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Upper School Principal
International School of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

On behalf of the International School of Luxembourg, Search Associates is pleased to announce that the position has been filled. The selection of Iain Fish is cited below in the announcement by ISL director Nicki Crush:

I am delighted to announce that Mr. Iain Fish has accepted the position of Upper School Principal, beginning August 2018. Iain and his family are currently living in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam where he is the Head of School at the European International School, an IB World School and Chair of the Saigon International School Heads Network. He was previously Head of Secondary and Head of the European section of the German European School in Singapore. Iain has worked in international schools for the last 17 years.

Iain has two children, 9 and 12 and is married to Tracey, also a teacher. We look forward to welcoming the family into the ISL Community, to Luxembourg in August and in particular to leading the Upper School forward in the coming years.

Sincerely,

Nicki Crush

Director

Thank you to all that applied.

Kind regards,

Gunther Brandt

Search Associates

 

International School of Luxembourg

Upper School Principal

Application deadline: 9 March 2018

Commencing employment: 1 August 2018

Executive Summary

The International School of Luxembourg ("ISL") was founded in 1963 and currently enrolls over 1380 students from approximately 50 different nationalities. ISL is an international, independent, non-profit, university-preparatory day school.

The Upper School at ISL is a place where teachers encourage students to become lifelong learners within an atmosphere of unconditional caring. The Upper School offers an academically challenging programme culminating in the IGCSE and IBDP programmes ensuring that students acquire the skills and knowledge to function successfully within a multilingual, multicultural world.

ISL is committed to academic excellence, collaboration, innovation, continuous learning and global responsibility in a safe, caring environment. To fulfill this commitment, we look to hire the best professionals possible, world-wide. We are fortunate to employ over 280 outstanding faculty, support staff and leaders coming from 25 different countries. Our expectations are as high for our staff as they are for our students. In return we offer leadership, inspiration and support. We offer a competitive salary scale with a range of benefits and are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We seek a passionate, accomplished and experienced Upper School Principal. Reporting directly to the School's Director, this person is charged with the smooth administration of the Upper School and its programmes for students, staff, parents, curricular and extra-curricular activities. The Upper School Principal as a member of the Senior Leadership Team works in close collaboration with the Lower School Principal and the Head of Operations, and is a non-voting member of the Board of Governors.

The high visibility professional we seek will support ISL's Strategic Plan by ensuring that the programme delivered within the Upper School is sound and meets the highest possible academic standards, as well as ensuring that the student body is active, engaged and successful.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead teams, financial management experience, experience with the IGCSE and IB DP programmes, proven leadership with staff professional development and student assessment models, knowledge of recent developments in secondary school education, and excellent written and oral communication skills. Fluency in one or more European languages would be a definite plus. Previous experience in a similar position in an international school setting is required.

International School of Luxembourg

History

Founded in 1963 as the Dupont School, the International School of Luxembourg was originally set up by the companies Dupont de Nemours and Goodyear to provide an American education for the children of their expatriate workers. In the last 50+ years the school has evolved from a small corporate-sponsored school to the "International School of Luxembourg". ISL now is an international, independent, non-profit, university-preparatory day school. The School is a not-for-profit or "asbl" ("Association sans but lucrative") constituted under Luxembourg law.

Accreditation

ISL is currently accredited by the Council of International Schools "COIS", the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools ("MSA"), and the International Baccalaureate Organisation ("IBO"). The School was initially accredited by COIS and MSA in August 1987 and has been continuously successfully accredited ever since. ISL is preparing for the next 10 year visit due to be held in March 2018. The School was initially accredited by the IB in 1994 and has been continuously successfully accredited every five years since.

Mission

ISL's mission is "…to provide an outstanding education in a safe and caring international environment, inspiring all our students to reach their true potential and to act as responsible participants in a global society."

Statement of Philosophy

We believe it is vital to teach children the knowledge and skills they need to function successfully within both the community of our school and the multilingual, multicultural societies in which we live.

The school considers the following attributes to be of great importance to lifelong learners:

• Inquiry
• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Open-mindedness
• Risk-taking
• Creativity
• Reflection

We believe it is equally important that the school, together with the family and the wider community, foster responsible attitudes and desirable behaviour, enabling students to act with integrity and to take responsibility for their actions.

We have a duty to set world-recognised standards of achievement and to enable students to meet these standards. We believe that instruction should be differentiated to equably support those students capable of exceeding the standards and students who have difficulty in achieving them.

We recognise the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance by providing a diversity of sporting, recreational and creative activities.

We do not tolerate any form of discrimination. We believe, moreover, that the school must offer an environment where children of different nationalities, cultures, backgrounds and beliefs can learn to know, understand and respect each other.

The Community

ISL offers an English language education for the children of both international and local families living in Luxembourg and the surrounding area. ISL is housed in modern facilities provided by the Luxembourg government on a centrally located campus. It is divided into two divisions: the Lower School (pre-school to grade 5) and the Upper School which includes Middle School (grades 6-8) and High School (grades 9-12) sections. In August 2007, the school opened a separate, self-contained building ("the Hillside") originally for younger children which now holds the offices for the Central Administration. In August 2010, the school opened an extension on to one of the Upper School building wings which added almost 20 new classrooms and other teaching spaces. In August 2013 the school opened a new, state of the art primary school on the same campus as the existing buildings. These various projects were all part of a long-term plan to expand the school to accommodate the ever increasing demand from the business community for places at the school. With the construction projects now finished, the school is moving into a phase of consolidation in terms of space and the programmes to best utilise these excellent facilities.

Students come from approximately fifty different nationalities. The majority of the students come from extended Europe (70.8%). The largest nationalities represented are the USA (11.7%), the UK (9.5%), France (9.3%), Luxembourg, (8.7%), Italy, (8.3%), Sweden (4.8%) and Germany (4.0%). The parents are predominantly from the expatriate business and diplomatic communities who seek an English-based education that can be easily transferred to their home country or to another international setting. In addition, there are families who refer to Luxembourg as home; however, many of these families have some international dimension such as two or more passports or a previous expatriate experience. Finally, there are a growing number of Luxembourgish families who choose to send their children to the School because ISL is seen as providing a viable educational alternative to the local public school system.

Governance

The School is governed by the "Association" (the parents and guardians of students enrolled at the school) who elect a 15-member Board of Governors to oversee the strategic direction of the school. The Board of Governors is composed of 15 voting members and 5 non-voting members. The non-voting members include: the Director, the Upper School Principal, the Lower School Principal, the Head of Operations and a Faculty Representative.

The school's relationship with the Luxembourg government is very positive. It is evident that the Luxembourg government believes it to be in the economic interest of the country to support international education for the children of the many expatriates who come to work in Luxembourg. The school's Upper School facilities were built by the Luxembourg government and are provided to the school free-of-charge. In addition, the Luxembourg government provides a per capita subsidy to the school which is calculated as a percentage of the amount budgeted by the Ministry of Education to educate a child in the public school system. Finally, the Luxembourg government supports ISL by providing 80% financing for expansion projects such as the new Lower School, the "Hillside", the Upper School wing extension and refit.

The Upper School

In the Upper School, our goal is to inspire each and every one of our students with the confidence to reach their individual potential and to become compassionate and responsible young adults. Our teachers encourage our students to become lifelong learners and with over fifty nationalities in the school, as a faculty, we all enjoy the chance to learn together. We offer a challenging academic programme so that our students acquire the skills and knowledge to function successfully within our multilingual and multicultural world.

In the Middle School our students have many opportunities to explore their interests, discover hidden talents and develop a greater awareness of the world around them. Teachers foster team building, risk taking, open mindedness, creativity and reflection with our students as they move into their teenage years.

Our High School students in Grades 9 and 10 follow the IGCSE programme in core subjects and then move on in Grades 11 and 12 to the High School Diploma with 90% of our students also pursuing the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma. As a result of the diplomas on offer, ISL students are able to obtain admission to many of the world's finest universities and colleges.

Beyond the classroom and at an early age, we encourage our students to learn the importance of developing a healthy 'work-life' balance. Sport, music, theatre, debate, Global Issues Network, of which ISL was a founding member, MUN, Mérite Jeunesse, the LAP programme, Student Council, Yearbook, Student Newspaper reporters, ISL News Crew, Community Service, are just some of the activities on offer.

The Upper School Principal

Profile: (training, experience, skills and aptitudes necessary to do the job)

• Master's Degree or equivalent in educational leadership or a related field (required);
• 5-10 years' successful experience in a similar position in an international school (required);
• Teaching certificate and classroom teaching experience (required);
• Demonstrated leadership with staff professional development and student assessment models;
• Demonstrated knowledge of the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme;
• Demonstrated knowledge of recent developments in secondary education curricula;
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, support and inspire teams;
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills;
• Fluent in English (near native level) and preferably with a second language (French or German as an advantage);
• Experienced in working in a collaborative teaching environment;
• Familiarity and fluency with technology supported learning;
• Technologically competent in basic resources and programmes (ex: Atlas Rubicon, Schoology, Office 365 preferred);
• Understanding of and experience with students and parents who are English Language Learners;

Characteristics: (personality, traits necessary to successfully do the job)

• Be passionate about excellence in secondary education and the people involved in it;
• Be innovative and knowledgeable about latest trends in secondary education and be able to inspire faculty, staff, students and parents;
• Be responsible for own learning and well-being: value continuous learning, collaborative work, self-reflection, and resiliency;
• Be confident and motivated in working with students, parents and colleagues: build and maintain partnerships;
• Be pro-active, well-organised and discrete;
• Be adaptable to a wide range of situations, work independently as well as part of a collaborative team;
• Be able to work collegially with fellow members of the leadership team and operations staff;
• Be an effective communicator by reading, writing, speaking and listening confidently and reflectively as well as asking questions appropriately;
• Be committed to the health, safety & security of children, including child protection issues;
• Demonstrate ethical behaviour in and out of the School;
• Be a contributor to the World, culturally sensitive, create a caring environment for students and display care, empathy and consideration for others.

Responsibilities:

General

• To ensure that the operation of the Upper School reflects the school's philosophy and that the school's mission and strategic plan are implemented;
• To promote a positive and professional learning culture for all;
• To be responsible for all aspects of the day to day management of the Upper School and to administer and supervise systems and routines to ensure the efficient operation of this section of the school;
• To supervise the implementation of the educational programme (curriculum) of the Upper School, in accordance with policies set forth by the Board of Governors;
• To delegate duties to the Upper School Deputy Principal, and to develop an effective partnership, providing supervision and support in the carrying out of this role;
• To provide professional leadership for the Upper School, ensuring the highest possible quality of education for students;
• To supervise the development and implementation of an Upper School timetable which reflects the needs of the students, takes into consideration staff strengths, skills and reasonable requests, and which articulates with the Upper School timetable;
• To ensure regular information flow and reporting to the Board of Governors, Director, students, staff and community about the Upper School programme and activities;
• To assist in raising the profile of the Upper School and the whole school within the community;
• To support the Director in the running of the whole school and when necessary to function as acting Director in the Director's absence;

Student Related

• To develop and foster positive relationships with students;
• To be responsible for the health and safety of Upper School students, staff and visitors to this section of the school;
• To be responsible for Upper School student morale and discipline (standards and record keeping);
• To meet with new and prospective parents;
• To work collaboratively with the Admissions Office to admit or refuse, in consultation with the Director, students applying for admission to the Upper School;
• To oversee the maintenance of adequate student academic records.

Curriculum Related

• To oversee the Upper School's curriculum policies and their implementation through membership on the Upper School Academic Council;
• To work collaboratively with the Lower School Leadership Team and the Upper School Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning to ensure the maintenance of curriculum continuity and delivery between the Upper School and the Lower School;
• To develop, maintain and periodically review an appropriate student assessment programme;
• To develop, maintain and periodically review a consistent system for determining student progress and reporting that progress to parents.

Staff Related

• To provide professional and personal support and direction to Upper School staff in order to optimise the effective carrying out of their duties;
• To supervise the work of the staff (teaching faculty and professional support staff) of the Upper School with the assistance of the Upper School Leadership Team;
• To oversee the ISL professional growth model in the Upper School and to evaluate the performance of members of the Upper School staff with the assistance of the Upper School Leadership Team;
• To oversee a programme for professional development for Upper School staff;
• To recommend annually to the Director which staff members should be retained or terminated;
• To assign Upper School staff their various duties and responsibilities;
• To provide timely advice to the Director in matters pertaining to staff movement and deployment, and assist in the recruitment of Upper School staff;
• To provide, in collaboration with the Human Resources Office, an effective orientation and induction for all new Upper School staff.

Management Related

• To be an active and positive member of the ISL Senior Leadership and ISL Leadership Teams and represent the Upper School on those bodies;
• To support the Director and the ISL Senior Leadership Team in management decisions;
• To ensure that the Director is kept informed of significant information;
• To ensure that all ISL Senior Leadership Team decisions are communicated and implemented effectively within the Upper School;
• To conduct regular, scheduled meetings with the Upper School Leadership Team and the Upper School staff;
• To attend Board meetings in a non-voting capacity.
• To ensure the maintenance of a safe, functional facility.

Communications Related

• To maintain a visible, approachable and welcoming profile for parents, and in particular, to those directly associated with the Upper School;
• To ensure that parental interest and participation in the school is encouraged and that regular parent meetings occur;
• To communicate regularly to parents and staff regarding Upper School matters via the official ISL communication channels;
• To ensure the conducting of regular Upper School assemblies and promoting Upper School involvement in whole school assemblies;
• To keep staff informed about school policies and goals;

Finance Related

• To work collaboratively with the Head of Operations to positively contribute to the school budget process and effective administration of the Upper School budget as delegated by the Director;
• To be responsible for creating and overseeing the Upper School budget for staffing, materials and equipment;
• To oversee, in consultation with the Upper School Leadership Team and the Upper School Academic Council, the purchase of text books, instructional materials, equipment and furniture needed to successfully implement the Upper School programme.

Personal Professional Development and Growth Related

• To actively seek personal professional development opportunities and to participate, in a personal capacity, in the ISL professional growth programme.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

Interested candidates should send an application no later than MARCH 9, 2018. The review of applications will begin as soon as applications are received. We encourage candidates to submit their applications at the earliest possible time. As part of the application review process, candidates may be asked to take part in a video interview. Four successful finalists will be invited to ISL on 19-20 March 2018 to the second round of interviews which will include meeting with formal interview panels and a presentation.

Candidates should send all the information requested below as a single E-mail with a single PDF attachment to Search Associates:

admin@searchassociates.com

JFM@searchassociates.com

gbrandt@searchassociates.com

• A letter of application explaining strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Upper School Principal position at International School of Luxembourg;
• A current resume not to exceed two pages;
• A one to two-page statement outlining your educational philosophy and leadership style;
• A list of contact details for four professional references (at least one from a supervisor).
• A maximum of three letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession.

Submission of your application is an acknowledgment that the Search Committee may contact references, both listed and not listed, who would know of your professional background.