Assistant Headteacher - Curriculum and Assessment - August 2027

Harrow International School Abu Dhabi is seeking an inspirational and exceptional Assistant Headteacher - Curriculum and Assessment - to join the founding team and become part of the legacy. 

Taaleem is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. 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.

All successful applicants must be willing to undergo enhanced child protection screening appropriate to the post, including various background checks including, receipt of high-quality references, proof of relevant qualifications, identification and police checks, including overseas checks. No member of staff will be able to start until these checks are complete and this process takes, on average, a month. 

Harrow International School Abu Dhabi is seeking an exceptional Assistant Headteacher - Curriculm and Assessment - to join the founding team and become part of the legacy.

The Assistant Head (Curriculum and Assessment) will be a visible, trusted and inspiring leader. As a member of our founding leadership team, we are seeking someone who is willing to make a strong contribution to the school’s development.

You will play a pivotal role in building a vibrant and inclusive community where the learning of every individual is at the heart of daily life. Guided by the Harrow values, our staff will create an environment in which every pupil is nurtured, challenged, and empowered to achieve their very best.

Reporting to the Head of Junior School, the Assistant Head (Curriculum and Assessment) plays a vital role in ensuring the highest standards of teaching, learning, and academic achievement across the Junior School. The postholder will lead the strategic development of the Curriculum, ensuring coherence, innovation, and excellence in all areas of provision. A key focus of the role is the oversight of assessment practices and the effective use of data to inform teaching, raise attainment, and secure continuous school improvement. The Assistant Head will also ensure that all curriculum and assessment policies and practices fully comply with the expectations of the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and reflect the ethos and aspirations of the school.

In addition to leading on curriculum and assessment, the post-holder will also assume oversight of a designated phase of the Junior School—either Early Years or Upper Years—allocated according to their experience and expertise.

The Assistant Head (Curriculum and Assessment), working alongside the rest of the leadership team, will be instrumental in ensuring that all Harrow teachers (Beaks) deliver exemplary teaching and learning within their subject discipline, fostering an environment where every pupil is supported, challenged, and inspired to excel. They will uphold the highest academic standards while embodying the distinctive Harrow values of courage, honour, humility, and fellowship. Beyond the classroom, they will play an active role in the Harrow House system, contribute to the breadth of co-curricular opportunities, and enrich the wider life of the School. In doing so, they will strengthen the traditions of Harrow while shaping an educational experience uniquely aligned with the aspirations of Harrow Abu Dhabi.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Curriculum Development

• Support the Head of Junior School in providing strategic leadership and direction for the development, implementation, and continual refinement of the curriculum across all Key Stages within the Junior School.
• Ensure the curriculum is broad, balanced, progressive and aligned with the school’s ethos, values, and both international and national frameworks, including the requirements of the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK).
• Oversee medium and long-term curriculum planning to ensure it embodies coherence, academic rigour, cross-curricular opportunities and challenge, while reflecting the distinctive ethos of Harrow Abu Dhabi. 
• Engage with leading educational research and subject-specific developments in order to lead curriculum innovation, evidence-based practice and future-focused pedagogies, ensuring high levels of engagement and the development of key skills for all pupils.
• Work closely with subject leaders and class teachers to review and refine schemes of work, ensuring they provide intellectual rigour, engagement and opportunities for creativity, while ensuring all pupils are challenged, supported, and inspired to achieve their full potential.

Assessment and Academic Standards

• Lead the development and implementation of a robust formative and summative assessment framework that supports effective tracking of pupil progress and attainment and which allows teachers to recognise achievement, inform planning and accelerate progress.
• Ensure assessment practices are consistent, accurate, and aligned with both international and national expectations.
• Analyse school-wide assessment data to identify trends, set ambitious targets, and inform teaching and learning priorities.
• Oversee the effective use of data to drive improvement, supporting teachers in using assessment information to plan interventions and personalise learning.
• Report regularly to the Headmaster, the Head of Junior School and, when required, to the Harrow Board of Governors on academic performance, progress, and outcomes.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Monitor the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment through regular observations, book looks, and data reviews, providing incisive, constructive and timely feedback; highlighting best practice and providing support for improvement.
• Ensure all curriculum and assessment practices comply with International and national standards, including ADEK policies, frameworks, and inspection criteria.
• Lead the preparation of documentation and evidence for relevant accreditations, ADEK inspections, internal reviews, and self-evaluation processes.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the school’s Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) and School Improvement Plan (SIP), ensuring alignment with international and national requirements for outstanding provision.

Staff Leadership and Professional Development

• Support, mentor, and challenge teaching staff to deliver high-quality learning experiences and effective assessment practices which enable each child to flourish academically and personally, in keeping with the Harrow tradition of nurturing individual strengths.
• Lead professional development sessions on teaching and learning, including curriculum design, assessment for learning, data-informed teaching as well as providing opportunities for teachers to collaborate purposefully and share best practice.
• Contribute to performance management by setting clear expectations, monitoring outcomes, and supporting staff in achieving their professional goals.
• Foster a culture of reflective practice, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the teaching team.

School Improvement and Community Engagement

• Play a key role in developing and implementing initiatives that raise academic standards and enhance the learning experience across the Junior School.
• Support the Head of Junior School in overseeing the academic budget to ensure there is a stimulating and well-resourced learning environment, reflective of Harrow’s standards of excellence, and conducive to scholarship and collaboration.
• Communicate effectively with parents regarding curriculum, assessment, and pupil progress, ensuring transparency and partnership in supporting learning.
• Contribute to the wider life of the school, demonstrating commitment to the school’s values and ethos, and building a reputation for excellence within Abu Dhabi's educational community.
• Represent the school professionally in interactions with ADEK and other educational bodies.

Pastoral Care and Safeguarding

• Provide exemplary pastoral care, nurturing pupils’ personal, social, and emotional development, and ensuring that every child feels known, valued, and supported.
• Uphold the highest standards of safeguarding, child protection, and pupil welfare, maintaining unwavering compliance with Harrow Abu Dhabi policies, UAE regulations, and international best practice.
• Communicate proactively and sensitively with parents, maintaining accurate, timely records of all relevant interactions, and fostering strong partnerships between home and School.
• Model and instill Harrow’s core values of Courage, Honour, Humility, and Fellowship, ensuring they are lived out daily in teaching, pastoral practice, and wider school life.
• Contribute actively to the House system, cultivating pride, belonging, and fellowship, and helping pupils to experience their House as a cornerstone of their Harrow journey.

Essential Requirements:

• Appropriate degree, with UK PGCE or other teaching qualification that gives QTS
• Minimum three years teaching experience and familiarity with the National Curriculum of England and IGCSE/GCSE and/or A Levels as appropriate.
• Experience with carrying out and interpreting results of psychometric tests and plan targeted interventions for common learning difficulties
• A clean criminal record check including International Child Protection Check (ICPC) from the UK or appropriate police and other checks from relevant countries of residence/work for applicants who have never worked in the UK and no issues regarding suitability to work with children.
• A proven commitment to the safeguarding of children and an understanding of safeguarding procedure.
• Prior teaching experience essential, preferably in leading independent schools

Desirable Characteristics:

• A genuine passion for working with young people and helping them to flourish.
• The ability to inspire excellence in both academic and pastoral development.
• Empathy, patience, and a caring approach in supporting pupils.
• Adaptability, creativity, and a forward-thinking outlook.
• Strong cultural sensitivity and global awareness.
• A collaborative mindset, working positively with colleagues, pupils, and parents.
• A drive to develop and innovate, embracing professional learning with a mindset of continual improvement.

Who Are We Looking For?

• Our staff embody the highest standards of professional and personal excellence. We seek to appoint individuals who are not only outstanding educators, but also mentors and role models who inspire pupils to achieve their very best, both in scholarship and in character. At Harrow Abu Dhabi, school leaders play a pivotal role in shaping confident, compassionate young people, contributing fully to the intellectual, pastoral, and co-curricular life of the School.
• We seek educators who combine intellectual rigour with a genuine love of working with young people.
• Teaching, for us, is not simply a profession; it is a vocation, and we welcome colleagues who see their role as both a privilege and a responsibility.
• We value educators who bring passion, integrity, and humility to their work, modelling the values of Courage, Honour, Humility, and Fellowship in all they do.
• A Harrow leader embraces challenge with resilience and creativity, demonstrating adaptability in a dynamic global context.
• Our leaders work closely with colleagues, pupils, and families to create an environment where every child can flourish with demonstrated success in stretching the most able and supporting those who need additional guidance.
• Beyond the classroom, they contribute enthusiastically to co-curricular activities, pastoral life, and the wider school community, recognising that a Harrow education is distinguished by its breadth as well as its depth, and that its impact extends far beyond academic achievement.

What Else Can You Bring?

• At Harrow we seek educators who contribute far more than academic excellence. Individuals who enrich our pupils’ educational journey through their diverse talents and passions. Whether you are a pianist, ballet teacher, rugby player, or possess another distinctive skill, we value those who inspire creativity, nurture character, and develop our pupils’ abilities beyond the classroom.
• We warmly invite applicants to share the unique qualities they can bring to our distinguished and well-rounded school community. At Harrow, we value teachers who extend learning beyond traditional boundaries, those who inspire curiosity, foster a love of learning, and broaden our pupils’ horizons through music, sport, the arts, or other exceptional pursuits.

School Values and Behaviours

All staff are expected to conduct themselves in line with the school’s values which are: Courage, Honour, Humility and Fellowship. While the School’s values set out what matters most to us, the behaviours below are intended as a shared set of expectations to refer to, and standards to aspire to, in our dealings with others. They are the practical application of our values.

COURAGE

• We remain optimistic and purposeful in a disrupted world.
• We take responsibility for our decisions, even the hard ones.
• We always challenge poor behaviour in ourselves and others.
• We are open to new ideas, and seek fresh challenges.

HONOUR

• We keep our promises.
• We act with integrity – doing the right thing, even when it is difficult or when no one is watching.
• We respect and value our traditions whilst setting them in the context of today.

HUMILITY

• We work hard to serve others within the School and across our wider communities where possible putting their interests before our own.
• We give and seek honest and appropriate feedback, reflect on our failures and learn from them.
• We support each other through challenges and whatever the outcome, we celebrate those that took part. 

FELLOWSHIP

• We respect each other and value our differences, knowing that we are more effective and more resilient working together.
• We are kind and inclusive; we value the contribution that each of us makes.
• We role model the behaviours that we would like to see in others; we ask only of others what we would be prepared to do ourselves.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are values that are important to us at Taaleem. We believe in diversity of thought and actively welcome everyone regardless of their background to bring their valuable and relevant skills to our community.

Note: It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

This advertisement is posted on behalf of Harrow International School Abu Dhabi which is part of the group owned by Taaleem Holdings PJSC and independently operated under a licence to use the Harrow School brand. For further details of the relationship, please see the relationship statement on the website. Accordingly, applicants should be aware that the employer will be part of Taaleem Holdings PJSC’s group and under its control and not Harrow School.