Principal

Role Overview

Aldar Education seeks an inspirational Principal for a school in the UAE, commencing August 2027 or sooner, in support of planned current and future expansion.

Company Overview

Aldar Education is the leading education group in Abu Dhabi, providing inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities. The group educates over 34,000 students across owned and managed schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The organization employs over 1,400 teachers to deliver the English National Curriculum, the American Massachusetts State Curriculum, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, all with an international dimension. Aldar Education is a Great Place To Work, aligned with Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030 plan to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy through premium education.

Role Purpose

The Principal provides educational vision and direction to secure effective teaching, successful learning, and sustained improvement in pupils' spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development. The role ensures all stakeholders are committed to the school's aims and involved in meeting long, medium, and short-term objectives that secure educational success and prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adult life.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Direction and Development

• Formulate overall aims, objectives, and policies for the school and their implementation.
• Create an ethos and provide educational vision and direction that secures effective teaching, successful learning, and sustained improvement in pupils' development.
• Secure commitment from parents and the wider community to the school's vision and direction.
• Create and implement a strategic plan underpinned by sound financial planning, identifying priorities and targets for high student achievement and progress.
• Ensure that all involved in the school are committed to its aims and motivated to achieve long, medium, and short-term objectives and targets.
• Ensure that management, finance, organization, and administration of the school support its vision and aims.
• Ensure that policies and practices take account of school data and inspection research findings.
• Produce and implement clear, evidence-based improvement plans and policies for the development of the school and its facilities.
• Encourage creativity, innovation, and the use of appropriate new technologies to achieve excellence.
• Ensure that strategic planning takes account of the diversity, values, and experience of the school and the UAE community at large.
• Monitor, evaluate, and review the effects of policies, priorities, and targets in practice and take action if necessary.

Teaching and Learning

• Ensure that all pupils receive a good quality education through a programme designed to promote a stimulating style of learning in a safe and healthy school environment.
• Ensure a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils' achievement, using data and benchmarks to monitor progress in every child's learning.
• Ensure that learning is at the centre of strategic planning and resource management.
• Establish creative, responsive, and effective approaches to learning and teaching.
• Ensure a culture and ethos of challenge and support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning.
• Demonstrate and articulate high expectations and set stretching targets.
• Implement strategies which secure high standards of behaviour and attendance.
• Determine, organise, and implement a diverse, flexible, creative curriculum and implement an effective assessment framework.
• Take a strategic role in the development of new and emerging technologies to enhance and extend the learning experience of pupils.
• Monitor, evaluate, and review classroom practice and promote improvement strategies to ensure that underperformance is challenged at all levels and that effective corrective action and follow up is undertaken.

Staff Leadership and Management

• Maximise the contribution of staff to improve the quality of education provided and standards achieved and ensure that constructive working relationships are formed between staff and pupils.
• Plan, allocate, support, and evaluate work undertaken by groups, teams, and individuals, ensuring clear delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities.
• Ensure a reasonable balance for teachers and other members of staff in work carried out in school and work carried out elsewhere.
• Develop and maintain effective strategies and procedures for staff induction to the UAE and induction within the school.
• Implement and sustain effective systems for the management of staff performance, incorporating key performance indicators within performance management targets.
• Develop and maintain a culture of high expectations for self and for others and take appropriate action when performance is unsatisfactory.
• Positively participate in arrangements for Principal performance management.

Resource and Staff Deployment

• Work with Aldar Education and senior colleagues to recruit staff of the highest quality available.
• Work with senior colleagues to deploy and develop all staff effectively in order to improve the quality of education provided.
• Advise Aldar Education on appropriate priorities for expenditure, allocate funds, and ensure effective administration and control.
• Work with Aldar Education to manage and organise school accommodation efficiently and effectively to ensure that it meets the needs of the curriculum and health and safety regulations.
• Make arrangements for the security and effective supervision of the school buildings, contents, and grounds, ensuring that any lack of maintenance is reported.
• Work with Aldar Education to ensure effective health and safety procedures including ensuring that appropriate risk assessments are undertaken.
• Manage, monitor, and review the range, quality, quantity, and use of all available resources in order to improve the quality of education, improve pupils' achievements, ensure efficiency, and secure value for money.
• Encourage staff to attend training and development activities.

Accountability

• Provide information, objective advice, and support to Aldar Education to enable it to meet its responsibilities to ADEK and ADEZ.
• Present a coherent and accurate account of the school's performance in a form appropriate to a range of audiences, including parents, Aldar Education, and others.
• Ensure that parents and pupils are well-informed about the curriculum, attainment, and progress and about the contribution that they can make to achieve the school's targets for improvement.
• Provide information about the work and performance of staff where it is relevant to their future employment.

Community Strengthening

• Build a school culture and curriculum which takes account of the richness and diversity of the school's local community.
• Create and promote positive strategies for challenging racial and other prejudice and dealing with racial harassment.
• Ensure learning experiences for pupils are linked into and integrated with the wider community of the UAE.
• Ensure a range of community-based learning experiences.
• Seek opportunities to invite parents and carers, community figures, business, or other organisations into the school to enhance and enrich the school and its value to the wider community.
• Cooperate and work with relevant agencies to protect children.
• Ensure that the school promotes effective links with the local community and continues the development of close liaison with other Aldar Education sister schools.

Qualifications & Experience

• BA in Education or BA Degree with a relevant teaching qualification.
• Master's in Education, Education Leadership, NPQH, or similar professional qualification.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in education.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in a senior leadership position.

Skills & Competencies

• Fluent English communication skills, written and oral, to deliver clear, proactive, and effective two-way communication.
• Attention to detail with diligent follow up and ability to execute in a timely manner.
• Result-driven approach.
• Multi-tasking and pressure handling.
• Organisational ability of self and others.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Ability to analyse information in a systematic manner to make informed decisions.
• Capable of influencing people and talented in networking with cultural sensitivity.
• Manage change, embracing change with positivity, driving it forward and demonstrating resilience in a demanding environment.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Strong and consistent supervisory skills.
• Commercial acumen.
• Initiate effort and energy beyond the typical workday where tasks require additional commitment.
• Champion sustainability for a safer, greener, ethical environment.
• Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding.

Additional Information

• Start date: August 2027 or sooner by appointment.
• Clean enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check or police check required.
• Aldar Education offers an attractive remuneration package including medical cover, flights, housing, and free child school places.
• Special emphasis on professional development, coaching, and training for both staff and leadership.
• Access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to lead and contribute to training others and personal development.
• Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.
• Aldar Education is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment and encourages UAE Nationals to apply.
• Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.