Secondary School Principal

Overview

Secondary School Principal

Mission
The  Mission is to challenge and empower students to be compassionate and inspired people, who act for the good of all and for the sustainable development of the world.

General
Opened in September 2005. It was established to provide an international education for the expatriate communities in Beijing, as well as, uniquely, offering education to the children of internationally-minded Chinese nationals. A private, not-for-profit institution governed by an appointed Board of Trustees. The school is funded by tuition fees.
The school boasts purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities specifically designed to support our curriculum and progressive teaching and learning environment. This 51,000 square meters main campus sits on a plot of prime land in the heart of the CBD and within one kilometer of the China World Trade Centre. In 2014/2015 the Early Childhood Program (Toddler, Nursery, Pre- Kindergarten, and Kindergarten classes) transferred to a new purpose-built Early Childhood Center located approximately one kilometer from the flagship campus. This 21,000-square meter facility has been built to an extremely high standard (LEED Gold Standard) of environmental sustainability, in line with the school’s mission.

We are an inclusive school that admits students who can benefit from our program and whose families are committed to our school mission. The language of instruction is English and students must either be fluent in the English language or willing to develop fluency through the school’s ELL (English Language Learners) program to gain admission to, or continue in, the school’s program of studies.
An International Baccalaureate (IB) World School which places a strong emphasis on personalized learning and academic rigor. We have aligned the Chinese National Curriculum with the  curriculum and we are authorized to teach the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12, the IB Middle Years Programme in Grades 6 to 10 and the IB Primary Years Programme from Nursery to Grade 5. The IB programs stress the importance of inquiry and educating the whole child. The school is accredited by CIS and WASC, and is a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS), the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) and the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS). The most recent strategic plan was collaboratively developed in the Spring of 2022.
Current enrollment across the two campuses is 1,250 students, with approximately 500 children at the Secondary School.

About the Secondary School
In addition to the IB Diploma, offers a Diploma program that been aptly named IDEATE (ID8). IDEATE Program empowers high school students to take charge of their own learning by truly ideating their own path of study. Fully accredited and recognized by universities around the world, IDEATE is a personalized, inquiry-based 2-year high school diploma for senior students who want to pursue their passions, develop future-ready competencies, and apply their learning to be change-makers in their communities.
The secondary school consists of around 70 faculty and 20 teaching assistants. The senior leadership team includes the Principal, Deputy Principal, DP curriculum coordinator, ID8 curriculum coordinator, CAS Coordinator and MYP curriculum coordinator. Each of the eight Areas of Learning has a Team Leader. These Team Leaders create an additional leadership group in the Secondary School. A mission-driven school and these school leaders are empowered to move their teams forward.

Our curriculum includes standards and benchmarks taken from Australia, Great Britain and North America. Units are built around concepts and utilize Inquiry-based instruction. Assessment is ongoing, relevant and differentiated. External assessments include MAP, NGEA, and GL PASS to ensure that our programs remain competitive with other international schools. Support services include two guidance counselors, a university guidance counselor, ELL teachers and TAs and learning support teachers and learning support TAs. In addition, the Librarian offers support as the Extended Essay coordinator.
Students participate in a robust Enrichment Activities program that includes a wide range of teacher-led and student-run activities. Students drive much of the program and have many opportunities to grow as leaders. Offers three sports seasons and participates in ACAMIS, ISAC and Beijing-based leagues and associations. Regularly participates in, and hosts, arts festivals (ISTA, TAPS, etc..) and student leadership events such as GIN, MUN and student-initiated business competitions and film festivals. It is a very busy place! Has facilities that are envied by schools across the city and throughout the region.

Key Areas of Responsibility for the Secondary School Principal
• Provide visionary leadership for the Secondary School (Grades 6-12) in alignment with the mission, philosophy, strategic plan and goals.
• Develop the leadership capacity of the Secondary School faculty through effective teamwork and collaborative decision-making.
• Provide instructional leadership and strengthen the school’s foundations of academic rigor, built on inquiry-based pedagogy and developmentally appropriate practices, within a warm and caring environment. Enhance personalized learning throughout the secondary school based on appropriate challenge, empowerment and support for all students.
• Maintain and develop a culture of collaboration.
• Monitor and provide leadership for the pastoral care of students.
• Serve as a member of the school-wide Educational and Instructional Leadership Teams; working closely with the other divisional principals and head of school to create a uniform vision as one school.
• Develop home school partnerships

Key Attributes Sought in the Secondary School Principal
• Philosophical alignment with vision, mission, vision, strategic plan and goals.
• The ability to empower students, faculty and parents to be positive agents of change in the school.
• A passion to model, and inspire in others, a love of learning and intellectual curiosity.
• Proven educational leadership skills and accomplishments as a secondary school leader.
• Understanding of and empathy for the learning, social and emotional needs of adolescents.
• Commitment to intellectual rigor and personalized learning.
• Excellence in communication, ability to tell a story to inform.
• High emotional intelligence, including the capacity to respond with compassion and firmness while maintaining the respect of students, parents and colleagues from different cultures.
• The ability to hire, retain and support thriving, highly motivated teachers.
• The ability to multi-task, prioritize and delegate with confidence.
• A leadership style characterized by inclusiveness, appropriate transparency, openness, approachability and support while remaining decisive, accountable and transparent,
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships as the leader of the secondary school senior leadership team.
• Enthusiasm to continue to contribute to the innovation of education in the host country, P.R. China.
• Sense of humor and ability to see the good in all and presume positive intentions.

Required Qualifications
• A proven record of outstanding leadership experience at a senior level.
• A graduate degree in education.
• Experience with, and thorough knowledge of the IB MYP and DP programmes.
• Understanding of best practices in curriculum development, instruction, assessment, and student support services (ELL, Learning Support, Gifted and Talented).
• Experience working in a culture other than your own.

Salary and Benefits
The salary will be regionally competitive and commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. The package includes: generous salary, furnished housing, medical insurance, annual travel allowance, shipping allowance, tuition for dependent children, ample professional development opportunities and the benefit of belonging to both a highly engaged leadership team and a warm, caring and innovative community.