Secondary Deputy Headteacher

Deputy Head of Secondary

Reporting to the Head of Secondary, the Deputy Head of Secondary will play a key strategic and operational leadership role within the school. The postholder will contribute significantly to driving school improvement, maintaining high standards, and ensuring an exceptional educational experience for all students.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote and uphold the ethos, vision and standards of excellence in line with the GEMS Core Values
• Embed and champion ‘The GFM Way’, ensuring it remains central to all school improvement work, with students at the heart of all decision-making
• Support the development and implementation of the school’s strategic and excellence plans, alongside key improvement initiatives
• Provide effective leadership and management of staff and students
• Ensure a high-quality educational experience that enables all students to achieve their full potential
• Foster a positive and responsive relationship with parents, ensuring a high standard of customer experience
• Drive high academic standards in alignment with the school’s ambitions and UAE National Agenda targets
• Contribute to the development of school aims, policies and systems, ensuring their effective implementation
• Monitor and evaluate progress towards school priorities and objectives
• Support the effective management of staff, resources and budgets
• Undertake teaching and other professional duties as delegated by the Principal

Leadership Qualities

The Deputy Head of Secondary will:

• Uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and ethical conduct
• Build and sustain positive, respectful relationships across the school and parent community
• Lead by example, modelling excellence in practice and behaviour
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and high expectations for all
• Act as a positive role model, reflecting the values and behaviours expected of students
• Contribute actively to the wider life and ethos of the school
• Treat all members of the school community with dignity and respect, maintaining appropriate professional boundaries

Key Areas of Responsibility

School Culture and Behaviour

• Champion and consistently uphold ‘The GFM Way’
• Promote a culture of excellence aligned with the GEMS Core Values
• Work collaboratively with the Head of School, Secondary Leadership Team and Vice Principal to develop high-quality, globally relevant teaching and learning practices
• Foster a positive, inclusive and enriching school environment for all students
• Promote high standards of behaviour through clear routines, expectations and consistent practice
• Ensure behaviour is managed fairly and effectively in line with school policies
• Maintain a strong culture of professionalism among staff

Teaching, Curriculum and Assessment

• Champion the ‘Teach Like a GEM’ approach
• Lead on instructional coaching and the use of Steplab to improve teaching practice
• Ensure consistently high-quality teaching across all subjects, grounded in evidence-based practice
• Promote strong subject expertise across the curriculum
• Develop and implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems to drive improvement
• Ensure a broad, balanced and coherent curriculum is delivered effectively
• Support and develop curriculum leadership, including subject leaders
• Ensure assessment practices are valid, reliable and support student progress

Inclusion (SEN and Disabilities)

• Promote an inclusive culture that enables all students to access the curriculum
• Maintain high expectations for students with additional needs
• Work closely with parents to identify needs and implement appropriate support and adaptations

Organisational Management and School Improvement

• Support the development and delivery of the school’s strategic direction in collaboration with leadership and governance
• Ensure effective systems, processes and policies are in place to support school operations
• Safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of students and staff
• Implement effective risk management processes
• Identify barriers to school effectiveness and lead appropriate improvement strategies
• Monitor, evaluate and review the impact of school improvement initiatives

Staff Management and Professional Development

• Line manage Assistant Headteachers and middle leaders, including performance management and appraisal
• Ensure staff have access to high-quality professional development opportunities
• Stay informed of developments in education and leadership practice
• Engage in continuous professional development to enhance leadership effectiveness

Governance and Partnerships

• Work effectively within governance frameworks, accepting accountability and responsibility
• Ensure staff understand and fulfil their professional responsibilities
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and statutory duties
• Build effective partnerships with other schools and organisations within the GEMS network and beyond
• Collaborate with colleagues and external partners to improve outcomes for students

Person Specification

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A recognised teaching qualification (e.g. B.Ed, PGCE, PGDE or equivalent)
• A minimum of five years’ teaching experience within a British curriculum school
• Proven experience in a leadership role
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusting, professional relationships
• A coaching approach to leadership and staff development
• A commitment to delivering outstanding teaching and learning
• The ambition to contribute to a world-class school environment and further their career
• Excellent IT and communication skills
• A creative, proactive and enthusiastic approach to school life, both inside and outside the classroom