Reports to:
Head of School & PYP Coordinator

Works with:
Grade 1 Team, Kindergarten Team, AEP Teacher, Inclusion/Student Support, Specialist Teachers (Art/Music/PE/Library), Admissions, Operations/Events

Location:
OWIS Tsukuba (Japan)

Contract:
Full‑time, April–June (transition term) — proceeds to Grade 1 Homeroom Teacher from August

Purpose of the Role

Lead the Kindergarten Transition Class (Apr–Jun) that welcomes students from varied educational/language backgrounds and prepares them for OWIS Tsukuba's Grade 1.

Build social‑emotional wellbeing and agency, establish PYP inquiry routines, and consolidate early literacy/numeracy so that each learner enters Grade 1 with a clear Readiness Profile and, where needed, an AEP support plan.

Key Responsibilities
1) Programme Design & Classroom Culture

Establish a caring, structured learning community aligned with the IB Learner Profile and ATL routines; set expectations, agreements, and independence skills.

Implement the two‑unit structure across UOI/PSEL, Reading, Writing, and Mathematics with daily workshop flows and reflection/portfolio routines.
2) Teaching & Learning (Literacy, Numeracy, UOI/PSEL)
Teach readers'/writers' workshop habits, early phonological/phonics skills, retell and opinion writing; differentiate through guided groups and play‑based/dramatisation activities.

Teach mathematics through patterning/number bonds within 10, addition/subtraction modelling, 2D shape & symmetry, early measurement, money/time, and directions with explicit language scaffolds.

Integrate UOI/PSEL on identity, community, expression, and audience behaviours; embed sentence frames and visuals to support multilingual learners.
3) Assessment, Readiness & Transitions
Conduct Week‑1 baselines; maintain ongoing formative checks; compile Week‑6 probes; produce a Week‑12 Readiness Profile with annotated artefacts (reading/writing/math/SEL).
Provide placement and AEP recommendations for Grade 1; ensure clean handover to G1 teacher(s) and AEP.
4) Inclusion & Differentiation

Plan accessible tasks (visual schedules, sentence frames, peer support) and tiered centres for literacy/maths; extend through challenge structures and leadership opportunities.

5) Specialists, Environment & Operations

Coordinate with Art, Music, PE, and Library for language‑rich specialist experiences and borrowing routines; manage learning zones and visual routines.

Liaise with Admissions/Registrar on new learners; support school events and family engagement during the transition window.
6) Family Communication
Provide weekly class updates; share mid‑term notes; host end‑of‑term showcase; communicate progress and next steps to families.

Qualifications & Experience
Essential
Bachelor's degree in Education (or relevant field) and recognized teacher certification.
Minimum 2 years of successful primary teaching experience.
Strong knowledge of child development, differentiation, and assessment for learning.
Excellent communication, organization, teamwork, and ICT skills.
Commitment to the IB Learner Profile, international-mindedness, and educating the whole child.
Desirable
PYP training/experience and experience in international schools.
Experience supporting multilingual learners and students with additional needs.
Experience with digital portfolios (e.g., Toddle/Seesaw) and data-informed instruction.
Additional language ability.
Personal Attributes
Warm, patient, and child‑centred; establishes belonging and confidence quickly.
Reflective practitioner who uses evidence to drive next steps.
Clear communicator with families; collaborative, organised, and proactive.
Key Measures of Success
Quality of Readiness Profiles and placement/AEP recommendations.
Evidence of progress in literacy/numeracy and SEL independence across 12 weeks.
Positive family feedback and smooth handover to Grade 1.

Note:

From August, this teacher transitions to Grade 1 Homeroom Teacher and continues to support learners' next steps using the Readiness Profiles created.

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