Assistant Head of Secondary: Teaching and Learning, and Environmental Inquiry – The Arbor School, Dubai, UAE – August 2025

The Arbor School is seeking an innovative, dynamic leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as the Assistant Head of Secondary: Teaching and Learning and Environmental Inquiry – with a focus on overseeing the Arbor ethos and purpose within the curriculum and school life. This key role will support the Head of Secondary in enhancing the quality of educational practices across the Secondary School, ensuring that the Arbor School continues to be a unique educational establishment in Dubai.

This role covers, but is not limited to, driving forward the concept based curriculum across Key Stage 3 into Key Stage 4 and 5, ensuring our ecological purpose and mission is embedded across the curriculum in all year groups and through enrichment opportunities and leading on our inquiry driven pedagogical approach across all year groups. Working closely with the Centre for Abundance team, and the Marketing Lead they will ensure we have top quality partnerships which contribute to the school’s on-going mission-focused development.

Enough For All, For Ever

The Arbor School opened in 2018 with a very different vision of what education could and should be – experiential, authentic and inspired by the natural beauty, human ingenuity, and profound ecological and social challenges of the Arabian Peninsula.

The cultivation of a learning community uniquely committed to understanding and restoring the health of ecological and human communities as interconnected parts of a whole requires equal parts optimism, ambition, and humility. A fundamental belief in the inherit goodness of people and their capacity to act with empathy and compassion underscores the sense of hope that is fundamental to learning for a sustainable future. The resilience and determination to tackle challenges that have grown to global proportion is essential to finding sustainable solutions and orchestrating the social changes needed to grow them to scale. The realisation that comes from recognising that we are all students – never a master – drives our commitment to ignite a lifelong love of learning.

Recognising the interconnected nature of the cognitive, affective and participative domains, and their roles in shaping learning, we are pursuing a holistic approach to teaching and learning, designed to prepare learners:

•     to understand the interconnected concepts of sustainability, individual and collective well-being, and environmental and social justice;

•     to find purpose, meaning and joy in their interactions with the natural world and with each other, and to seek to understand people who are different to themselves; and

•     to experience a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy through their actions at home, in school and in the wider world.

JOB SUMMARY

As the Assistant Head of Teaching and Learning and Environmental Inquiry at the Arbor School, you will lead efforts to cultivate a learning culture that reflects the school's Strategic Intent, Mission Statement, and Arbor Promise. This pivotal role combines instructional leadership with a focus on sustainability and ecological literacy, ensuring the delivery of an innovative, inquiry-driven curriculum grounded in the English National Curriculum and centered on environmental justice and sustainability.

Key responsibilities include leading professional development in inquiry-based learning, ecological frameworks, and concept-based curricula, as well as overseeing the line management of key departments such as Humanities, Ecoliteracy, Performing Arts, and Languages. You will collaborate with senior leaders to align curriculum design and assessment practices with Arbor’s ethos and manage enrichment programs, educational trips, and events that enhance student engagement with ecology and sustainability.

THE ARBOR PROMISE

Arbor teachers are a part of a community which is inclusive, fun-loving, and active. Arbor teachers enjoy authentic friendships with their colleagues, positive relationships with school leaders, who care for their wellbeing, and are a team in the true sense. Arbor teachers are resilient in the face of challenge, are stable and calm in the face of change, and creative and flexible when solving problems. Arbor teachers bring their passions and interests to enrich our school and are clear that there is an expectation to do so. We commit to meeting agreed deadlines, to communicating proactively with an assumption of positive intent and share a passion to provide an education of the highest quality to our students.

REQUIRED CANDIDATE PROFILE:

·          Qualified Teacher Status with significant leadership experience in a growing school.

·          NPQSL, Masters (MA/MSc) or similar

·          Minimum two cumulative years of educational leadership

·          Understanding of the growth and development of a values/ethos driven school

·          Proven track record of implementing successful concept based frameworks and driving innovation in teaching and learning

·          Experience in leading whole-school professional development initiatives that enhance teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.

·          Knowledge of KHDA standards, BSO frameworks, and other relevant regulatory requirements for international schools.

·          A commitment to promoting the values of sustainability, environmental responsibility, and community engagement central to Arbor School’s vision.

REMUNERATION:

Competitive tax-free salary, school provided accommodation, free school places for children, private medical insurance, annual airfares, and end of contract gratuity as per the UAE labour law.

APPLICATION:

To apply for this position please complete your application on TES and include:

·        An up-to-date CV with a recent photograph to be included.

·        A letter of application, no longer than two pages in length, which outlines your educational philosophy and suitability for the Arbor School.

The Arbor School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all the students in our care and expects all applicants to share this commitment. We hold ourselves to a high standard of effective safer recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. All appointments are subject to CV and qualification checks, interview, identity checks, criminal record checks, and successful references.

All appointments are subject to the approval of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.