Head of Secondary

The British College of Gava (www.bcgava.com) an IB World School, near Barcelona is seeking to appoint an exceptional full-time  Head of Secondary. The position is for September 2022, but we could wait until January 2023 for the right candidate. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of our new purpose built, expanding school with exceptional facilities.  We are looking for an enthusiastic and well organised individual with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to run the secondary school on a day to day basis. The successfull candidate will be highly organised, proactive 

There will be a small teaching requirement and we are open to teachers of any subject although experience of IGCSE and/or IBDP would be a distinctive advantage. We introduced IBDP in September 2021.  

The successful candidate will be a highly committed team player with the drive, energy and passion to develop this forward-looking school. Applicants must be willing to lead by example and play a full part in the school’s pastoral care with wider teacher responsibilities.   The deadline for applications is 30 June  but applicants could be contacted and interviewed as suitable CVs arrive so please apply early if you are interested in this role.  Please send a CV and accompanying letter of application to the Principal, Mr Simon Mower at principal@bcgava.com  or upload a CV and cover letter onto this portal. We will be conducting interviews online for those candidates not currently in the area

General responsibilities: 

Inspirational and Strategic Leadership

• Promote our mission, our vision of being a respected provider of education and our core values 
• Initiate, prioritize and lead Secondary School improvement activities through effective strategic leadership and planning which supports the vision, mission and values of BCG
• Communicate a clear view of the Secondary School’s aims so that all staff know what is required of them and are competent and committed to achieving the school’s goals
• Be receptive and respond to external evaluation of the school and manage the process professionally and very efficiently with your senior colleagues

Day to Day running of the school

• The Head of Secondary takes general responsibility for many undefined areas of school life; in general s/he is expected to take the initiative and contribute where necessary. 
• Manage  teacher absence, ensuring lessons are covered appropriately
• Manage the staff duty rota in close liaison with other Heads of Phase
• Organise Secondary Assembly rota
• Oversee the provision for student common rooms
• Manage library usage, in liaison with the librarian, especially  staff rotas etc that are required.
• Oversee the logistics of all Secondary School events in support of the person responsible for the event 
• Must be visible at the start and end of each day at the front of school
• Any other duties as deemed appropriate  and necessary by the school Principal

Managing staff

• Lead the team of tutors (Year 7 to Year 13) and support them in their pastoral care of the students
• Clearly and comfortably delegate work, trusting and empowering others to perform
• Provide regular feedback and motivation to others to successfully achieve their targets
• Encourage others to contribute, creating a spirit of teamwork and opportunities of cooperation and collaboration between departments
• Contribute time and expertise to the professional development of teachers and leaders
• In conjunction with the other members of SLT the Head of Secondary act as a formal and informal source of support for all teaching staff by making time to listen to colleagues, resolve disputes, arbitrate as necessary and address issues as and when they arise.  

Students

• Be responsible for the safety and well-being of all students through positive recognition and high expectations for behaviour and conduct
• Monitor and promote outstanding attendance and punctuality across the Secondary School
• Ensure relevant policies and procedures are communicated and enforced (behaviour policy, use of mobile phones, uniforms etc)
• Inform the Principal of any serious student incidents or parent concerns and work collaboratively with the SLT to resolve issues in a timely and respectful manner

Safeguarding

• Be proactive in helping the DSL and DDSL 
• Promote  a safe environment

Self-Evaluation and Improvement Planning

• Work collaboratively with external bodies and the Senior Leadership Team to achieve outstanding results on school accreditations, inspections and evaluations
• Ensure that all improvement activities are focused on creating impact and raising quality in the Secondary School
• Monitor and manage change quickly, flexibly and successfully.

Policies and procedures

• Work closely with the Principal and SLT to ensure that all policies, procedures and routines across the school are effective and efficient.
• Ensure accountability of the school’s actions and outcomes with regards to compliance and health and safety issues

Community

• Build and maintain relationships with Secondary School parents and the community by establishing regular and appropriate communications with all members of the school community
• Encourage positive and regular participation of Secondary School parents at school events
• Write a bi-weekly piece for the Newsletter, providing news of the Secondary School

Attributes

• This role requires high levels of discretion and confidentiality. 
• The post holder should have a proven record of positive influence within staff rooms  and will wholeheartedly support the Mission and Values of the school.
• Must be a collaborative team player, confident  speaker, empathetic listener, strategic thinker, must be able to convert vision into action, internationally minded.

Teaching Specifications:

UK Trained with qualified teacher status - essential

• Recognised Bachelor’s degree - essential
• Recognised Masters or post graduate qualification - desired
• Secondary school teaching experience - essential
• Knowledge and understanding of English National curriculum – essential
• Knowledge of the IB programmes – desirable
• Right to work in the EU - desirable but not essential

Compensation 

• 38,000 -42000 euros gross per annum, depending on qulaifications and experience. 
• Support finding accommodation and loans for deposit and advanced rent if required. 
• Local health care is excellent  
• Chromebook. 
• Temporary 4 night stay in local hotel on arrival