Francisco Vargas Vice-Principal and Head of Curriculum ELT

Born and raised in Valencia, Venezuela, Francisco started his international educational career in 2003 at Colegio Altair in Lima, Peru, as MYP Coordinator and Mathematics/Physics teacher. In January 2006, he moved to Davy College in northern Peru to a similar position where he remained until August 2012 when he joined OIS as Mathematics Coordinator and Maths/Physics teacher and became Vice-Principal in 2014. Since 2006 Francisco developed his IBO career in the roles of MYP Moderator, MYP Workshop Leader in Mathematics, Sciences, Interdisciplinary teaching and learning and Inquiry-based learning, as well as Visiting Team Leader and a curriculum – examinations author and consultant. So far he has delivered more than 50 IBO workshops in 15 countries and his passion for education is continuously nourishing his professional practice. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering, a Post-Graduate in Educational Management and Didactics of Physics and more recently teacher training in Particle Physics at CERN.

OIS is a vibrant learning community fully committed to the IBO Philosophy. It considers student’s development beyond the academic area. This sense of community and value have inspired and helped retain him since 2012. In his free time, Francisco likes ride motorcycles, read and practise outdoor sports.

Jan Van Hees Head of IB DP and Design Teacher ELT

Jan joined OIS in 2018 as Head of the IB Diploma Programme and teacher of MYP Design.

Born in Maastricht, the Netherlands, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in (Digital) Media & Culture (University of Amsterdam), a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in European Politics & Administration (Maastricht University), and a Master’s degree in teaching Social Studies (Leiden University).

After teaching social studies in a Dutch bilingual school, he worked at the IB Global Centre in The Hague (2011-2015), focusing on curriculum development of the Diploma Programme Core and the newly established Career-related Programme. He then moved to Milan, Italy, where he successfully led the implementation of the IB Diploma Programme in an Italian school, teaching English and DP History (2015-2018).

Jan enjoys the Great Outdoors, running, cycling, listening to – and playing – anything from punk rock to JS Bach. “Sapere Aude!” has been his personal motto for a long time. He believes OIS is a community that not only shares his values of sustainability and social responsibility but also his interest in figuring stuff out.

Jonathan Chambers Head of IB PYP and ICT Teacher ELT

Jonathan was born in Northern Ireland and has Bachelor of Education (Hons) degree from Stranmillis University. Over the past 20 years as an educator, Jonathan has worked in Egypt, Brasil and now Portugal, experiencing and promoting the best practices in Primary Education and leading key subject areas including Science, ICT and Maths.

For the last 10 years, Jonathan has embraced the IB philosophy and approach to education in an international, inquiry-based setting. As a former PYP Coordinator and Deputy Head of Primary in Brasil, he successfully led an experienced IB school through their third evaluation, receiving several commendations.

Jonathan enjoys keeping up to date with the latest innovations and research into learning, very much believing Seymour Sarason that productive learning is where a challenging, often frustrating but ultimately self-rewarding process engenders and reinforces wanting to learn more.

Robert Tomalin Principal

Robert Tomalin is the Principal of Oeiras International. He was born in the United Kingdom, is also an Irish citizen, and defines himself as European.  As an IBDP graduate from the UWC of the Adriatic, Italy, service learning and giving back to his communities is something that is at his very core. While he was on a gap year in eSwatini, he realised his vocation was learning and teaching and that educational leadership would be the direction in which he would steer his life.

After four years at University College London studying Political Philosophy with Italian and Swedish (including an Erasmus year at Lund University in Sweden), he completed his Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Bristol University. He worked for eight years in state schools in the UK before moving to Bogotá to begin leading the Secondary Section of Colegio Gran Bretaña. In 2017 he became the whole school Director of the same school. Life-long learning is important and in 2018 he completed his MA in International Education at the University of Bath, and obtained the Certificate of International School Leadership from the Principals Training Center in the USA.

He is a multi-lingual, internationally-minded school leader who describes himself as emotionally intelligent and an excellent communicator. He understands that if children do not feel safe, they cannot learn, and as a result places child protection and safeguarding at the core of everything he does.

Robert has been trained as a CIS and NEASC Accreditation Team Evaluation visitor and leader, is an active member of the IB’s Education Network who runs workshops from their leadership qualification as well as visiting schools and inspecting exam procedures.

Robert enjoys travelling, cycling, learning languages and is a qualified SCUBA rescue diver.

Robert recently became a father when he and his husband adopted a baby boy at home in Colombia, and loves the excitement and challenges of parenthood. Being a father, he says, helps him see learning through a new lens.

Gemma Montefiore Head of MYP, PHE and PSPE Teacher

Ms Gemma Montefiore

Head of MYP

PYP PSPE