Director Of Sport August 2026

The School

Deira International School (DIS) is an Outstanding BSO- and KHDA-rated, award-winning school located on a beautiful campus in Festival City, Dubai. In 2023, DIS was awarded the Education Excellence Award for ‘School Team of the Year’ and is also a Platinum Award holder for ‘Best Place to Work’, reflecting our strong commitment to staff wellbeing and a thriving school community.

Education

With students aged 3–18, DIS is a not-for-profit school and part of the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation. Founded in 2005, the school is renowned for providing an outstanding, inclusive, and holistic education. Our most recent inspection highlighted the following strengths:

• Staff are overwhelmingly proud of the school and believe it is well led, safe, and inclusive
• The quality of teaching, learning, and assessment across the school is outstanding
• Teachers have high expectations and consistently challenge pupils to do their best
• Staff feel respected, valued, and treated fairly
• The curriculum is precisely planned, well sequenced, and builds effectively on prior learning
• There is a strong focus on academic progress and achievement
  
  

DIS is home to a diverse student body representing over 90 nationalities, which is fundamental to the school’s community ethos. Our exceptional facilities support a holistic approach to education, with rich opportunities across sport, performing arts, technology, leadership, creativity, and academic enrichment.

Although non-selective at admission, our students achieve exceptional examination results, comparable to top UK schools, and progress to leading universities worldwide. Digital literacy is embedded across the curriculum as we prepare students for the demands of a rapidly changing world.

In the Early Years, our personalised, play-based continuous provision ensures students are rigorously assessed against the EYFS framework, developing strong foundations for future learning. In Primary, pupils benefit from a broad and enriching curriculum, including a range of non-core subjects. In Secondary, students complete IGCSEs in Year 11 before progressing to the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) or IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) in Years 12 and 13. DIS is governed by the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation (AFEF), a not-for-profit initiative of the Al-Futtaim family, supporting the vision of the Government of Dubai and KHDA to deliver future-ready education while maximising positive social impact.

The Post: Director of Sport

This is a strategically significant appointment at Deira International School. We are seeking an ambitious, high-calibre leader to shape and drive a whole-school vision for sport that is aspirational, inclusive, and performance-driven.

The Director of Sport will provide clear strategic leadership across Primary and Secondary, building a coherent programme that balances elite pathways with mass participation, ensuring every student has the opportunity to excel, compete, and develop a lifelong commitment to physical activity and wellbeing.

The successful candidate will lead and line-manage a talented PE and coaching team, oversee the continued development of our Sports Academies (including Rugby, Netball, Football, and Basketball), and strengthen our competitive presence across DASSA, BSME, and international platforms. This role requires a leader who can combine operational precision—fixtures, staffing, facilities, compliance, and event delivery—with data-informed strategic thinking, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.

The Director of Sport will be central to raising standards, increasing participation, and ensuring DIS sport is recognised for excellence locally and internationally.

Beyond performance, this is a high-profile leadership role within the school and wider community. The Director of Sport will build strong partnerships with parents, external sporting bodies, and community organisations, elevate the visibility of student achievement, and inspire a culture where professionalism, commitment, and ambition define everything we do.

For an experienced PE leader ready to operate at a strategic level and leave a lasting legacy, this is an exceptional opportunity.

The successful applicant will be required to have the following:

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience teaching PE, preferably in Dubai (although this is not essential).
• Demonstrable experience leading high-performing teams and delivering measurable results within an outstanding school environment.
• A B.Ed. or degree in a related subject, together with a PGCE / PGDE or equivalent, and exceptional subject knowledge.
• A proven track record of outstanding learning and teaching.
• A leadership mind-set that recognises every student’s potential for high performance, with the drive and passion to enable them to succeed.
• Experience that enables meaningful contribution to an enriched curriculum and competitive sports programme.

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