The International Schools Review Forum

I'm applying for my first IS position this year and headed to the London SA fair soon. I have some seemingly superficial questions. I teach in the south now and, like many DS, the dress policy is pretty lax. Jeans at least once a week, sandals, dresses. No one wears suits (pants suits or otherwise). How do teachers at your IS dress? It's been something I've been curious about, especially seeing pictures online of how teachers are dressed on an IS website

I also have several visible tattoos, small ones on my wrists and one on my back that is visible unless it has a collar. I'm a younger, female teacher. tattoos are very commonplace here, but other IT are usually older/more conservative it seems. I just wonder how these will be perceived when interviewing in person or as a teacher.

Thank you!

Completely depends on the school and its clientele. Schools with stricter/proper culture will not want to see visible tattoos like those you describe. Since when does every one want to be a sailor?! I digress. But the school I worked at last couldn't care less. It was a school that was all chill and gave off the vibe of a public-school American style international school. Tats were everywhere.

At the fair, wear professional attire and cover the tats. Once you're hired, find out about the school culture and go from there.

Our school has many teachers from elementary to high school with visible tattoos - on arms, wrists, ankles that are visible sometimes or pretty much all the time.

I think it's wise to minimize showing them at the hiring fair, but it's probably worth asking a school further along in the interview process if you're going to live in a climate where covering up would be challenging. I don't have tattoos, but if I had some on my arms I would find wearing long sleeved shirts all year round here to be fairly unpleasant.

I do think this varies a lot and depends a lot on the opinion of the recruiter.

Eion

Dress codes vary, in some very conservative ISs its business formal. Skirt, blouse, jacket, or pant suit or dress. In some its more casual to the point that jeans and blouse are acceptable. Showing too much skin is almost universally frowned upon unless youre in PHE or performing arts (even in swimming an IT would wear a one piece). I rejected an offer at a first tier IS because their dress code was shirt, tie and jacket.

Many ISs would want your tats covered, other ISs could care less. At a recruitment event you want to dress conservative and this would include covering your tats to the best of your ability.