Head of Secondary

Reference : TBIS-TEA-01978

We are seeking applications from suitably qualified and experienced leaders to serve as Head of Secondary at The  British International School Bratislava. The successful candidate will join an established leadership team that comprises the Principal, the Business Manager, the Head of Primary and the Deputy Heads of the Primary and Secondary schools.

Founded in 1997, the School enjoys its position as the leading international school in Slovakia with a track record of high academic success and student achievement. There are currently over seven hundred students enrolled from over forty five different countries with the expectation for continuing growth in the years ahead.  Achievement levels in all Key stages are well above UK national averages and last year over 16% of our students achieved over 40 points in the IB Diploma and two scored 45!  We have high expectations of ourselves and others genuinely believing that all of us can always do better.

As a member of Nord Anglia Education , The  British International School Bratislava enjoys its place within the family caring for over thirty four thousand students in forty two schools worldwide.  We are driven by one unifying philosophy – we are ambitious for our students, our people and our family of schools. We believe that there is no limit to what our students can achieve and our approach supports every child to succeed academically, socially and personally.

The successful candidate will share these same ambitions and have the energy and commitment to make the very best use of all resources available within the School and group to maximise the learning for all in the Secondary School .

The Position

General responsibilities:

As a member of Senior Leadership Team with operational responsibility for the Secondary School the postholder is accountable to the Principal while also reporting within the leadership team who share responsibility to realise the School’s strategic plan.

More specifically they will:

1. Deputise for the Principal in her absence on occasion and represent her as appropriate.
2. Liaise with the Principal and other members of the ‘Leadership Team’ on all relevant matters in the interests of the effective running of the school.
3. Help realise the aims of the school by contributing strongly to the work of various meetings and task groups and by providing leadership, advice and support for colleagues, most particularly middle managers within their areas of corporate responsibility.
4. Oversee efforts to support, maintain and enhance the positive image and ethos of the school.
5. Assist in monitoring, evaluating and raising standards in the school even further.
6. Work with the Principal in supporting effective communication and delegation throughout the school.
7. Work through the Principal in servicing the work of the Company. Particularly, in providing upon request from the Principal written reports, data or advice relating to their particular areas of responsibility.
8. Act as an exemplary model to all staff in terms of outstanding teaching practice and classroom management.
9. Set a good example in terms of dress, punctuality, attendance, positive engagement and professional relations among all staff.
10. Attend and participate in ’out-of-hours school events.
11. Share the responsibility for maintaining a management presence/contact for the school in holiday time.
12. To contribute to the Performance Management and Review process.

Specific responsibilities:

1. Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

• To develop a framework in conjunction with the appropriate staff whereby the secondary curriculum will be determined, implemented and evaluated, with appropriate links made to the primary curriculum. To conduct a regular curriculum evaluation
• To consult with Heads of Department/Faculty over the most effective and comprehensive deployment of staff and be responsible for compiling, presenting and updating a co-ordinated curriculum and timetable for students, staff and teaching space.  Note: there is currently a member of staff in place responsible for the timetable who supports the Head of Secondary and Primary.
• To be responsible for (or to have oversight of) co-ordinating and scheduling staff cover and room changes as required.
• To ensure that the fullest information about the curriculum is made accessible to students, staff, parents, the Company Education Director and other interested parties. This to include the production of up to date curriculum booklets to accompany job details when teaching posts are advertised.
• To organise and oversee the Options system with a particular emphasis on ensuring that each pupil retains a course of study which provides for breadth and balance as well as reflecting individual interests and aspirations.
• To ensure that departmental schemes of work are regularly reviewed and updated as appropriate and to maintain an up to date reference copy of each active scheme of work.
• To work with Heads of Departments/Faculties in co-ordinating and encouraging cross curricular links.
• To monitor and evaluate curriculum provision for the most and the least able and in particular to work with the Learning Co-ordinator in providing appropriately differentiated access to the curriculum for these children.
• To seek to enhance and develop curriculum links with both our primary and university/college partners in order to underpin both continuity and progression.
• To be responsible for overseeing and controlling the curriculum budget.
• To be responsible for the development and use of ICT in teaching and learning.
• To support existing links with parents, chair the Secondary Parent’s Forum and develop ways to enhance secondary parent involvement in the school.
• To manage and control the secondary school trips budget to ensure that as many pupils as possible benefit from educational visits. To liaise with the Educational Visits Coordinator on the smooth running of visit preparation and risk assessment.
• To maintain oversight and development, in conjunction with the Deputy Head Secondary of the school’s systems for assessment including iSAMS, reports to parents and Pastoral files.
• To develop and regularly evaluate, an objective reporting system to parents and students.
• To be specifically responsible for checking and overseeing the final copy of reports that goes to secondary parents.
• To be responsible for the production of examination results analysis documents for iGCSE and IB and for ensuring that departmental action plans are updated appropriately in line with these analysis documents.
• To maintain the school profile document
• To work with the Deputy Head of Secondary in :

developing and maintaining a central individual pupil record in order that the school may effectively track individual pupil progress, determine potential and set individual and realistic targets for improvement.

2. Quality Assurance Systems.

To oversee and co-ordinate systems for quality management of teaching and learning in the school. In particular to track quality initiatives and regularly inform the Leadership Team of emerging strengths and weaknesses within existing policies and procedures. Specific responsibilities in this area will include:

• ensure adherence in all areas of the school to the teaching and learning policies and oversee a framework for regular departmental self-review
• the collection, collation and interpretation of data in order to set realistic targets for individual staff, departments and the whole school in response to any specific improvement initiative.
• analysis of data and provision of appropriate reports for SLT , SAPB and NAE snap shot visits.
• regular review of departmental handbooks and policies relating to teaching and learning

3. Continued Professional Development.

• To evaluate the school development plan and ensure provision of the appropriate INSET required to meet the targets (secondary) set therein having regard to the proper and most cost effective deployment of the training budget.
• To co-ordinate the secondary school INSET programme and provide planned support for all staff (including non-teaching staff) and to provide particular and specialist support for newly qualified teachers.
• To encourage, co-ordinate and service longer term INSET leading to further professional qualification e.g. Masters programmes, NPQH, Middle and Senior Leader programmes etc.
• To act as ‘Professional Tutor’ and to co-ordinate and develop support programmes for teachers experiencing professional difficulties or challenging circumstances at both an informal and formal level.
• To co-ordinate the administration and maintenance of the Performance Management System in secondary through Blue Sky.

4. Day to Day operations

• To maintain the smooth every day running of the secondary school, liaising with the Head of Primary, the Business Manager and Deputy Head of Primary and Secondary as appropriate.
• To coordinate (with the Deputy Head) lead and organise Secondary assemblies, encouraging other staff and students to participate.
• To ensure that the necessary preparations are in order for meetings and events which involve secondary staff, students or parents. This included the termly meeting calendar.
• To ensure continuity of parent drop-ins and development teams.
• To provide a weekly bulletin paper for secondary staff and to ensure that appropriate information is communicated to secondary parents through the newsletter.
• To check all communications to secondary parents sent on behalf of the school.

In conjunction with the Head of Primary:

• To ensure Health and Safety for staff, pupils and visitors and the security of the school, working at an operational level particularly with the Head of CSP, the Health and Safety representative, the School Nurse and the Educational Visits Coordinator.
• To work with the Senior Administrative Assistant in updating the Staff Handbook annually and reviewing the contents in response to changed circumstances as soon as possible following the changes. Additionally to ensure that each member of staff has access to a current  hard copy of the handbook as well as the on-line version and is aware of the importance of familiarity with its contents.
• To create and oversee a framework to develop and review all school policy documents as appropriate. (This does not include policies for subjects in the curriculum which remain the responsibility of Heads of Department/Faculty or policies relating to employment and conditions of service which remain the responsibility of the Principal).

Note: the Head of Secondary will be supported by other staff in timetabling, cover, room scheduling, administrative tasks.

Person Specification:

The post will suit someone who has an awareness of the academic and social pressures on young adults and skill in establishing a relationship of mutual trust and respect with them. At the same time the successful candidate will enjoy good relationships with colleagues whilst also being able to coordinate, motivate, lead and manage them. The post requires someone who shows attention to detail, processes, policy and required administrative procedures yet can also be flexible and think ‘on their feet’. The successful candidate will be an informed and reflective practitioner who creates positive learning environments which motivate and challenge all learners to “be ambitious”. He/she will be energetic, possess a good sense of humour and have the ability to be calm, firm and cheerful when dealing with staff, parents and students. An aptitude to think strategically is essential, as well as have a strong presentation and excellent ICT skills.  Although experience in International education and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is desirable it is by no means essential.

Accountability: The Head of Secondary is directly accountable to the Principal.

Time Allowance: The Head of Secondary will teach approximately a 30% timetable.

Closing date: Friday 19th February 2016

We would expect to hold long-list interviews by telephone or Skype and to hold short list interviews here in Bratislava.

https://www.jobtrain.co.uk/NORDANGLIA5/displayjob.aspx?jobid=2334