Vice Principal of Primary School
UWC South East Asia, East Campus
Singapore
- Expired
- Job type:
- Full Time, Fixed Term
- Apply by:
- 24 April 2018
Job overview
East Campus
UWCSEA has a vacancy for August 2018 (but will consider a January 2019 start for the right candidate) at its East Campus for a Vice Principal of Primary School. The Vice Principal is one of the pedagogical leaders within the Junior School. The Vice Principal, working with other members of the Primary Leadership Team, is responsible to the Principal of Primary School for the learning programme in the Primary School.
The Vice Principal has shared responsibility for the quality of learning and for the recruitment and professional practice of its personnel. The Vice Principal will also work as a member of the East Campus Leadership Team to ensure unity of purpose within the Campus and the College as a whole.
The Context
UWCSEA welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. UWC South East Asia is committed to safeguarding our students and protecting them from harm. In keeping with the expectation that all staff and volunteers share this commitment, those applying for a position at the College must be willing to undergo employment background checks and screening appropriate to the post.
If you have a strong sense of adventure and an exceptional level of commitment to teaching and learning, UWCSEA might be the perfect next step for you.
Here are some reasons why:
- You can be part of the College at an exciting time in its development. The implementation of our bespoke College-wide curriculum, the integration of technology into teaching and learning, and a significant focus on educating for ethical dispositions are just some of the exciting initiatives our staff are currently involved in.
- As a non-profit organisation, we invest a percentage of income into scholarships for approximately 100 students each year. These scholars come from a wide variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. You can teach and learn from these exceptional students.
- Our academic results are outstanding, but our focus on holistic education means teachers are involved in all aspects of the programme. At UWCSEA you can take students trekking in the Himalayas or kayaking in Thailand, building houses in Cambodia or skiing in Switzerland. Equally, you can support them in making real connections with the local community, working with children with multiple disabilities or teaching life skills to domestic workers who have been the victims of violence. All our students and teachers, from Kindergarten 1 to Grade 12 are involved in our activities, outdoor education and service programmes.
- We provide a professional learning programme that brings international experts to the school and supports teachers in their professional learning journey.
Person specification
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A degree and professional teaching qualification is essential: a higher degree is desirable
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Knowledge of international curricula, concept based teaching, learning and assessment
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Proven ability to develop and lead talented staff and high achieving students in an International School context
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Passion for international education
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Understanding of leadership to improve teaching and learning
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Awareness of current issues and trends in education
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Understanding of the principles of organizational culture and behaviour
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Honesty, integrity, compassion, and a good sense of humour
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Ability to develop a sense of community and generate trust with all constituent groups
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Strong organizational and proven problem-solving skills
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Excellent self-management skills
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Understanding of the place of technology within the school environment
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Fluency in English and excellent communication skills: written, spoken and in presentations
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Academic expectations include enthusiastic participation in Professional Learning, both that which is mandated by the College and that which is identified by the teacher.
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Teachers should be willing and eager to participate in the five key elements of a UWCSEA education: Academic; Personal & Social Education; Service; Activities; Outdoor Education.
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On average the College expects a yearly contribution of two sessions per week in each season to Activities and/or Service.
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The College expects that teachers will participate enthusiastically in the curricular Outdoor Education experiences which are relevant to their students and will also occasionally volunteer for holiday Outdoor Education trips.
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Applicants should be enthusiastic about teaching within a multi-cultural environment.
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Flexibility of approach, a collaborative style and a good sense of humour are essential.
Responsibilities
The main focus for the VP Primary School is to ensure that the pastoral and curricular needs of the students and teachers are met, and to assist the Principal in creating and maintaining a spirit within the Primary School that supports students to be happy and perform at their very best. The VP Primary School will work with and support the Heads of Grade to develop and manage the staff and students within their Grades.
- Assisting the Principal with the implementation of the College mission, ethos and values, throughout the school.
- Assisting in the annual process of recruitment
- Developing and communicating the Strategic Plan
- Assisting staff with pastoral needs, including discipline issues
- Developing and ensuring the quality of our UWCSEA curriculum
- Assisting staff with curricular needs, including implementation of new initiatives
- Monitoring the quality of all Junior School expeditions
- Monitoring the quality of teaching and learning
- Supporting the Professional Learning Programme (PLP)
- Coordinating the Junior School components of on-campus events
- Working with the Principal to ensure that there is continual professional learning for teachers
- Deputising for the Principal in his/her absence
Logistics (in collaboration with the Principal)
- Liaising with the Timetable Manager in the production of the Junior School timetable.
- Contribute to the compilation of the Academic Calendar
- Collaboration with the Principal in the organising of School Orientation Evenings and assuring input of pastoral care into presentations.
- Creation and management of duty roster for teachers and teacher assistants
- Ensuring evacuation procedures are up-to-date, adequate to the school’s needs and are communicated to all concerned.
Administrative
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Making sure student records are kept up to date and inclusions such as file notes are completed and followed up.
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Coordinating reports, including guidance on timing and assistance with checking and distribution and follow-up with staff.
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Supervision of the Junior School Office secretaries in terms of responsibilities and time management.
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Ensuring that curriculum policies and documentation are updated regularly and made accessible to all Junior School staff.
Attached documents
About UWC South East Asia, East Campus
About UWCSEA and the UWC movement
The pursuit of the UWC mission to unite people nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future is at the heart of the College. As the largest of the 17 UWC schools and colleges worldwide, UWCSEA in Singapore has over 5,600 day and boarding students enrolled across two campuses, aged 4 to 18 years. Our concept-based K-12 curriculum leads to the IB Diploma in the final two years of schooling.
Our vision is to be a leader in international education, with a worldwide reputation for providing a challenging, holistic values-based education with an emphasis upon academic achievement, service to others, teamwork and leadership.
In the pursuit of this vision, we provides teachers with a dynamic and challenging a professional life based upon our values. Our staff are innovative, experienced and deeply committed to student learning. The learning at UWCSEA extends throughout the College community as our staff are active and collaborative learners themselves.
UWCSEA guiding statements
We are a mission-driven organisation with a strong commitment to the educational principles of Kurt Hahn, our founder, and a passionate belief in the importance of education as a force for good in the world.
We believe that learning is a life-long process in which learners engage with and reflect upon information and experiences to construct new or modify existing understanding as well as develop and apply skills and qualities.
This definition of learning and our learning principles guide our educational practice across all five elements of the UWCSEA learning programme. Our commitment to a holistic education results in the provision of an extensive range of experiential and service-based programmes across five elements of this learning programmes: academics, activities, outdoor education, personal and social education and service.
UWCSEA's learning programme and curriculum
Our UWCSEA learning programme is based around five interlinking elements. The rigorous academics, combined with a unique outdoor education programme, extensive activities and meaningful service, are underpinned by a supportive pastoral care programme. Students participate in all five elements of the programme throughout their time at the College, and the elements will have varying importance at different times in their journey through UWCSEA.
The learning programme delivers UWCSEA's unique, concept-based curriculum which has been articulated for each element of the learning programme across K-12. This means that from K1 to Grade 12, each curriculum area (or subject) has standards, which identify key concepts that underpin that curriculum area. These standards are applied at all grade levels and build naturally in complexity through the Infant, Junior, Middle and High Schools, culminating in the IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12.
In turn, each standard has conceptual understandings that describe what a student should understand as a result of studying a particular content area. They are statements of understanding that are appropriate to a student’s developmental stage, and build towards the standard.
Benchmarks are then attached to each conceptual understanding. The benchmarks describe what a student should know, understand or be able to do at each stage of their learning in each subject. These benchmarks are what our teachers assess to ensure that students are reaching the conceptual understanding and are working towards the standards.
In the High School, the standards, conceptual understandings and benchmarks specifically take into account the requirements of external examining bodies that set the (I)GCSE and IB Diploma examinations that students sit at the end of Grade 10 and Grade 12.
Educating for a better world
The academic curriculum aims to develop the specific conceptual understandings necessary to build Peace and a Sustainable Future. These are derived from UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development Goals for and through a collaboration with our educational partners the Ellen Macarthur Foundation. Along with the skills and qualities of our Learner Profile many of these concepts are reinforced through linkages to the other four elements of our Leaning Programme. You can find out more here.
Results
UWCSEA has outstanding IB Diploma results. In May 2019, our cohort of 561 students achieved an average IB Diploma score of 36.6—the worldwide average was 29.8 (in 2018). Each year a number of our students are admitted to highly selective universities in the US, the UK and many other countries. For further information please see the results section of our website.
Staff and structure
Each campus has its own Campus Leadership team and academic and administrative staff to support the delivery of UWCSEA’s world-class education. Each campus is divided into Schools (Primary, Middle and High). Each School is managed by a Principal, assisted by Vice Principals and Heads of Grade or Department.
The College President oversees both campuses, supported by senior educational leadership on each campus. The campuses have the same Board of Governors.
The Dover Campus has 3,000 day and boarding students (K-12) and employs 300 teaching and 200 support staff. The East Campus has 2,550 day and boarding students (K-12) and employs 240 teaching staff and 160 support staff.
The boarding houses on both campuses are supported by live-in teaching staff and offer a unique opportunity for a city-based residential boarding programme to students aged 14-18 years - 192 students on Dover and 160 students on East.
Our expectations
We welcome applications from educators who share our vision and values, and are willing to contribute to UWCSEA's unique learning community and to the UWC mission.
Teachers are expected to contribute wholeheartedly to the provision of all elements of this programme both inside and outside the formal academic curriculum. All teachers run activities or service projects in addition to their teaching, which can include supporting the College's range of sporting, dramatic and musical performances, as well as providing support for the extensive expeditions programme.
Safeguarding children
UWCSEA is committed to safeguarding our students and protecting them from harm. In keeping with the expectation that all staff and volunteers share this commitment, those applying for a position at the College must be willing to undergo employment background checks and screening appropriate to the post.
Professional life and development opportunities
UWCSEA aims to provide an exceptional professional experience to its teachers and to be an Employer of Choice. The UWCSEA benefits package includes a competitive salary, contribution towards housing, medical insurance, a service gratuity (set at 20 percent of gross salary at the end of each year), recruitment and repatriation flights and biennial leave passages.
We offer a wide range of professional development opportunities. Teachers are expected to commit to three professional development days scheduled each year, and are provided many additional opportunities for professional learning through our the extensive Professional Development Programme.
We have a highly experienced teaching faculty who provide excellent opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. Among the full-time teaching staff, we have large numbers of IB PYP Trainers, IB MYP workshop leaders, IB DP workshop leaders and IB DP Examiners or Moderators, allowing us to run in-house workshops and seminars.
Teachers attend workshops or seminars in the region, and at the College’s Centre for Professional Learning. This in-house Centre allows UWCSEA teachers to attend a range of educational conferences and other events that draw teachers from across the region, providing extensive opportunities for peer learning and networking. In the past, external experts who have visited to provide workshops or seminars on campus include Bambi Betts, Kath Murdoch, Dylan Wiliam, Lyn Sharratt and Sarah White.
Our teachers also regularly act as lecturers, seminar leaders and facilitators at educational conferences and workshops run by organisations such as EARCOS and ECIS.
Engage with us and learn more
UWCSEA Perspectives - the newsroom of UWCSEA
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