Founding International Head of School
Mountain Kingston Bilingual School Suzhou
Suzhou
- Expired
- Salary:
- Competitive
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- September 2022 / January 2023
- Apply by:
- 18 July 2022
Job overview
This is an excellent opportunity to be the founding International Head of School of a new bilingual school developed in a partnership between Kingston Grammar School in the UK and the Mountain Education Group of China. The school will be in the vibrant and educationally important Tier 1 City of Suzhou, 100km west of Shanghai.
Kingston Grammar School can trace its origins back to the thirteenth century and today is known for its outstanding academic results and its commitment to a truly holistic education. KGS is now committed to international expansion in a way that brings together the needs of students and the local culture with the ethos and values that have been central to KGS’s history of success. Mountain Education Group is an established premium school provider in China that already operates a highly successful bilingual school in Shanghai and has ambitious plans for a footprint in other major Chinese cities.
Kingston Grammar School and Mountain Education Group have agreed a comprehensive agreement that is clear about respective responsibilities and draws on the respective strengths and best interests of each partner. Mountain Kingston Bilingual School, for up to 2,300 students, will be the first fruit of this collaboration. It will offer the Chinese national curriculum in Years 1–9, a Kindergarten/Early Years programme that draws on both British and Chinese traditions, and IGCSE and A-level in the High School. It will be a predominantly day school but with boarding provision for about 400 students.
The International Head opportunity will suit an experienced school leader with a track record of working in outstanding schools, a deep understanding of and commitment to a British independent education in the context of China, and a fascination with the potential for international and bilingual education in the country. Candidates will need a first-class intellect, excellent educational and strategic leadership capabilities, the tenacity and creativity required in a founding situation and the flexibility of thinking and cultural curiosity to operate in the fast-paced and often changing environment of bilingual education in China. The International Head will work closely with a Chinese Head and colleagues in KGS International and at KGS in the UK.
Suzhou is a beautiful city – ‘the Venice of the East’ – that has been rated as the best city in China for expatriate living. It combines a rich history with a contemporary reputation for education, technology and innovation.
The International Head will benefit from a very competitive remuneration package and the support and reassurance that comes from a carefully thought-through partnership and governance structure.
The school will soft launch in 2022 with an intake into the Kindergarten and Primary School and significant growth from 2023 onwards. The International Head is required for September 2022 or, at the latest, January 2023.
For an initial, confidential discussion about the position, please contact Jean Sullivan, Head of International Search at jeansullivan@rsacademics.com
To apply and for further candidate information, including a detailed candidate information brochure, please visit www.rsacademics.com
Closing date: Monday 18 July 2022 at 10:00 (UK) / 17:00 (China)
This is a re-run process, and interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Preliminary interviews will commence in advance of the application deadline.
Mountain Kingston Bilingual School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to act in accordance with the school’s policies and guidelines. The successful applicant will be required to undergo all checks relevant to the post. The post is also subject to satisfactory references and a medical.
RSAcademics is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
The safeguarding responsibilities of this post are detailed in the candidate information brochure.
About Mountain Kingston Bilingual School Suzhou
- Mountain Kingston Bilingual School Suzhou
- No. 1371, Yuyao Road, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou City
- Jiangsu Province
- China
Founded in 2022, Mountain Kingston Bilingual School Suzhou (MKBS) draws on over four centuries of rich Kingston Grammar School heritage, combined with the innovation and cutting-edge facilities provided by Mountain Education Group, with a curriculum that is academically rigorous and where the education of the whole child is seen as critical. Wellbeing programmes and the wide range of co-curricular opportunities available to all children encourage academic, physical, social and emotional growth.
Suzhou is a beautiful city – ‘the Venice of the East’ – that has been rated as the best city in China for expatriate living. It combines a rich history with a contemporary reputation for education, technology and innovation. MKBS covers an area of 100 acres in the city of Suzhou, with total investment of 1 billion RMB. The school has a beautiful environment and has been listed on the "2022 Hurun Hundred Schools · China International School Beautiful Campus Top 20" list, ranking third in China and first in Jiangsu Province. MKBS has purpose-built, world-class and state-of-the-art facilities, which include a swimming pool, a 1000 seat theatre, a 3-court gym, a fitness studio, a dance studio, a full-size outdoor football/rugby pitch, Mac suites, woodwork and metalwork rooms, science laboratories, a video production suite with green room and a black box theatre.
The architectural design of the school adheres to the core spirit of openness, sharing and communication, based on the principle of "learner centred", so that the campus architecture and various functions meet the needs of the school's curriculum teaching and achieve the implicit curriculum function of promoting students' physical and mental development in the campus environment.
MKBS is an all-through K-12 private bilingual school that encompasses the curriculum and instruction of four school phases: kindergarten, primary, middle and upper school. At the kindergarten level, the school offers an integrated curriculum; primary and middle school (grades 1-9) classes follow the Chinese National Curriculum and is augmented by an international curriculum; in the upper school (grades 10-12), the school offers distinct pathways for the international upper school and the domestic upper school. The international upper school provides education that leads to IGCSE and A-Level qualifications, supplemented with a rich and diversified Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Moral and Social Sciences (MSS) programme.
MKBS follows the requirements of the Chinese National Curriculum, combined with the National Curriculum of England, and takes into account the diverse and personalised needs of our students. MKBS is a Cambridge Examinations (CAIE) Centre and offers the International Award (Duke of Edinburgh Award). There are three major series of bilingual courses in MKBS, namely basic courses, extended courses and customised courses. The school also prides itself on a wide range of Extra-Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities such as robotics, rowing, debate, football, swimming, The purpose is to emphasise children's comprehensive development, cultivate their autonomy and lay a solid foundation for lifelong learning.
The remuneration package for staff is generous with excellent accommodation, medical and other benefits. For more information please access our website at www.mbschool.cn.
MKBS is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment.
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