Founding Principal
The Lisboan International School
Portugal
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- The position is available in July-August 2025 (or potentially earlier for the right candidate).
- Apply by:
- 31 October 2024
Job overview
This Founding Principal opportunity has the potential to be fascinating and potentially career-defining: a chance to shape The Lisboan as a new type of school in a stunningly-converted historic building in the heart of Lisbon. It is also a chance to do so within Artemis Education, a growing group that is setting out to transform the landscape of education by creating and operating innovative new schools.
The position requires a visionary leader who aspires to be the architect of a new approach to school culture and a trailblazer in education. The Founding Principal will be responsible for establishing the traditions, values and ethos that will define The Lisboan as a place where students and educators thrive. The school will be deeply conscious of its social and environmental responsibilities and will work in constant partnership with its host community.
The Founding Principal must be committed to unlocking the potential in every child and creating an environment where innovative thinking is encouraged and students are empowered to explore their full potential in an enriching and supportive setting. The successful candidate will be passionate about the highest standards of learning, empowering teachers to inspire and motivate, integrating innovation and building purposeful community partnerships.
Located in the heart of Lisbon, The Lisboan will grow to be a school for 1,200 students from Nursery to Year 13, blending the best of British education, the IBDP and Artemis’ distinctive future-focused approach to education. This will be supported by a rich experience programme that will use the city itself as the classroom. The school aims to become a hub of educational excellence, contributing to the city’s rich cultural and intellectual landscape, and the Founding Principal will therefore be pivotal in shaping the future of education in one of Europe's most dynamic and vibrant capitals.
The Lisboan is dedicated to bringing a net-zero carbon education into the mainstream, reflecting a commitment to the future and a responsibility for the stewardship of the planet. Its core values – kindness, curiosity, connectedness resilience and integrity – will be underpinned by the distinctive BOA principles – Belong, Own, Act.
This is an outstanding opportunity in a highly attractive location and within a dynamic and values-driven group. Candidates should have deep senior leadership experience and be able to show evidence of their commitment to academic excellence, authentically-holistic education, innovative practice and embedding a school within its host community. It is likely that the successful candidate will be a serving Principal and may well have experience of founding or start-up. However, Artemis Education is most concerned about mindset – candidates who will think differently, have the instincts for start-up, feel equally comfortable internally and externally-facing, and understand a school’s environmental and social responsibility.
The position is available in July-August 2025 (or potentially earlier for the right candidate).
We are treating this as a rolling applications process and will consider applications as they are received. Early applications are therefore strongly advised. There will be an initial deadline of Monday 23 September 2024 at 10:00 (UK/Portugal). Depending on the applications received by this date, Artemis Education and RSAcademics reserve the right not to consider further applications and to make an appointment.
For a preliminary, confidential conversation about the position, please contact Hannah Freestone-Smith, Search Consultant at HannahFreestone-Smith@rsacademics.com
Further, detailed candidate information about the role, including information on how to apply, is available at www.rsacademics.com
Artemis Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be prepared to undergo stringent child protection screening including checks with past employers and an enhanced DBS (or equivalent) is required.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
The safeguarding responsibilities of this post are detailed in the candidate information brochure.
RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.
Attached documents
About The Lisboan International School
The Lisboan International School is a brand new school, forming part of Artemis Education’s family of schools. Artemis Education is a growing private international schools group with a mission to improve access to outstanding education. Home - Artemis (artemis-education.com)
Opening in September 2025 for students in Nursery - Year 10, the school will eventually house 1,200 students from Nursery to Year 13.
Nestled in the vibrant Alcântara district of Lisbon, The Lisboan occupies the space of a former pasta factory, thoughtfully transformed to honour its heritage while fostering an engaging learning environment suitable for global citizens. Alcântara, an emerging district featuring offices, apartments, bars, and restaurants, is well-connected to the rest of Lisbon and neighbouring districts via an efficient public transport system and road network.
Lisbon is currently experiencing a period of rapid development, marked by the influx of foreign investment and a growing international community. While there are several international schools in the vicinity, The Lisboan stands out as one of the few situated within the city itself, offering a unique educational experience at the heart of Lisbon's evolving landscape.
The school´s curriculum will follow an enhanced version of the National Curriculum for England and Wales culminating with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
As important as academic results are the values for which we stand, which are embedded in all areas of school life. The “BOA” principles (Boa is good in Portuguese):
B – Belong to a community, collaboration within learning and play at the school.
O – Own the opportunity to become the best possible version of ourselves by developing various skills and intelligences.
A – Act as we are putting into practice what we have learned.
These are transferred to the pupils by our 5 Key Values which are:
- Kindness
- Curiosity
- Connectedness
- Resilience
- Integrity
The school places the whole child at the core of all that we do. As such staff will not only be expected to be inspirational educationalists but also act as role models for all children and to contribute to the extracurricular programme of the school, known as the Experience.
The Lisboan is seeking to become the leading international school in Lisbon and Portugal.
The school is nothing without its staff. If, after reading this you are excited by the prospect of being part of The Lisboan founding team, we look forward to receiving your application.
The Lisboan is an equal opportunities employer.
Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment
The Lisboan is committed to providing a high standard of safeguarding and welfare of children and expects all staff to follow this commitment. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and its international equivalents.
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