Head of Kindergarten/Foundation Stage

AHWe are currently looking to recruit a qualified Head of Kindergarten at GEMS Westminster School –RAK for an excellent British International School based in Ras Al Khaimah. The position is offered on a 2-year renewable contract from August 2019.

The position reports in to the Principal/ CEO.

The School

GEMS Westminster School, Ras Al Khaimah, is an English KG -12 English international school, who offers the National Curriculum for England and prepares students to take the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A Level Examinations (UK).

Our curriculum is founded on the four core values of Global Citizenship, Growing by Learning, Pursuing Excellence and Leading Through Innovation, which brings a breadth to the educational programme and extracurricular activities offered at GEMS Westminster School, RAK. Students effectively learn to apply skills for independent problem-solving, creative innovation, and success through teamwork, irrespective of the environment they originate from.

The Post: Head of Kindergarten/ Foundation Stage

We are looking for an outstanding Head of Kindergarten to join our team. The successful applicant will ideally be in post by August 2019.

The post holder will be responsible for leading the schools Vision and Mission as well as all policies, academic standards and pastoral support in the Primary School.

The post holder will deputise for the Principal/Vice Principal as required and assist in shaping and implementing the educational strategy of the school

• Initiate effort and energy beyond the typical work day, where the tasks require additional commitment.
• Attend staff meetings and serve on committees as required.
• Perform other duties as requested by direct & dotted reporting line managers / supervisors.
• Responsible for ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in the relevant subject area including overseeing the professional development of staff and keeping abreast of recent developments in the subject
• Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning and provide support and guidance to staff where appropriate. Set priorities and targets for the department.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

• To provide leadership, direction and management to ensure sustained improvement of the Foundation Stage.
• To share in and support the leadership of the school as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• To help lead the school in the policies and practices of continuous school improvement and staff development in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage.

MAIN DUTIES

• Take overall responsibility for the quality and standards of teaching and learning across the Foundation Stage, this to include providing analysis and reports to the Senior Leadership Team as required.
• To keep up to date with current developments in teaching and learning and in school improvement in the Early Years Foundation Stage and to share this with staff.
• To help to formulate the aims and objectives of the Early Years Foundation Stage and policies for their implementation.
• To play a major role in the development of high quality teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

This will include the monitoring of:

• Curriculum planning and the giving of feedback and advice as well as assisting and supporting colleagues with the planning and delivery of a differentiated curriculum.
• To lead the Early Years Foundation Stage team in the delivery of a creative and stimulating curriculum.
• To seek ways of sharing good practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage and to ensure dialogue about teaching and learning amongst school staff.
• To ensure that the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage including arrangements for assessment and moderation are met.
• To ensure appropriate support for individuals and groups of pupils based on assessment data.
• To ensure that all the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are able to learn and achieve to the best of their ability.
• To monitor and evaluate the impact of the policies, practices, targets and priorities in the Early Years Foundation Stage, identifying developments needed and working Leadership Team to achieve them.
• To ensure curricular policy development is focussed on continuous improvement.
• To share in and support the strategic leadership of the school and to bring out the potential for leadership in others.
• To be an excellent role model of outstanding practice to all staff.
• To act as a line manager for all staff in the Foundation Stage including performance management and ensuring individual professional development.
• To actively develop relationships with parents and the wider community

To be considered for this role, candidate must have:

Education:

Bachelor Degree in Early Years or related area, qualified teacher status and relevant experience

Experience:

Related experience in a school setting working with Early Years age children. Should have previous experience of leadership in other roles. Should have considerable experience in teaching EYs and in managing a class and teaching Early Years curricular

Competencies:

Strong communication skills, Inter-personal relationships, empathy, professionalism, high standard and expectations, strong EYs subject knowledge, be able to challenge underperformance positively, experience in successfully managing teams, strong knowledge of data, assessment and data analysis systems such as excel, be able to analysis and interpret data to support positive change, preferably knowledge of UAE and EYs international expectations from both senior leaders and parents, the ability to demonstrate strong pastoral care towards our staff and children, an outstanding EYs practitioner.

Attributes:

Collaborative team player, inspirational speaker, empathetic listener, integrity, strategic thinker, able to convert vision into action, internationally minded, emotional intelligence, intercultural awareness, creative, persuasive, flexible and capable of managing growth and instilling high standards, adept in multilingual settings, spirited, pioneering, professional and nurturing

Application Process:

If you meet these criteria, are enthusiastic about teaching and learning and have the drive and passion to get the most from our students then we would welcome your application.

To apply for these positions please visit our Careers site and apply online (Ref: 3990). 

Please ensure you have uploaded an up-to-date CV, formal letter of application and recent photograph.

Please note: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing date for applications will be 30th April 2019

Interviews will be held in person for UAE based candidates, and by Skype for those that aren't.

Important Note:

GEMS Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of its students. Applicants will be required to submit a current police criminal clearance check or equivalent from their home country or current country of residence prior to appointment.