Head of English as an Additional Language (EAL) – Whole School

GEMS Winchester School Fujairah (WSF) is a British Curriculum school, founded in September 2016. Located on a purpose-built, state of the art campus with excellent facilities, WSF has grown at a rapid rate to meet the needs of the local Emirati and international ex-patriate community. As an all-through school (currently reception to Year 10, but growing each year to incorporate a Sixth Form by 2020), WSF’s popularity is already evident with around 2000 students expected in September 2019.

This is a fantastic opportunity for teachers to start or continue their international career with a leading global company and world class international school located in this beautiful Emirate. Due to the continued success of the school and significant roll growth, we are looking for passionate, dynamic colleagues who are ambitious to join a company in GEMS that has a world class reputation for outstanding education, and a school that is ready to grow to meet our community’s needs.

Fujairah City itself is growing into the premier city on the beautiful eastern coast of the UAE. Fujairah is not Dubai(!), but it is a wonderful place to live. Although only an hour’s drive from that busy metropolis, Fujairah sits at the foot of the Hajar Mountains facing the Indian Ocean with some of the most beautiful coastline and spectacular scenery in the UAE. Its large port, one of the deepest in the world, is connected via an underground pipeline to Abu Dhabi and serves thousands of ships. Its Free Zone attracts many international businesses and trade is growing rapidly. People have been living in this region since Neolithic times; it is now ready to emerge into its new age of economic growth and prosperity. In ten years’ time, it will rival other famous UAE centres as an exciting modern city with a vibrant economy and culture. Today it boasts an enviable cost of living, and is a more laid-back place to live and work.

In return for your energy, resilience and experience, we offer you the opportunity to make a real impact on a developing community. You will work with the UAE’s largest and most successful education company in GEMS, which will support your professional and career development, and you will work with a supportive Senior Leadership Team at WSF who will help you develop your potential.

Head of EAL is a key whole-school (age 3-18) role leading the improvement of teaching standards and increasing student progress and attainment.

Academic and Pastoral Responsibilities:

• Supporting and liaising closely with SLT, middle leaders, SENCO, administrators and teachers
• Work directly with teachers to improve and develop their skills, knowledge and pedagogy so that student outcomes are improved
• Work directly with Section/Key Stage Leaders and Heads of Department to support the improvement of academic standards in every section of the school
• Work directly with other members of the SLT to support teaching and learning and provide regular updates and reports on students’ and teachers’ progress against agreed targets and actions
• Contribute to the induction of new teaching staff, and the Quality Assurance programme for new starters, and for those teachers who are below “good” in their lesson evaluations.
• Use mentoring/coaching methods to develop reflective practice in others and encouraging the use of new learning strategies related to EAL
• Conduct frequent and regular supportive observations and set up actions plans as required
• Play an active role in the teaching, learning and assessment quality assurance process as appropriate and when required
• Teach specialist EAL or intensive English classes as required
• Lead all colleagues towards continuous improvement in the teaching of EAL, including teachers, teaching assistants, and learning support assistants, as required
• Play a central role in the WSF Admissions process in making observations, assessments and recommendations
• Attend external events, take part in peer reviews, and be proactive in developing own continuous professional development
• Plan and lead sessions on EAL for staff CPD, identifying team training and specific topics
• Identify areas of good practice and develop and share resources through the staff intranet and by attending team meetings
• Develop, promote and involve teaching staff in creative initiatives to share good practice
• Support Teachers in the development of pedagogy supportive of teaching in an EAL learning environment
• Monitor and drive improvements in the quality of written (marking) and verbal feedback to learners
• Ensure that the curriculum is supported and underpinned by effective schemes of work, assignment planners and well-differentiated planning of lessons
• Ensuring that all documentation supporting teaching, learning and assessment (schemes of work, lesson plans) meets the standards laid down by GEMS
• Liaise with the Head of Primary and Head of Secondary to ensure that EAL is a prominent and important component of the appraisal (PDP) of all teachers, and that observation outcomes inform appraisal action plans
• Implement internal inspection processes in those areas deemed to be at risk. This will include carrying out documentation audits, management of the process, feedback of outcomes to appropriate leaders and teams and providing a written report to SLT
• Ensure the development of all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment related to EAL identified in the MOE National Inspection Framework (feedback to learners, setting high expectations, meeting learner needs, promoting differentiation and Equality and Diversity)

General Responsibilities:

• Promote and model the Code of Conduct and GEMS Core Values
• Undertake other professional duties as reasonably delegated by Line Manager (LM) such as: teaching, recruitment, cover, after-school duty, ASP, MOE formalities, covering for LM when absent, inspection preparation, SEF, SDP, etc.
• Promote the school positively with community and GEMS while maintaining complete confidentiality
• Respect local culture, customs and laws
• Meet deadlines as requested by LM
• Lead on the development of EAL teaching and learning, focusing on pedagogy, standards and progress
• Ensure academic excellence in internal and external assessments.
• Contribute to the professional development programme to ensure high quality learning and teaching
• Be a part of a thriving Leadership Team focusing on the whole –school environment
• Promote the school to all stakeholders and the wider community.
• Follow, support and help to develop all of the School’s aims, its vision, improvement plans, policies and practices.

The successful applicant will have the following:

• A certified teaching qualification, such as B.Ed, PGCE, PGDE or equivalent.
• A specific qualification relating to the teaching of English as a second or additional language
• The desire to provide Outstanding teaching and learning
• Aspiration to work in a world class school with real prospects for enhancing their career
• At least 2 years of post-qualifying experience

GEMS WSF will offer a competitive, tax-free remuneration package to a suitably qualified candidate. To be considered for this vacancy, please click on the following link and complete the short application.

Application Process

To apply for the above role, please visit our careers site and apply online using the following link

https://careers.gemseducation.com/gems/VacancyDetail.aspx?VacancyID=141264&ChannelID=2964

Should you be unable to access this link, you can visit our careers site

https://careers.gemseducation.com

and search Ref: 4044 in the “Keywords” box

Closing date is Sunday 26th May 2019. Early applications are strongly encouraged. Applications will be considered when submitted. GEMS WSF reserves the right to appoint a preferred candidate in advance of the published closing date for this position.