Head of PK-Grade 8

Primary Purpose of Job

The core purpose of this role is to provide professional, highly effective leadership and management that will achieve outstanding results in all aspects of the PK-Grade 8  life. The Head of PK-Grade 8 promotes an inspiring vision and clear direction that is shared by all members of the PK-Grade 8 Division and the Senior Leadership Team. Ultimately, the Head of PK-Grade 8 is responsible for ensuring that the curriculum, teaching and assessment practices inspire high levels of engagement, achievement and progress for students of all abilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Inspirational and Strategic Leadership

• Promote Taaleem’s mission of “inspiring young minds,” our vision of being the most respected provider of education in the Gulf and our core values and strategic platforms
• Promote an inspiring vision dedicated to high standards that is shared by all members of the PK-8 School
• Initiate, prioritize and lead PK-8 School improvement activities through effective strategic leadership and planning which supports the vision, mission and values of Taaleem
• Display a high level of professional competence in all areas of responsibility
• Communicate a clear view of the PK- 8 School and whole school’s aims so that all staff know what is required of them and are competent and committed to achieving the school’s goals
• Distribute leadership effectively to achieve high standards of learning and personal development by creating an ethos of collective responsibility and mutual support
• Inspire and empower middle leaders, teachers and support staff by clearly defining all roles and aligning these roles with school priorities
• Be receptive and respond to external evaluation of the school and manage the process professionally and very efficiently with your senior colleagues
• Work effectively with school governance teams (School Advisory Committee, and FAAM, Parents Association) and Taaleem Heads of Schools to ensure informed and responsive decision making, which help to direct change and effective management of school resources
• Ensure that the levels of students’ attainment and the quality of teaching successfully align with the PK-8 Schools’ promise to parents
• Clearly and comfortably delegates work, trusting and empowering others to perform
• Provides 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 Taaleem teachers and leaders
• Participate and lead professional development workshops in the UAE, including events run by the Knowledge Human Development Authority (KHDA) or Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC)

Self Evaluation and Improvement Planning

• Ensure that the PK-8 School’s academic program is fit for purpose and challenges students of all abilities
• Aim towards achieving and maintaining an “outstanding” rating in Phases 1, 2 and 3  on local inspections
• Involve all PK-8 staff in systematic, rigorous self-evaluation with the explicit purpose of improving the quality of students’ experiences and their standards of attainment
• Take positive steps to gather the views of PK-8 School parents, students and others about the quality of service provided by the school
• Work collaboratively with external bodies and the Senior Leadership and Senior Strategic Leadership Team to achieve outstanding results on school accreditations, inspections and evaluations
• Monitor teachers’ plans, evaluate students’ classroom experiences, track students’ attainment and evaluate progress towards meeting agreed targets
• Monitor the performance of all teaching and support staff in Phases 1-3.
• Ensure that self-evaluation provides valid, comprehensive and reliable analysis for identifying key priorities for the preparation of the improvement plan and involves PK-8 staff, parents and students as appropriate
• Ensure that middle leaders and teachers collect and analyze appropriate and accurate information from within the school as well as data for external sources, including international assessments and stakeholder surveys
• Ensure that Middle Leaders, Grade Level Coordinators and teachers set aspirational yet realistic goals aimed at improving students’ performance
• Ensure that all improvement activities are focused on creating impact and raising quality in the PK-8 programs.
• Monitor and manage change quickly, flexibly and successfully.
• Prioritize and act upon a manageable number of key initiatives and involve stakeholders in the process
• Ensure that all recommendations from previous inspections and evaluations are included in the schools’ improvement plans
• Maintain an overview of all curriculum review and development activities; ensuring that teachers maintain current in their knowledge of the curriculum and best teaching practices

Effective and Efficient Management of Resources

• Work closely with the Principal, Business Manager, Admissions Manager, other Head of High School and SLT to ensure that all policies, procedures and routines across the school are effective and efficient
• Ensure that all PK-8 staff are well qualified and experienced, trained to do their roles and are deployed effectively to support the school
• Ensure accountability of the school’s actions and outcomes with regards to compliance and health and safety issues
• Comply with all regulations and guidelines issued by the local authorities and regulators
• Monitor and evaluate the school’s performance on PK-8  students’ attainment and progress, students’ personal and social development, teaching and assessment, curriculum that meets the needs of students, health and safety, and student support services
• Work collaboratively with the Principal and Admissions Manager to achieve enrolment targets and business objectives
• Ensure that all schools policies, procedures and routines are effective, efficient and reviewed annually with appropriate staff members
• Comply with all Taaleem policies and guidelines and submit high quality reports in a timely manner
• Work collaboratively with the Principal to ensure proper identification and access to appropriate professional development activities for all members of the PK-8 staff
• Ensure that teaching and learning is monitored closely and consistently using Proactive  to rate the quality of teaching practice across the school and identify areas of development
• Promote peer modeling, team teaching and coaching within and across grade levels and departments
• Ensure that all PK-8 School staff are appraised annually providing recognition for areas of strength and recommendations for areas of development and growth.
• Work collaboratively with Principal, Business Manager and SLT to develop CAPEX and Consumable budgets and then monitor performance against the PK-8 School’s budget lines
• Work collaboratively with the Facilities Manager to address any health and safety issues and ongoing maintenance requests.

Parent, Student and Community Relationships

• Be responsible for the safety and well-being of all PK-8 students through positive recognition and high expectations for behavior and conduct
• Monitor and promote outstanding attendance and punctuality across the PK-8 School
• 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
• Build and maintain relationships with PK-8 School parents and the community by establishing regular and appropriate communications with all members of the school community, both internally and externally
• Market the school to the local and wider community with the aim of recruiting new students and retaining existing students to achieve a full school roll.
• Develop knowledge of the education market in Dubai, the UAE and the Gulf and monitor trends over time in order to remain competitive
• Engage PK-8 parents as active partners in their children’s learning in a variety of ways
• Encourage positive and regular participation of PK-8 parents at school events
• Consult the parent community about the work of the PK-8 on a regular basis and ensure that parents views are received respectfully and help guide the school’s development
• Ensure that the PK-8 use a wide range of effective methods, including technology, to communicate with parents taking into account the home language of parents by promoting two way communication
• Ensure that parents receive regular reports of their children’s progress and attainment that include next steps for learning
• Develop strong community partnerships that effectively support all students’ development and improve students’ learning experiences
• Focus on identifying and meeting community (staff, parents, students) needs by taking their interests and complaints seriously
• Consider the implications of decisions on the community (staff, parents, students, Taaleem) and act accordingly
• Ensure a proactive approach in delivering operational excellence focused on extra-ordinary service across all aspects of school life
• Connect school events to local community events so that students and parents have the opportunity to participate in the broader local events such as Dubai Literacy Festival, Art Festival, Music Festival, Taaleem Sporting and Academic competitions, etc.