Star Mirdif Hiring for Head of Humanities Job at Dubai Full Time

Description

Job Description Head of Humanities

Department: Teaching

Line Manager: Relevant Head of School or Principal

Key Relationships: Students, colleagues, parents, School Principal, Heads of School, and Senior Leadership team.

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Rationale:

Star International School Mirdif is a bespoke British Curriculum School situated in the Mirdif Community of Dubai offering EYFS, Primary and Secondary Education. We are looking to appoint a Head of Humanities who has the enthusiasm, commitment, and energy needed to work in a rapidly growing and improving school. The role would be from August 2023.

The Post

This is an exciting time to join Star International School Mirdif with the launch of the 6th form in 2023/2024. We have grown rapidly over the past 4 years of the Secondary school being launched and are moving towards a 3-form entry in the next academic year. The successful applicant will include one of the subject positions also advertised across Psychology, Business Studies or Geography.

At Star International School, Mirdif we offer:

• Children who are well motivated and have a superb attitude to learning;
• A fabulous staff team, a highly supportive group of parents and governors, who together, create a strong school community
• A great environment for learning with excellent resources and facilities.
• Appropriate research led working practices and a keen focus on staff well-being
• An Innovative risk-taking attitude to teaching and learning with trust placed in our teachers
• A growing school community with a wide range of opportunities for professional growth and development

Job Purpose:

• Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils:

• Establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect
• Set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities, and dispositions
• Demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values, and behaviour which are expected of pupils

• Promote positive progress and outcomes with/for pupils through:

• Accountability of pupils’ attainment, progress, and outcomes
• Awareness of pupils’ capabilities and their prior knowledge, and plan teaching to build on these
• Guidance of pupils to reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs
• Knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn and how this impacts on teaching
• Encouraging pupils to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their own work and study

• Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge through:

• Sound knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings
• Critical understanding of developments in the subject and curriculum areas
• Demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of Standard English, whatever the teacher’s specialist subject

• Plan and teach well-structured lessons:

• Impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of lesson time
• Promote a love of learning and pupil’s intellectual curiosity
• Set homework when appropriate and plan other out-of-class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired
• Reflect systematically on the effectiveness of lessons and approaches to teaching
• Contribute to the design and provision of an engaging curriculum within the relevant subject area(s)

• Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils through:

• The ability to differentiate appropriately, using approaches that enable pupils to be taught effectively
• A sound understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these
• Awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of pupils, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of development
• A clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional language; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them

• Make accurate and productive use of assessment:

• Assess the relevant subject and curriculum areas, including statutory assessment requirements
• Make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils’ progress
• Use relevant data to monitor progress, set targets, and plan subsequent lessons
• Give pupils regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage pupils to respond positively to the feedback

• Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment:

• Have clear rules and routines for behaviour in classrooms, and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behaviour both in classrooms and around the school, in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy
• Have high expectations of behaviour, and establish a framework for discipline with a range of strategies, using praise, sanctions and rewards consistently and fairly
• Manage classes effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to pupils’ needs in order to involve and motivate them
• Maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority, and act decisively when necessary

Key Accountabilities:

• Represent areas of knowledge, understanding and skills to students
• Lead by example in the highest regard for truth, justice, equality of opportunity, human rights, benevolence and compassion
• Engage and motivate students to achieve at levels that are beyond their expectations and previous limits
• Use excellent subject knowledge, pedagogic and interpersonal skills to enthuse students and enable students to experience amazing learning
• Make full use of ICT and the new technologies to enhance the quality of teaching and learning for students of all ages and attainment levels
• Plan lessons taking full account of students’ individual learning needs, as well as their individual learning styles, preferences and capabilities
• Encourage and enable all students to become effective, confident and independent life-long learners
• Maintain excellent professional relationships with colleagues by making a wider professional contribution to the continuing improvement of the school
• Plan and deliver a programme of learning opportunities and activities to enrich and enhance the taught curriculum
• Co-operate with colleagues to establish and maintain fair and consistent disciplinary practices in the classroom, around the school and on school trips, and taking active measures to protect students from all forms of abuse, including racist or sexist abuse, bullying, and any kind of corporal punishment
• Communicate open and professionally with parents on a regular basis about the attainment and progress of their child
• Model good practice of academic practices
• Contribute actively to department discussions in academic meetings
• Contribute to and plan after-school activities as required
• Actively support the school partnership with the community e.g. attending school / community events which may occasionally occur at weekends or in the evening i.e. school concerts etc.
• Play a leading role in cultivating a school ethos founded on our 3 Pillars; Learning for Self, Learning for Change, Learning for All
• Contribute to the development and provision of the highest quality of education at Star International School Mirdif
• Make sure that young people of all abilities and backgrounds fulfil their potential
• Promote a positive ethos across the school based on the school vision/values and a commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of students, staff, and the wider school community
• Other responsibilities as reasonably requested

Teaching

• Plan and prepare schemes of work and complete planning documentation
• Teach with consistent effectiveness the students in her/his classes, taking full account of all students’ individual educational needs
• Set and mark work to be carried out by the students in school, online, at home and elsewhere as appropriate
• Promote the intellectual, moral, spiritual, cultural, physical and personal abilities and aptitudes of the students in her/his classes and provide guidance and advice to students on educational and relevant social and other matters
• Make records of and reports on the personal and social needs of students
• Take part as appropriate in whole school development and share and promote best practice
• At Star Mirdif we are Research informed and Well Being Aware
• We believe in strategies which have the most impact being utilised in the classroom
• We actively seek resources, methods and systems which can support workload and have equal if not more impact on student outcomes

Assessment, recording and reporting

• Assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of the students in her/his classes
• Provide or contribute to oral and written assessments, reports and references relating to individual students or groups of students
• Guide students to set targets to improve on their previous ‘best’ and give regular feedback to students to support next steps in learning

Continuing Professional Development

• Keep under review her/his methods of teaching and programmes of work
• Be pro-active and take accountability for own development
• Participate in arrangements for her/his further training and professional development as a teacher

Curriculum Development

• Advise and co-operate with the Principal and other colleagues on the preparation and development of courses of study, teaching materials, teaching schemes, methods of teaching and assessment and pastoral arrangements
• Take responsibility for specific subjects
• To embed UAE heritage and culture within the curriculum

Position Requirements:

Education: Minimum of a BEd or BA/BSc + PGCE/QTS

Experience: 2 years of teaching experience in a British school either internationally or in the UK.

• 2 years of leadership experience
• Experience in teaching Humanities to KS4/KS5 level.

Competencies:

• Excellent working knowledge of the latest UK practice and the new National Curriculum of England
• Familiarity with the national curriculum for England
• Excellent IT skills, communication skills, and command of the English language, in spoken and written form
• A collaborative team-player with excellent personal skills.
• Classroom and behavior management

Attributes:

• Collaborative team player, inspirational speaker, empathetic listener
• Integrity and confidentiality
• Internationally minded
• Emotional intelligence
• Intercultural awareness, creative
• Online and classroom teaching experience
• Flexible and a can-do attitude

Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified.

Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description

Employees are expected to be courteous to colleagues and provide a welcoming environment to visitors and telephone callers.

The International Schools Partnership

Star International School, Mirdif is part of The International Schools Partnership (ISP).

The International Schools Partnership (ISP) is a growing group of committed colleagues in financially responsible schools around the world, all of which aim to be the school of choice in their local area. Learning is at the heart of everything we do for our pupils, colleagues and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.

ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and commercial operators who have worked together over many years. Our growing group of private schools located in the UK, the USA, Europe, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico and Peru educate children and pupils from 2-18 years of age. We have now expanded to 45 schools delivering multiple curricula and building on local brands and reputations with around 45,000 pupils and 7,000 staff located across the globe.

We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that are able to forge successful careers and lives in a rapidly changing world. Our goal is to enable our schools as the leading school of choice in their local area. We are a truly international group working in different cultures and speaking different languages. We work across countries and cultures, too, by working with each other and with other schools and communities. At ISP we continue to engage with schools around the world who are interested in becoming part of our global group of schools and look forward to welcoming more pupils and staff to the group.

All our schools:

• Help children and pupils learn to levels that amaze them.
• Inspire children and pupils to be successful now and equip them to be successful later.
• Are truly international, working in partnerships within and across regions, cultures and languages.
• Aim to be the schools of choice for children, pupils and their families, wherever we are.

ISP and Star International School,Mirdif is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

How To Apply:

Please upload:

• A single-page letter of application outlining your suitability for the role addressed to the Principal, Mr Neal Oates.
• A 2-page CV with updated photo and contact details for two referees

Interviews will take place from mid-January to the end of February. The school reserves the right to make an early appointment should an excellent candidate be found. Hence early applications are most welcome as shortlisting will take place in the first two weeks of January when interview invites will be published.