Director - Academics at Makini High School

Job Purpose:

• To provide professional leadership, supervisory and administrative skills in Makini School which ensures its sustained success and continuous improvement.
• Makini Schools adheres to a set of guiding values: Customer Focus, Teamwork, Leadership, Integrity, Openness and Trust, Innovation and Risk, Care/attention

Core Functions

•  The core purpose of the Academic Director is to provide professional leadership and management for the school. This will promote a secure foundation from which to achieve high standards in all areas of the school’s work. To gain this success, the incumbent must establish high quality education by effectively managing teaching and learning as well as using personalized learning to realize the potential of all pupils.
• Establish a culture that promotes excellence, equality and high expectations of all pupils.
• As the leading professional in the school, you will be accountable to the Directors, provide vision, leadership and direction for the school. Ensure your section is well managed to meet its aims and targets.
• You will be responsible for evaluating the school’s performance to identify priorities for continuous improvement, raising standards ensuring equal employment opportunities, developing policies and practices, ensuring resources are efficiently and effectively used.
• Secure the commitment of the wider community to the school by developing and maintaining effective partnerships with PTA, Board of Management, other primary schools and other stakeholders in the Ministry of Education. Through such partnerships, you will play a key role in contributing to the development of the education system and collaborate with other stakeholders to raise standards locally.
• Drawing on the support provided by members of the school community, you will be responsible for creating a conducive learning environment which is engaging and fulfilling for all pupils 

General Duties and Responsibilities

Key Areas of Responsibility

Shape the Future

• You will work closely with the Directors to create a shared vision and strategic plan which inspires and motivates pupils, staff and all other members of the Makini School community. Thevision should express core educational values and moral purpose. The strategic planning process is critical to sustaining school improvement and ensuring that the school moves forward for the benefit of its pupils.

Action

• You will be required to ensure the vision of the school is clearly articulated, shared, understood and acted upon effectively by all. Work within the school community to translate the vision into agreed objectives and operational plans which will promote and sustain school improvement.
• Demonstrate the vision and values in everyday work and practice.
• Motivate and work with others to create a shared culture and positive climate.
• Ensure creativity, innovation and use of appropriate new technologies to achieve excellence.
• Take into account diversity, values as well as experience of the school and community at large.

Leading, Learning and Teaching

• The Academic Director has a central responsibility for raising quality of teaching and learning for pupils’ achievement. This implies setting high expectation, monitoring as well as evaluating the effectiveness of learning outcomes. A successful learning culture will enable pupils to become effective, enthusiastic, independent learners and committed to life-long learning.

Action

• Implementation of new curriculum as rolled out by KICD.
• Set up a Learning Support Department that will face out tuition and offer remedial work to children with learning concerns.
• You will be required to ensure a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils’ achievement using data and benchmarks to monitor progress in every child’s learning.
• Ensure learning is at the centre of strategic planning and resource management.
• Establish creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching.
• Ensure a culture and ethos challenge as well as support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning.
• Demonstrate and articulate high expectations as well as set stretching targets for the teaching staff.
• Establish and ensure effective and efficient implementation of each pupil record or progress with regard to subjects and other school activities engaged in by each pupil.
• Implement strategies that secure high standards of behavior and attendance.
• Seek to maintain a high standard of discipline in the school which should include having in place a well laid down policy of discipline in relation to legal legislation for all staff to follow.
• Determine, organize and have a diverse, flexible curriculum (spearhead the new curriculum as implemented by KICD as well as implement effective assessment
• framework.
• Seek the approval where required for all Schemes of Work and monitor the application and implementation of such schemes.
• Take a strategic role in the development of new and emerging technologies to enhance elearning experience amongst pupils.
• Monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice and promote improvement strategies.
• Challenge under-performance at all levels and ensure effective corrective action as well as follow-up.

Developing Self and Working with Others

• Effective relationships and communication are important in leadership roles as you work closely with and through others. You must build a professional learning culture that enables others to strive. Through performance management and effective continuing professional development practice, support all teaching staff to achieve set targets and standards. You will be required to be committed to your own professional development.

Action

• Induction of new staff as well as training Head teachers and other teachers.
• Treat employees fairly, equitably, with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture.
• Maintain effective procedures for staff induction and professional development as well as performance review.
• Ensure effective planning, allocation, support and evaluation of work performed by teams and individuals outlining clear delegation of tasks and responsibilities.
• Award individual and group achievement and take appropriate action when performance is unsatisfactory.
• Regularly review own practice, set personal targets and take responsibility for own work and professional development.
• Manage own workload and that of others to allow an appropriate work/life balance.

Management of the School

• Provide effective management of the School and seek ways of improving the school’s functions based on self-evaluation. Ensure the resources within it are organized and are able to provide efficient, effective and a safe learning environment.

Action

• Create a culture that reflects the school’s values and enables processes to work effectively in line with legal requirements.
• Ensure the school’s educational goals and priorities are achieved.
• Manage and organize the school’s environment efficiently to ensure that it meets the needs of the curriculum as well as health and safety regulations.

Securing Accountability

• You will be accountable to the Directors by ensuring that pupils enjoy and benefit from highquality education, promoting collective responsibility and entire community as a whole.

Action

• Develop a school ethos which enables everyone to work collaboratively, share knowledge and understanding, celebrate success and accept responsibility for outcomes.
• Ensure staff roles are clearly defined, understood and agreed subject to review and evaluation.
• Facilitate the performance appraisals for the teaching staff in line with the school’s guidelines.
• Work with the Directors by providing information and support to enable the school meet its core objective.
• Present a coherent, understandable and accurate account of the school’s performance to the Directors and other stakeholders.
• Supervision and invigilation of internal and external examination to ensure KNECguidelines are adhered to.

Strengthening Community

• You will be required to commit to engaging with the internal and external school community to secure equity and entitlement. Work collaboratively with other stakeholders for the wellbeing of all children.

Action

• Act as Liaison officer with the Ministry of Education.
• Create and maintain effective partnership with parents to support and improve pupils’ achievement and personal development.
• Co-operate and work with relevant agencies to protect children.

Safeguarding Children

• The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Action

• You will ensure all policies and procedures adopted by the Management are fully implemented and followed by all staff.
• You will ensure all staff feel free to raise concerns about unsafe practices in regard to
• children and such concerns are addressed sensitively and effectively in a timely manner.

Guidance and Counseling

• Work with children and parents to ensure progress in child’s learning curve.

KEY RESULT AREAS

• Timely and accurate reports to the Directors
• Set SMART targets with teachers, evaluate teacher’s performance through continuous assessments to facilitate the appraisal process and ensure it is concluded within set deadlines.
• Maintain an excellent performance in examinations.
• Ensure all school functions are scheduled within the term and held to Makini standards.
• A variety of well-coordinated and relevant co-curricular activities.
• High level of conduct maintained amongst pupils and high level of professional ethics maintained amongst staff.
• Cordial relationship with parents and other stakeholders.
• Disciplinary committee meetings held as scheduled and ensure reports/diary on discipline cases are kept.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Minimum Bachelor of Education degree (Primary option) or its equivalent from a recognized University/Institution a plus.
• PI Certificate from a recognized Teacher’s Training Institution.
• Be a TSC registered member.
• At least 8 years teaching experience 3 of which must be at senior level, in a recognized Primary institution.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, a team player and self-driven.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite of packages.