Primary Head of Year (for August 2025)

Description

Star International School Mirdif, is a rapidly growing British curriculum school in Dubai. We are an ambitious school that aspires to be the very best version of ourselves, and for those who join us, we would help them do the same. We seek individuals who want to make a difference in the world, seeing themselves as lifelong learners, committed to putting children at the heart of everything they do. We want educators who align closely with our vision, mission and values. If you feel you can champion these, then please apply to join the Star Mirdif family for August 2025.

• Vision: To grow the future leaders and global citizens of tomorrow, who will Go Beyond and change our world for the better.

• Mission: Through amazing learning opportunities and personalised pathways, our educators and students Go Beyond to ensure every member of our Star Family achieves their personal best both inside and beyond the classroom

• Values: Self-belief, teamwork, adventure, respect

Star International School Mirdif is a community school that is rooted in kindness and amazing learning. We offer our pupils:

• Centre of research informed T&L

• EdTech best practice with AI powered T&L

• Awe & Wonder offering beyond the National curriculum

• STEAM+ curriculum focusing on global and cosmic problems

• Safe with incredible learning behaviours

• EYFS-Post-16 (GCSE/A-Level/BTEC) British curriculum school in the heart of Mirdif Dubai

ISP Teacher Role Profile

We put learners and learning first. Learning is affected by both internal factors (such as emotions, motivation and general health and wellbeing) and external factors (such as environment, curriculum and relationships). The external factor that has the most significant impact on our students’ learning is the teacher.

At ISP, everyone is a learner. So, as one of our teachers, you are also a learner. Together, we will embark on an ongoing process of exploring, expanding and evolving your practice in ways that directly impact and improve student learning.

Learner (ISP definition)

Everyone at ISP is a learner. As learners, we recognise that our mindset, experiences and actions drive our learning outcomes. With this awareness, we exercise voice, choice and ownership over our process of learning – leading our own learning and the learning of others.

ISP Principles

• Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Well-being and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

• Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

• Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

• Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

• Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Teacher Role Profile

• Atmosphere. You create a good learning atmosphere by building positive relationships and ensuring a safe, open, caring, collaborative and inclusive community (physical and virtual). You value and celebrate learner variability, enabling all learners to grow curious and confident minds through open and honest conversations about their learning and how they can get better. You engage in professional and respectful dialogue with colleagues and the wider school and ISP communities about learning and teaching, with a shared commitment to getting better together.

• Shared Ideas. You create a strong sense of shared behaviours and purpose for all learners and their learning. You develop your priorities, targets, and aspirations for all aspects of learning and teaching, guided by your school’s purpose, values, and beliefs. You actively nurture and develop students’ skills towards your school’s set of Life Competencies. Collaboration and commitment to all community members are central to your work, enabling you to contribute meaningfully to your school’s Shared Ideas.

• A Focus on Learners and Learning. You put learners and their learning first, striving to grow curious, confident minds for all learners. Your understanding of the difference between learning and the factors that affect learning enables you to plan and support a good struggle for all your students to get better. You are committed to your personal and professional learning and development, engaging in a series of learning visits and inquiries with colleagues and leaders to support your ongoing self-evaluation and reflection. You are an active and valued member of dynamic learning communities.

• Learning and Teaching. Students and their learning are at the core of your planning, facilitation, assessment and evaluation. Your learning outcomes are clearly aligned with your school's chosen curriculum and programmes. You develop students’ Life Competencies and enhance their learning by providing authentic learning experiences and leveraging EdTech, building their confidence to navigate the ever-changing world. You develop positive and supportive relationships with all stakeholders to ensure a focus on your students’ learning academically, physically, socially and emotionally. You know individual students’ learning phases, ensuring you effectively facilitate learning, teaching and assessing to meet learner variability by removing barriers to learning. You empower students to be curious and to lead their own learning, supporting them to monitor, evaluate and adjust their learning in response to feedback. You continuously inquire into the process of learning, making evidence-informed decisions and taking actions to further improve learning and teaching.

• Evidence of Learning. You use your schools’ tools and processes to gather, document, and analyse evidence of learning from various sources, enabling you to effectively identify targets and action steps for improving learning. You support students in knowing the different ways their learning can be evidenced and how to use feedback and learning advice to get better. You initiate ongoing learning visits and actively collaborate with your colleagues and students to discuss the evidence of learning gathered. You participate in discussions and use internal and external assessment results to make informed decisions. You make secure judgments about your students’ learning in line with their personal learning goals, age and stage-appropriate expectations. You document and share evidence of learning to answer the questions: “Are my students learning?” “How do I know?”

• Leadership for Learning. You see yourself as a leader for learning, and you support the learning of others (students, colleagues, and parents/carers). You are committed to your school’s Shared Ideas and support others to continuously learn and get better, growing curious, confident minds. You empower students to become leaders of their own learning by helping them develop voice, choice, and ownership of their learning process and Life Competencies. You use your school’s systems and processes to self-evaluate and lead your own learning, development, and wellbeing.

• Learning Spaces. You purposefully design and use a range of learning spaces (physical and virtual) to showcase learning and progress, invite collaboration, promote curiosity and inquiry, support emotional and social development, and other ways of communicating and celebrating student learning. You reflect on and continually refine learning spaces to support and demonstrate your school’s Shared Ideas about learners and learning. You collaborate with others to ensure all learning spaces are safe, collaborative, accessible and inclusive. You provide opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning, design and contribute to their learning spaces, and use them to develop all aspects of their learning (academic, physical, social and emotional).

• In Partnership with Parents and Carers. You work in partnership with parents and carers, communicating with them regularly about their child’s learning, inviting their feedback, and using it to improve learning. You help parents and carers understand the school’s Shared Ideas about learners and learning in ways that help them to engage confidently when talking about what their child is getting better at, what their next steps are, and how they will be supported at home. You also build and maintain positive relationships with your parents and carers to develop trust and transparency, promoting a growth mindset for learning improvement initiatives. You respond to the individual needs of parents and carers, supporting them to feel informed and involved as valued members of the school’s learning community.

• Learning Improvement Planning. You are committed to learning and getting better and ensure this improvement happens strategically and effectively by applying the ISP Teacher Learning and Self-Evaluation Process. You gather evidence of the impact and visibility of learning improvements against the nine criteria in the ISP Teacher Role Profile and evaluate criteria to make secure judgments about progress towards your professional goals. You actively seek opportunities to collaborate and contribute to department and school-wide learning improvement planning and view the school’s learning improvement plan as the central focus for getting better together.

The role – Job description

Purpose of the Job:

• Effectively lead teaching and learning within the year group.
• Ensure the highest possible standards are achieved.
• Contribute to the school’s strategic development.
• Develop an effective team with consistent practice.

Key Accountabilities for all teachers:

• 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

• Cooperate 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.

• 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

Alongside the day-to-day responsibilities of being a full-time classroom teacher you would be required to:

• 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 well-being of students, staff and the wider school community.

Purpose of the Job:

• Effectively lead teaching and learning within the year group.
• Ensure the highest possible standards are achieved.
• Contribute to the school’s strategic development.
• Develop an effective team with consistent practice.

Professional Responsibilities:

• Make an impact on the educational and personal progress of all pupils within the year group.
• Lead, develop and enhance the working practices of the team.
• Ensure that school policies and practices are being implemented to a high standard.
• Take the lead in implementing strategies to bring about school improvement.

Teaching and Learning:

• Take responsibility for coordinating the work of the year group and work closely with subject leaders to guide and support colleagues as necessary.
• Lead and manage the planning and delivery of the awe and wonder curriculum across the year group to ensure high quality teaching and learning opportunities for all children.
• Provide in-class support to colleagues, through demonstration lessons, team teaching, observation and feedback.
• Support teachers in the use of assessment information to inform teaching and learning.
• Oversee and coordinate year group events, including assemblies, concerts, workshops, trips and visitors.
• Ensure that curriculum information and photo albums are uploaded to the schools’ shared area.
• Liaise closely with other year group leaders to ensure continuity, consistency, standards and progression.
• Contribute to the positive and effective management of behaviour within the year group in line with schools’ behaviour policy.
• Support colleagues to manage children with specific pastoral needs.
• Ensure that shared group areas and displays are well maintained.
• Liaise with other year groups to ensure smooth transitions.

Recording and Assessment:

• Liaise with Primary SLT in order to coordinate, evaluate and monitor assessment across the year group.
• Ensure that assessment, recording and reporting systems are being updated regularly and data is submitted by the team on time and in the agreed format.
• Maintain an overview of attainment and progress across the year group, with key pupil groups in mind.

Leadership:

• Provide effective leadership and management to staff in the year group.
• Establish good working practices and lead by example in all curriculum areas.
• Lead weekly collaborative planning and strategic meetings.
• Organise and lead year group meetings as necessary.
• Inspire and motivate staff in the year group.
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• Monitor the work of the teachers in the year group, through observation, drop - ins, moderation and work scrutiny and bring any concerns to the attention of the Primary SLT as appropriate.

General Professional Standards:

• Promote the aims and ethos of the school.
• Attend and participate in open evenings and parent information meetings.
• Consider the training needs of staff within the year group.
• Contribute to the induction and professional development of teachers and teaching assistants within the year group.
• Refer matters as necessary to the Primary SLT or Principal.

The above duties are additional to the range of duties set out in the job description for a teacher. These duties are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake additional tasks, roles and responsibilities as may be reasonably requested of them by the Principal/ Head of primary/Deputy head of primary.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Education: Relevant UK teaching qualification: minimum of a Bed. or BA/BSc + PGCE/QTS in a related field

Experience: Full time teaching experience of at least 5 years in a British school either internationally or in the UK.

Competencies:

• Excellent working knowledge of the UK Curriculum and the latest UK practice

• 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 behaviour management

Attributes:

• Collaborative team player, 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.

How to apply: Please apply by including:

• A CV no more than 2 pages long that gives employment dates and current and previous employer references and accounts for any gaps in employment.

• A letter of application addressed to the principal no more than a single page outlining why you are the best candidate for the role

You can also apply to be invited to our recruitment fair: Embark on Your Next Teaching Adventure with ISP Middle East. Join our London Recruitment Fair on Saturday, January 18, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a dynamic, international community where your passion for education can inspire thousands. Shortlisted candidates will receive a personalized invitation with venue details.

https://careers.internationalschoolspartnership.com/jobs/15205957-isp-middle-east-london-recruitment-fair-2025

Our Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

Star International school and ISP are 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.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Star International school and ISP are committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of age, disability status, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.