Head Of English

Head Of English

Directly responsible to:

Vice Principal – Academic

Purpose of Role:

To provide leadership and management of all aspects of a specific subject area.

Role Definition

As well as establishing professional standards for the whole Department, he/she is responsible within guidelines laid down by the school, for the deployment, development and monitoring of staff who teach in the Department, maintenance of curricular standards ensuring grade-appropriate outcomes are met, allocation and use of resources and for the establishment and implementation of Departmental policy within the whole school structure.

Purpose of Job

The Head of Department is the curriculum team manager who shares with the School Leadership Team the school's responsibility for delivering to the students the curriculum within a designated subject area or a domain of subjects, ensuring that each student receives excellent learning experiences as well as positive encouragement to develop their potential to the full according to the stated goals of the school.

General Responsibilities

1. Build and sustain personal credibility by improving students' learning to a consistently high standard in all respects.
2. Provide leadership and focus, setting the tone, and ethos of the department, and, through close liaison with the vice principal (Academic), ensure that the highest standards of teaching and learning are consistently delivered.
3. Create a climate which enables all staff to develop positive attitudes towards the subject and confidence in teaching it.
4. Create a climate which enables all students to develop positive attitudes towards the subject and confidence in learning it, achieving the highest levels of attainment.
5. Contribute to and support the shared strategic vision for the school.
6. Represent the Department within the school, to parents, visitors, and other schools.
7. Ensure enhancement and foster a positive image of the department and the school in terms of public relations.

Job Description:

A. Curriculum

1. Providing oversight for curriculum review and development, and curriculum documentation in designated subjects.
2. Providing leadership and modelling for teachers in curriculum and lesson planning, including intervention and enrichment materials; backwards-designed unit and lesson planning processes.
3. Developing academic support programs as needed to meet students' needs.
4. Leading weekly curriculum and assessment planning meetings based on teachers' and students' needs.
5. Establishing and making explicit aims and objectives for the teaching of departmental subjects and reviewing, evaluating, and developing the curriculum to meet these objectives.
6. Ensuring that syllabuses and schemes of work are produced, monitored, and implemented.
7. Developing structures to ensure progression and continuity in terms of cross-curricular work.
8. Contributing, as necessary, to the planning of the school timetable.
9. Planning and leading department PLTs.
10. Providing individualized cognitive coaching as needed to department members.

B. Assessment & Students' Achievement Data

1. Developing assessment processes which are compatible with international best practices and school policy.
2. Ensuring that standards/learning outcomes are being achieved in every classroom, classroom data is prepared each semester and assessment of student work is based on evidence against the standard and an agreed rubric.
3. Preparing teachers in the department to be able to support students achieving high standards on external tests, meeting set targets, and making significant progress from one year to the next.
4. Preparing the common exams across schools according to their subject responsibility ensuring alignment with external exam expectations.
5. Providing leadership and modelling for teachers in analyzing students' attainment and progress data to inform their teaching practices to meet students' varied needs.
6. Ensure that students' work is regularly assessed, that feedback to facilitate progress is given and acted upon and that adequate continuous assessment is carried out.
7. Organize the setting and marking of internal tests and examinations.

C. Professional Development

1. Promoting teaching and learning styles which are consistent with the Riyadh Schools High-Quality Teaching and Learning Policy.
2. Ensuring that wall displays within teaching and resource areas assist learning and reflect the high quality of work expected of students.
3. Attending training sessions with the school development team and other professional development programs identified by the school.
4. Support teachers in training students to be prepared for national tests like Mawhiba, Qurdat and Tahsili when needed.
5. Coordinating and monitoring the quality of work of departmental teaching staff.
6. Conducting lesson observation and performance management feedback in tandem with the school SLT.
7. Facilitating the sharing of good practice in teaching and learning throughout the Department and across schools to proactively nurture the development of individual practitioners to establish outstanding teaching and learning.
8. Plan for the induction of newly appointed teachers within the Department and to provide a full program of guidance and support for these teachers.
9. Promote the professional development of all teachers within the Department, and to assist in performance management procedures within the agreed framework.
10. Ensure that appropriate work is set when subject teachers are absent.
11. Establish an effective structure for professional learning teams including the chairing of meetings, minutes and working groups.

D. Resource Management

1. Ensure that teachers have access to the curriculum they teach, the resources that are related to that curriculum, and the tools and equipment needed to do their job.
2. Actively participate in hiring teachers in collaboration with the principal and vice principal.
3. Ensure that all students have access to all required digital and physical resources.
4. Monitor teachers' and students' utilization of resources and ensure that they adhere to optimal utilization principles.
5. Ensure that teachers and students are using the learning management system appropriately.

E. School Leadership Team

1. The Head of Department is a key member of the middle leadership team of the school and works with the Principal & Vice Principals to implement the vision and strategies for school improvement and will be responsible for his/her department.
2. Support the principal and vice principal to prepare and implement the school development plan.
3. Lead the school's gifted and talented programs as related to their subject, ensuring the needs of all learners are met.
4. Coordinate with the school adviser and school principal on decisions and information related to teaching and learning practices.
5. Accept the general leadership role associated with posts in middle management in schools.

Additional Duties:

1. Having a 50% load of assigned regular classes the Head of Department will have additional duties, as follows:
2. First on call for all daily covers when teachers are absent for any reason. Responsible for covering and arranging cover for missing teachers such as late arrivals / early departures/resignations until the teacher arrives or is replaced.
3. Responsible for providing supportive teaching lessons to individuals/groups of students as needed, be they pull out or push in sessions.
4. Responsible for all lesson plan checks, curriculum delivery and standards coverage in each of their subject areas.
5. Responsible for the CPD of the teachers in their subject areas whether individual coaching, subject level PLCs or group training workshop delivery.
6. If there is a left-over teaching period that cannot be assigned to a regular teacher, it must be assigned to the subject HoD.

Key Selection Criteria

1. Be a highly collaborative, results-oriented, adaptable, problem-solving self-starter.
2. Embrace using data to inform instructional planning and practice.
3. Comfortable using Microsoft products, Google products, digital platforms and Classera.
4. Experience in standards-based backward planning and the US Common Core / Ministry of Education curriculum.
5. Be positive, thoughtful, passionate, articulate, motivating, and empowering with students and team members.
6. Be committed to restorative justice as a means of addressing conflicts or challenges in the community, whether between students, staff members, or students and staff members.
7. Maintain a positive attitude and a solution-based approach to challenges in the workplace.
8. Demonstrate high-level written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills including a capacity to develop constructive relationships with students, parents, and teachers and other staff & contribute to the effective leadership & management of the school.
9. Demonstrated success as a Master teacher.