Deputy Head of Primary

Date: 9 Jan 2025

Location:

Abu Dhabi, AE

Job ID: 4622

School: NAS Abu Dhabi School

Company: Nord Anglia Education

Deputy Head Of Primary

Nord Anglia International School, Abu Dhabi is seeking to appoint a passionate, inspirational, and forward-thinking Founding Deputy Head of Primary to join at a pivotal stage in the school’s growth and development, commencing August 2025. The Founding Deputy Head of Primary will be part of the Core Leadership Team consisting of the Head of HR for Abu Dhabi, Head of Operations, Director of Admissions & Marketing, Head of Finance UAE and Head of IT UAE.

The role will require the Deputy to ensure the highest standards of learning and achievement. Lead, inspire and guide the teaching staff, support staff and young people.

About Nord Anglia

At Nord Anglia Education, our schools shape a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who leave our schools with everything they need for success – whatever they choose to be or do in life. When it comes to creating memorable learning experiences both within and beyond our classrooms, our family of more than 13,000 passionate staff are experts in their academic and commercial professions and play a vital role in the world-class experience our schools provide.

We educate more than 74,000 children in 32 countries, our 84 schools in the Middle East, the Americas, Europe and Asia form our diverse global family, making us the largest provider of premium education in the world.

About The School

Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi (NAS Abu Dhabi) lies at the heart of the Emirate, on Al Reem Island. In August 2023, we opened the school’s new, purpose-built campus to our first cohort of students and began to do what Nord Anglia does best: make every moment at school count. Our mission is to help our students prepare for their futures, think creatively outside the box, develop healthy resilience, global awareness, and be team players.

Job Purpose

You will offer leadership, inspiration and guidance to both staff and students of the Primary School and ensure that all students achieve exceptional outcomes: academic, personal, and social. You will ensure the smooth day to day operations of the Primary School, and to work effectively as a key member of the School Leadership Team, playing a major role in strategic planning. You will offer inspirational and strategic leadership of the Primary School, where integrity, inclusivity, care, and respect lie at its core.

As a genuine team-player, you’ll work not only with the rest of the Nord Anglia Abu Dhabi Primary team, but across also with our regional and central teams to ensure that the highest quality lessons are taught and to ensure that everything we do is connected to our vision to create a generation of resilient and creative global citizens who will change our world for the better.

Engagement and Interaction - School Ambassador to Internal Community

Requirements

In fulfilling the requirements of the post, the Deputy Head of Primary will demonstrate essential professional characteristics, and in particular will:

• Lead the primary school on a day-to-day basis
• Inspire trust and confidence in students, colleagues, and parents as a model practitioner
• Share our philosophy and embed the Nord Anglia collaborations (STEAM, Global Campus, UNICEF and Juilliard) into the heart of the Primary School curriculum
• Manage staff, resources, and facilities strategically to ensure the very highest outcomes are achieved by our students
  
  

Staff

• Support the Head of Primary in key development issues and act as a bridge between staff and the Leadership Team
• Lead with care and empathy to maintain a culture where every member of NAS Abu Dhabi feels valued and respected
• Promote and maintain a highly motivated team which is continually seeking to improve
• To lead the Performance Management process across the primary school KS1 and KS2 and ensure every teacher and teaching assistant has a personal learning growth plan
• Provide regular and constructive feedback to all Primary Teachers and Phase Leaders
• Hold regular meetings with Subject Leaders and specialist leads to help improve teaching and learning and to ensure collaboration and consistency
• To assist in the recruitment of Primary staff and to participate in the decision-making process of contract renewal
• To provide an effective induction for all new Primary staff
• Promote and run regular CPD, including through Nord Anglia University, sharing best practise supplemented by outside CPD that has an impact
• Work with the Head of Primary to align school development, CPD and Performance Management in line with the school development plan
  
  

Learning and Teaching

• Monitor and improve standards of teaching and learning across the Primary school through a variety of methods in line with our Performance Management Cycle
• Provide visionary leadership for outstanding learning
• Embed the Nord Anglia collaborations (STEAM, Global Campus, UNICEF and Juilliard) into the heart of the Primary School curriculum
• Oversee the management of student leadership and well-being in the Primary School
• To ensure children have excellent opportunities outside of the classroom (residentials, outdoor learning, service projects and trips)
• Ensure smooth Transitions from EYFS to Year 1 and Year 5 to Secondary
• Oversee the production, writing and sending of reports
• Review and revise report proformas to ensure continued fit for purpose
• Manage the organisation, format and content of Parent-Teacher Consultations
  
  

Curriculum, Attainment, and Acheivement

• Oversee the process of the setting of academic targets for Primary students
• Manage the analysis and evaluation of academic and social progress, using data as relevant to the Primary school
• Identify and take appropriate action on issues arising from data, systems and reports, setting deadlines where necessary and reviewing progress on the action taken
• Lead the celebration of personal and academic success (through regular assemblies, social media promotion and school rewards system)
• Champion the school House system to highlight a sense of belonging, to improve collaboration, promote healthy competition and reward children
• Support in the Quality Assurance document requirements for the Central Team
  
  

Administration / Development

• Expected to take responsibility in the absence of the Head of Primary
• Work with the Head of Primary and PLT to formulate strategic direction in line with the vision for the whole school
• Play an active role in the creation and review of the School Development plan
• Publish and implement an appropriate timetable focused on the delivery of a balanced curriculum and maximising staffing needs
• Work with the Head of Primary to prepare and manage the Primary School budget
• Oversee the annual ordering of resources within a set Primary budget
• To work closely with the Admissions team on the school experience journey to assess and interview potential new students
• To ensure all materials relating to the Primary School published to parents and pupils are of a good quality, in line with the Nord Anglia brand.
• Take on responsibility for WAAG and distribution
• Produce weekly staff absence cover plan for Primary school
  
  

Professional and Personal Development

• Contribute positively to the morale and community spirit in the school
• Work effectively in different teams
• Assist in whole school marketing initiatives and contribute to the growth of the school
• Always operate within the stated policies and practices of the school
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of good practice in teaching techniques
• Continual development through the identification and implementation of own Personal Development Plan
• Development Plan to include:
• Continually striving to improve performance
• Setting and working towards targets with your line manager inked to the school development plan
• Participating in learning walks and observations and coaching as appropriate.
  

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS

Qualifications / Training

• Qualified to degree level or above - Essential
• Qualified Teacher status - Essential
• Evidence of senior leader training / qualifications (MLP, SLP or NPQH) - Desirable
  
  

Experience

• Proven track record with at least five years’ teaching and leadership experience -Essential
• Experience of working with EAL students - Essential
• Demonstrable evidence of innovating and adapting Curriculum - Essential
• Experience of delivering a UK style EYFS/Primary Curriculum - Essential
• Experience of working in partnership with parents - Essential
• An effective communicator with parents, staff, and students - Essential
• Experience of being part of a highly successful department and school - Essential
• Experience of managing budgets effectively - Essential
• International Experience - Desirable
• Proven leadership and performance management - Essential
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for producing reports and presentations - Essential
• Good cross-cultural, interpersonal and communication skills to interact with diverse nationalities and cultures - Essential
• Excellent analytical skills – with the passion and drive to demonstrate and quantify success - Essential
• Results orientated with the ability to consistently map efforts against identified KPIs - Essential
• Excellent time management skills and flexibility in dealing with multi-functional tasks - Essential
  
  

Selection Process

Applicants should submit a CV, letter of application and the details of two professional referees, one of which should be your current Line Manager. Interviews will take place in school or online via Microsoft Teams.

Safeguarding

At Nord Anglia Education we are committed to providing a world class, safe, happy environment in which children and young people are able to thrive and learn. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils irrespective of race, ability, religion, gender or culture.