Head of Secondary/Vice Principal - Sept 2025

GEMS Royal Dubai School is a vibrant, Premium British School (currently FS1 – Year 7), expanding to Year 8 in September 2025 and growing annually. With 850 students currently on roll from over 48 nationalities, GEMS Royal Dubai School is a family-feel school with exceptionally high standards and is fully accredited as a World-Class High Performance Learning School.

RDS will become an all-through school, serving students from Foundation Stage to Year 13, offering GCSEs, A levels and BTec pathways, enhanced by the opening of our brand-new, purpose-built secondary campus in the summer of 2026.

In line with our expansion, we are looking for an exceptional, experienced leader to join us as Head of Secondary / Vice Principal for September 2025. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, have proven and sustained impact on driving standards and be committed to a culture of High Performance.

If you are a dynamic and impact driven leader this is an opportunity for you to shape our Secondary School and build on the success of RDS Primary.

Job Purpose: The post holder will be accountable for leading and enabling an outstanding, holistic, and dynamic experience for our students, which leads to exceptionally high outcomes through the implementation of a clear education strategy.

Key Responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Lead the development, implementation and review of an outstanding secondary curriculum
• Effective leadership of the secondary team ensuring accurate and effective assessment, including the selection of appropriate exam boards.
• Creating a culture where student data is used skilfully and extensively to optimise progress and personalise learning
• Embracing, role modelling and leading a culture of exceptionally high academic standards and a commitment to UAE National Agenda targets
• Lead and be accountable for high standards of learning and teaching through effective MER systems and professional development opportunities.
• Ensuring high quality safeguarding, care and support for students
• Managing budgets and undertake teaching and other professional duties as reasonably delegated by the Principal / CEO.
• Work effectively with colleagues, students and parents using excellent interpersonal skills
• Make a positive contribution to our school community and culture through active engagement in our extra-curricular programme and community-based events
• To be considered for this role, candidates must:
• Demonstrate a very strong knowledge of the curriculum, assessment and the best practices in learning and teaching across Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 of the NCfE
• Have experience of the breadth of UK qualifications, the process for centre registration and associated requirements
• Be an outstanding practitioner with significant leadership experience
• Hold a leadership qualification and/ or evidence of actively pursuing your own professional development as an executive leader
• UAE experience highly desirable

Application Process

If you can bring a dynamic and innovative approach to our exciting expansion, are enthusiastic about teaching and learning and have the drive and passion to get the most from our students, then we would welcome your application. If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact hr_rds@gemsedu.com.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please forward the following documents for the attention of hr_rds@gemsedu.com

• An up to date CV complete with responsibilities and experience to date.
• A letter of application stating why you feel you are suitable for this role
• 1 page document with evidence of the impact you have had in your current role.