International Teaching in Phnom Penh: A Wonderful Balance of Comfort and Stimulation

Harrods International Academy (HIA or Harrods), established in 2014 in the Boeng Keng Kang area—which is considered the business capital of Phnom Penh, Cambodia—has quickly become one of the best international schools in the city. In the last eight years, Harrods has strengthened its student count by fivefold. With its multi-curricular designed pathways, HIA aspires to pave the way for students to pursue their studies in higher education internationally and locally.

HIA operates under the Global Schools Group, a not-for-profit chain of K-12 schools in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, the organization was created in 2002 with the goal of providing affordable, high-quality education to international communities worldwide. Nearly two decades later, the foundation’s schools have received more than 500 national and international awards for academic excellence.

Harrods encompasses six campuses within Phnom Penh. The Early Years Campus, for pre-Nursery through K-2, features spacious classrooms; a cozy, well-lit and carpeted, outdoor playground; and swimming pool. Convenient transportation to and from that location is also provided. While Lower Primary Campus, serving Years 1–3 and Upper Primary Campus, for Years 4–6, both have modern classrooms with ample space for interactive and collaborative learning and an ICT lab, Upper Primary features an indoor playground with soft surfaces and versatile spaces for football, basketball, athletics, badminton, and more, and Lower Primary boasts a swimming pool and a play area. Serving both early childhood and primary students, Olympic Campus features an ICT lab; library; swimming pool; and a green and spacious playground bathed in natural light, with slides, seesaws, and soft surfaces for various sports activities. Lower Secondary Campus, for Years 7–9, has modern classrooms; an auditorium; labs for science and ICT; a library; and a playground with a basketball court. In addition to its modern, smart classrooms, well-stocked library, science and ICT labs, Upper Secondary Campus houses a sports court spacious enough to accommodate sports competitions and activities. On its website, the school says,

The HIA physical environment invites you to come in and engage in the process of inquiry…The classrooms, playground, swimming pool, ICT laboratory, library, common area – everything – is designed to allow easy access to the best ideas and to encourage the ongoing exchange of those ideas. The school is a wonderful balance of comfort and stimulation to think.

HIA currently enrolls 1251 K-12 students. The school delivers a bilingual and inquiry-based holistic learning program, starting with Montessori and followed by the UK Early Years and International Primary curricula. Secondary students pursue the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and A Levels, IGCSE and the Khmer National Programme. At present, 96% of the students and 47% of the teaching staff are Cambodian.

HIA hires singles and couples of diverse profiles, including newly certified candidates, veteran teachers without certification, and interns looking for overseas teaching experience. The school will consider couples with a non-teaching partner. Candidates need not hold an academic degree in the subject they will be teaching. As per government regulations, those up to the age of 59 may obtain a work visa. SA provides both internal and external professional development opportunities.

Benefits include a housing allowance and a retirement plan. The tuition benefit, regardless of the number of children, is based on seniority: employees for six months up to five years receive a 65% tuition discount; employees for five or more years benefit from a 90% discount. Overseas teaching employees receive a 5% severance pay at the end of each contract. Local health insurance is fully covered and includes long term disability and accident insurance. There are local employment opportunities for non-teaching partners.

To gain access to Harrod International Academy’s profile on the Search Associates database, including a list of any vacancies, candidates can apply for membership by clicking here. Candidates already registered can easily access the school profile directly through their dashboards.

Please note: The information presented about this school was valid on the date published. This information may change, and the most up-to-date information can be found on the school profile.