When there is a supportive environment at a school, then everyone thrives.

But times can get stressful and things can change at the last minute in schools which can cause teachers and other stakeholders to seek help and support.

If there is a supportive environment at a school, then these stakeholders are likely to lend a helping hand to others in need.

There are many stressors at an international school: new students starting all of the time (some that are even new to English), endless meetings (sometimes not so useful for everyone), workload, having to reply to concerning parent emails, etc.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all stakeholders at the school needed help and support to cope with all of the changes (sometimes very last minute!) to how your school runs its day and teaches its students.

Luckily, there are some international schools out there that have quite nice and supportive environments for their students, teachers, staff, and parents.

So which international schools then have these supportive environments for their stakeholders? Can you guess which countries/schools around the world would make for the best supportive conditions? (Check out the first edition of this blog series here.)

Luckily, ISC was designed to help international school teachers find the information they are looking for. Using the Comment Search feature (premium membership needed), we found 205 comments that had the keyword “supportive” in them. Here are 11 of them:

Latvia

“There is a Professional Growth Process which is just a yearly goal setting with supervising admin. Admin will occasionally walk through classrooms but it’s a very casual and supportive environment…” – International School of Latvia (58 total comments)

China

“In general, people stay for the bonuses given to staff who renew their contracts, the high salaries compared to other schools, and the friendly/supportive colleagues. People have left the school due to the long working hours, high expectations, micromanagement from administration, and behavior issues from students…” – Shen Wai International School (50 total comments)

Congo (DRC)

“With the new staff this year, we have finally reached a place of fully IB-trained teachers. We are also supportive of local staff who work as teaching assistants and are working to get teacher certified…” – The American School of Kinshasa (152 total comments)

Hong Kong

“The school has good leadership from the DPC and MYPC, both have high expectations relating to IB philosophy of teaching and both are approachable and The school has good leadership from the DPC and MYPC, both have high expectations relating to IB philosophy of teaching and both are approachable and supportive of teachers. Class loads vary depending on any further responsibilities but on average 6 out of 9 45min sessions are the norm each day. The ECA programme requires teachers to volunteer 2 sessions per week but the hours vary greatly depending on which ECA is supported. of teachers. Class loads vary depending on any further responsibilities but on average 6 out of 9 45min sessions are the norm each day. The ECA programme requires teachers to volunteer 2 sessions per week but the hours vary greatly depending on which ECA is supported….” – Carmel School Hong Kong (22 total comments)

Romania

“Students are much better behaved than in the US. The school has more resources than US public schools. Parents are supportive…” – Cambridge School of Bucharest (58 total comments)

Cambodia

“There is no allowance as you might find at other international schools. Having said that, the school is very supportive and normally supports you if it is in line with their vision…” – Ican British International School (87 total comments)

United Kingdom

“The staff are incredibly supportive of each other, making the time to celebrate the successes of individuals and draw attention to those that are making the learning experiences for students positive. Administrators could do more to address staff well-being…” – ACS International Schools – Cobham Campus (52 total comments)

Qatar

“People stay at EMS because the school is as flexible and supportive as it can be. They care about teachers and will try to help them when needed…” – The English Modern School (Doha) (145 total comments)

Colombia

“People are staying because there is a nice community at the school, colleagues who are supportive and some very positive students and families…” – Colegio Gran Bretana (203 total comments)

Zambia

“Yes, the school has met my expectations once I started working there. The school has a strong commitment to providing a quality education, and the staff is dedicated to helping students succeed. The school also has a positive and supportive learning environment, and the students are respectful, polite, and engaged. I am proud to work at LICS, and I am confident that the school is providing students with the tools they need to succeed in life…” – International Community School Lusaka (22 total comments)

Thailand

“The students are much more polite and respectful in class and with each other. On the whole, parents are also much more supportive and allow teachers the freedom to teach. Teaching standards are the same as the UK, and we follow a set CAIE curriculum…” – Varee Chiang Mai International School (138 total comments)