ECI IDIOMAS BAILEN (BAILÉN, JAÉN) SPAIN

1. A) THE SCHOOL

 1) History of the school

ECI Idiomas Bailén opened in September 2007 and works in conjunction with our sister school, El Centro de Inglés in Andújar. The directors/owners of the school are Julie Hetherington and Mª Justa Sáenz de Tejada.

Julie has a B.A. in Applied Language Studies, and is CELTA and DELTA qualified. She has worked as an oral examiner for the University of Cambridge examinations and has worked as a teacher trainer for the Trinity College London oral exams. She has acted as Local Supervisor for the R.S.A. Dip TEFLA (now DELTA) Correspondence Course in conjunction with International House. She has also been involved in the D.O.T.E.  programme (Diploma for Overseas Teachers of English) in conjunction with the British Council in Madrid and in teacher training programmes for both native and non-native teachers of English.

Mª Justa is British-American educated and is bilingual in English and Spanish. She has a degree in English Language, the D.O.T.E Diploma with the British Council and she is also an oral examiner for the University of Cambridge examinations.  She has been a teacher trainer and run workshops for the staff in our Andújar school.

The school is a preparation centre for the University of Cambridge exams and an official centre for the Trinity College London GESE and ISE exams.

The school is member of ACEIA (Asociación de Centros de Enseñanza de Idiomas de Andalucía) which is part of FECEI (Federación Española de Centros de Enseñanza de Idiomas).

2) The school premises and its location in the town

 The school opened in new premises in September 2007 situated on the ground floor in a rapidly developing area of Bailén. There are five classrooms all centrally heated and air-conditioned, with plenty of natural light. There is one specially adapted primary classroom for 4 and 5 years old students. There is also a staff room with a plenty of materials, a printer, kitchenette, microwave and fridge. There is a broadband connection all through the school. There are both ethernet and wifi connections in each classroom to provide better internet connection for both classroom and online teaching.

In the office/administrative area there is a book and DVD lending library. All classrooms have modern furniture, two have tables and chairs and the other two desk chairs. Every classroom has a whiteboard, and interactive whiteboards (Ebeam) and a laptop/computer. There are plenty of corkboards on the walls for putting up work. Each teacher has an activity box of materials (pens, scissors, paper etc) and their own copy of the books and itools they will be teaching with. There is also a bookcase in each room along with the teacher´s table and chair. Teachers usually have their own classroom. Each teacher has an activity box of materials (pens, scissors, paper etc) and their own copy of the books.

3) The staff

At present there are three teachers and Maria, one of the directors, who teaches on a reduced timetable. The other director, Julie, is based in her main school but is on hand to help out when needed. There are two secretaries in charge of the office. All the teachers in Bailén have a university degree or an equivalent higher education qualification and a Trinity TESOL or CELTA qualification. Although a university degree is preferred, consideration is given to teachers with experience and maturity. Our ideal teacher would have a Grade A/B CELTA/Trinity qualification and experience at all levels. However, we do accept other types of EFL certificates and experience. We are particularly interested in teachers who have experience of teaching children and have taught in Spain before. Experience of the Cambridge University exams and the Trinity College GESE and ISE exams would be a distinct advantage. A working knowledge of Spanish is also important. Computer and internet skills are essential. Our teachers stay with us for several years so we don´t normally have a big staff turnover.

4) Courses offered

 We offer general EFL courses from total beginners to Proficiency level to children, teenagers and adults from the age of 4 years upwards. New teachers are not normally asked to teach students younger than 8 unless they have previous experience. Only in very special circumstances would they be asked to teach this age group, and in this case, they would receive help and support from a senior teacher or the DOS.  Students in this centre prepare for the whole range of the Cambridge exams (KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE) and the Trinity College oral exams Grade 1-12 and the ISE I and II (Integrated Skills Exam). We pride ourselves on our high exam pass rate.

The school guarantees a maximum of 12 students per class (4/5 years 8 per class and 6 years 10 per class although this may vary on room capacity). All students are assessed by means of an oral and a written test before registering. They are placed in groups according to their age and level (4 years, 5 years, 6 years, 7 years, 8-10 years, 10-12 years, 13-16 years, 17-18 years, adults). Wherever possible we try to keep the groups to the same school year. Students who become too strong/weak for the group are moved whenever possible to another group according to their level. Weaker students can also attend tutorial to help boost their level. Normally they are recommended for tutorial by their teacher or they can specifically request it.

 In July we offer one-month intensive exam courses. There may be work available in this month. The school closes in August

5) Profile of the students who attend

 Most of the students live locally. They attend English classes from a very young age until they finish school and go away to university. Many students go to Jaén University and live at home, so they attend classes in the evenings. Most of the adults live locally or have come to the town to work. Some study because they need English for their job, but many of our adult students study English as a hobby. At present we have a lot of children’s classes but perhaps the highest percentage of students falls into the young teenager category. We are also experiencing an increase in students finishing university degrees and secondary school teachers who specifically need to obtain a B1, B2 or C1. We also have a number of teenagers and adults preparing for C2.

6) Typical teaching timetable

There is very little demand for morning classes. Most timetables begin at 4.00/4.30. The first class is either 60/90 minute class followed by two 60 minute classes, with a 15 minute break and we finish the evening with a 90 minute class. On an average day you will be teaching four and a half hours. There are no Saturday classes. We finish at 7.30/8.00pm on a Friday afternoon. An average timetable would be 21 teaching hours although you are paid for  preparing classes, attending teacher´s meetings and carrying out administrative duties (eg: reports, registers, seeing parents etc).  If more hours are available, the salary would go up in accordance with the teaching hours. Teachers on part time contracts of 20 hours or less will be paid preparation time proportionally.

We expect to see proof of careful lesson planning/timetabling and the prompt execution of administrative duties when required. Teachers need to be in school in the morning to plan classes . This is class preparation time paid by the school not contact teaching hours.

The school is open from 12.00 in the mornings. Teachers must sign in sign out each day on an attendance register as this is a legal requirement by Spanish law.

TEACHING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

We have a substantial library of EFL materials which is constantly updated and added to since we place a lot of emphasis on teacher development in this school. We also use the latest course books and itools. We are always keen to buy new materials and welcome suggestions. What we don´t have in Bailén, we do have in our Andújar school. We also have lots of new teaching resources which we have designed and made up especially for the school. In the staffroom there are filing cabinets with supplementary materials for each course book.

We use the following course books depending on age and level. For some age groups we might use different course books depending on the group level and dynamics.

1. B) THE AREA/LOCATION

 1) Details on the population, history, geographical location and economic activities

Bailén is a provincial town of 20,000 inhabitants just off the A-4 motorway, close to Linares, Jaén and 15 mins from Andújar. It is a safe, hospitable town situated on a natural crossroads and famous for the 1808 Battle of Bailén, which was Napoleon´s first defeat and marked the end of the War of Independence. The town of Bailén dates back to Roman times and takes its name from the Roman name Baecula. After the Spanish Civil War, Bailén became one of the most important towns in the province.

Nowadays the main activity is agriculture. Olive oil production and the ceramic and brick manufacturing industry are also a great source of income.

It is a small, friendly town which still retains its typical Spanish character with regional festivals and local fairs, some interesting restaurants serving delicious local food. There is also a monument and a recently opened museum dedicated to the Battle of Bailén. Battle re-enactment groups come from all over Europe to re-enact the Battle of Bailén in October. You can find the shops and services of any small town, all within walking distance. There is a sports centre, two gyms one with an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor pool in the summer and a selection of supermarkets of the main chains. It is quiet during the week in winter, but as soon as the good weather arrives around Carnival time (end of February) the street terraces and bars come to life. On Wednesday morning there is a large open-air continental market.

At weekends you can get away and visit some of the towns and villages in the province. The whole of the province of Jaén is full of history and interesting places to visit. Jaén, the capital of the province is just 30 minutes away by motorway. Going south, Granada is only an hour away where you can ski in Sierra Nevada from early December to late April. Or you could go to Córdoba, 55 minutes away by motorway or to Seville (two hours away). If you want to get down to the coast for the weekend, Huelva or Cádiz are about three hours away. Málaga is a nearer option just two and a half hours by road. Bailén is ideally situated since the A-4 motorway goes past the town, you can get a bus to Jaén.  There is an excellent cheap, fast 24 hour bus service to Madrid, which leaves Andújar several times a day. The journey takes about three and a half hours.

If you want to stay local, you can go to the surrounding countryside or go up to the Sierra Morena mountains where you can have a look round the Visitor´s Centre, go fishing, walking or just relax and observe the beautiful

landscape and wildlife and visit the two reservoirs. You can even rent a rural holiday cottage for a very reasonable rate.

As for the weather, Bailén tends to go from one extreme to another. There is no pronounced autumn or spring. It is very cold and quite damp in the winter months (late November to the end of February) and very hot from mid-May onwards. There are definitely far more hours of sunshine than rain.

Fiestas

There are two main celebrations in Bailén the “Romeria” or “Pilgrimage” of the Virgin of Zocueca, which is celebrated on 5^th August and the local fiestas commemorating the Battle of Bailén in July. The pilgrimage of the Virgin of the Sierra Morena in Andújar, in April, is also celebrated in Bailén and in most of the towns in the province. It is a really incredible experience which should not be missed on any account.

Apart from these two main events Carnival (February), Bonfire Night (Las Candelas), Easter Week (Semana Santa), the local street fairs in May are a must.

2) Attractions 

• It´s a quiet, family orientated town with a very low crime rate.

• Very well situated for travelling to other places

• The cost of living and accommodation is cheap in comparison to the big cities making it possible to rent a flat on your own. 
• People are warm and friendly

• Everything is within walking distance
• The weather, street life and optimistic attitude of the people
• Excellent local cuisine and a wide variety of fresh produce in the local market.
• There is a beautiful natural park very near.

3) Potential problems / disadvantages 

• The weather can be extreme at times: hot in summer and very cold in winter.
• The pollen count. This is olive tree country and the pollen is high in May and June.
• The town is quiet in winter during the cold months and people don´t tend to go out much.
• It is sometimes difficult to get to places if you want to get away on a Friday night. So you might need to leave on a Saturday morning (but don´t start teaching until Monday afternoon).
• If you want to do a lot of travelling, you do need a car.
• Quite an insular town if you don´t speak the language but an ideal opportunity to learn
• There are not many English/non- Spanish people around to socialise with.
• The market here in Spain is very children and teenager orientated.

4) Details on the cost of living

The cost of living is relatively cheap in comparison with other places in Spain.

1. C) P R A C T I C A L I T I E S
2. Professional Development

At the school there is a lot of emphasis on teacher training. This takes the form of both inhouse and external training in Bailén. There are normally teachers’ meetings every week on a Wednesday. Teachers are paid in their monthly salary to attend these meetings since they form a part of their working conditions and teacher development. The meetings can take the form of an input session, presentation of new materials, brainstorming sessions etc or simply an opportunity for teachers to get together and exchange ideas and ask for help. External training sessions take the form of EFL workshops/training courses organised by ACEIA (in November in Seville and January in Jaen) or by some of the EFL publishing companies. They usually take place on a Saturday. There is usually the opportunity to attend at least one of these during the year. Courses and expenses are subsidized by the school. Teachers also attend workshops organized by the University of Cambridge and Trinity College which focus on specific exams. External workshops are at present online.

During the year, teachers will get the opportunity to observe each other teaching (peer observations) and they will also be observed by a senior member of staff. We also do pop-in observations from time to time.  Observations are designed to help you develop as a teacher and put into practice new ideas. We help teachers who want to prepare for the DELTA or a similar higher TEFL qualification. More experienced members of staff are on hand to help new teachers with ideas and lesson planning, particularly at the beginning of term.

2. Accommodation

This is not difficult to find in Bailén. In Bailén, we have a list of contacts who regularly rent flats to teachers at the school. We will give you help in finding a flat since it is important to us that you feel settled as soon as possible. This is one of the reasons we ask teachers to come out earlier since the best flats go quickly. Teachers usually stay in a hotel on arrival for the first few days until they have had a look at some flats. Check prices on www.booking.com.

The monthly rent of a flat may also include community bills (general maintenance and cleaning of the block) or you may have to pay this separately. However, community charges are very low (between 10 € and 25 € a month

depending on the facilities in the building). Water (includes refuse collection), electricity and gas are not included. You will also have to pay one months’ rent in advance. The school makes a one-off payment of 150 euros settling in allowance to new teachers to Spain on successful completion of a two-month trial period. Teachers who leave before the end of the contract will be expected to refund this amount.

3. Medical care

We can only offer contracts to teachers who are members of the EU or have a work permit which authorizes them to work in Spain because of the complications of getting work permits for non-EU members. As a member of the EU you are automatically covered by the NHS here in Spain. The first thing you do on arrival is get signed up with the NHS (known as the Servicio Andaluz de Salud). We will help you with the paperwork. Each teacher is also covered by a private 24 hour a day insurance scheme which covers “work related accidents and civil responsibility”. Thus, you are covered both medically and legally for any incident in the workplace. During your contract period you will also be informed when full, private medical check-ups are being held for the school. These are not compulsory, but many teachers request them since it is a good opportunity to get a thorough, free medical check-up.

The collective wage agreement for EFL teachers in Spain does not cover a teachers’s salary 100% when they are off sick. The employer continues to pay the employees stamp whilst they are off, but the first 3 days wages are deducted from the employee’s salary. From day 4-20 only 60% of the basic salary is paid and from day 21 onwards 75% of the basic salary. However, ECI Idiomas Bailén will normally cover teachers on full pay for the first 3 days. We strongly recommend you bring an EHIC (European Health Card).

4. Useful information regarding travel to Bailén.

There are plenty of cheap flights from Britain to Spain. We suggest you fly to Málaga, Madrid, Seville or Granada as your nearest airport. Once you know your flight times, we can tell you bus/train times. Someone will pick you up in Andújar/Bailén and accompany you to the hotel and help you book in. We will also show you how to get to the school and how to get about the town on your first few days until you settle in. If you decide to travel by train, you can come direct to Andújar/Bailén from Madrid or Málaga.

1. D) OTHER
2. Salary

El Centro de Inglés offers a very competitive salary. You will find our wages are proportionally higher and the number of teaching hours lower than many language schools in the capital cities in Spain. The cost of living in a town such as Bailén in terms of rent and transport is considerably cheaper than in a large city.

Teachers are paid in accordance with Spanish law requirements. The monthly wage includes full National Health cover (“Seguridad Social”), the proportional part of the extra pay agreement (“paga extraordinaria”), of which there are two each year (divided up proportionally in your salary over 9.5 months) and tax (“retenciones”) which are usually between 2% and 12% depending on individual tax circumstances.

From September to December expect to pay around 2% if you haven´t worked in Spain previously. However as from January your tax will be calculated on what you could earn in the financial year and therefore tax will be between 10% and 12%. This is deducted from your wages directly (this could mean deductions of approx. 150 euros on your salary as from January) and may be claimed back on your tax form at the end of the Spanish financial year in April if owed.

At present the basic starting salary is 1.255,90 (gross salary) for 21 hours. This is a fixed amount each month irrespective of the number of days per calendar month and covers not only the 21 teaching hours but also all the normal teaching duties ( eg.: class preparation, administration, attending meetings, parents and individual student enquiries etc..) taking up to a total of 31 hours per week .

Holiday pay amounts for to 2.5 days per calendar month worked and will be settled at the end of your contract. For a 9.5 month contract it normally works out to approximately 23 days. Should you be eligible for unemployment benefit, you won´t be able to claim this until you have used up these days.

There is an additional bonus for teachers holding the DELTA (41,46 €) or a PGCE/MA/YLE qualification (24,60€). For every 3 full years worked in the school we pay an increment (24,60 €). Teachers may occasionally be asked to cover for sick colleagues and will be paid or offered time off. At the beginning of the term, some teachers may find they don´t have their full teaching hours. We still pay the stipulated salary but these hours will be taken into account and you will be expected to put these hours in before your contract finishes (invigilating exams, marking tests for exams, helping with admin) otherwise they will be deducted at the end of the contract.

2. Holidays

The school closes for Christmas (just over two weeks) and Easter (one week). We also close on all national, regional and local holidays (“fiestas”). These are paid holidays and are not deducted from your annual holiday allowance.

The school term starts on Wednesday 15^th September 2021 and will finish on 24^th  June 2022 depending on the dates of the Trinity exams. New teachers will need to be in Bailén a few days before this date (no later than 9th September 2021) in order to settle in, find a flat and attend teachers’ meetings.

3. Time off

Teachers sometimes ask us for days off. Since we don’t have a stand-by teacher, it is not always possible to grant such leave. The school will consider such requests. Leave will be granted at the discretion of the director.  Should you be able to take time off, this will be taken in the form of holiday days owing at the end of the contract. In the case of a close family bereavement, the school will cover a teacher on full pay for up to three days should he/she need to return home.

4. Legal documents

Since Spain’s entry into the EU, it is no longer necessary to apply for a work permit. As a member of the EU you need to register with the police in Jaén within 3 months of your arrival in Spain and will be given an EU resident’s card. All members of the EU have to carry this card with them at all times. The school will make an appointment for you and someone will accompany you to Jaen. Before you apply for the certificate, you need a tax number (NIE number) in order to sign your contract and get it approved by the employment office. We apply for this from the local police once we have a signed photocopy of your passport. It normally takes 24 hours. It also means you won’t get charged emergency tax at 25% if we can get your tax number before you sign your contract.

We cannot offer employment to non-EU teachers including British citizens at present due to Visa requirements unless they already have a NIE number.If you have worked in Spain before, you can use the same tax number (NIE). You should also bring your INEM (unemployment registration) card with you if you were issued with one. Bring all original documents of all teaching certificates with you.

Since this position involves working with children, teachers will be required to provide an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) from their country of origin. They must cover for the cost of this document themselves as it is only valid for the school they are working at.  Once in Spain you will need to apply for a Spanish police check (“certificado de penales”). The school will apply for this via an electronic signature. It doesn’t cost anything.

Both documents will be retained by the school during the time you work at ECI IDIOMAS BAILEN and returned on departure. Without these two documents you cannot work legally in Spain.

5. Spanish Classes

If you would like learn Spanish, we can normally arrange Spanish classes with a Spanish EFL teacher at a very reasonable price.

6. Renewal of contract

 We are only too happy to renew a contract where the teacher has adapted well at the school and both parties are happy.

For futher information please contact:

Mª Justa Sáenz de Tejada / Julie Hetherington

Directors

ECI IDIOMAS BAILÉN

C/ Las Garcitas, 9

23710 Bailén (Jaén) 

Spain

eciidiomasbailen@hotmail.com

www.elcentrodeinglesbailen.com