Deputy Head of Senior School

Teaching Opportunities

with Wellington College in China

Wellington College International Shanghai opened in August 2014 as Wellington’s second partnership school in China and has rapidly developed a reputation as the premier international school in the city. It currently has 1,418 pupils from over 40 countries and contiues to grow.

The College is divided into three schools, with a Senior School (years 9 to 13) and Prep School (years 1 to 8) on the main campus and our nearby Early Years Centre (Nursery and Reception). The College curriculum combines our focus on the Wellington values with the best of English and international curriculums. The youngest children in Nursery and Reception classes follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. From year 1, the English National Curriculum informs teaching in maths and literacy, with other lessons following the International Primary Curriculum. From year 6 up, all children follow a school-devised curriculum, based on the English National Curriculum and taught by subject specialists to prepare for the study of IGCSE subjects in years 10 and 11. Pupils in years 12 and 13 follow the prestigious IB Diploma Programme.

Wellington College International Shanghai aims to be the best international school in China and a great place for talented professionals to develop their careers. To date, our academic results have been outstanding, our IB students averaged above 39 points in 2022, placing Wellington comfortably alongside the best international IB schools. Most of our IGCSE pupils gain eight or more A*-A grades, with A* being by far the most common grade.

Success in public examinations is important and we celebrate it. However, at Wellington College, excellent exam results and great university destinations are only part of the picture. We want our pupils to be the very best people that they can be: to be Kind, to have Integrity in their actions, to take Responsibility when necessary, to have Respect for their environment, for others and themselves, and finally to show Courage when needed. The Wellington values frame the way we think about what it is be a Wellingtonian, including the ways we work and what we hope to become.

The Deputy Head has a wide-ranging brief and set of responsibilities that are difficult to capture easily in a role description. The role therefore requires flexibility, a capacity for operating effectively across multiple and sometimes competing areas of operation, outstanding organisational ability, and the wisdom needed to balance knowing when to take the initiative with knowing when to hold off in favour of greater consultation.

The principal function of the role is to ensure the orderly and effective running of the Senior School on a daily basis so that the school fulfils its aims of providing pupils with a well-rounded, challenging education. The Deputy Head must have the ability to understand and work with impact across all aspects of the school, including the taught curriculum, higher education, pastoral curriculum, and the co-curriculum, to engage positively with pupils, staff, parents, outside agencies and College or Wellington College China group-level leadership, and to promote consistently the values and vision of Wellington College International Shanghai.

The Deputy Head must be capable of deputising for the headteacher as may be required in a variety of contexts, whether in the form of face-to-face meetings, addressing large groups, or through effective written communication. The Deputy Head is expected to provide and model effective leadership of staff and pupils, in line with the values of the College.

The Deputy Head must be a highly skilled and sensitive communicator, able to ensure accurate and timely representation of views from across all the various parts of the school community.

For further information about Wellington College in Shanghai and its employment opportunities, please go to

https://www.wellingtoncollege.cn/shanghai/careers/vacancies/

An application form and further details of the above position are available on the website. The completed application form, together with a letter of introduction and an up-to-date CV, including the names and contact details of three referees, should be sent to Jobs.shanghai@wellingtoncollege.cn

Wellington College Shanghai is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate must be willing to undergo an enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure and Barring Service, or local national equivalent.