GOVERNMENT OF TRISTAN da CUNHA
Terms of Reference
Education Adviser: Tristan da Cunha
Purpose of Job
To advise and train Education Department staff in order to develop in young people new skills
and aptitudes and raise education standards to match international expectations in line with
the island’s Sustainable Strategic Development Plan.
Background
Tristan da Cunha is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom (UKOT). It is of volcanic
origin and consists of four islands – Tristan (the main island), Nightingale and Inaccessible,
which together form a group, and Gough Island which lies 200 miles to the south-east. Tristan
is the only island with a permanent community: it has a population of around 260 people. It is
the most remote inhabited island in the world, situated some 1750 miles south-west of Cape
Town and only accessible by sea - seven days sailing away from Cape Town. A harbour
allows for access to the island for approximately 60 days of the year.
Tristan da Cunha offers expatriates opportunities for walking and occasionally visiting the
nearby islands of Nightingale and Inaccessible. Of particular interest is the wildlife and it is
possible to observe at very close quarters the beautiful Yellow Nosed Albatross and the
Rockhopper Penguin. Fishing is a rewarding pastime both from the shore and at sea. The
island people are fun loving, friendly, kind and generous and it is possible to enjoy a lively
social life. In the village there is a pub, cafe, dance hall, swimming pool, museum and tourist
centre. The island shop sells most essential items and there is always an abundant supply of
potatoes, fish and locally produced beef and lamb. There are three television channels
provided by British Forces Broadcasting Service that provide a wide variety of films, dramas,
documentaries, sports and soaps as well as UK news. Although the island is very remote the
telephone service is good and the internet is available.
Tristan da Cunha is internally self governing and is part of the UK Overseas Territory of St
Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Constitutionally, executive authority rests with the
Tristan Governor (resident on St Helena); in practice authority is delegated to an
Administrator who is resident on Tristan and is the de facto Head of Government. The
Administrator heads a locally elected Island Council, which is an advisory body on policy
matters. The Administrator and Council are supported by government departments. These
include: Agriculture, Conservation, Education, Finance, Fishing, Medical, Post Office &
Tourism, Public Works and Telecommunications.
Tristan’s main resource is lobster fishing: product is exported to the US and Japanese
markets, and a royalty agreement with the company that has exclusive fishing rights,
generates income for Government. Tristan also earns limited income from the sale of stamps,
coins and handicraft souvenirs. Modest revenue also flows from tourism and visitor
accommodation. The UK Government provides some financial support in specific areas
(notably in the healthcare sector).
Tristan’s financial situation is problematic: more needs to be done to ensure Tristan can
maintain its financial independence and avoid insolvency. The island has a Strategic
Sustainable Development Plan (SSDP) which maps out a way forward, but the Government
1
does not currently have the capacity to deliver it. Some Heads of Departments lack basic
financial management skills, have no experience of strategic planning, and would benefit from
support in how to lead and manage their teams. There is also a need for structural reform on
Tristan. A National School of Government report (2009) has recommended a comprehensive
package of changes, including reorganisation of Government Departments, implementation of
a retirement and early severances scheme.
The Education Department is responsible for St. Mary’s School that caters for children from
the age of 3 years to 16 years. Island staff includes a head of department, a deputy head, four
other teachers, a trainee teacher, a playgroup leader and a librarian. None of the teachers are
qualified but some have benefitted from training in the UK and all have benefitted from regular
in school training led by the current Education Adviser. There have been significant
improvements over the last two years in the teaching and learning of Mathematics and
English throughout the school. There are currently 30 pupils attending the school organised in
six classes including the playgroup. The 13 to 16 age range work towards IGCSE in English
and Maths and the ECDL IT qualification. A recent development will enable a small number of
appropriate students to attend a school in Cape Town and work towards Grade 12 (Matric)
the equivalent of A Levels. It is the long term aim to broaden the school curriculum and
expand the number of subjects offered at IGCSE initially by introducing Science at
examination level. The school has recently invested in Science schemes and resources; there
is a small well equipped Science laboratory.
Scope of job

The successful applicant will advise and train the senior staff in aspects of school
leadership.

The Senior Teacher will develop the Science curriculum leading to examinations at
IGCSE.

The job holder will ensure that progress in English and Mathematics is maintained.

The Senior Teacher will develop the ICT curriculum and ensure the ongoing delivery
of training for pupils and adults

The Senior Teacher will further develop ‘Tristan Studies’.

The job holder will review other curriculum areas and make recommendations for
improvement

The Senior Teacher will maintain links with education establishments in Cape Town
and UK
Main Tasks

Advise, train and involve the school leadership in:
- Long and short term strategic planning
- Monitoring progress towards planned objectives
- Procurement of resources from UK and South Africa
- Financial management.

Science Curriculum
- Teach Science to the 13-16 year age range
- Increase island teacher confidence and knowledge of Science
- Involve appropriate teachers in the development of a Science policy
- Ensure that island staff can teach Science effectively at primary and
secondary level
- Choose a suitable IGCSE Science syllabus that island teachers can sustain
in the future
- Further develop Science resources
2

Maths and English
- Involve the staff in the monitoring of pupil progress in Mathematics and
English, identify areas for improvement and organise appropriate training.
- Assist those who teach Maths and English to IGCSE level to raise standards
enabling some students to achieve A or B grades.

ICT
-
Develop an ICT curriculum for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 pupils.
Continue to offer ECDL to the 13 year + age range and adults.
Identify and train an islander in the role of ECDL manager and teacher.
Plan for regular upgrades in ICT resources

Tristan Island Studies
- Work with island teachers on a review of the Tristan Studies curriculum.
- Build up resources for each topic.
- Encourage a study skills approach to appropriate topics.
- Involve island teachers in leading fieldwork.
- Work with teachers on assessment methods of Tristan Studies.
- Examine cross curricular links to establish how far Tristan studies meets the
needs of subjects such as Geography and History

Curriculum Review
- Advise on the development of other curriculum areas such as creative arts,
design technology, health education and sport.
- Investigate ways of improving provision for pupils with special educational
needs
- Implement more Physical Education initiatives including highlighting the
importance of sport

Cape Town Education
- Maintain links with the Silvermine Academy, Sun Valley, Cape Town
- Monitor the progress of students attending Silvermine
- Advise on the selection of future Tristan students for education in Cape Town
- Be aware of other education/training opportunities in the Cape for Tristan
students and adults
Outputs and deliverables
1. The school leadership able to produce, monitor and review school development
plans.
2. Head and Deputy able to identify education resources, budget appropriately and
manage annual procurement.
3. Science taught effectively throughout the school and students achieving Science at
IGCSE
4. Further improvement of standards in Mathematics and English
5. Students and adults achieving Level 2 ECDL
6. Tristan Studies ensures that students have a sound knowledge and understanding of
all aspects of their community, its government and economy.
7. Overall curriculum reviewed to meet the needs of the island community as well as
education opportunities overseas.
8. Suitable Tristan students achieving South Africa’s Grade 12 at a Cape Town school
and possibly moving into higher education.
3
Experience required
Essential



The successful applicant will be a qualified teacher with experience of teaching
Science to GCSE level in secondary education.
Have experience of school leadership in terms of development planning and budget
management.
Have good IT skills – sufficient to lead learning in word processing, spreadsheet and
presentation software
Desirable




Previous experience of working in a small community
Level 2 ECDL qualification
Primary school experience
A wide range of hobbies and interests – keen to lead extra-curricular activities such
as Scouts, outwards bounds, youth clubs etc
Key Competencies Required
In order to deliver results the successful candidate will need to be sensitive to the advantages
and problems of living in a small and isolated community.
It is important to be receptive to the views of the stakeholders and work with them to develop
plans for school improvement. In strategic planning you will need to involve the school
leadership in the setting clear objectives, identifying personnel responsible, listing tasks and
linking resources with budget planning.
You will need to show enthusiasm, energy and commitment and have the qualities of
resilience, patience, adaptability and resourcefulness in order to cope with the island’s
remoteness and the length of time that it sometimes takes to get resources in place.
The Senior Teacher will need to have an overview of the department’s budget and assist the
local staff in monitoring to ensure there is no overspend and that the budget is used
effectively.
At St. Mary’s School it is important to be fair and impartial with all employees, build
productive working relationships, promote teamwork and encourage staff to take on
responsibilities. It is very important to respect confidences and a good sense of humour is
an advantage!
Although the island education staff are keen for change that will improve their teaching
skills and overall standards it will be necessary to have a positive attitude to change and
encourage the teachers to develop their own initiatives.
4