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Job Headline
Harrow International School Abu Dhabi is seeking an inspirational and exceptional Director of Expressive Arts to join the founding team and become part of the legacy.
Job Description
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 Director of Expressive Arts to join the founding team and become part of the legacy.
As part of our founding team, 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.
Within our state-of-the-art facilities, you will help establish a culture of academic and sporting excellence, creativity, and curiosity, ensuring that Harrow International School Abu Dhabi quickly takes its place among the leading international schools of the region.
Joining Harrow International School Abu Dhabi is not only an opportunity to teach — it is an invitation to shape and inspire generations to come.
The Director of Expressive Arts will provide inspirational leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for the School’s Expressive Arts faculty, ensuring the highest standards of teaching, learning, and curriculum development. The post holder will foster a dynamic and inclusive culture of creativity and performance that reflects Harrow’s values of Courage, Honour, Humility, and Fellowship. By setting ambitious aspirations for students and staff alike, the Director will build a thriving community that nurtures talent, celebrates achievement, and sustains outstanding academic and artistic standards across the faculty. The Director of Expressive Arts will be responsible for the following: Music, Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, and related disciplines.
Key Accountabilities
Strategic Leadership
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Lead and manage the expressive arts faculty in maintaining the highest academic standards and developing best practice in teaching and learning.
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Establish and communicate clear departmental goals and performance targets that uphold and enhance Harrow’s reputation for excellence in both academic and co-curricular expressive arts.
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Demonstrate exemplary professional conduct by setting and maintaining high personal standards in subject teaching, professional development, and administrative responsibilities, thereby serving as a role model for colleagues and pupils alike.
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Ensure the Expressive Arts are fully embedded in the school’s culture and celebrated in the wider community both on a national and international level.
Curriculum Development
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Lead the development and delivery of the department’s super-curricular provision, ensuring it offers breadth, academic rigour, and inclusive opportunities that extend and enrich pupils’ learning beyond the classroom.
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Promote cross-disciplinary projects and the integration of new technologies and creative practices.
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Seek to enhance curriculum continuity by integrating learning experiences beyond the classroom, such as educational visits, field trips, and engagement with guest speakers, thereby enriching pupils’ understanding and broadening their perspectives.
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Design and deliver well-structured lessons that are responsive to the full range of pupil abilities, ensuring appropriate support and challenge so that every pupil is enabled to make excellent progress.
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Stay up to date with pedagogical and curricular developments and offer recommendations and professional development to the department as appropriate.
Teaching and Learning
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Ensure consistently high-quality lessons, monitor assessment and feedback practices to uphold excellence and continuous improvement in pupil outcomes.
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Ensure lessons are well-planned, intellectually challenging, and responsive to the diverse needs of pupils, with appropriate support to maximise individual progress.
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Oversee the quality assurance of teaching and learning and use data and feedback to drive continuous improvement.
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Promote innovative and creative approaches to pedagogy, drawing on best practice within and beyond the Expressive Arts.
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Champion the development of independent learning, intellectual curiosity, and a lifelong love of the arts.
Staff Management and Administration
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Line-manage expressive arts staff and ensure effective resource allocation, staffing, and professional development.
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Maintain effective and efficient management of the Faculty budget.
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Monitor and evaluate departmental performance and put forward recommendations for relevant training for individuals and/or groups within the department.
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Conduct a thorough analysis of Performing Arts staffing levels and provide informed recommendations to the Heads of School and senior leadership regarding future staffing requirements.
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Lead regular departmental meetings with recorded minutes and clearly defined actions, ensuring follow-up for accountability and timely completion.
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Foster a collaborative and supportive team culture within the department and across the wider faculty.
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Oversight of the Performing Arts events within the whole school calendar.
Safeguarding and Student Well-being
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Uphold the highest standards of safeguarding, child protection, and pupil welfare, maintaining unwavering compliance with Harrow International School Abu Dhabi policies, UAE regulations, and international best practice.
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Champion a safe and inclusive learning environment, and ensure the emotional, social, and pastoral well-being of students is prioritised.
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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.
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Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, maintaining confidentiality and working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and other relevant staff.
Community and External Engagement
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Represent the Expressive Arts both within and outside Harrow, building strong links with parents, alumni, partner schools, and external organisations.
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Enhance Harrow’s national and international reputation in the arts through festivals, tours, competitions, and exhibitions.
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Work with colleagues, parents, and the wider school community to promote cross-curricular initiatives, extracurricular activities, and parent communication.
Skills Description
Qualifications and Experience
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Outstanding knowledge of teaching and learning within each key stage including in-depth knowledge of the Harrow Curriculum.
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Experience of working in a high-achieving independent or international school.
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Experience across more than one expressive arts discipline.
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Connections within professional arts networks.
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Strategic vision with the ability to inspire staff, pupils, and stakeholders.
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Excellent communication, organisation, and interpersonal skills
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Commitment to safeguarding, inclusivity, and the wider ethos of Harrow School.
Essential
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A postgraduate qualification or equivalent professional recognition in the arts or education.
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A proven track record of leadership within at least one expressive arts discipline (Music, Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, or related discipline).
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A proven record of success within their artistic discipline — for example, having directed or produced major productions, curated exhibitions, or delivered high-profile performances across a range of settings.
Leadership and Personal Qualities
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Inspirational leadership with the ability to articulate and deliver a strategic vision.
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A genuine love of working with young people and commitment to their holistic development.
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Solutions-focused, with the highest levels of professionalism.
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Collaborative, resilient and innovative in approach.
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Willingness to embrace Harrow’s broad environment and approach to all-round education.
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 harrowdubai.ae 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.
Job Details
Job Title
Director of Expressive Arts - August 2027
Job Vacancy
Director of Expressive Arts
Job Country
United Arab Emirates
Job City
Abu Dhabi
Job Role
Teaching and Academics
Preferred Candidate
Career Level
Management
Harrow International School Abu Dhabi
In 2024, Harrow School entered into a landmark agreement with Taaleem, enabling the establishment of two new Harrow International Schools in the United Arab Emirates. This exciting partnership combines Harrow’s 450-year legacy of exceptional pedagogy with Taaleem’s unwavering commitment to delivering the highest standards of education. The Harrow International Schools UAE will offer world-class education rooted in the Harrow values of courage, honour, humility and fellowship, with a strong focus on preparing students for entry to world-class universities.
With a history dating back to 1572, Harrow’s heritage enriches the daily life of the School’s entire community, developing in pupils, staff, and parents a strong corporate spirit and a shared sense of belonging to something that transcends generations. Equally, Harrow Schools aim to be at the forefront of educational development in the 21st century, using inspiring teaching and coaching techniques, the most up-to-date technology, and top-class facilities and resources. The essence of Harrow is this balance between tradition and innovation, between continuity and change, between the old and the new.
The Harrow International Schools use Harrow School’s Name and Badge under a sub-licence granted by Harrow International Schools Limited (HISL), a trading subsidiary of the charity registered in England and Wales with charity number 310033 which owns Harrow School and its trademarks, in return for a fee. The educational, administrative, financial and other operational responsibilities of the Harrow International Schools are separate from those of Harrow School and rest with their owners and operators. The schools' fees are paid to their owners and operators and not to Harrow School or HISL. Under the sub-licence, the schools are required to reflect Harrow School’s educational purpose, practice, strategy and philosophy and each is regularly evaluated by representatives of HISL.