Head of Secondary English

Summary:

Head of Secondary English & Literacy job opportunity with a focus on academic leadership and EAL support.

About the School:

A school committed to providing world-class bilingual education to Chinese students aged 3 to 18, preparing them for university entrance in the UK, USA, and Europe. It fosters global citizenship while maintaining strong cultural roots in China.

The Opportunity:

As the Head of Secondary English & Literacy, you will lead the development of English language acquisition and academic literacy across Grades 6 to A Level. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the academic future of a school with a strong international focus and to take on a leadership pathway toward Assistant/Deputy Headship.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of English language acquisition and academic literacy across Grades 6 to A Level.
• Deliver high-quality English and ELA lessons that exemplify evidence-based pedagogy and scaffolding excellence for multilingual learners.
• Design and implement a seamless K-12 English curriculum that ensures vertical alignment between Primary and Secondary phases.
• Develop and lead a whole-school Literacy Strategy, training non-English specialists in EAL-aware instructional techniques.
• Act as the Head of Department for Secondary English, managing the English teaching team and ensuring the highest standards of classroom practice.
• Conduct regular learning walks, book looks, and formal observations to ensure the quality of English teaching is 'Outstanding' across all phases.
• Collaborate with the Boarding team to create a high-quality English immersion environment beyond the classroom.
• Produce termly 'Literacy Impact Reports' for the Senior Leadership Team and Board, demonstrating the correlation between English proficiency and attainment across all subjects.

Qualifications & Skills:

Required

• Honours Degree in English or a related field; PGCE/QTS or equivalent.
• Proven track record of driving significant value-added growth in English/EAL attainment, particularly in schools with a high proportion of English Second Language Learners (ESL).
• Mastery of data analysis to drive academic interventions.
• Evidence-based Pedagogy: Deep understanding of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories and their practical application in a K-12 bilingual setting.
• Scaffolding Excellence: Mastery of pedagogical frameworks (such as CLIL) to make complex academic content accessible to multilingual learners.
• Differentiation Strategy: Proven ability to design instructional strategies that cater to a wide range of English proficiencies.
• Assessment for Learning (AfL): Expert knowledge of using formative and summative assessment to bridge the gap between a pupil's current level and their potential.

Preferred

• Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics EAL/ELL or other similar degree programme.
• Experience in a boarding environment and/or working with Chinese learners.
• Ability to lead “Literacy across the Curriculum” training for subject specialists.
• Cognitive Load Theory: Understanding how to manage the cognitive demands of bilingual learners when processing academic English.
• Oracy and Phonics: Specialist knowledge in Oracy-based pedagogy and Systematic Synthetic Phonics as the foundation for secondary literacy.
• Action Research: Experience in leading school-wide action research to evaluate the impact of new teaching methodologies on pupil attainment.
• Passion for bilingual education and cross-cultural pedagogy.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Competitive salary and equity package.
• Full health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Unlimited PTO and professional development opportunities.