Academic Principal

A new bilingual school in Yiwu, China, owned and operated by the Jiadeng Education Group, will be opening in September 2021, with the support of Yiwu Municipal People's Government of Zhejiang Province, and its sister-school Suzhou International Academy, BFSU. The school will work in close partnership with Yiwu International Academy, the first school launched by Jiadeng Education group in Yiwu in September 2019. Yiwu is a city of about 1.2 million people in central Zhejiang province, China. The city is famous for its small commodity trade and vibrant market and as a regional tourist destination. The bilingual school’s brand new, extensive campus covers an area of 8 acres, with a total construction area of about 80,000 square metres.

Jiadeng Education Group’s first school in the city, Yiwu International Academy, officially opened in September 2019, with its first phase of an Early Childhood Centre, an Elementary School (Grade 1 to Grade 6) and a Junior High School (Grade 7 to Grade 9). The capacity of the school, for this first stage, will be up to 2,700 students and the school successfully opened with 320 students. The second stage will be for the new bilingual school to open, offering an international curriculum, mainly for students who are interested in applying to overseas universities. The bilingual school will have a capacity of 1,200 students. The recruitment plan for these additional students will begin in 2021.

The vision for the school is to be an outstanding, premium bilingual school which upholds its motto "Come Here, Go Further". The school will cater for children of both Chinese national families as well as foreign students and it is committed to helping its students progress on to higher education, either nationally or internationally, but with an international perspective. The school has a strong academic focus as well as a focus on developing students into excellent all-rounders, excelling in academic, physical, social and emotional development, and using its teachers as pioneers for the school who inspire, not just teach, the students. The new school benefits from being located in beautiful surroundings where students can enjoy a first-rate education in a fantastic learning environment. With its holistic approach to education, the bilingual school aims to make its students not just knowledgeable, but critical thinkers who are open-minded and keen to enjoy themselves and continue learning more throughout all stages of their school life.

The school will have a Chinese and English focus to its curriculum and will combine the best of both Chinese and Western education, with an international curriculum adapted to meet the needs of the local context. Students will go through Junior High School to prepare for the compulsory Zhong Kao exam at the end of Grade 9, and then have the opportunity to progress to study for IGCSEs and A-levels in Grades 9-12.

Teaching staff in the Elementary and Junior High Schools are Chinese national curriculum teachers, with international teachers providing English support, ESOL examinations and programme enrichment. In Senior High School the bilingual school will be staffed by highly qualified and experienced international teachers. The architectural design of the school has been created to be extremely modern, creative, high-tech and sustainable.

The buildings benefit from ultra-wide corridor learning streets, incredible facilities and resources for all subjects, excellent air-conditioning and temperature control throughout. The aim of all these is to provide a state-of the art environment for learning and teaching. The Board of Jiadeng Education Group is currently seeking to appoint a dynamic, experienced and inspirational Academic Principal, commencing in September 2020 or January 2021, to prepare, launch and lead the bilingual school from September 2021. The role takes responsibility for Grades 1 to 12, with an initial focus on developing Grades 9-12, and will serve as the academic leader of the school, responsible for managing the policies, regulations, and procedures to ensure that all students are supervised in a safe learning environment to achieve academic excellence.

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Edward Clark on +44(0)1256 862840 or +44 (0)7718588616, or email at edward@lsceducation.com. Further information about the school can be found on its website at www.chnyia.com.

To apply for the post, please visit www.lsceducation.com and submit your up to date CV and a formal letter of application quoting code YIA.

The letter should incorporate how you meet the person specification, why you are applying for the position and what particular attributes and qualities you would bring to the role.

The Jiadeng Education Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undergo relevant background checks.