Head of Boys Boarding

Repton Dubai is seeking to appoint a Head of Boys Boarding for a Term 2 start.

The role of Head of Boys Boarding is central to the life of our boarding students. This position extends beyond providing both pastoral and academic support to students; it entails acting as loco parentis for our male boarders, whilst ensuring the smooth running of the house, the supervision and guidance of staff and, above all, the safety and welfare/wellbeing of the boarding pupils. The Head of Boys’ Boarding fulfills their roles within and in support of school and boarding policies, under the direction of the appropriate member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Head of Senior School and the Principal.

About Cognita:

Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 100+ schools in 16 countries - in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving more than 85,000 students. Each of our schools is proudly unique; however, our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, ‘thrive in a rapidly evolving world’.

About Repton School Dubai:

Repton Dubai was founded in 2007 and is a ‘world class’ international school in the heart of Dubai. One of the few genuinely international schools in the Gulf Region, Repton Dubai combines the reputation and academic rigour of the UK curriculum, from infants and junior school up to IGCSE level in Year 11 and then embraces the challenges and opportunities of the International Diploma or IB in the Sixth Form, whilst also offering A levels.

Set in a stunning campus in Nad Al Sheba, and almost uniquely in Dubai, also offering a dynamic boarding experience, Repton pupils from ages 3-18 benefit from facilities, resources and a classroom and sporting experience that is the envy of their peers.

The department is proud of the outstanding results achieved in recent years for both IGCSE and IB. The successful candidate will join a hard-working, driven and experienced team of dedicated teachers, all working in collaboration to make our subject highly engaging and our young people experts. At Repton we have state of the art facilities, and we have embraced technological advances to allow students and teachers to be creative and successful in the modern world. This is a great opportunity to join a highly effective team.

Our mission is ‘the rigorous pursuit of excellence, inside and outside the classroom, combined with a passionate concern for the wellbeing of each individual’.

Skills, experience & responsibilities:

Pastoral care

The pastoral care and well-being of our students is of utmost importance. As such the Head of Boys’ Boarding should:

Maintain high standards of personal conduct in the boarding house, in accordance with school policies

Foster a homely, purposeful and safe atmosphere within the house

Be sensitive and aware of the cultural needs of the country and religion

Induct new boarders and liaise closely with their parents before, during and after their arrival at the school

Be proactive in seeking to forge excellent personal relationships with boarders, their parents and/or carers

Oversee the pastoral and academic welfare of all students in the boarding house and act in loco parentis for boarders

Ensure that every pupil knows to whom they can turn for support and that they are confident and comfortable in seeking help when it is required

Liaise closely with the medical team and resident nurse to maintain clear communication and understanding regarding the medical, wellbeing and health needs of pupils

Implement rewards and sanctions in line with the school’s policies and with the ethos of responsibility and family care

Promote positive well-being

Promote high expectations of attendance in line with the school’s policies, following up with parents and ensuring the relevant day staff are informed of any absences

Maintain clear and accurate records of sanctions and rewards and liaise in a timely manner with school leaders regarding persistent or serious breaches of conduct or policies

Carry out daytime and evening duties as agreed with the Senior Leadership Team

Carry out weekend duties, on rotation, as agreed with the Senior Leadership Team

Academic duties

To ensure our high academic standards and expectations within the day school are continued in boarding, the Head of Boys’ Boarding should:

Be an advocate of boarding across the wider school

Teach a chosen subject specialism on a reduced timetable

Maintain an active interest in the academic progress of boarders in the house and act on their behalf as required, for instance, by attending parents’ consultations etc.

Liaise closely with members of teaching staff across the school, as well as administrative staff and auxiliary staff to ensure the smooth running of the house

Organise the academic mentoring of the boarding student with the support of the wider boarding team

Provide feedback to parents formally, as part of the school’s reporting procedures

Leading/managing staff

The Head of Boys’ Boarding will lead a team consisting of both residential and day staff and should:

Promote a positive culture and ensure that the whole team contributes to developing best practice in the boarding house, including the following of relevant policies and duty fulfilments

Actively seek to develop a collegiate spirit throughout the boarding house, with efficient meetings, performance management and line management of boarding staff

Organise and support the involvement of day staff with boarding duties

Work proactively with various parts of the school to market boarding; develop new initiatives and promote the work of the boarding house

Implement, evaluate and manage systems and processes to facilitate the efficient and proper operation of the house

Work closely with gap students, boarding staff and tutors to develop and disseminate best practice in the day to day operation of the boarding house, and ensure that policies and principles are applied consistently

Lead on school training sessions in regard to the boarding house and its student body

Work with the wider boarding team to create, monitor and update yearly action plans, created specifically for the boarding house

Administration

To ensure the smooth running of the boarding house, the Head of Boys’ Boarding should:

Manage the team of house staff - both academic and domestic - in order to ensure the smooth running of the house

Ensure that communications sent home, or to pupils, are read and understood by parents and carers

Hold regular weekly meetings with the staff operating in the house

Take responsibility for ensuring high standards amongst the staff, oversee their appraisal in accordance with the school’s existing systems for performance management

Draw up duty rotas throughout the term and ensure that duties are divided up equitably and the house is properly supervised at all times, including any religious/government holidays or events, are covered by boarding staff

Update, create and review policies when required

Advise on the running of weekend activities, and lead on weekend duties, where required

Supervise off-site trips for boarders and complete the administrative tasks, including risk assessments, for such trips as required

Liaise with the school site team to ensure correct pest control procedures are followed

Manage the day-to-day finances of the house and draw up well-costed plans for future expenditure

Keep the operations team informed of any health and safety and/or maintenance issues that may arise during the course of the term

Work with the catering team to review the catering provision

Support admissions in the updating of capacity and availability of rooms within the boarding houses

Complete admissions interviews with any prospective boarders, including, as required, assigning one day a week during school breaks

Assist Admissions and Human Resources in ensuring that boarders’ paperwork is up-to-date and reflects the current truth, particularly in relation to arrangements for guardians, local carers and visa applications

Other responsibilities

The requirements of the Head of Boys’ Boarding fall across many remits, with some falling between categories, such as:

Be resident in the accommodation provided in the boarding house during term time and any government/religious breaks

Support when staffing issues arise in the boarding house and/or when other circumstances call for extra duties to be taken on

Be prepared, within reasonable boundaries of expectation, to field queries from parents, pupils and staff about boarding during the school holidays

Follow all school policies and procedures as shared and in the various staff handbooks

Undertake training on a regular basis and obtain appropriate qualifications as necessary

Perform any other tasks which may be reasonably assigned by school leaders

Safeguarding

The Head of Boys’ Boarding should be an advocate for ensuring the safeguarding of students, including:

Take full responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children ensuring that all appropriate measures are in place including relevant training

Liaise closely with the Senior Leadership Team and Safeguarding Lead on any safeguarding concerns and consequent follow up actions as appropriate

Work with and support the School Counsellor when required

Organise regular fire alarm drills, ensuring all systems and processes work in a correct manner

Ensure any incidents are reported immediately in accordance with the school’s policies

Ensure the ongoing health, safety and security for all boarding students and senior school stakeholders

Requirements:

An appropriate degree, and be a fully trained teacher in your country of origin (candidates from the UK are expected to hold QTS)

Minimum of 2 years’ experience as a Head of Boarding, Housemaster/mistress or Assistant House Parent

A solution-focused, positive and resilient approach to the unpredictable nature of working in a boarding house

Pass all the school’s normal safeguarding checks; acceptable police checks (or equivalent) from the country of origin and from all countries in which the applicant has worked, and appropriate references from current and previous employer, corroborated by personal phone calls made to each referee

An outstanding understanding of the developmental and curricular needs of pupils in an international school and the cultural/religious sensitivities of the country

Effective communication and engagement with students and families

The school reserves the right to interview and appoint strong candidates before the official closing date, and therefore we would encourage candidates to apply early in the process.

Cognita is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects the same from its employees. All new staff will be subject to detailed and enhanced pre-employment clearance, including identity checks, criminal background checks for all countries lived in, qualification checks, employment checks to include an exploration of any gaps in employment, and satisfactory reference checks for all employment in the last 5 years.