Hong Qiao International School Shanghai

[Spawnboy99]

Any inform on this school and country etc. The head seems to have very positive reviews and seems to be someone that is fair and is working for the teachers. What tier would it be. Cost of living in the big city and food safety of course pollution issue as well as standard of living.

[PsyGuy]

Its a local independent IS (use to be a kinder) for host nationals, local (Chinese) ownership and policies. Western leadership is just a figure head that follows the directors mandates, and keeps everything moving.
Its Shanghai and everything that comes with it pollution, cost of living, etc. The salary is low third tier (under 20K RMB), the housing allowance will get you a a basic 1LDK.
The only benefit is if your an entry level IT you will get IB training and experience, and a reference for the next IS after 2 years.

[Overhere]

:)

[IAMBOG]

Didn't this school recently kind of change its name? I say 'kind of' because I think it used to be called Rainbow Bridge, which in Chinese is Hongqiao, which is the name of the area the school is in. I doubt the salary is less than 20,000RMB, unless you're straight out of your B.Ed.. I don't know anything about the school, but it seems to have gone through a bit of a marketing overhall. Hongqiao is a decent area to live in. A decent 2 bedroom in that area is going to cost you 8000RMB+, although you could get away with 6000RMB within a commutable distance.

Also, I suspect they are able to take both local and international students, but the majority will be local.

[IAMBOG]

*

[Spawnboy99]

Correct with the name change also they only recently moved into their new campus salary is a little more than 20000RMB per month

[PsyGuy]

Yes, they changed names and sites, salary at the bottom of their scale is at 18,500RM, and they recruit a significant number of entry level teachers in which that level of compensation would apply.

[Spawnboy99]

Seem to offer lowish salary of $36,000 US after tax, world health insurance for employee only, housing allowance about rmb 7000, flights etc completion bonus, displacement allowance, pay back on sick leave. With that can anybody survive in Shanghai

[wntriscoming]

That's a terrible contract for Shanghai. No insurance for dependents? Only 7,000 RMB for housing? Housing that the school's like SAS provides is over 20,000 RMB a month! A salary of $36,000 a year is very, very low. Again, SAS will have a salary at over $65,000, for someone with a Master's. You could do it, living in very low-quality housing and being very cheap while you worked there, but unless it's your first year and you're willing to take anything, I wouldn't even consider it.

[Spawnboy99]

Thanks not my first year 15 years and 12 years international just present location seems to be impossible to get into that exclusive club of IB and China seems more open

[Artrageous]

Not sure about their package but I do know that Shanghai is not a cheap city to live in unless you are happy to eat local produce from wet markets etc. We don't because we worry about soil quality and pesticides, food scares with plastic etc, so we buy organic and imported food and spend more on food every week than we would in our home country. Going out here is also very expensive, to eat, drink, socialise. We pay around 8,000 RMB a month rent but it is not near the city centre, and the place is nice, but not near anywhere cool and taxis are cheap unless you have to go far to find some fun, then the taxi fares can add up quickly. Metros are super cheap but shut down early- we went to a concert and when it finished the metro was closed already, so 11pm or so and you have to get a taxi.Power costs a lot- aircon etc costs quite a bit and heating in wintertime too- sometimes 1,000 RMB per month or more. I am sure you can live here cheaply if you are willing to live more "locally".

[Helen Back]

wntriscoming, SAS is not the norm and it doesn't mean everything below that is terrible.

As a couple we take home 54,000RMB a month, including the housing allowance. Shanghai is pricey if you go out clubbing every weekend and don't cook at all. We eat locally once a week (four of us) for about 250RMB. Every two weeks we go to a decent western place. Probably costs us 600RMB, and there's plenty of beer/wine included in that.

We rent a very well maintained and fitted three bedroom apartment in a lovely compound, about 15 minutes south of HQIS. It costs us 8000RMB a month.

We go home in the summer and have two vacations a year (South East Asia). We also save US$30,000 a year.

I'm not feeling poverty stricken. We don't really skimp.

[Spawnboy99]

@Helen Back, probably true in your comments but even your earnings as a couple is still high. The question is if you take for example your lifestyle could you live on the above quoted salary HQIS is offering

[Helen Back]

We're the only family in our school, we're surrounded by singles. They seem to do just fine. Our salary is including the housing allowance. There are far better paying schools and better places to work, but you will not be poverty stricken by any means. We rarely use the metro (maybe once every three months), and take taxis everywhere. Anywhere we usually want to go costs 15 to 35ish, and that includes a whole bunch of western restaurants in Hongqiao. To get to the Bund would be about 75-80RMB. I think the most we ever paid was about 110RMB and that was to somewhere in Pudong. Taxis to the airport will cost around 200RMB. Out of our salary we also pay for a fulltime housekeeper/cook (non-live in - 5500RMB a month) and 2500RMB for a fulltime preschool place for our daughter (partially subsidized by our school).

[Spawnboy99]

Understand but I'm not single and wife doesn't teach so she would need to find a job