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Principal (Head of School)
New Cairo British International School (NCBIS) (Egypt)
Appointed - Position has been filled
Oct 26, 2020
Nov 25, 2020
NEW CAIRO BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (NCBIS)
CAIRO, EGYPT
seeks a
PRINCIPAL (HEAD OF SCHOOL)
Effective August 2021
The deadline for applications for the position is November 25, 2020.
About NCBIS
NCBIS, a not-for-profit NGO, is a leading British International School in Cairo and was the first in Cairo to gain full accreditation from the Council of International Schools (CIS). NCBIS is an IB World School, an Executive Member of COBIS and a member of BSME. Founded in 1978 by expatriate parents, NCBIS is an all-through 3-18 year old co-educational school serving a multi- national group of families representing more than 60 nationalities. The school’s mission is to provide a “caring, vibrant and forward-thinking” curriculum in which all children will thrive and become global and democratic citizens in a century marked by change, challenge and opportunity. Located in an impressive facility in an upscale part of Cairo – mostly an expat community, NCBIS is poised to develop further in the next chapter of its story. The key to its success will be through attaining the highest individual achievement for each pupil in order to open the way to world- class higher education institutions while not forgetting the individual and pastoral needs of all.
Generally small class sizes allow the well trained, professional teachers and teaching assistants to focus on individual student needs. Children experience active, well supported and resourced lessons often driven by their own questions. Classes have regular opportunities of outdoor learning as well as educational visits to locations around Cairo. NCBIS also attaches great importance to the thriving extra- curricular programme which engages students in sport, the arts and service activities.
The Primary school students follow a bespoke curriculum that blends the English National Curriculum with the Primary Years Programme (PYP), a course of study that prepares students to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.
The Dutch stream, an integral part of the school history and culture, also bases their curriculum on the PYP but modify it where necessary.
In Key Stage 3, the first three years of Secondary School, they offer the English National Curriculum leading to the IGCSE / GCSE examinations in Key Stage 4. The senior students have the opportunity to take the prestigious IB Diploma, an internationally renowned programme of study that opens the doors to the best universities in the UK and around the world.
Mission
To provide a learning environment that supports academic achievement whilst promoting personal growth through the attributes of the IB Learner profile, within a caring international community committed to the traditional values of honesty, courtesy, respect, integrity and fair play.
Vision Statement
In 2027, NCBIS will be “The first school of choice in Cairo, providing unrivalled experiences that will enable all students to follow their passions and become successful, caring citizens and leaders in tomorrow’s world”.
Motto
“Bringing out the best in everyone”. The school seeks to provide a safe and secure learning environment that supports academic achievement whilst promoting personal growth within a caring international community committed to the traditional values of honesty, courtesy, respect, integrity and fair play.
Our Values
- Providing quality education in a safe, secure and caring environment
- Ensuring choice and challenge both within the curriculum and the extra-curricular programmes
- Promoting academic and personal achievement
- Inspiring intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and enthusiasm for learning
- Developing each student’s unique talents to help them achieve their potential
- Maintaining an internationally diverse community of open-minded people.
Parent Teacher Group
NCBIS is renowned for its welcoming nature, it is a characteristic that is emphasized by most new members of the community, from teachers to students and their families. The NCBIS Parent Teacher Group (PTG) stands at the core of this spirit, constantly giving dynamism to the community, supporting school and student activities, encouraging parent volunteerism and acknowledging the reality around us through charity involvement. The PTG motto stands for itself: We make community happen.
If you are a parent or legal tutor at NCBIS you are automatically a member of the PTG. There are no membership fees or registrations required, just the will to engage in meaningful opportunities towards a close-knit and dynamic school community.
Just join our monthly meetings every first Monday of the month at 8 am and follow us in our section of the weekly newsletter. All support, creativity, energy and enthusiasm are much appreciated to make every event and collaboration memorable. New parents will find an opportunity to meet people and settle in smoothly; and those not so new will enjoy working together towards making NCBIS a better place for all.
The NCBIS PTG organizes three main fundraising events along the school year, and the profit goes towards needs identified within our school and to local charities. These are the Christmas Fayre, the Ramadan collections and the PTG Gala.
Also, the PTG runs orientation trips around different areas of Cairo for those new to the city, puts some Halloween fun together for the students, organizes a fantastic yearly Book Exchange and assists the school at the Sports Days.
There are plenty of opportunities to make community happen! Join us! pg@ncbis.co.uk
Student Voices
In the primary phase, pupils grow in confidence as a result of the approach encouraged by the school’s leaders to develop a ‘growth mindset’ One pupil, for example, said that there is no such thing as failure, that you learn from your mistakes and that success will come if one keeps on trying.
NCBIS hosts an annual event to elect the role of Student Council Representative for each year group in the school.
The Student Council forms an essential link in the chain between the school and its students. They represent 'student voice' and will meet on a weekly basis to discuss matters to do with the school and try to do their best to improve our community.
Job Description
Job Title: Principal (Head of School)
Reporting to: Board of Directors
Responsible for: Senior Leadership Team
Main Purpose and Expectations
- To demonstrate NCBIS’s commitment to our values by actively ensuring they are embedded in everything we do within NCBIS
- To promote and support the vision and direction of the school by showing effective leadership and management of the academic team
- To drive high aspirations by developing and managing standards of attainment for students and performance of staff towards school goals
- To develop the strategic objectives of the Educational and Clinical provision and ensure that they are met
- To work closely with the Executive Business Director to meet the strategic objectives ot the school.
Key Duties of the Role
Strategic Leadership and Reputation
- Develop and articulate both strategic and operational educational plans and work with the Academic Teams and Business Director to ensure implementation
- Efficiently lead the Senior Management Team and students towards the school’s objectives
- Maintain NCBIS at the forefront of regional organizations along with their successful accreditations
- Ensure learning and progress is the main focus of the strategic planning and resource management, taking into consideration the varying starting points, cognition, learning, physical and sensory complexities of pupils
- Prepare the school and staff for external inspections
- Ensure all school policies are regularly reviewed and updated
- Raise achievements and standards across the school through the monitoring, evaluation, and review of school practices and continuously promote improvement strategies
- Perform structured annual yearly analysis to identify areas for improvement and set a development plan to address the findings
- Enhance opportunities through developing partnerships between parents/careers, students, staff, the local community, other schools, and voluntary organizations
- Contribute to the marketing plan of the school by providing positive information and input for school events
Educational Provision and Quality
- Maintain NCBIS in the top tier of British International Schools, both in Egypt and internationally
- Ensure the physical, mental, and moral welfare of all pupils and maintain good discipline
- Direct and manage the education, both curricular and extra-curricular, provided by the school
- Ensure that the highest standards of teaching and learning are delivered and that performance is kept under review
- Provide a high-quality rounded education for all pupils focused on academic achievement
- Insist on the highest quality of teaching and learning, ensuring that these are continually monitored and geared to adding value
- Lead, encourage, and support innovation in teaching and learning
- Instil purpose and discipline among pupils constructively and fairly
- Embed the IB Learner Profile in every aspect of NCBIS school life.
Management of the Academic Team
- Develop the academic structure of the school so that the vision and strategy are shared, development is planned, targets are set, and results are evaluated
- Appoint, promote, develop, and retain the best possible academic team through safer recruitment practices, the promotion of personal and professional development (Specifically the provision of middle leadership development opportunities for staff at all levels), and through rigorous performance management.
- Ensure the effectiveness and timely management of induction, probation, regular supervision, feedback, annual performance appraisal, of all direct reports and ensure that this process is cascaded down across the school
- Ensure that the leadership team of the primary, Dutch, and the secondary school is lead, managed, and in line with one vision
- Ensure that all permanent staff, cover, volunteers, and external parties are trained in safeguarding, health and safety, and that the policies and systems of reporting are effectively communicated
- Provide a high standard of duty of care for staff and students and to comply with all legislation and guidance relating to child protection
- Put in place plans to support and promote staff wellbeing.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
- Have responsibility for safeguarding by promoting the welfare of children and young people and to ensure that all employees and school visitors follow the safeguarding and child protection procedures and comply with the policies of the school
- Develop in all students and staff versatile skills and attitudes required for lifelong learning in a rapidly changing world.
Communication
- Manage at all times effective and positive communication with pupils, staff, parents, prospective parents, Board of Directors, and the wider community
- Ensure that the appearance of the school is always welcoming and that pupils’ and parents’ needs and concerns are always given high priority
- Market the school actively to potential parents to maximize pupil numbers
- Cultivate excellent PR to celebrate the school’s achievements, extend the range of its publicity, develop relationships with other schools, and achieve the best possible partnership with the wider community
- Deal effectively and positively with any complaints with the overall aims of quality assurance and parental satisfaction
- Develop a clear communication strategy and ensure timely and consistent communication via multiple channels to the community
- Ensure that written communication is thoroughly checked to avoid legal liability or conflicts with local authorities.
Management of Resources
- Work closely with the Executive Business Director and Finance Director on setting and utilizing academic school budgets.
- Leads by example by being budget conscious on a day to day basis and ensure effective administration and value for money
- Monitor the budget while making appropriate adjustments to spending patterns in accordance with the financial regulations and audit requirements
- Ensure that staff and children contribute towards building and maintaining a positive learning and working environment for all
- Work closely with the Facility Director to manage the use of the school facilities so that it meets the needs of the curriculum and health and safety requirements.
Education and Qualifications
- University Degree and a teaching qualification
- Masters Degree in an area of Education or NPQH
- Relevant recent professional development that qualifies the candidate for this post.
Knowledge
- An educationalist who understands how to recognise and develop quality teaching and learning
- An ambassador who can promote and celebrate the British School in the expatriate community of Cairo
- A global citizen who truly understands the benefit and importance of international education.
- School improvement strategies for schools and how to tackle underperformance in different contexts and at all levels through monitoring and evaluation
- Principles and practice of quality assurance systems including school self-evaluation and performance management
- Safeguarding regulations
- Clear understanding of the importance of appropriate communication with the parents, senior management and the Board.
Experience
Essential Experience
- Must have at least 8 years proven experience of school leadership in a through-school setting (from Primary and Secondary) gained either in the UK or internationally
- Previous experience of minimum 3 years as a Principal of an international school
- Experience of successfully leading schools through inspections.
Desirable Experience
- To have gained experience in a school of 800 students or more
- Possess a working knowledge of different Key Stage 5 provisions
- Knowledge of different inspection frameworks (e.g. ISI and CIS) would be an advantage.
Demonstrable Experience
- Promoting a culture of inclusion
- Leading by example to promote the vision and values of the school or service for the children, staff, board, and parents.
- Promoting a collaborative style of leadership and the effective recruitment, development and performance of the academic staff.
- Exercising good judgement in difficult circumstances.
Skills and Ability
- A confident and genuine communicator who can instill trust among the school and parent body
- A decisive manager who can make difficult decisions in the interest of the organisation
- Sensitive to the values that should pervade the NCBIS in a manner that expresses total integrity and probity
- Articulate and approachable with excellent interpersonal skills both verbally and in writing
- To be solution focused and have proven sound decision-making skills
- To be proactive, and versatile, with a high level of drive, energy, enthusiasm, resilience, and a sense of perspective
- Ability to motivate a whole school culture of attainment through effective and collaborative team working
- Ability to demonstrate commitment, reliability and integrity
- Approachable and open with staff, pupils and parents, with demonstrable emotional intelligence
- Ability to create and implement a parent involvement strategy that will ensure parents are involved with the school and have confidence in the school’s leadership.
Others
- Commitment to leading on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
- Commitment to equality and diversity
- Commitment to NCBIS values.
Core Role Competencies
- Strategic Decisions
- Planning, Organizing and Execution
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Trust and Influencing others
- Talent Management
- Collaboration and Engagement
Salary and Benefits
NCBIS offers a highly competitive tax-free salary, with budgeted housing support, international
private medical coverage, school fees exemption for dependent children, and home leave to base country
Procedure for Applying for the Principal (Head of School) Position
The Board has appointed Search Associates as its partner in its search for a Head of School with Dr. Norma Hudson and Dr. Gunther Brandt serving as the consultants. The deadline for applications for the position is November 25, 2020. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials listed below as early as possible as the Search Committee reserves the right to close the selection process at any time should the right candidate be identified.
Candidates should submit the following information in the format requested:
- A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in this particular position
- A current resume not to exceed two pages
- A list of references of immediate supervisors including current email addresses and phone numbers
- A maximum of three letters of reference (scanned at low resolution).
Please note that all materials must be scanned into a single pdf attachment of 4MB or less and sent to Search Associates at the email addresses listed below. Please send the complete application to Dr. Norma Hudson at nhudson@searchassociates.com and Dr. Gunther Brandt at gbrandt@searchassociates.com.
The review of applications will begin as soon as applications are received. Qualified candidates will be interviewed and potentially forwarded to NCBIS for further review. Finalist candidates (with spouses, if applicable) will be invited for virtual interviews and to meet with members of the Board, leadership team, faculty, staff, parents and students. The new Head of School will be selected at the end of the virtual visit, finalist interviews, and reference checks and will assume his/her professional responsibilities in August 2021.
Once an appointment is made, the school will organise for the incoming Head of School to visit IGBIS to meet the outgoing Head of School and to work in transition to gain further insights of the role, school, and community. The dates for this visit will be negotiable.
The successful candidate will be required to undergo relevant background checks, and to present the following documents:
ICPC & Police Checks:
- Police checks from previous countries you have lived/worked in during the last 8 years, this can be requested from their local embassy in your current country of residence.
- ICPC International Child Protection Certificate (which has replaced DBSand UK police checks) for all those who have lived and/or worked in the UK https://www.acro.police.uk.
Certificate of Residence:
Additional information about NCBIS may be found on the school’s website.
