DP Coordinator - August 2027

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:

The DP Coordinator is a member of the pedagogical leadership team which has the overarching responsibility for ensuring that the teaching and learning will be enriched in line with the philosophical and implementation requirements of the program. The DP Coordinator has a pivotal role in the collaborative planning process, taking responsibility for ensuring that pedagogical aspects are discussed, information is disseminated and the program is planned, taught and assessed collaboratively.

Key Relationships (Internal and External)

Head of Secondary, IB Coordinators, IBAEM Regional Office, Senior Leadership Team, Department Heads, Secondary Teachers and Learning Assistants

Key Accountabilities:

Recruitment and Selection of Students

• Support the Admissions Department to prepare promotional material
• Arrange information meetings, in liaison with the marketing department for parents and prospective students
• Advise students and the parents of prospective students

Communication with Subject Teachers and/or Heads of Departments

• Issue copies of the Diploma Programme Coordinator Notes and Diploma Programme General Regulations
• Issue sections of the Handbook of Procedures
• Work collaboratively with the school’s careers/guidance counsellor to support student’s selections for post-secondary
• Monitor and acting on professional development needs
• Agree a timetable of internal school deadlines in consultation with the Subject Leaders and Head of Secondary
• Collaborate with students to devise an honor code for students
• Advise on ways to promote and monitor academic honesty among students
• Monitor the construction and delivery of the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) programme, CAS and the Extended Essay
• Ensure that Group 1 and Group 2 oral examinations are conducted in line with IB requirements in case the school offers IBCP, the DPC is the CPCs line manager when it comes to the DP courses attended by CP students

Communication with Teaching Staff

• Inform teachers of professional development opportunities and making necessary arrangements
• Communicate curriculum developments and administrative changes to teachers
• Orient new teachers and informing them about the Diploma Programme
• Advise teachers about internal assessment requirements
• Establish an overall view of the content and delivery of each subject to ensure students are well prepared for course work and examinations
• Monitor the delivery of the programme to ensure assessment deadlines will be met
• Monitor the receipt of internal assessment forms and candidates’ work for submission to examiners
• Organize and chairing meetings for IB teachers
• Consult with teachers about IB teaching standards and practices

Communication with Students

• Advise students on subject selections in liaison with the MYP coordinator
• Inform students about the IB Diploma Programme General Regulations
• Devising a course of instruction on how to achieve academic honesty, overseeing that the DP core is planned, taught and assessed in line with the IB rules and regulations
• Require students to agree and sign an honor code-for example, submit only work that is authentic
• Support, encourage and counseling anxious students in cooperation with the school’s counselor
• Inform students about internal school deadlines for the receipt of examination material
• Ensure records are accurate and kept up-to-date when candidates change subjects
• Support students with university applications and follow through with IB procedures for sending results to universities
• Act as an advocate for student concerns

Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)

• Support the CAS coordinator to:

o Help candidates design a CAS programme

o Plan group activities with candidates

o Contact external supervisors and organizations

o Maintain records

o Inform the regional office of any students who do not complete their CAS programme

Communication with Parents

• Inform parents about the Diploma Programme, its regulations and the importance of complying with IB deadlines
• Enlist parental support for achieving academic honesty
• Obtain information about students with special educational needs
• Help parents understand the demands of the Diploma Programme
• Inform parents of students’ work and CAS requirements and the DP Core requirements (CAS, ToK and EE)
• Enlist the support of volunteers to help with activities like CAS and field studies

Communication with Organisations outside the School

• Liaise with offices of the IB, such as IBCA and the regional office, and sub-regional organizations
• Support the Careers and University counselor to:
• Liaise with universities and colleges with College Counseling Offices, as needed

Extended Essays

• Support the Extended Essay Coordinator to:

o Inform supervisors and students about the extended essay requirements, the guidelines and assessment criteria

o Identify teaching staff with suitable qualifications and experience to act as supervisors

o Ensure potential supervisors are familiar with the extended essay requirement and how it contributes to the Diploma Programme

o Ensure that students do not change their subject and/or response language for an extended essay after the registrations have been submitted

o Enforce internal school deadlines

o Ensure that students meet with their supervisor on a regular basis

o Ensure the timely mailing of extended essays to examiners.

Examinations

• Organize mock/trial written and oral examinations for students and invigilators
• Maintain the security of examination papers
• Inform students and invigilators about examination procedures and regulations
• Provide students with individual examination schedules and the IB handout on the conduct of the examinations
• Liaise with the SLT to establish and equip a suitable location for the examinations
• Ensure that there is sufficient stationery for the examinations
• Check requirements for calculators, data booklets, case studies and other authorized material for examinations
• Establish an invigilation schedule and informing invigilators of the schedule
• Ensure that all invigilators are aware of their responsibilities
• Plan for the mailing of examination scripts to examiners within 24 hours after each examination, and being able to follow-up any packages that go astray
• Encourage teachers to complete and submit form G2 after each examination for their subject
• Submit CAS information to the regional office

After the Examinations

• Ensure students receive their results
• Counsel students (and their parents) about their results
• Inform students about their opportunities for enquiries upon results and retaking subjects
• Register six-month retake candidates by the due dates
• Ensure that a responsible person is available to receive correspondence from IB offices well after the issue of results
• Convey diplomas, diploma results and certificates to students

Longitudinal Concerns

• Maintain contact with graduates
• Invite graduates to information meetings for parents and students to act as resource persons
• Maintain success records for use in recruitment and school promotional material
• Maintain records of scholarships and university entrance
• Plan for the long-term improvement of the Diploma Programme within the school
• Developing and administering the budget for the Diploma Programme
• Submit a budget request to the school’s administration
• Monitoring expenditure from the budget
• Inform the accountant to pay fees to the regional billing office when they are due
• Support heads of department in selecting, where required, suitable learning resources
• Submit the necessary paperwork to enable the purchasing and distribution of IB publications
• Display international mindedness in all areas of work; strive to be a critical thinker, inquirer, effective communicator, principled, balanced, caring, risk-taker, open minded, knowledgeable and reflective individual
• Display respect for and interest in diverse cultures, languages and traditions
• Fulfill a range of duties and responsibilities, as required, to attend to the whole child and to ensure the smooth day to day running of the school
• Attend and contribute to staff briefings and also departmental and regular staff meetings
• Ensure the school achieves its overall educational aims, mission and vision for learners
• Understand the contents and value of all DP documents for implementing the program and promote their use Ensure that IB publications pertaining to the DP section of the school are available to all staff members
• Establish and maintain a record of completed IB Diploma Program planners, including the personal project
• Publish the school’s Program of Inquiry (POI).
• Lead the process of developing or reviewing the school’s curriculum documents, including the program of inquiry and scope and sequence documents.
• Participate in the development of the DP/CIS applications, action planning, manage and monitor the plans and participate in the formulation of the school’s strategic development plan and other requirements of accrediting bodies.
• Lead the development and implementation of the school language policy
• Lead the development and implementation of the school assessment policy, academic honesty policy and use of IT policy in cooperation with the other IB curriculum coordinators.
• Ensure that all teachers, the DP coordinator and the Principal are trained to implement the DP
• Develop a professional development plan for the school (as part of the action plan) that promotes the attainment of goals listed in the action plan.
• Ensure that staff members are made aware of professional development opportunities
• Ensure that every new teacher and new Principal/administrator is informed about changes to documentation, news from the IB as it pertains to program implementation
• Make recommendations regarding professional development opportunities on and off campus in accordance with the schools budget, action plan and yearly goals
• Keep a record of workshop attendance and school visits to ensure equality of opportunity to identify on-going needs, and to complete authorization and program evaluation forms.
• Assist teams or individuals in developing and documenting units of inquiry and individual student inquiries
• Support teachers responsible for, and the students involved in, the DP exhibition in the final year of the program
• Lead the process of purchase of suitable resources to support the implementation of the program ensuring equitable purchases across the POI
• Be responsible for the establishment of an inventory of resources to facilitate efficient collaboration.
• Monitor and evaluate the effective use of educational resources and equipment to ensure that they support student learning and inquiry
• Ensure the pervasive influence of the DP on all aspects of the functioning of a cohesive school community
• Communicate regularly about the process of implementation and how all requirements of the IB concerning the implementation of the program are adhered to
• Set up systems for communication and collaboration among all staff members involved in implementing the program
• Regularly conduct general sessions about the DP for the whole school community and for interest groups within the community, for example, parent information sessions
• Publish articles pertaining to the program in the school newsletter and post on the school website.
• Circulate all relevant information received from the IB and ensure that teachers and other staff are kept up to date with current developments in the program
• Prepare and submit any documentation required for authorization and evaluation.
• Respond to requests for information from the IB
• Provide a liaison between the school and the IB
• Provide outreach to the wider DP community through OCC discussion forums, email and hosting visits from other schools
• Promote the use of the OCC with the school community
• Recommend exemplary teachers to participate in curriculum development meetings
• Ensure that school practices and curriculum development include the hallmarks of international-mindedness that are embedded in the IB learner profile
• Organize the schedule to allow for a variety of on-going collaborative planning opportunities, involving the DP coordinator, the classroom teachers, all single-subject teachers, and the Principal/Director, as appropriate
• Demonstrate reflective leadership practice that values feedback
• Model the constructivist approach, including inquiry, during meetings or workshops focusing on gaining a better understanding of the requirements of the program
• Model and promote the IB learner profile and the DP attitudes
• Encourage teachers to see themselves as researchers and support their inquiries into pedagogy as per the school’s professional goals requirements
• Ensure that the curriculum promotes students making connections, thinking conceptually and critically, and reflecting on their own learning
• Ensure that teachers differentiate the teaching and learning opportunities for children with diagnosed special needs
• Ensure the balance between transdisciplinary and disciplinary learning
• Ensure and reinforce the cognitive value of the learning experiences planned for the units and for stand alone
• Monitor the use of inquiry as a pedagogical approach through classroom visits
• Ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for student-initiated actions
• Ensure that assessment, in the form of feedback, helps students to think about how they learn and to become more proficient and self-directed and is recorded in their portfolios.
• Ensure that summative assessment in a unit of inquiry is an effective way of assessing each student’s understanding of the central idea
• Ensure that teachers communicate and help learners and parents understand the assessment criteria
• Encourage the learning of everyone, students, staff and parents in a DP school community.
• Ensure that professional development resources will be linked, to some degree, to individual teacher performance appraisal.
• Organize peer lesson observations and engage in team teaching opportunities that reflect our commitment to providing effective teaching, learning and assessment.
• Where possible, organize an expert or coach to address a defined area for which there is a demonstrated need for development.
• Collect on-going evidence of the school’s implementation of DP standards and practices.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree, Teaching certification, educational leadership/management workshops

Experience:

2 years’ senior or middle leadership in a similar setting

Competencies:

• Knowledge of international accreditation, inspection and evaluation frameworks
• Excellent communication skills in spoken and written form
• Educational leader and outstanding teacher
• Sound decision making, solutions focused, k owledge of child protection and health and safety
• Experience in developing and/or sustaining high performance teams
• Highly effective relationship management with a variety of stakeholders
• Expert knowledge of IB Standards and Practices, and expert knowledge of the DP curriculum framework

Attributes:

• Collaborative team player, inspirational speaker, empathetic listener
• Integrity and confidentiality
• Strategic thinker, able to convert vision into action
• Internationally minded, emotional intelligence
• Intercultural awareness, creative, persuasive
• Flexible and capable of managing growth and instilling high standards
• Adept in multilingual settings, spirited, pioneering, professional and nurturing