Assistant Head of Middle School

Assistant Head of Middle School

The Assistant Head of Secondary with responsibility for Middle School (Years 7-9) is a key member of the Secondary Leadership Team with a key role in overseeing the provision of high-quality pastoral care and assuming responsibility for students' middle school experience in the secondary school.  You will offer leadership, inspiration and guidance to the staff and students in the Middle School such that all students achieve exceptional outcomes: academic, personal, and social.   You will ensure the smooth day to day operations of the Middle School and work effectively as a key member of the Secondary School Leadership Team, playing a major role in strategic planning and continuous self-evaluation.   You will offer inspirational and strategic leadership of the Middle School, where Pride, Unity and Respect lie at its core.   As a genuine team-player, you’ll work not only with the rest of the BIS Houston Extended Leadership team to ensure that everything we do is connected to our vision to transform the lives of learners.

Leadership

As a Leader you will:

• Lead a robust, modern, international Middle School, promoting a culture of high-quality learning, exceptional standards of behaviour and a supportive environment that safeguards the wellbeing of students
• Have a vision and experience of curriculum development and model practice of Middle School learning for 11–14-year-olds
• Set high expectations for the Middle School, including the consistent implementation of the behaviour for learning policies
• Share our philosophy and embed the Nord Anglia collaborations (MIT, Global Campus, UNICEF and Juilliard) into the heart of the Middle School curriculum
• Promote excellence, equality, collaboration and high expectations for students and staff
• Represent the school’s values in every interaction with students, parents and colleagues
• Coordinate experiences and opportunities beyond the classroom for Middle School Students in the wider context of the school community

Learning and Teaching

As Assistant Head of Middle School, you will support the Middle School team by:

• Setting high expectations for all students; inspiring, motivating and challenging them to achieve excellent progress and ambitious outcomes.
• Having a well-developed, extensive knowledge of Middle School learning and related pedagogy (including using Technology for Learning).
• Contributing to the curriculum development and implementation of the Middle School along with the Secondary Leadership Team and Head of Secondary School
• Having experience/knowledge of pastoral and wellbeing strategies to support students in their Middle School Journey
• Understanding, evaluating and tracking progress across Middle School and how to encourage a data informed approach to decision making.
• Creating a culture of learning which ensures an environment of respect and collaboration.
• Leading by example both in the classroom, and around the campus

Key Elements of the Assistant Head of Secondary Role

As Assistant Head of Middle School you will,

• Lead professional development with a focus on the Middle School that aligns with the Secondary development plan
• Working with the Marketing, Admissions and Communications Team to attract and recruit students and ensuring effective induction for new students and families
• Assisting in whole school marketing initiatives and contributing to the growth of the school
• Lead and co-ordinate the successful transition of students from Primary to Middle School
• Present progress data to SLT about the performance of key groups across the Middle School, including academic and wellbeing outcomes
• Promote high levels of student wellbeing through bespoke initiatives that evolve dependent on current trends in student are and support
• Works with Student Support Services team to ensure that all Middle School students make outstanding progress both academically and socially ​​​​​​​

• Act as an advocate for the school in the wider community
• Be an active member of the BIS Houston Extended Leadership team
• Line manage a team of Pastoral Leads to ensure they are professionally developed, challenged and inspired to create the best offering possible to the students in their care
• Work closely with the schools Designated Safeguarding Leads to safeguard students in the Middle School
• Lead the Middle School on a day-to-day basis
• Oversee the coordination of the enrichment and after school activity programs of the Middle School; assist in the planning and the presentation of school assemblies; assist in maintaining a comprehensive calendar of school events
• Oversee the management of the house system and student leadership opportunities in the Middle School

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Teaching Qualification PGCE/QTS etc.
• Minimum 2 years leadership experience in a school.
• Evidence of senior leader training / qualifications (MLP/SLP)
• An effective communicator with parents, staff and students
• Experience of working in partnership with parents
• Experience of being part of a highly successful department/school
• International Experience

Personal Specifications

• Proven leadership and performance management
• Strong proficiency with technology.
• Good cross-cultural, interpersonal and communication skills to interact with diverse nationalities and cultures.
• Excellent analytical skills – with the passion and drive to demonstrate and quantify success.
• Excellent time management skills and flexibility in dealing with multi-functional tasks.

Benefits

• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Life Insurance
• Employee discount

Selection Process

All post holders in regulated activity (having regular unsupervised contact with children) are subject to appropriate national and international vetting procedures including satisfactory criminal record checks from both your country of residence/birth and any country of residence within the last 10 years. We welcome applications from suitable people from all diverse backgrounds. Please note, we reserve the right to make an appointment sooner with the right candidate and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.