Full Time, Permanent

January 2025

24 November 2024

ISP Head of Secondary Role Profile
About the school:
The Aquila School opened in September 2018, initially with only primary children, adding a year group every year. We started with 67 pupils any in August 2025 we expect to have just over 1500. In August 2024 we opened our sixth form and in August 2025 we will have our first year thirteens. We follow the English National Curriculum adapted to meet the needs of the community we serve. Key stage four pupils take a range of IGCSEs and BTecs – our first set of results from Summer 2024 were very positive. In the sixth form we offer a range of IBDP, IBCP, BTec and Asdan pathways. The secondary department has recently moved into their own purpose built extension to the school. The Aquila School is genuinely inclusive and across the school there is a clear sense of purpose – relationships are a strength of the school and it is a happy place to work and learn – and this sense of community is regularly a feature recognized by families and visitors. Staff enjoy working here – it is hard work as we work tirelessly to ensure the pupils have as many opportunities as possible.


Our school mission is known and understood by all and underpins decision making in our school –
‘A happy community school with amazing learning at its heart where pupils are empowered to make choices, be kind, compassionate learners, engage in meaningful learning experiences, make exceptional progress and understand their role as global citizens’


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. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety 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.
Key Responsibilities

• To successfully lead all aspects of the secondary department
• To ensure children are safe and well cared for at all times
• To contribute to the leadership and day to day running of the whole school
• To lead, support and direct the work of others, as appropriate
• To lead CAS activities, participating and leading staff training and contributing to the establishment and development of the school community
• To comply with our agreed policies and Aquila Ways
• To actively engage with our school community e.g. through newsletters, informal dialogue, reporting, supporting school functions and contributing to community and marketing activities
• To actively participate in the performance management process of self and others
• Building relationships and showing credibility as a leader – especially of teaching and learning
• Ensuring outcomes for all children are as high as possible
• To maintain a sense of school connectedness for staff and encourage staff retention
• Improving teaching – especially for teachers who are not yet consistently good.
• Making sure that the pathways and curriculum on offer for all year groups in secondary are aligned with pupil interest, local requirements and the school budget
• Ensuring the staffing and leadership structure is appropriate to enable us to raise standards and improve outcomes so that there can be a significant number of uplifts in the next DSIB inspection
• To minimize the number of leaving pupils and to maximize the number of joiners – working alongside the marketing and admissions team
• To be visible and high profile.
• Further develop enrichment activities for the pupils
• Lead on events such as sports evening, family workshops, presentations, information meetings, coffee mornings etc.
• Make sure the SEF and SIP etc. are complete and up to date – completed under your guidance by members of your team.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• Qualified teacher status recognised in the UK
• At least ten years teaching experience post qualification- which must include time spent teaching KS3/4/5 in the UK / Ireland
• Previous experience of a senior leadership position in a through school or secondary school (deputy or head teacher / Principal)
• Clear understanding of the role - how to further develop secondary while maintaining the ethos of our school
• Clear understanding of the ethos of the school
• Experience of raising standards and having high outcomes in external assessments
• Experience of developing a curriculum for KS3, 4 and 5 and preparing children for life and learning beyond school
• Experience of growing a school and maximizing re-enrollments and enrollments
• Willingness to work above and beyond to contribute to the development of a learning community
• Ability to form and maintain professional working relationships with all members of the school community
• Credibility as a leader of learning

Desirable:

• Experience working in an international school in the UAE
• Educational leadership qualification (MA/ED or NPQH)
• Experience of BTEC/IB in KS5
• Experience of inspecting other schools (eg Ofsted, Cobis, BSO)

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles
ISP 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, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.
ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, age, disability status, neurodivergence, 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.

The Aquila School is a happy community school which opened in September 2018. We are proud to be the flagship school for International Schools Partnership (ISP), a global community of 84 international schools across 23 countries with a shared purpose of growing the world’s most curious, confident minds. At The Aquila School we welcome children aged 3 to 18 years old and prepare pupils for a complex, challenging, and competitive future. We have been graded outstanding by British Schools Overseas and in the local inspection framework we are rated as good with many features including inclusion, well being and the UAE national agenda being rated as very good.
The Aquila School offers the English National curriculum adapted to be relevant to meet the diverse community that we serve. In key stage four we offer a range of IGCSEs, GCSEs and BTECs and key stage five we offer IBDP, IBCP and a range of BTECs as well as an Asdan pathway.
Our staff work hard to ensure our children love school, love learning and make as much progress as possible.
The Aquila School Vision and Purpose
Our purpose is safe, happy, learning.
Our vision is known and owned by all members of our community and really does underpin all aspects of our work
A happy community school with amazing learning at its heart where pupils are empowered to make choices, be kind, compassionate learners, engage in meaningful learning experiences, make exceptional progress and understand their role as global citizens.
At ISP
At International Schools Partnership (ISP), we champion a transformative approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom. We ignite our students’ curiosity and grow their self-confidence, empowering them to become the next generation of changemakers.