Overall Description
The position of Head of Primary is part of the middle management structure of the school, forming the link between the class/subject teachers and the School Leadership Team (SLT). Reporting to the SLT, the Head of Primary’s major function is to assist the SLT in carrying out essential daily elements of school administration that facilitate the smooth running of Years 1-6, enhance teaching and learning, and ensure appropriate communication with teachers, students, parents, and other members of staff.
General responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Leadership:
• Manage the Primary School within the spirit of the school’s philosophy and objectives
• Assist the SLT in the day to day running of the school, support them in change management, and deputise for the SLT if all absent
• Participate in all Academic Leadership Team (ALT) meetings as scheduled and work closely with all co-leaders, e.g., heads of other sections, team leaders, etc.
• Devise and implement budget allocations in consultation with SLT
• Recruit new teachers in close collaboration with SLT
• Develop an induction programme for all new teachers to acclimate them to YCIS-BJ, Learning Communities and models of teaching
• Support teachers in their differing roles and undertake disciplinary measures where appropriate
• Bring to the notice of the SLT any concerns over the professional conduct of a teacher, including negligence or any concern about staff relationships, teacher/parent or student/teacher relationships
Reviewed March 2021
• Control and maximise the use of assigned staff, the allocated sectional budget, and the use and upkeep of sectional facilities and learning resources
• Monitor and implement appropriate changes to procedures for play (indoor and outdoor), lunch, start of day and end of day routines, etc.
• Delegate and approrpiate responsibility for special events, e.g., camps, assemblies, field trips, etc.
• Attend all functions and/or meetings pertinent to the role
• Participate in the formulation and implementation of a whole school strategic plan, development plan and writing policy, where needed
• Meet regularly with staff and involve them directly in aspects of curriculum design, teaching and learning strategies, daily routines, the school’s expectations for teachers and students and the future development of the section and the whole school in its widest context and make regular reports to the SLT on areas for discussions
• Oversee specific areas of school development and improvement through data analysis (decided in consultation with the SLT)
Teaching and Learning:
• Assist the SLT in the development, monitoring and evaluation of the school curriculum, its delivery and the keeping of records and maintenance of high academic achievement
• Develop the YCIS international curriculum and assessments
• Review curriculum guides with sectional team leaders and teachers, organise schemes of work, scope and sequence, unit and weekly plans with differentiation and current research-backed methodologies
• Analyse effectiveness of instruction at each year level, identify areas for improvement and make and enact recommendations for improvement
• Oversee the Teaching Assistants and liaise with the librarian and other specialist teachers to ensure inclusion in routines, meetings and development
• Ensure the student records are maintained by liaising with the school office
• Develop and coordinate the school timetable
• Ensure a suitable duty roster is in place and actively monitored
• Coordinate and facilitate the analysis of standardized assessments within the section
Student Support:
• Maintain an overview and involvement in the pastoral care of all students in the respective section
• Promote the Dimensions of Learning, character education/global citizenship programmes
• Facilitate a support programme for those students who have educational or behavioural needs
• Supervise the safety and general welfare of all students, working in close collaboration with the school nurse and school counsellor on health matters
• Provide a process of reporting regularly to parents on students academic and social development and ensure that all parents are aware of the school’s procedures for following up their concerns
Community:
• Interview all new families who have applied for entry into the school and follow the admissions policies
• Maintain a friendly, open, supportive, yet firm relationship with parents and their representatives in the spirit of the school’s philosophy and objectives
• Meet with other school leaders on a regular basis, consult with them on matters of curriculum design, the development of school-wide policies and handbooks, student welfare, teaching resources, the physical development of the campus, relationship with the local community, etc.
• Ensure that all lines of appropriate communication with the school are respected and that they are well known by all parents and staff in the assigned section
• Represent the school at educational conferences and meetings, ensuring that others with curriculum development responsibilities in the section also have this opportunity
• Meet regularly with parent representatives, advising and consulting with them on school and wider school community matters, taking every opportunity to emphasize how the school’s philosophy and objectives will influence their child’s education in the school
JS YCIS BJ Head of Primary Job Description.docx
Professional Development and Appraisals:
• Undertake the professional appraisal of teaching colleagues using QFLT, following the agreed school-wide policy laid down by the YCEF Organisation/SLT
• Provide new teachers with a mentoring system
• Attend professional development courses in line with the role
• Make full use of the opportunities and training provided by the school as a reflective learner for their professional development and progression (taking into account the school’s priorities and their own professional needs)
