Head of Performing Art - Secondary
About Horizon Town Square
Opening in September 2027, Horizon English School Town Square will bring over 35 years of educational excellence from our outstanding Jumeirah campus to the heart of Town Square Dubai.
An all-through British curriculum school for ages 3-18, the new campus will launch with FS1 to Year 8, growing year by year to Year 13.
The school will combine academic excellence, wellbeing and community spirit in a purpose-built, state of the art environment.
As part of the Cognita global family, students will benefit from world-class opportunities in academics, sports, and the arts through Enrich ME, helping every child feel they belong, achieve, and thrive.
Role Purpose
Horizon Secondary will be shaped by the people who join us from the beginning. You will help establish the culture, curriculum, systems and traditions of your department and shape the educational journey of our first Secondary cohorts.
We are looking for an excellent classroom practitioner, credible subject specialist and values-led leader. You will combine high ambition and clear accountability with warmth, humility and an ability to develop others. You will be personally invested in Horizon’s journey and excited to build outstanding provision from day one.
You will lead a curriculum that retains joy, curiosity and intellectual challenge while skilfully sequencing the knowledge and disciplinary skills required for future GCSE and A Level success. You will be a culture shaper, curriculum owner and leader of people, ensuring every student counts, contributes and succeeds.
Confident, Capable and Connected
Confident: Develop students who communicate effectively, embrace challenge and contribute confidently.
Capable: Develop students with strong academic foundations, independence, resilience and the habits required for future success.
Connected: Develop students who build meaningful relationships and contribute positively to their school, the UAE and the wider world.
Specific Areas of Responsibility
Your leadership of Horizon
Invest personally in Horizon’s founding journey and take ownership of building an outstanding department from day one.
Model warmth, ambition, professional trust and collective accountability.
Build a team in which colleagues feel valued, developed and united around every student counting, contributing and succeeding.
Establish sustainable systems that can develop as student numbers, staffing and curriculum pathways grow.
- Students’ achievement and learning skills
Be accountable for attainment, progress and learning across the subject, including the performance of individuals and identified groups.
Establish ambitious expectations and ensure prior attainment or perceived barriers do not create artificial ceilings.
Analyse outcomes and act promptly to address gaps, variation and underachievement.
Develop students’ disciplinary knowledge, independence, communication, critical thinking and responsibility for learning.
- Personal and social development
Establish a culture of belonging, responsibility, positive relationships and exemplary conduct.
Embed Islamic values, Emirati culture, UAE society and global understanding meaningfully within the subject.
Develop student leadership, mentoring, service, enterprise and innovation.
- Teaching and assessment
Model excellent teaching and lead consistent implementation of Teaching for Impactful Learning and Progress (TILP), informed by the Great Teaching Toolkit.
Ensure teaching aims high and is adapted skilfully to provide access and support without lowering ambition.
Develop effective subject pedagogy, including explicit instruction, retrieval, modelling, questioning and checks for understanding.
Monitor teaching through professional dialogue, learning visits, work review, student voice and achievement evidence.
Coach, support and challenge colleagues through regular professional dialogue, collaborative planning, developmental feedback and opportunities to share effective practice.
Identify individual and departmental professional-learning priorities and evaluate their impact on classroom practice and student outcomes.
Establish coherent assessment, moderation and standardisation processes aligned with the curriculum, KHDA expectations and future qualifications.
- Curriculum and future pathways
Lead a coherent Years 7 to 13 curriculum, building backwards from ambitious GCSE and A Level outcomes.
Work with Primary leaders to map curriculum, pedagogy, vocabulary and assessment across Years 5 to 8.
Retain joy, curiosity, enquiry and intellectual challenge without narrowing Key Stage 3 into an extended examination course.
Plan primarily for Pearson International qualifications, including International GCSE, International A Level and BTEC International where appropriate; use Pearson UK where no suitable international qualification is available.
Plan progressively for staffing, subject expertise, resources, facilities, quality assurance and examination requirements.
- Protection, care and support
Embed safeguarding, inclusion and wellbeing throughout departmental practice.
Secure ambitious access for all groups and work closely with Pastoral, Safeguarding and Inclusion leaders.
Ensure specialist spaces, practical work, equipment, trips and visits are managed safely.
Promote academic honesty and the ethical use of research, technology and artificial intelligence.
- Leadership, partnerships and extending impact
Lead departmental self-evaluation and improvement planning aligned with school and KHDA priorities.
Recruit, induct, deploy, coach and develop colleagues; manage budgets, resources and facilities effectively.
Build proactive, positive partnerships with families, celebrating success and addressing concerns early.
Lead subject ECAs, Enrich ME engagement, trips, visits, competitions, workshops and visiting speakers.
Support International Day, National Day, Sports Day, school shows and other whole-school events and traditions.
Collaborate across Cognita schools and develop university, employer and professional partnerships.
Work with Careers and University leaders to connect the subject with future study and employment.
External benchmarking and future outcomes
Lead analysis of relevant NAP, NGRT, GL Progress Test, PISA and TIMSS outcomes alongside internal assessment.
Work with Primary and Secondary leaders to identify patterns across Years 5 to 8 and translate findings into curriculum development, professional learning and targeted support.
Develop the future use of FFT Aspire for GCSE target-setting and progress analysis, and ALPS for post-16 target-setting and evaluation.
Ensure data and benchmarking improve students’ learning rather than becoming isolated accountability exercises.
Use Pearson exemplification, grade descriptors, examiner guidance and internal and external benchmarking evidence to evaluate standards, curriculum effectiveness and future examination readiness.
General Responsibilities
Model the Horizon values in all language and interactions.
Demonstrate an active commitment to student and staff wellbeing, parent education and a strong culture of community.
Comply with and demonstrate an active commitment to safeguarding policies, procedures and the code of conduct.
Follow all school policies, procedures and handbooks.
Take a proactive and professional approach to school life and professional development.
Maintain professional confidentiality and undertake other reasonable duties.
Person Specification
Bachelors degree in Education / PGCE
Bachelors degree in subject specialism
Ability to meet requirements for teaching in Dubai
Relevant leadership development desirable
Excellent leadership, organisation and communication
Ability to translate vision into sustainable systems
Ability to develop others through trust, coaching and challenge
Commitment to contributing flexibly as a founding leader
National Curriculum for England, subject pedagogy and curriculum design
Assessment, standardisation, benchmarking and school improvement
Pearson International pathways and relevant Pearson UK alternatives
Safeguarding, inclusion and KHDA expectations
The school reserves the right to interview and appoint strong candidates before the official closing date, and therefore we encourage candidates to apply early in the process.
Thank you for your interest in Horizon Town Square School. Due to the large number of applications expected, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Horizon Town Square School and Cognita are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expect the same from their 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 10 years.