Head Master / Mistress

Harrow International School - Abu Dhabi

The successful candidate will have a proven record of educational leadership, ideally across various settings, with the commercial acumen and cultural sensitivity needed to grow the Harrow brand in the UAE. They will inspire a vibrant school community, build strong relationships with families and staff, and drive the School s long-term success.

Exceptional strategic and communication skills are essential, as is the charisma to serve as an engaging and effective ambassador for the School. The ability to lay the foundations for the School s success, coupled with the capacity to attract and retain top-tier staff and pupils, will be key to the role.

Previous experience as a Founding Head Master / Mistress is desirable but not essential.

This is a unique opportunity to shape one of the world s finest new schools, supported by the resources, expertise, and legacy of two world-leading educational institutions.

Qualifications and Experience

• Outstanding academic credentials with the ability to inspire excellence and collaboration across all levels of School communities.
• Proven track record of successful leadership in international or high-performing schools, ideally including founding or pioneering roles, and an ability to inspire and innovate.
• Strong understanding of curriculum development, current pedagogical trends, assessment and instructional best practices.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire a diverse school community.
• Experience building and leading high-performing academic teams with a commitment to continuous professional development and growth.
• Demonstrable success in achieving external accreditation within educational institutions or inspection bodies, within the UAE or internationally, such as ISI, BSO, DSIB, and Irtiqaa.

Leadership and Personal Qualities

• A visible, charismatic leader who can inspire trust and engagement across the school community through a hands-on and pragmatic approach.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and drive to establish a world- leading school in the UAE.
• Powerful media presence with exceptional public speaking skills to represent the schools at high-profile events and media engagements.
• Committed to engaging and building trust with diverse communities while navigating cultural nuances.
• Adaptable and proactive, with the ability to make informed, timely decisions in a dynamic environment.
• High levels of emotional intelligence and self- awareness.

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.