Deputy Headteacher of Senior School Voorschoten (SSV)
Internationally British
Deputy Headteacher of Senior School Voorschoten (SSV) Are you an excellent teacher and a confident and inclusive leader? Are you looking for the opportunity to develop your career at one of the most dynamic and successful British international schools worldwide? The British School in The Netherlands (BSN) is now seeking an experienced leader to join our established Senior School (SSV), as its new Deputy Headteacher. Mr Topping, Headteacher, writes... This opportunity arises at an important time in the BSN’s development and will be a key position of influence in both SSV and the wider school. The senior team, which currently comprises myself as Headteacher, two Deputy Headteachers and four Assistant Headteachers, works very closely together in both the strategic and operational leadership of our school. Individuals in the team are varied in character and skillsets, ambitious for students and staff and, at all times, welcoming. I am a great believer in the post of Deputy Headteacher being a critical marker on the way to Headship. The successful candidate is likely to be keen to both make an impact in their new role and gain experience on their journey to leading a school of their own within the next five years. The starting date for this post will be 21 August 2020. The school contracts new employees a week in advance of the start of the term which, for staff, will be 1 September.
The Person We Are Seeking I am expecting that you are already a successful leader within a senior team or with significant whole school responsibilities. You probably teach fewer lessons than you used to, but your teaching will be consistently good and your colleagues will respect the impact you have with students in the learning environment. You will inspire and motivate staff, and the quality of your relationships with colleagues, students and parents will be a key factor in your current success. You will be used to solving problems and helping others keep perspective. Few, if any, will be surprised that you are applying for this position. You will exercise leadership with confidence, inclusivity and humility.
Internationally British
You may be well versed in international education and have experience of leadership in different cultural settings. Equally, you may have qualified in the UK and developed your leadership skills there and have decided that working in an international dimension would suit you at this stage in your career. We will also expect you to demonstrate leadership that is credible, purposeful, fair and collaborative. You will be adept at managing change. You will show a range of personal characteristics such as warmth, patience, empathy, humility and resilience in your role. You will inspire respect and commitment and be able to generate buy-in to initiatives. As we are keen to draw from a wide field of applications, your current portfolios are less important than your desire to work with us. Accordingly, the senior team will agree with the successful candidate exactly how they will make their contribution and in which areas they will take a lead. All senior colleagues are integrally involved in ensuring the quality of teaching, school standards and outcomes remain consistently high.
Also Within Our Offer The person we appoint will also work in partnership with colleagues across the three primary schools and the new secondary school, Senior School Leidschenveen (SSL) as well as having access to continuing professional development within our acclaimed International Leadership Academy.
More About Our Campus Situated in Voorschoten, just outside of The Hague, SSV provides a welcoming learning environment for almost 1150 students from all over the world. Housed in a modern, attractive building, the facilities at the school are excellent and include a 3G pitch, a full-sized indoor sports hall, a fully equipped gym, ten science laboratories, a music department, an open plan art studio, two computing rooms, a school library, separate food technology and design and technology areas and modern Sixth Form study and common room areas. Internally, the quality of equipment and learning materials is of a consistently high standard. SSV constantly strives to innovate and explore different ways to improve the learning experiences of the students. The academic programme at SSV is based on the British curriculum, but has been adapted to meet the needs of our international student body. At age 16, students sit the internationally recognised GCSE qualification. Post-16 students then have the choice to study for A Levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or the International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP). We also offer several BTEC subjects to broaden our Sixth Form provision - this is unique to schools in The Netherlands.
In 2012, BSN was an early adopter of the 1:1 iPad Programme. Experience, evaluation and professional research led to a review of the use of educational technology in 2016 which resulted in a decision for the secondary schools to move away from iPads and provide every student and teacher with a Microsoft Surface Pro. These devices are now integral to student learning. The school is well supported by its own administrative staff and maintenance teams. We have a diverse staff body, including some staff members who are new to school and the Netherlands, and others who have been with the BSN for a number of years. All teachers receive planning, preparation and assessment time and those with posts of responsibility have additional release time. Our friendly, purposeful school operates an open door policy. Parents are welcomed into the school and have many opportunities to meet with staff to discuss their child’s progress and well-being.
Vision In re-imagining international education, the BSN will prepare its community to be confident citizens and leaders in tomorrow’s world - constantly curious, pioneering and changing.
Mission To deliver academic excellence and create inspiring places for children and young people to learn and grow into confident individuals. To build on the proven quality of the British curriculum whilst fostering an international perspective.
Values Within a creative and disciplined environment we encourage high aspirations and challenge for the whole individual.
Mission and Governance The BSN was founded in 1931 as a not for profit ‘Association’ and its mission to provide education in the British tradition with an international perspective. Meeting this mission has required flexibility and vision; we have successfully adapted to meet both
Accreditation The BSN is a leading member of COBIS, and an international member of HMC. The school recently went through a very successful BSO compliance inspection led by ISI, following an excellent 2015 report.
A collaborative learning community Families feel welcome and supported
The BSN The BSN is based in and around The Hague. We have five campuses which house three primary schools, two secondary schools and our Central Services. Our enrolment comprises approximately 2,500 students, aged 3-18. Approximately 20% of our student body are UK citizens, with 80% of students coming from over 80+ other countries. BSN students achieve outstanding results and success in all fields and at all ages, with many of our Sixth Form students gaining entry to top universities around the world. We operate a non-selective entry policy and we are proud to provide education to students of all abilities. Our Additional Educational Needs department provides excellent support for students and includes Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) and Teaching Assistants (TAs). Aspirations of parents and students are high and parents are very supportive of our school. We are a very welcoming community and maintain close contacts at high level with representatives of client organisations. Our International Leadership Academy (ILA) provides a comprehensive range of impactful professional learning and development programmes specifically for international school staff. Working in partnership with world-renowned organisations, the ILA is committed to rethinking education for 21st century schools. Through our Language Centre, we provide a range of courses for adults and children in both the international and local Dutch community (approximately 1000+ registrations per year). The centre offers everything from intensive Dutch or English courses to CELTA teacher training – running alongside after-school language classes and a very successful Summer Activities School.
Our Client Community Over the years, we have developed strong relationships with a wide range of major international corporations, with large international organisations (both UN and EU) and many national embassies. As the city of The Hague continues to attract inward investment and build on its remarkable success as the ‘International City of Peace and Justice’, we anticipate the recent growth of the school is set to continue.
Staff training and professional development are very strong Curriculum expertly adapted to meet the unique needs of our international student body
Our Staff The BSN employs almost 700 full and part time staff. They come from all over the world, though the largest numbers are from the UK – bringing considerable experience of the British educational tradition. A significant number – especially support staff – are recruited locally.
Leadership Structure The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) leads the BSN and each school is led by an experienced Headteacher. The Board of Governors has appointed a new CEO who will join us in September 2020. The ELT works closely with a Board of Management comprising Headteachers, CFO and COO and this group leads strategic change and school improvement whilst also overseeing operational efficiency and effectiveness. A professionally-staffed Central Services provides strong support for school operations and development in the areas of Human Resources, Communications and Admissions, Information Systems, Finance, Operations and Security.
Finance The BSN is financially strong and all resources are well managed. We do not receive grants or subsidies from any government, so planned development is funded from fee income and, where needed, through structured bank loans.
Our excellent facilities support the latest teaching methods Proud to operate a nonselective entry policy
Life in The Netherlands The Netherlands is one of the most welcoming of all EU member countries to professionals working abroad and is a very pleasant country in which to live and work. The Netherlands regularly tops surveys on child wellbeing. The working language of The BSN is English. The Dutch are excellent linguists and English is widely spoken by around 70% of the population. Transport services and connections are excellent - our campuses are located in The Hague, just 30 or so minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, or in the other direction, from the Hoek of Holland ferry terminal. Public transport is fast, reliable and generally good value for money, but many choose the truly Dutch option of cycling, making good use of the highly developed network of cycle paths. There is much more you can find out about the school and living in The Netherlands from our website - www.britishschool.nl. The videos and photographs there will help give you a clearer idea of who we are and, we hope, the excitement and potential of this post. The salary for this position will reflect the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Further details of this, along with pension contributions, health insurance, other benefits and relocation package, will be discussed with candidates invited for interview.
Application and Interview Dates To apply for this position, please upload a letter of motivation explaining how you will use your experience to support our school’s journey (no longer than 2 pages in length) together with a full curriculum vitae. Please visit our Careers page to find the online application form: www.britishschool.nl/vacancies
Safer Recruitment The BSN is an equal opportunities employer and is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. Aligned with the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. Any job offer is subject to the receipt of two supervisory references (including current employer) and current Police Check. Applications should reach us by noon (CET) Thursday 12 March 2020
Initial Interviews (selected candidates will be invited, initially, to submit an automated video interview) Final Interviews Date | Monday 30 & Tuesday 31 March 2020 Location | The Hague, The Netherlands In the final interviews, we will arrange a programme of activities across the two days to ensure candidates have a thorough introduction to the BSN and opportunity to meet colleagues from across the organisation.
www.britishschool.nl