Olivia Searles | Science Teacher

About me

Hello, I'm Olivia

I am originally from Yorkshire, England, and studied Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield, including a year in industry at Croda as an applications scientist. During that year I also worked as a STEM Ambassador in local schools, which is where I realised how much I enjoy working with students and running projects with them. After university, I moved to Thailand with my boyfriend, a primary school teacher, and this is now my eighth year living here. I spend much of the school holidays travelling around the region.

I spent my first two years here teaching EAL, supporting students from Early Years to Year 13, and have taught Secondary Science ever since. This is my sixth year teaching Secondary Science, all of it in international schools. I hold UK Qualified Teacher Status and an international PGCE. I am currently a Secondary Science Teacher at Charter International School in Bangkok. Before that, I taught IB Diploma Chemistry and Sports, Exercise and Health Science.

Teaching & curriculum

IB Diploma Chemistry IB Diploma SEHS Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Cambridge IGCSE Biology Cambridge Lower Secondary Activate KS3

Practical, hands-on lessons

I like lessons that get students up and moving. Escape room activities are a favourite for consolidating IGCSE Chemistry topics, turning revision into something active and getting them thinking critically. I build practicals into lessons as projects with a real purpose: in Year 7, students made bath bombs to investigate conservation of mass, many going on to make their own at home. In Year 10, they made bread for the respiration topic in IGCSE Biology, seeing anaerobic respiration in a real-life context. Those are the lessons students remember, and the ones I most enjoy teaching.

Student-led research

I co-organise the Science Symposium at Charter, and co-organised Science Days at Hua Hin International School before that. Both are department-wide collaborations: students choose their own research question, investigate it, and present their findings in a poster to the whole school and parents.

Curriculum design

I am currently redesigning the Key Stage 3 Science curriculum at Charter around practicals, projects and a wider range of assessment, with clear progression from Year 7 to Year 9. Students report the lessons are more engaging, and there has been a marked increase in Year 9 students choosing Biology, Chemistry or Physics at IGCSE, with many taking all three. Before that I built the IB Diploma Chemistry curriculum at Hua Hin, still in use there today, and its SEHS curriculum, working in practicals like swimming for the forces topic and a trip to a golf driving range for biomechanics.

Wider school life

Olivia paddleboarding on a river during a residential trip

Olivia with a group on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition

Olivia and colleagues at a residential trip campsite

Building community

Beyond the classroom, I coordinate our Student Council, giving students a real say in shaping school life. Projects have ranged from designing new student planners to a Valentine's Day initiative, where anonymous notes and homemade gift bags spread appreciation and positivity across the whole school. Most recently, students organised a week of activities raising money for communities in Nepal affected by the flash floods.

Getting outdoors

I supervise Duke of Edinburgh expeditions at Charter, and did the same at Hua Hin International School before that. I have also supported Year 10 and Year 11 residential trips that included hiking, camping, paddleboarding, raft building, and a service project with local schools. I love being with students outside of school like this. It helps build real rapport, and it is brilliant seeing their confidence grow as they try things they would not usually get the chance to do.

On stage and after hours

I have helped choreograph school productions including School of Rock and The Addams Family, and I run dance ECAs. I am currently preparing students for a dance competition, a first for Charter. I play in the staff band at events like International Day, and previously ran a fitness ECA at Hua Hin, incorporating Spartan-style obstacle training.

Countryside on the route of a school residential trip

A handwritten Christmas workout plan for the fitness ECA

Poster for the School of Rock school production

Pastoral care

A values contract, written by the students

At the start of Year 9, my form wrote their own student contract: ten values they felt mattered, linked to the school's own. It is signed by every student and displayed in our room, and we updated it together going into Year 10.

A screen-time competition

I ran a competition to help my form build healthier phone habits. 17 of 21 students reduced their daily screen time, and the winner cut theirs by an average of six hours a day.

Supporting students through key transitions

As a Year 10 form tutor I take students from Key Stage 3 into IGCSE, using Komodo, our wellbeing tracker, to flag anyone needing a check-in. As a Year 12 tutor before that, I supported the move into the IB Diploma with weekly one-to-ones to keep deadlines on track, and study timetables we built with students.

Student wellbeing

Much of what our Student Council does is wellbeing focused, including Anti-Bullying Week. At Hua Hin International School I started Wellbeing Wednesdays with my Year 7 form, which grew into a whole-school Wellbeing Week: affirmation notes, yoga and meditation, staff-vs-student rounders. It has run every year since I left.

The Pastoral Guide

Outside of school, I am building thepastoralguide.com, a website of values-based pastoral resources for form tutors in international schools, from multi-week projects to short activities for morning registration. It came from wanting the things I make for my own form to be useful to someone else's.

Hobbies & interests

Dance

I started dancing at three years old (ballet, tap, modern and jazz) and later reached Grade 6 Ballet and Intermediate Tap, performing on stage several times growing up. I do not perform these days, but I have kept dance in my life through school extracurriculars.

Music

I picked up the cornet at eight and reached Grade 8, playing in brass bands and jazz bands, and performing in many competitions and concerts over the years. I have kept playing ever since moving into teaching.

Fitness

I keep active with CrossFit, Hyrox, Spartan racing and running, and recently took on my first triathlon. When I first moved to Thailand, I took up Muay Thai and trained for a few years.

Other interests

I cook a lot, and I enjoy experimenting with different recipes. Fermenting has been my latest project: I make my own yoghurt, and I have also made kombucha, kefir and kimchi.

Olivia performing in a dance production as a child

Olivia lifting in a CrossFit competition

Olivia celebrating after finishing a race in Bangkok

Bowls of chicken and courgette risotto Olivia cooked

Get in touch

I'd love to hear from you

Thanks for taking the time to read a bit about me. You can reach me by email or on LinkedIn.

OliviaSearles

Olivia
Searles