Deputy Headteacher of Secondary August 2025

Jebel Ali School, Dubai, is seeking an outstanding, and highly qualified, Deputy Headteacher of Secondary, to join their leading British international school in August 2025.

Secondary Deputy Headteacher with an excellent understanding of data and assessment processes: Jebel Ali School, Dubai (JAS) 

Jebel Ali School is a leading British Curriculum school in Dubai for students aged 3-18 years. Established in 1977, JAS has an enviable reputation for being a much-loved community school centred around the ethos that our students never stop believing that better is always possible, our aim is for everyone to belong, believe and become better than they thought they could.

Our campus contains state of the art facilities including a standalone Foundation Stage, Primary and Secondary Schools as well as some of the most impressive sports facilities in the city. Known and admired as the original Dubai community school, the school currently has over 1,980 students on roll of whom approximately 46% are British/Irish with an additional 63 nationalities represented. Jebel Ali School follows the English National Curriculum to GCSE, BTEC and ‘A’ Levels.

The school is proudly inclusive with students, parents and staff who take pride in, and fully support, the school. Our students leave us with confidence, strong interpersonal skills and with sufficient adaptability, resilience and understanding to be successful in the world of both today and tomorrow. 

Primary Purpose of role: 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 Deputy 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 Deputy Headteacher is, with the school’s leadership team, responsible for ensuring that the curriculum, teaching and assessment practices inspire high levels of engagement, achievement and progress for students of all abilities.

Key Responsibilities:

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, prioritise 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 with a particular focus on excellence on data and assessment. Experience in all aspects of the UAE National Agenda targets preferable.
• Demonstrate exceptional understanding and application of the DSIB framework to drive improvement.
• 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.
• Distribute leadership effectively to achieve high standards of learning and personal development by creating an ethos of collective responsibility and mutual support.
• Inspire and empower senior leaders, middle leaders, teachers and support staff by clearly defining all roles and aligning these roles with school priorities.
• 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 (Taaleem Central Office Governance Team, School Advisory Board, and Parent Teacher Association) and Taaleem Heads of Schools 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.
• Clearly and comfortably delegates work, trusting and empowering others to perform.
• Provides regular feedback and motivation to others to successfully achieve their targets.
• Encourage others to contribute, creating a spirit of teamwork and opportunities of cooperation and collaboration between departments.
• Contribute time and expertise to the professional development of Taaleem teachers and leaders.
• Deputise for the Headteacher of Secondary in their absence.
• Participate and lead professional development workshops in the UAE, including events run by the Knowledge Human Development Authority (KHDA)

Position Requirements:

Education: Teaching certification, higher educational professional qualification (desirable)

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. Strong knowledge and experience of the English National Curriculum and examination board reforms.

Experience: 3 years’ school leadership, recent teaching experience