Principal

Job Description

Aldar Education is currently seeking an inspirational school leader for the position of Principal within the UAE, commencing August 2027 or sooner by appointment, due to planned current and future expansion.

Aldar Education is the leading education group in Abu Dhabi. We provide inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities. Aldar Education aims to be your employer of choice. We educate over 34,000 students across our group of owned and managed schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and as we grow, so does our need for highly skilled, inspirational, and dedicated school leaders and employees across the group.

Working collaboratively, our purpose is to empower the next generation to shape our future, directly supporting the educational goals of Abu Dhabi’s government. Today, Aldar Education’s efforts are guided by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, which aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy through premium education.

We are a “Great Place To Work” and currently employ over 1,400 teachers to deliver the English National Curriculum, the highly regarded American Massachusetts State Curriculum, and the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, all with an international dimension.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group.

Responsibilities

Strategic Direction and Development of the School

• To formulate overall aims and objectives for the school and policies for their implementation.
• To create an ethos and provide educational vision and direction which secures effective teaching, successful learning and achievement by pupils and sustained improvement in their spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adult life.
• Secure the commitment of parents and the wider community to the vision and direction of the school to create and implement a strategic plan, underpinned by sound financial planning, which identifies priorities and targets for ensuring that pupils achieve high standards and make progress, increasing teachers’ effectiveness and securing school improvement.
• To ensure that all those involved in the school are committed to its aims, motivated to achieve them, and involved in meeting long, medium- and short-term objectives and targets which secure the educational success of the school.
• To ensure that the management, finance, organisation, and administration of the school support its vision and aims.
• To ensure that policies and practices take account of school data and inspection research findings.
• Produce and implement clear, evidence-based improvement plans and policies for the development of the school and its facilities.
• Encourage creativity, innovation, and the use of appropriate new technologies to achieve excellence.
• Ensure that strategic planning takes account of the diversity, values and experience of the school and the UAE community at large.
• To monitor, evaluate and review the effects of policies, priorities, and targets of the school in practice and take action if necessary.
  
  
  

Leading Teaching and Learning

• To ensure that all pupils receive a good quality education through a programme designed to promote a stimulating style of learning in a safe & healthy school environment.
• To ensure a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils’ achievement, using data and benchmarks to monitor progress in every child’s learning.
• To ensure that learning is at the centre of strategic planning and resource management.
• To establish creative, responsive, and effective approaches to learning and teaching.
• To ensure a culture and ethos of challenge and support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning.
• To be able to demonstrate and articulate high expectations and set stretching targets.
• To be able to implement strategies which secure high standards of behaviour and attendance.
• To be able to determine, organise and implement a diverse, flexible, creative curriculum and implement an effective assessment framework.
• To be able to take a strategic role in the development of the new and emerging technologies to enhance and extend the learning experience of pupils.
• To monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice and promote improvement strategies to ensure that underperformance is challenged at all levels and ensure effective corrective action and follow up is undertaken.
  
  
  

Leading and Managing Staff

• To maximise the contribution of staff to improve the quality of education provided and standards achieved and ensure that constructive working relationships are formed between staff and pupils.
• To plan, allocate, support and evaluate work undertaken by groups, teams and individuals, ensuring clear delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities, ensuring a reasonable balance for teachers and other members of staff, in work carried out in school and work carried out elsewhere.
• Develop and maintain effective strategies and procedures for staff induction to UAE and induction within the school.
• To implement and sustain effective systems for the management of staff performance, incorporating key performance indicators within performance management targets.
• Develop and maintain a culture of high expectations for self and for others and take appropriate action when performance is unsatisfactory.
• To positively participate in arrangements for Principal performance management.
  
  
  

Efficient and Effective Deployment of Staff and Resources

• To work with Aldar Education and senior colleagues to recruit staff of the highest quality available.
• To work with senior colleagues to deploy and develop all staff effectively in order to improve the quality of education provided.
• To advise Aldar Education on appropriate priorities for expenditure, allocate funds and to ensure effective administration and control.
• To work with Aldar Education to manage and organise school accommodation efficiently and effectively, to ensure that it meets the needs of the curriculum and health and safety regulations.
• To make arrangements, if so required, for the security and effective supervision of the school buildings, contents and grounds, ensuring that any lack of maintenance is reported.
• To work with Aldar Education to ensure effective Health and Safety procedures including ensuring that appropriate risk assessments are undertaken.
• To manage, monitor and review the range, quality, quantity and use of all available resources in order to improve the quality of education, improve pupils’ achievements, ensure efficiency and secure value for money.
• To ensure that staff are encouraged to attend training and development activities.
  
  
  

Accountability

• To provide information, objective advice, and support to Aldar Education to enable it to meet its responsibilities to ADEK and ADEZ.
• To present a coherent and accurate account of the school’s performance in a form appropriate to a range of audiences, including parents, Aldar Education, and others, to enable them to play their part effectively.
• To ensure that parents and pupils are well-informed about the curriculum, attainment, and progress and about the contribution that they can make to achieve the school’s targets for improvement.
• To provide information about the work and performance of staff where it is relevant to their future employment.
  
  
  

Strengthening Community

• To be able to build a school culture and curriculum which takes account of the richness and diversity of the school’s local community.
• To create and promote positive strategies for challenging racial and other prejudice and dealing with racial harassment.
• To ensure learning experiences for pupils are linked into and integrated with the wider community of the UAE.
• To ensure a range of community-based learning experiences.
• To seek opportunities to invite parents and carers, community figures, business, or other organisations into the school to enhance and enrich the school and its value to the wider community.
• To co-operate and work with relevant agencies to protect children.
• To ensure that the school promotes effective links with the local community and continues the development of close liaison with other Aldar Education sister schools.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• BA in Education or BA Degree with a relevant teaching qualification is essential
• Master’s in Education or Education Leadership or NPQH or similar professional qualification.
  
  
  

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 10 years experience in education
• A minimum of 5 years experience in a senior leadership position
  
  
  

Job Specific Knowledge & Skill

• Fluent English communication skills, written and oral in order to deliver clear, proactive and effective two-way communication.
• Attention to detail with diligent follow up, and able to execute in a timely manner.
• Result Driven.
• Skilled in multi-tasking and handling pressure.
• Organisational ability, of self and others.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Ability to Analyse information in a systematic manner to make informed decisions.
• Capable of influencing people and talented in networking with cultural sensitivity
• Manage change, embracing change with positivity, driving it forward and demonstrating resilience in a demanding environment.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Strong and consistent supervisory skills.
• Commercial acumen.
• Initiate effort and energy beyond the typical workday, where the tasks require additional commitment.
• Championing sustainability for a safer, greener, ethical environment.
• Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding.
• A clean enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check or police check.
  
  
  

WHAT WE OFFER:

Aldar Education is a family of world-class, child-centered, and innovative schools based in the UAE. We educate over 34,000 students across our group of owned and managed schools, and as we grow, so does our need for highly skilled, inspirational, and dedicated school leaders. We offer an attractive remuneration package including medical cover, flights, housing, and free child school places. Our future-focused learning model includes both students and staff, so we place a special emphasis on professional development, coaching and training.

Successful candidates will have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to both lead and contribute to training others as well as developing themselves.

Aldar Education is keen to hear from like-minded, forward thinking school leaders who would welcome the challenges and opportunities that we have to offer.

This job description is not all inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are also mindful of our national development strategy and encourage UAE Nationals in their application at our company.

Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.

---