Head of Secondary - Dubai Schools Nad Al Sheba - August 2025

Taaleem are seeking an outstanding and inspirational Head of Secondary to join Dubai Schools Nad Al Sheba from August 2025.

Dubai Schools 

The Dubai Schools Mission is to be a Beacon of Academic Excellence. Combining an inquisitive teaching approach and future-focused skillset delivery, we work hand-in-hand with the community to nurture students to become independent and empathetic learners. We offer an American education that will be guided by Arabic principles and Islamic values which will foster future-ready graduates, driven by pride and tolerance.

The main objective of the Dubai Schools Al Barsha, Al Khawaneej and Nad al Sheba Projects is to create a mutually beneficial partnership between the government and the private sector that ensures Dubai’s aspiration to have 100% of Emirati Students enrolled in 'Good+' rated schools. 

Job Purpose 

The core purpose of this role is to provide professional, highly effective leadership and management that will achieve outstanding results in all aspects of Secondary School life. The Secondary Headteacher promotes an inspiring vision and clear direction that is shared by all members of the Secondary School and the Senior Leadership Team. Ultimately, the Secondary Headteacher is responsible for ensuring that the curriculum, teaching and assessment practices inspire high levels of engagement, achievement and progress for students of all abilities.

Key Accountabilities

Inspirational and Strategic Leadership

• Promote Taaleem’s mission of ‘inspiring young minds’ - our vision of being the most respected provider of education in the Gulf and our core values and strategic platforms.
• Promote an inspiring vision dedicated to high standards that is shared by all members of the Secondary School.
• Initiate, prioritize and lead Secondary School improvement activities through effective strategic leadership and planning which supports the vision, mission and values of Taaleem.
• Display a high level of professional competence in all areas of responsibility.
• Communicate a clear view of the Secondary School’s aims so that all staff know what is required of them and are competent and committed to achieving the school’s goals.
• Be receptive and respond to external evaluation of the school and manage the process professionally and very efficiently with your senior colleagues.
• Work effectively with school governance teams (School Advisory Committee, and Parents Associations) and Taaleem Head of School to ensure informed and responsive decision making, which help to direct change and effective management of school resources.
• Ensure that the levels of students’ attainment and the quality of teaching successfully align with the Secondary Schools’ promise to parents.
• Participate and lead professional development workshops in the UAE, including events run by the Knowledge Human Development Authority (KHDA) or Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC).

Self Evaluation and Improvement Planning

• Ensure that the Secondary School’s academic program is fit for purpose and challenges students of all abilities.
• Maintain an ‘Outstanding’ rating in Phases 3 and 4 on inspections.
• Involve all Secondary staff in systematic, rigorous self-evaluation with the explicit purpose of improving the quality of students’ experiences and their standards of attainment.
• Work collaboratively with external bodies and the Senior Leadership Team to achieve outstanding results on school accreditations, inspections and evaluations
• Monitor teachers’ plans, evaluate students’ classroom experiences, track students’ attainment and evaluate progress towards meeting agreed targets
• Ensure that middle leaders and teachers set aspirational yet realistic goals aimed at improving students’ performance
• Ensure that all recommendations from previous inspections and evaluations are included in the schools’ improvement plans

Effective and Efficient Management of Resources

• Work closely with the Principal, Business Manager, Admissions Manager, other Heads of Schools and SLT to ensure that all policies, procedures and routines across the school are effective and efficient.
• Ensure accountability of the school’s actions and outcomes with regards to compliance and health and safety issues
• Work collaboratively with the Principal and Admissions Manager to achieve enrolment targets and business objectives
• Ensure that teaching and learning is monitored closely and consistently using SISRA Observe to rate the quality of teaching practice across the school and identify areas of development
• Ensure that all Secondary School staff are appraised annually providing recognition for areas of strength and recommendations for areas of development and growth.
• Work collaboratively with Principal, Operations Manager and SLT to develop CAPEX and Consumable budgets and then monitor performance against the Secondary School’s budget lines

Parent, Student and Community Relationships

• Be responsible for the safety and well-being of all students through positive recognition and high expectations for behaviour and conduct
• Build and maintain relationships with Secondary School parents and the community by establishing regular and appropriate communications with all members of the school community, both internally and externally
• Market the Secondary School to the local and wider community with the aim of recruiting new students and retaining existing students to achieve a full school roll.
• Ensure that parents receive regular reports of their children’s progress and attainment that include next steps for learning

Person Specifications

Education: Teaching certification, higher educational professional qualification

Experience: 3 years’ school leadership 

Skills

Competencies: knowledge of accreditation, inspection and evaluation frameworks, excellent communication skills in spoken and written form, educational leader and outstanding teacher, staff recruitment, strategic planning, knowledge of child protection and health and safety, experience in developing and/or sustaining high performance teams, highly effective relationship management with a variety of stakeholders

Attributes: collaborative team player, inspirational speaker, empathetic listener, integrity, strategic thinker, able to convert vision into action, internationally minded, emotional intelligence, intercultural awareness, creative, persuasive, flexible and capable of managing growth and instilling high standards, adept in multilingual settings, spirited, pioneering, professional and nurturing.

To apply:

Interested applicants should click apply, complete the application and upload a copy of your CV.

Taaleem is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. At Taaleem, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective practices in relation to child protection and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to various background checks including, receipt of high quality references, proof of relevant qualifications, identification and police checks, including overseas checks.