Assistant Head Teacher - Environmental Education, September 2020

About the Environment, in the Environment, for the Environment

An Ecoliterate student will understand the natural systems that sustain life on earth and apply the principles guiding ecosystems to help create sustainable human communities.

Ecoliteracy is a way of thinking about the world in terms of its interdependent natural and human systems, and the impact of human actions.

Sustainability ensures that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Enough for all, for ever

Environmental justice is the equitable distribution of environmental benefits, burdens, and responsibilities amongst all people.

The Arbor School seeks a special individual for an exciting opportunity within our unique school. The successful candidate will play a key role in fulfilling the school’s deep ecological and sustainability vision, and will ensure that this pervades all aspects of the curriculum , learning and teaching, operational systems, and the way that the staff and community conceive schooling.

The successful applicant will  lead on learning outside of the classroom, staff training, the development of outreach programs and the utilisation and development of the school’s extraordinary learning spaces. Integrated with the rigorous expectations of the English National Curriculum, the curriculum of the Arbor School will be a cutting-edge blend of a knowledge rich curriculum, delivered using progressive, constructivist methods inspired by ecosophical and deep ecological perspectives. This includes a critical focus on place-based project and inquiry style learning, and a highly child centred approach which encourages the provision of place-based, authentic learning opportunities.

This is a whole school responsibility therefore the successful candidate will be an experienced educator, with qualifications and relevant experience in the field of Environmental and Ecological paradigms of Education within a school, and will be able to lead on this critical development as the school grows to encompass the full age range from Foundation Stage through to KS5 (K-12). Leadership experience, or the proven capacity to lead on this critical area of our schools’ journey, with the ability to inspire staff, students and the community are critical elements of this post. Line managed by either the Head of Primary School, or the Head of Middle School, but also reporting directly to the Principal, (position to be finalised dependent on the skills and experiences of the successful candidate), the Assistant Head – Environmental Education will provide vision and leadership to the learning community and will lead on the whole-school development, delivery and quality assurance of the curriculum and provision for Environmental Education.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team of an extraordinary ecological school in Dubai, based on the National Curriculum for England with a core philosophy centred upon ecoliteracy, sustainability and environmental justice. The facilities are truly unique, and include six biodomes, learning gardens, maker spaces and extensive provision for both sports and the arts.

Our Foundation Stage is a purpose-built facility with direct access from the classroom to gardens, break – out zones and the Foundation Stage play area.  The children in the Foundation Stage experience play – based, discovery learning as they flow between each exciting learning area. With easy access to our fabulous green spaces, creative and passionate teachers can craft fantastic learning experiences for our students. The Primary and Middle school, along with our growing Secondary school, provide purpose-built learning spaces for languages, project and problem-based learning, STEAM subjects, and share the unique spaces listed previously. As students progress from the Primary to the Secondary school, they enjoy an increasing range of core and optional subjects, delivered by subject specialists once students reach Year 6. 

We therefore invite applications from exceptionally hard working and motivated educators, who are excited by the opportunity to take an important role in shaping a truly outstanding and unique education. We seek an individual who is passionate and curious, who can form excellent relationships with colleagues, parents, and students, and who values the wellbeing of their students above all else. Arbor teachers can expect to be part of the formative years of a unique school, crafting a bespoke and unique learning experience which believes in the power of inquiry to engage learners in authentic learning experiences, but balances this with a classroom and curriculum that is masterful in nature, rigorous in application and personalised in its delivery.

Please refer to the supporting documentation to gain an insight into what makes an Arbor Teacher. If you feel you meet the criteria for this exciting opportunity, we welcome your application. 

The Arbor Promise

Students at Arbor are expected to demonstrate hard work and effort in all that they do. They are proactive in their learning, resilient when faced with a challenge and collaborative in solving problems. Arbor students are exceptionally caring, with an acute sense of compassion for others. They are passionate about the world around us and act with integrity and ingenuity when striving for a sustainable future.

Required Candidate profile:

• Native-level English language skills

• Relevant Educational qualifications, and a Post-Graduate qualification (higher degree), in Ecology or Environmental Education (both are required for the post)

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience teaching within a high-quality educational setting

• A track record of outstanding teaching and learning and an ability to create a caring and nurturing classroom environment

• Relevant leadership experience within an educational setting

Remuneration Package

Competitive salary, accommodation allowance, schooling for children, private medical insurance, annual airfares, and end of contract gratuity as per the UAE labour law.

Application:

To apply for this position, please complete the application on TES. 

The Arbor School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all the students in our care and expects all applicants to share this commitment. We hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. All appointments are subject to CV and qualification checking, interview, identity checks, criminal record checks, and successful references.

All appointments are subject to KHDA and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation approval.