and healthy classroom environment that supports the physical, social and emotional well-being of all students
- Supporting assigned year group as requested and attending year group meetings
- Ensuring the health and safety of all pupils at all times
- Supervising children on their way to bus stops and the station at home time
- Supervising and actively participating in trips (including residentials in some grades)
- Occasionally working overtime when requested (overtime is paid separately)
- Occasionally attending events such as parent meetings or sports days on Saturdays and/or Sundays (a day of holiday is given in lieu of any Saturday or Sunday worked)
- Promoting children’s enjoyment of music outside of lessons
- Assisting in preparation/planning of school-wide music festival and other music events
Other Responsibilities may include:
- Cover for absent teachers
- Teaching or supporting English classes
- Other duties as requested by the Director for K-5

Number of openings: 1
Compensation: Salary (in accordance with the school's rules and regulations), transportation expenses
Social insurance: Health insurance, pension, workers' accident compensation insurance, unemployment insurance
Contract period: April 2025 – March 2027 (initial contract only: 2 years)
After the initial contract, contracts may be renewed annually for a further 3 years by mutual agreement (for a total employment period of five years).
※Depending on circumstances and performance, teachers may be offered tenure after the initial contract or at any other renewal point in the five-year period.
Holidays: Sundays, Saturdays, national holidays, August 1 to August 31 and winter vacation
Vacations: Annual paid vacations, congratulation or condolence leave, etc.
Personal information: Personal information submitted will be used only for the purpose of employment selection and will be handled appropriately in accordance with the school’s privacy policy.
Measures against passive smoking: No smoking indoors, separate smoking areas (outdoors)
Official Recruiter: Yoshiaki Obara, Tamagawa Gakuen Educational Corporation President

• A generous salary
• Private health insurance
• Subsidized tuition fees for the children of staff (roughly 50%)
• One-way economy class airfare for employees hired from outside Japan
• Relocation allowance for employees hired from outside Japan
• Sponsorship of Tokyo special teaching license for teachers who show commitment and potential
• A comprehensive in-house professional development program
• A beautiful campus less than 45 minutes from central Tokyo
• A friendly and relaxed work environment