Thank you for your interest in joining the BASIS International School Hangzhou learning community. If you have a growth mindset, engage students in critical thinking and creative problem solving, and are a dedicated educator with a passion for teaching and learning, we look forward to speaking with you and sharing about our school.
About Our School
We are a learning community where congeniality, collegiality, and collaboration are at the heart of our daily relationships. Students, parents, and teachers are encouraged to be learners with a growth mindset. Teaching in our school is a rewarding experience, best suited to those who relish challenges, and who can be flexible in their approach.
BASIS International School Hangzhou campus
BASIS International School Hangzhou was founded in 2018 and quickly grew to an early childhood through grade 12 learning community that inhabits our campus at full capacity. We appreciate the positive support from our families who are our best marketers, as we now boast waiting lists for early years and other grades. Our hope is that our campus is a home away from home for us all.
Outdoor space on campus
At inception, we faced the issue of ensuring students’ English language ability is speedily garnered. As such, we balance additional English acquisition with the simultaneous provision of a rigorous academic curriculum. This balance enables us to see incredible growth in our students’ academic English as seen on our Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments, as well as our Advanced Placement (AP) scores. In 2022 we celebrate our first graduating class.
The successful educators at our school are those who are reflective and are always looking for ways to improve. Opportunities to engage in quality conversations about pedagogy are given through a process of observations and cognitive coaching, as well as involvement in professional learning communities (PLCs). Administrators are dedicated to the coaching and mentoring of all staff. We honestly believe that we all should be learning and growing together. BASIS International School Hangzhou, as are all BASIS International Schools, is truly a place where you can grow professionally within a community dedicated to teaching excellence.
Living in Hangzhou
When I announced to my Chinese colleagues in my home country that I was moving to Hangzhou, each of them gasped with excitement. With happy eyes and smiling faces, they told me that Hangzhou was the city in China to which they would repatriate if ever given the chance. They quickly explained about the city’s beauty and culture. Not only is Hangzhou a vibrant city which is the e-commerce and tech hub for all of China, it is the birthplace of Longjing tea (Dragon Well tea).
Teachers can be found on weekend hikes on mountain green tea plantations surrounding the city, or walking along the West Lake and the many canals of the city. During your explorations, you will come across the Jingci Temple, Lingyi Temple, the Yue-Wang Temple, and the residence of Hu Xueyan, each destination celebrates the historical and cultural heritage of this city. In addition, only a 20-minute drive from West Lake, the Xixi National Wetland Park is a favorite exploration spot, as it hosts a conglomeration of ponds, lakes, swamps, and villages that date back to the Han dynasty (third century A.D.). If you would like to wander an hour or two from the city, you can embark on a weekend adventure in the bamboo forests of Mongan mountain or Thousand Island Lakes.
West Lake in Hangzhou
The city has an abundance of restaurants, museums, temples, tea houses, art galleries, theaters, shopping malls, and chic cafes and bars. If for some reason the city does not have everything you would want, it is only a short 45-minute bullet train ride to Shanghai. Living in Hangzhou offers you the opportunity to truly experience China and still be connected to a large international community.
The Intercontinental Hotel & Conference Center in Hangzhou
One of the most attractive reasons for teaching at BASIS International School Hangzhou is the opportunity to explore China and other destinations in Asia. The city is connected to all major domestic cities by bullet train: Beijing (4 hours), Shanghai (less than 1 hour), and Suzhou (2-3 hours). In addition, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport has non-stop passenger flights scheduled to 122 destinations in 14 countries. At present, there are 104 domestic flights from Hangzhou.
A vibrant learning community and a vibrant and beautiful city are a great working and living environment for anyone looking for a new teaching and learning adventure. As a stable and growing network of schools in China, there are many opportunities for career growth with BASIS International Schools. We are committed to your professional development and we prefer to promote from within our growing school network. If you are fortunate enough to join us in Hangzhou, you will find this experience to be one of the most fulfilling chapters of your career.
Kyra Gailis
Head of School
BASIS International School Hangzhou
About Mrs. Gailis
Mrs. Gailis believes that a school should be a learning community. Her hope is that every member of the community embraces the principles of growth mindset. She is an international educator, who over the past 30 years has taught and led schools in four countries, including China. Every teaching opportunity, from beginning her career as an early childhood and elementary teacher, to teaching upper school, has given her the experience necessary to lead coaching and mentoring programs for teachers. She completed her master’s degree in International School Administration at Endicott College and has worked as a K-12 principal and deputy head of school in international schools. These schools boasted college acceptances to top universities worldwide. In light of her accomplishments in the field of primary education, she was nominated for the National Distinguished Principal Award, organized by the National Association of Independent School Educators.
Visit our careers website for more information about international teaching opportunities with BASIS International Schools.
