Head of Secondary

School Information 

Oporto British School, established in 1894, is the longest-established British School in continental Europe. Located in the beautiful suburb of Foz, where the River Douro meets the Atlantic Ocean, and in easy reach of downtown Porto, the school has approximately 290 students in its secondary school, with 570 students overall. The Secondary Section encompasses Forms 6-12 (UK Years 7-13), offering the UK National curriculum in KS3, Cambridge IGCSE and IBDP in the sixth form. We are the only IBDP school in Northern Portugal. 

The school is seeking an experienced, measured, dynamic and forward-looking leader with a passion for education to lead the Secondary Section forward in its next phase of development. 

The Position  

The Head of Secondary reports directly to the Head of School and is a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The Head of Secondary, with the help of the Secondary Extended Leadership Team, helps to develop and realise the school's mission and vision, through the implementation and constant monitoring of its academic programmes. The Head of Secondary is also expected to monitor and manage staff performance. 

A key School Management position, the Head of Secondary has responsibility for bringing to life the school’s Vision and Values through the leadership and coordination of the Secondary section. 

Key responsibilities and duties: 

Leadership 

• To be a key contributing and collaborative member of the school Senior Leadership Team. 
• To inspire, motivate and influence staff and students, taking a leading role in maintaining the highest standards of teaching and learning and behaviour management.  
• To provide leadership, mentoring and coaching to support the professional development of staff and create a vibrant learning environment for all. 
• To manage change and improvement. 
• To contribute to the setting of the school’s vision, values and strategy. 

Management 

• To be responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day administration and organisation of the Secondary Section.  
• Provide educational and administrative leadership for the members of the Secondary Section teaching staff and supervise their work. 
• To collaborate with the Head of Primary and Professional Development Coordinator, and the Head of Co-Curriculum and Accreditation Coordinator in ensuring a cohesive, whole-school approach to the school’s educational offering.  
• To assist the Head of School in the school self-review, evaluation and quality assurance in the effective planning and management of school resources to secure improvements. 
• To play a significant role in setting aims and objectives for the Secondary Section while participating in the development of the Whole School Strategic Plan, together with the Head of School and other senior staff. 
• To lead the Secondary Section in raising the quality of teaching and learning by leading the Section’s appraisal and performance management programmes, delivering CPD, working with individuals and teams in a variety of professional development activities, and monitoring the Secondary section assessment, reporting and quality assurance systems. 

Teaching & Learning 

• To ensure the promotion of a positive and innovative learning environment, where students are able to reach their full potential, and learning is engaging and challenging.
• To be responsible for curriculum priorities, review, development, implementation and documentation, identifying particular needs for students.
• To lead the continued development of the curriculum from Forms 6 to 12 (UK Years 7 to 13).
• To be highly ICT-literate and able to contribute to the strategic development of digital education within the school.
• To oversee options for Further Education, student assessment and reporting, and feedback for learning, including parent-teacher student conferences.
• To analyse annual examination results and create action plans, if needed, together with Heads of Department. 

Staff evaluation and professional development 

• To ensure the roll-out of a positive and supportive model for staff evaluation and development; 
• To liaise with the Head of School on matters of staff performance, staff appraisal and evaluations it applies to Secondary School; 
• To create conditions conducive to team building, staff welfare and pastoral care; 
• To monitor, support and supervise staff in conjunction with Academic and Pastoral Coordinators, the Head of Learning Development and Heads of Department. 

Experience:

• A proven and effective team player within the context of senior leadership of a school, with a track record of managing change and improvement; 
• Evidence of an appetite for innovation and its contextualised introduction; 
• Evidence of experience with pertinent curricular development and implementation; 
• Evidence of the pursuit of professional development appropriate to this role. 

Our Offer: 

• An enthusiastic learning community of students, teachers, parents and Board members, who are all dedicated to maximising student achievement for each and every child, and to creating positive learning opportunities within and beyond the classroom.  
• Working within a team of highly driven and supportive colleagues. 
• An attractive remuneration package for international schools in Portugal. 
• Generous assistance with relocation, generously subsidized places at the school for accompanying children, and excellent professional development opportunities. 

How to apply: 

If you feel you meet the above requirements, and wish to apply for this position, please submit an application via the school website - https://www.obs.edu.pt/application-for-employment/; we will not consider applications which do not follow this process. Upon application, further information about the school will be sent to you. 

Closing date for applications Friday 6th October. 

Initial interviews will be held online, with shortlisted candidates visiting the school in November 2023.

Please note that in line with the school’s safer recruitment policy, online search checks will be carried out in advance of any interviews.

Please visit www.obs.edu.pt for further information on the school.   

Oporto British School is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and all applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and DBS or national/international equivalent. 

Oporto British School is an Equal Opportunities employer.