Associate Principal - Curriculum & Assessment - August 2026

Department: Senior Leadership Team
Direct Reporting Line: School Principal

Safeguarding Statement

Taaleem is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. At Taaleem, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective practices in relation to child protection and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to various background checks including, receipt of high-quality references, proof of relevant qualifications, identification and police checks, including overseas checks.

Job Purpose:
•Reports directly to the Principal and Heads of Elementary and Secondary school.
•Assumes supervision of the Elementary or Secondary school on behalf of or in the absence of the Heads.
•At the discretion of the Principal, specific responsibilities and latitude of independent action will vary, but the core function is to achieve outstanding results in the Teaching, Learning and Assessment aspects of school life.
•The Assistant Principal is responsible for working in collaboration with the Principal and Heads to ensure school staff understand the curriculum, its alignment, and that it remains accessible to all students through internal and external assessment practices.
•The SLT will manage all risks, manage the cost base to generate the budgeted revenue and profit, to deliver outstanding ratings and parental engagement.

Key Relationships (Internal and External):
School Governance Board (SGB), Dubai Schools Parent Association (DSPA) Central Office Team, School Head of Operations, Heads of Schools, Senior Leadership Team, Middle Leaders, Admissions Manager, School Staff, Parents and Students, External Agencies and Service Providers, Local Authorities, and Local Regulators.

Key Accountabilities:
Inspirational and Strategic Leadership
•Promote Taaleem’s mission of “inspiring young minds,” our vision of being the most respected provider
of education in the Gulf and the Dubai Schools five core values and strategic platforms.
•Promote an inspiring vision dedicated to high standards that is shared by all members of the school community and ensure its consistently enforced and monitored.
•Lead teaching, learning and assessment to high standards to be shared by all members of the school community and ensure alignment with the school mission and vision and values.
•Initiate, prioritize, and lead improvement activities through effective strategic leadership and planning which supports the vision, mission, and values of Taaleem and Dubai Schools with clear impact evidenced with data.
•Display a high level of professional competence in all areas of responsibility.
•Communicate a clear view of the school’s aims so that all staff know what is expected of them and are
competent and committed to achieving the school’s curricular goals.
•Develop a teaching, learning and assessment handbook that outlines curriculum standards, annual and long-term reviews.
•Develop long-term plans, thematic unit plans, and lesson planning procedures, and internal and external assessment adoption based on agreed frameworks
•Distribute leadership effectively to achieve high standards of professional learning and personal development by creating an ethos of collective responsibility and mutual support
•Lead, develop, and support Leads for Teaching, Learning, and Care.
•Coach, mentor, Inspire and empower middle leaders by clearly defining all roles and aligning these roles with school curricular priorities
•Be receptive and prepare for external evaluation of the school’s curriculum and assessment program and implement any subsequent recommendations professionally and efficiently
•Work effectively with school governance teams (School Leadership Teams, The Governing Body, Student Council, and Parents Council) to ensure informed and responsive decision making, which helps to direct change and effective management of school resources
•Ensure that the levels of students’ attainment and the quality of teaching successfully align with the schools’ promise to parents
•Clearly and comfortably delegate work, trusting and empowering others to perform collectively
•Provide regular feedback and motivation to others to successfully achieve their targets
•Encourage others to contribute, creating a spirit of teamwork and opportunities of cooperation and collaboration between departments
•Contribute time and expertise to the professional learning and development of Taaleem teachers and leaders
•Participate in and lead professional development workshops in the UAE, including events run by the Knowledge Human Development Authority (KHDA)
Self - Evaluation and Improvement Planning
•Ensure that the school’s academic program is fit for purpose and challenges students of all abilities
•Aim towards achieving and maintaining a “good or better” rating on local and internal inspections
•Involve all staff in systematic, rigorous self-evaluation and reflection with the explicit purpose of
improving the quality of students’ experiences and their standards of attainment
•Take positive steps to gather the views of parents, students and others about the curriculum and assessment quality to improve the curricular program accordingly
•Work collaboratively with the Principal, Senior Leadership Teams and external bodies to lead the school for accreditation – re-accreditation to achieve outstanding results on school accreditations, inspections and evaluations
•Ensure that senior leaders monitor teachers’ plans, evaluate students’ classroom experiences, track students’ attainment and evaluate progress towards meeting agreed targets
•Ensure that senior leaders effectively monitor the effectiveness of staff teams
•Ensure that self-evaluation provides valid, comprehensive and reliable analysis for identifying key priorities for the preparation of the improvement plan and involves staff, parents and students as appropriate
•Ensure that senior leaders collect and analyze appropriate and accurate curricular information from within the school as well as data for external sources, including international assessments and stakeholder surveys
•Collaborate with the Principal and Heads of School to ensure that senior and middle leaders set aspirational, yet realistic goals aimed at improving students’ performance
•Ensure that all curricular improvement activities are focused on creating impact and raising quality
•Monitor and manage curricular changes quickly, flexibly and successfully
•Prioritize and act upon a manageable number of key curricular initiatives and involve all stakeholders (leaders, teachers, students, parents) in the process
•Ensure that all curricular and assessment recommendations from previous inspections and evaluations
are included and addressed in the schools’ improvement plans
•Collaborate with the Principal to execute the school development plan effectively
Effective and Efficient Management of Resources
•Work closely with the Principal and SLT to ensure that all curricular policies, procedures and routines across the school are effective, efficient and consistently applied.
•Comply with all Taaleem policies and guidelines and submit high quality reports in a timely manner
•Assist in the assurance that all staff are well qualified and experienced, trained to do their roles and are deployed effectively to support the school
•Assist the Heads in ensuring that career path and succession plans for all members of school staff support the annual recruitment plan in the first half of the academic year
•Participate on occasion in interviews to select high quality new/replacement staff, and ensure all new staff given a thorough and full induction to Taaleem and the School policies and procedures and the school operations
•Comply with all curricular and assessment regulations and guidelines issued by the local authorities and regulators
•Monitor and evaluate the school’s performance on students’ attainment and progress, students’ personal and social development, teaching and assessment, curriculum that meets the needs of students, health and safety, and student support services
•Assist the Principal in ensuring that all school curriculum and assessment policies, procedures and routines are effective, efficient and reviewed annually with appropriate staff members
•Work collaboratively with the Principal and the SLT to ensure accurate identification of professional development needs and access to quality professional development activities for all members of staff
•Ensure that teaching and learning is monitored closely and consistently to identify the quality of teaching practice across the school and identify areas of development
•Assist the Principal and Heads of School to ensure that all staff members are appraised annually providing recognition for areas of strength and recommendations for areas of development and growth
Parent, Student and Community Relationships
•Build and maintain relationships with parents and students and the community by establishing regular and appropriate communications related to curriculum and assessment with all members of the school community, both internally and externally
•Ensure that the school policies and procedures related to teaching, learning, and assessment are shared with the community and implemented consistently and firmly
•Encourage opportunities for students to take active leadership roles and assume responsibilities for the development of curricular initiatives, events tied to units, and reflection opportunities that promote an ongoing review of student-led activities
•Engage parents as active partners in their children’s learning in a variety of ways
•Encourage positive and regular participation of students and parents at school events, such as literacy and math nights, and end of unit showcases
•Consult the student and parent community about curricular initiatives on a regular basis and ensure that parents' views are received respectfully and help guide the development of teaching and learning practices.
•Ensure that the school uses a wide range of effective methods, including technology, to communicate with parents taking into account the home language of parents by promoting two-way communication.
•Assist the Heads of School to ensure that parents receive regular reports of their children’s progress and attainment that include next steps for learning.
•Assist the Principal and Heads of School to develop strong community partnerships that effectively
support all students’ development and improve students’ learning experiences
•Focus on identifying and meeting community (staff, parents, students) needs by taking their interests and complaints seriously.
•Consider the implications of decisions on the community (staff, parents, students, Taaleem) and act accordingly to safeguard and promote the reputation of the school and Taaleem
•Ensure a proactive approach in delivering operational excellence focused on extraordinary service across all aspects of school life
•Assist the school’s Events Coordinator to connect school events to local community events so that students and parents have the opportunity to participate in the broader local events such as Dubai Literacy Festival, Art Festival, Music Festival, Taaleem Sporting and Academic competitions, etc.
•Attend external events and festivals, including those out of school hours, and contribute to PR activities, media opportunities to represent and act as an ambassador for the school and Taaleem
•Achieve positive parental engagement and satisfaction of the teaching, learning and assessment program
•Hit numbers and achieve ratings

Education: Master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum, or a closely related field, or NPQH, Teaching certification, experience curriculum leadership
Experience: 5 years’ school management/leadership in K-12 American curriculum school or international educational setting
Competencies:
•Knowledge of American Common Core or equivalent standards
•Knowledge of external assessments such as NWEA MAP, CAT4, etc.
•Knowledge of international accreditation, inspection and evaluation frameworks
•Excellent communication skills in spoken and written form
•Financial acumen
•High level of data analysis skill and ability to make data-informed decisions
•Educational leader and outstanding teacher
•Management of human and physical resources
•Strategic planning, knowledge of child protection and health and safety
•Experience in developing and leading high performing teams
•Highly effective relationship management with a variety of stakeholders
Attributes:
•Collaborative team player, inspirational speaker, empathetic listener, integrity and strategic thinker
•Able to convert curricular vision into action
•Internationally minded, emotionally intelligent, interculturally awareness, creative and persuasive
•Flexible and capable of managing growth and instilling high standards
•Adept in multilingual settings, spirited, pioneering, professional and nurturing.