Principal

Are you a dynamic, enthusiastic and experienced school leader, interested in a challenging new opportunity overseas? Or do you know somebody who is? If so, you will be interested in this fantastic opportunity.

The Governing Board of the British International School of Ljubljana, Slovenia is looking for an exceptional School Principal to lead and inspire the school in the next stage of its development.

The British International School of Ljubljana (BISL) (http://www.britishschool.si/) is a fast-growing British-style school serving students from over 30 nationalities in the capital of beautiful Slovenia, Europe's "hidden jewel". Classes are small and the students are eager to learn. BISL is an accredited member of COBIS and has recently undergone a successful British Schools Overseas inspection. It is also approved and a registered by the Cambridge and AQA Examination Boards for iGCSE and A-Levels. Many of our students achieve outstanding results and go on to study in the world's top universities. As a result of strong demand, the school is due to significantly expand its capacity from September 2018 with the addition of a purpose-built classroom block with outstanding facilities.

BISL is part of the Orbital Education Group, an expanding group of international schools providing a British-style education to an internationally diverse student population. Orbital Education owns and operates schools in East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. Orbital Education oversees and supports its schools from the UK, providing initiatives for system and quality development as well as opportunities for collaboration between schools and staff development and progression within the network.

About the Role

In this role, you will be responsible for providing inspirational and engaging leadership which drives continual improvement and the delivery of high quality education to all students across the school.

Alongside other senior colleagues, stakeholders, and executives, you will be responsible for the school's development plan and vision, to ensure all actions and outcomes are owned and actioned, and all pupils and staff are empowered to excel and surpass expectations.

The role requires an individual who can successfully motivate and manage staff by delegating responsibility, setting clear expectations and targets and evaluating staff performance against them. It is a job which requires an impactful presence in school and in the local community, to develop and promote the school's brand, reputation, and service offering.

About the Person

The ideal candidate for this exciting but challenging role will be able to demonstrate:

• A passion and a drive for excellence at all levels
• A proven track record of achievement in senior leadership positions in educational institutions
• Substantial experience of working in a British international school environment outside the UK in a multi-lingual multi-cultural setting
• The ability to lead change and achieve sustained improvements through engagement with stakeholders
• The ability to work collaboratively with peers towards the achievement of common goals

The Location

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a hidden jewel. Compact, easy to get around with a dreamy central European character in winter yet relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere in summer.

It is a vibrant city of creativity where cultural activity is a way of life with music, theatre and art events all year round. The country is steeped in history from Roman times to medieval castles and Baroque buildings. Its countryside is extremely diverse. It borders alpine mountains, has thick forests with hiking and biking trails, historic cities and a short coastline on the Adriatic. It is a small country and it is possible to be on a beach in the morning, have a leisurely (small) glass of excellent local wine at lunchtime, and go skiing in the afternoon!

Slovenia had always been the most prosperous region of the former Yugoslavia and found the transition to a free market economy relatively straightforward. In 2004 it joined the EU and NATO and in 2007 became the first of the EU new member states to join the Eurozone. The country is known to its frequent and loyal visitors as "Switzerland on the cheap". It is undoubtedly one of the prettiest locations to live and work in Central Europe with easy connections to places such as Venice, Vienna and Salzburg.

The nearby airports of Ljubljana, Trieste, Venice and Zagreb offer excellent connections with the rest of Europe and further afield.

How to Apply

If this post describes the school that you would like to lead and develop, then we would welcome an application from you.

Interested candidates should download the job profile and person specification, and submit any application by e-mail, which should include a CV with a photograph, a letter of application and the names and email contacts of three referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer and one must be from the UK. You should also include a covering letter which should detail how your experience, knowledge and skills match those of the ideal candidate, as set out above, and within the role profile (Select 'Download PDF' below).

Applications should be submitted to: principal.2018.ljubljana@orbital.education

In your application, please state whether you are available to start in either August/September 2018 or January 2019.

Initial selection interviews with qualified candidates will take place via Skype on a rolling basis as soon as applications are received. Although the closing date for applications is the 28/2/2018, we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier upon the right candidate being found. We therefore urge interested applicants to apply without delay.

As part of the school's commitment to safeguarding children and young people, all post-holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS and Prohibition Checks where appropriate or Criminal Records (Police Check) disclosure from their most recent country of residence.

The British International School of Ljubljana, Slovenia
www.britishschool.si