Principal at ADvTECH

Overall purpose of the job:

The Principal serves as the educational and operational leader, who through collaboration directs all efforts towards academic excellence, and nurtures all staff, learners. In addition, the Principal will be responsible for building effective relationships with the parent company.

Responsibilities:

To give direction to the school to offer a suitable approved and diversified curriculum in accordance to circularized guidelines from the Ministry of Education and supporting organizations

•  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 learners
•  Ensure sustained improvement in learners’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adult life
• To create and implement a strategic plan, underpinned by sound financial planning which identifies priorities and targets for ensuring that learners achieve high standards and make progress
• To ensure that all staff are committed to the school’s objectives, 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 work with management to secure and sustain effective teaching and learning throughout the school and to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching standards of learners’ achievement using benchmarks and setting targets for improvement
• To ensure that all learners receive a good quality education through a programme designed to promote a stimulating style of learning in a safe and healthy school environment
• To ensure a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on learners’ achievement using data and benchmarks to monitor progress 
• To establish creative, responsive, and effective approaches to learning and teaching
• To take a strategic role in the development of the new and emerging technologies to enhance and extend the learning experience of learners
• To monitor, evaluate, and review classroom practice, promote improvement strategies to ensure that under performance is challenged at all levels, ensure effective corrective action, and follow up is undertaken in line with the individual learner’s progress
• To coordinate internal and external assessments and examinations in line with Makini standards and relevant examination policies
• To ensure that teachers prepare comprehensive schemes of work and teaching aids in line with Makini policies
• To organize regular staff and management academic meetings to monitor performance after every assessment
• To maintain accurate and complete student performance records and share this with parents, guardians, and management
• To coordinate parents’ meetings, open days and other activities involving the participation of parents to enhance partnership

Output 1 – Student Learning and Character Formation Role:

•  To lead and supervise Makini Junior Secondary School learners’ guidance and counselling programs that will enhance individual learning and positive character formation
• To facilitate high level consultative communication flow with the learners, parents, teaching and non-teaching staff and the wider community
• To ensure sound spiritual beliefs and core values are integrated in the learning process and way of life in the school
• To maintain a culture of high level of self-discipline and work ethics among learner
• To ensure learner are properly guided and mentored to be able to objectively choose their future careers
• To ensure learners receive, understand and embrace school rules and regulations
• To manage learners’ behaviour in the classroom and within the school premises and apply appropriate and effective measures in cases of misbehaviour

Output 2 – Administrative Role:

• To oversee interviews and admissions of learners to maintain optimum levels in accordance with set standards and guidelines that ensure quality and optimum enrolment
• To initiate, design and implement innovative programs to meet specific needs of the school in consultation with the Directors
• To maintain adequate inventory, security and accountability for school properties
• To act as a liaison between the school, Ministry of Education and the school community
• To ensure the school health, safety and occupational regulations are observed in order to make the school a safe learning environment
• To prepare and approve the preparation of reports, records, lists and other paperwork appropriate for the effective administration of the school
• To liaise with the Transport Department and ensure that the school transport services are efficient and cost effective
• Participation in budgetary formulation and cost management for the school
• To ensure effective utilization of the company resources in line with set budget
• To ensure that learners’ medical cases are handled according to Makini policy and guideline
• To liaise with the Senior Administrator to ensure the school amenities are maintained to Makini standards

Output 3 –   Performance Management Role:

• To identify staffing needs and participate effectively in the recruitment and selection of the school’s professionals to maintain optimum staff utilization
• To set targets and goals for the school’s professional staff through a participative process and develop strategies that will enable the school to achieve its objectives
• To ensure formalized documentations of all meetings with parents and teachers
• To participate in measuring and assessing staff performance against agreed Makini standards and provide evidence of whether or not the intended result has been achieved by conducting appraisals both formal and informal 
• To encourage positive reinforcement by emphasizing what has been done well so that in future it is done better

 Output 4 – Leadership Role:

•  To provide effective leadership that will create a learning environment at Makini that will enable each learner to realize their maximum potential
• To participate in processing and resolving issues pertaining to parents, learners and staff 
• To ensure the school maintains a cordial working relationship with other Makini schools and departments in pursuit of Makini mission and vision 
• To internalize, own and implement established school policies 
• To be a role model to the learner and staff in every aspect of personal life physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually 
• To contribute to teamwork and co-operation among staff 

Output 5 – Marketing Role:

•  To participate effectively in activities geared towards marketing the school to ensure optimum enrolment and a data base for potential learners 
• To contribute in the preparation of informational materials that reflect the desired image of the school 
• To partner with the Marketing team to ensure optimal growth of the school and a strong brand reputation within the market 
• To sensitize staff on Makini mission, vision and core values to ensure that they embrace the brand

  Output 6 – Human Resource Functions:

• To lead, motivate, support, challenge and develop staff to secure improvement
• 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 learners 
• To plan, allocate, support and evaluate work undertaken by groups, teams and individuals ensuring clear delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities in a manner consistent with their terms of service ensuring a reasonable balance for teachers and other members of staff in work carried out in school and work carried out elsewhere 
• To implement and sustain effective systems for the management of staff performance, incorporating appraisal and targets for teachers, including targets relating to learners’ achievement 
• To coordinate the provision of the necessary tools and materials required by staff for efficient performance of their duties 
• To create a favourable work environment that fosters teamwork and best practise 
• To drive performance and encourage growth in talent and capability amongst staff

 Output 7 – Teaching Guides:

• To initiate teacher’s preparations of schemes of work and development of appropriate instructional materials
• To check periodically pupils’ exercise books, projects, and practical work, assignments and continuous assessment scripts to ensure regular marking and systematic use in guiding learning 
• To select and use a range of different learning resources and equipment 
• To research new topic areas maintaining up-to-date subject knowledge, devise and write new curriculum materials 
• To undertake pastoral duties such as taking the role and supporting learners on an individual basis through academic or personal difficulties 
• To ensure that learners are adequately prepared, registered and presented for school-based continuous assessments and for National Examinations in accordance with the Kenya National Examinations Council regulations and syllabus 
• To prepare a schedule for meeting remedial demands for all the learners who would need special academic attention and make weekly reports on the progress 
• To ensure teaching and learning process is taking place in a well-organized, safe and nurturing environment 
• To liaise with the teachers in planning and carrying out learning activities outside the classrooms 
• To liaise with parents and teachers in addressing the identified academic, social and emotional needs of the learners you teach

Output 8 – Accountability:

• Be accountable for the effective and efficient running of the school to the stakeholders (learners, parents, staff, and the community) 
• To create and develop a school where all stakeholders are accountable for the success of the school 
• To present a coherent and accurate account of the school’s performance in a form appropriate to stakeholders 
• To ensure parents and learners are well informed about the curriculum, attainment and progress of academic issues and contribution stakeholders make to achieve the school’s target for improvement 
• To provide information about the work and performance of staff relevant to their job functions

Education - Minimum:

• Bachelor of Education degree or its equivalent from a recognised University  
• Honours/Master’s degree is preferred