Head of Inclusion - South Island School

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

South Island School seeks to appoint an outstanding Head of Inclusion. As Head of Faculty, your role will be to lead the Individual Needs faculty, in liaison with other senior colleagues, as well as to oversee our whole school provision for inclusion. Your overall goal will be to ensure that every student within the school is appropriately supported with their individual learning needs. You will report directly to a member of the South Island School Leadership Team; you will also liaise closely with relevant colleagues at ESF Centre, as well as with any external agencies, as may be necessary in support of individual students.

As a Head of Faculty, you will be a member of the Academic Standards Team (AST), with the role of ensuring that our collaborative academic decisions are suitably inclusive and mindful of the needs of all students. You will also have the responsibility of coaching and guiding staff in other faculties regarding the development of differentiated and inclusive teaching strategies, as we all work together towards the ESF vision for every student to be the best that they can be. The current Head of Faculty also line-manages the Head of EAL, ensuring that our programmes for learning support and language support are closely aligned.

The successful applicant will be a highly skilled practitioner in the area of special educational needs / learning support. You will have the ability to motivate, inspire and engage with students in creative and innovative ways, both within and outside the classroom. You will be a skilled manager and leader, with the capacity and experience not only to lead colleagues within the Individual Needs faculty, but also to successfully lead whole school initiatives. Like all staff, you will be strongly involved with our Tutorial Programme and Pastoral Learning Curriculum (PLC), and will be expected to contribute effectively to our Values in Action and Making a Difference extra-curricular programmes.

The position will be a full-time renewable contract for an initial two year period from August 2022. The role carries an additional TLR 1 allowance, as per the ESF Terms and Conditions .

The Role

The Head of Inclusion at SIS is expected to be committed and flexible. Regular duties include:

• Leading the whole school inclusion strategy, ensuring that all staff engage positively with students of all learning profiles, developing their pedagogical expertise to differentiate and include students with a range of learning profiles, and leading CPD where required;
• Liaising with outside agencies and other ESF colleagues, as may be necessary in the support of individual students;
• Leading the Individual Needs faculty strategically, to develop and sustain high standards, within a culture of collaborative and inclusive learning;
• Line-managing teachers within the faculty (including currently the Head of EAL), to facilitate high achievement and efficiency within the faculty team;
• Overseeing the work of the Educational Assistants (EAs) who support students with individual needs;
• Representing the faculty as a whole within the Academic Standards Team (AST), attending meetings and leading whole school initiatives as required – and ensuring an appropriate cascade of information to the faculty as a whole during weekly planning and meeting time;
• Overseeing the the planning, development and evaluation of schemes of learning for courses led within the faculty, in order to maximise positive outcomes;
• Maintaining a learning climate that is inclusive and safe, yet developmental and innovative, ensuring appropriate differentiation to meet the needs of students with all learning profiles;
• Ensuring that resources are managed effectively within the faculty, in compliance with school-wide and foundation-wide requirements relating to budgets, procurement processes and facilities management; 
• Ensuring appropriate assessment practices across the faculty, to support student progress and attainment;
• Ensuring regular celebration of achievements within the faculty, in liaison with the communications team;
• Working as a tutor for a group of students, within the Pastoral Learning Curriculum;
• Engaging actively with the Values in Action and Making a Difference extra-curricular programme.

Requirements

• A love of working with children, and a strong commitment to taking an inclusive approach to meet the needs of all students;
• A very high level of personal organisation;
• A degree in a relevant subject;
• An internationally recognised teaching qualification (i.e. a postgraduate teaching qualification, or an education degree);
• Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment and Access Arrangements (CPT3A);
• The ability to lead and inspire others and to manage a team effectively, showing excellent leadership, management and administrative skills;
• The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with teachers and other relevant professionals, parents and students;
• An understanding of current developments in inclusive teaching;
• Experience of a range of assessment strategies for identifying students’ individual needs and supporting learning;
• A commitment to pastoral care within the school;
• A commitment to developing students’ skills through extra-curricular opportunities.

For more information about South Island School, please click HERE .

Further Information

Further information can be found in the following locations:

South Island School website: https://www.sis.edu.hk

English Schools Foundation website: https://www.esf.edu.hk/

Please email the Principal’s PA, Ms Cecilia Lo, if you have any questions: celo@sis.edu.hk 

Closing Date: By 8am Hong Kong Time on Friday 21st January 2022.

To apply, please click HERE. 

We expect to interview shortlisted applicants during the week commencing 24th January. However, we reserve the right to interview and appoint an exceptional applicant prior to the closing date, therefore an early application is very strongly advised.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and offers may be extended prior to the job closing date.

By applying for this position, your application may be considered for other opportunities within ESF. 

ESF is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with the ESF's Personal Data Policy, a copy of which will be provided upon request.

Aligned with the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection.