Head of School
Aula (Escuela Europea) (Spain)

We are pleased to announce that after a thorough worldwide search process the Board of Aula School in Barcelona, Spain has recently appointed Anne Lang to be their next Head of School.

Anne has a B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s degree in Education from Quincy University, Illinois.    Following an early career as a commodities trader in the banking sector, she became an ESL teacher, curriculum developer and programme leader in the state of Illinois.      In 2011 she moved to Chile as an IB English teacher at Santiago College, before becoming Deputy Head of Lower School at Colegio Dunalastair.      Since January 2016 she has been the Head of School at Colegio Lirima in Iquique, northern Chile.          Her varied career has also included owning a small business creating and selling organic goat cheese, consultancy work in the fields of early childhood literacy and educational video production, as well becoming a certified US rowing coach and an elite ironman triathlete. 

Anne will start her new job in Barcelona in August 2019 and is greatly looking forward to joining the Aula School community.

Search Associates

AULA

(ESCUELA EUROPEA )

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Search for a new HEAD OF SCHOOL  -  from August 2019

The Board of Trustees of AULA School, in Barcelona, Spain, is looking for a new Head of School to start in August 2019, and has asked Search Associates to help them in their search.

A. THE SCHOOL

AULA is widely regarded as the outstanding independent school in Barcelona.     It was founded in 1968 by Mr Ribera Ferran, previously Director of the Spanish section of the Lycée Français in Barcelona, with the aim of encouraging learning through discovery, logical reasoning and critical thinking.      During the 50 years since its foundation the school has enjoyed impressive growth, and currently educates about 1250 students from pre-school to the end of secondary.         Since 1971 the school has been located on a beautiful campus in the Pedralbes district of Barcelona, surrounded by forest and with wonderful views over the city.     Three separate buildings provide attractive learning and recreational spaces for kindergarten, primary and secondary students, including two libraries and three fully equipped science laboratories in the secondary school building.       Each building has its own dining area for students.     There are good sports facilities including a sports hall of over 2000 square metres, and students are able to take part in an impressively wide range of extra-curricular activities.

The curriculum is firmly based on five key principles of (1) multilingualism (2) mathematical reasoning (3) digital thinking (4) musical and artistic sensitivity and (5) personal development.     Students learn Catalan, Spanish, French and English and are progressively exposed to all four languages daily.       Through Mathematics, they learn to develop their intellectual capacity and critical thinking skills, and through the arts their imagination and creativity.    IT is central to the curriculum at every level.     Aula’s own personal development project (Philia) aims to promote the emotional intelligence and well-being of every student.        The most senior students follow a Baccalaureate course which combines the requirements of the Department of Education of the Government of Catalonia/Spain and those of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, which has been an element in the curriculum since 2012.   Graduating Baccalaureate students go on to a wide variety of universities both in Spain and abroad, including Warwick, Durham, Essex, UCL, LSE, Durham, Westminster in the UK; Yale, MIT, NYU, Chicago, Princeton in the US; and Paris (Sorbonne), Lyon, Amsterdam and Bologna in Europe.

Aula has ambitious plans for the future, and the Head of School appointed in 2019 will be expected to lead the school effectively into a new, challenging, more international stage of its development.        The four key elements in the strategy are (1) pedagogical innovation, including curriculum development and the introduction of a strong teacher training programme; (2) the improvement of school facilities, to allow the school to welcome pre-school (0-2) children and also to expand its activities programme; (3) the nurturing of the school’s relationships with the families it serves; and (4) the reinforcement of the school’s links with the local Barcelona community, as well as the development of new links with international schools elsewhere in Europe and in the USA.

For further information please see the school’s website https://www.aula-ee.com/en/ and also its Powerpoint presentation specifically related to this search.

B. THE HEAD OF SCHOOL - RESPONSIBILITIES

The Head of School is responsible for providing a challenging, effective, well-rounded international educational experience for all students.     The Head provides the leadership needed to ensure the success of the school in fulfilling its mission.   

The Head reports directly to the Board of Trustees, and is expected to give regular reports to the Board, which oversees the school’s operations, academic standards and future direction.

Specifically, the Head’s responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• The internal organisation, management and discipline of the school
• The appointment, supervision, management, professional development and welfare of all staff
• The effective delivery of all the school’s educational programmes, including the planning, delivery and assessment of the curriculum and also all extra-curricular activities
• Working with colleagues through good teamwork to create and maintain an effective and energetic organisation which will enhance learning, maintain high standards and create a positive environment for staff and students
• Ensuring the school budget is prepared efficiently and used effectively
• Maintaining and improving the buildings and grounds of the school
• Designing and implementing policies for the supervision, discipline, care and safety of staff and students
• Building the best possible relationships of mutual confidence with the parents of current, past and future students
• Building the best possible relationships with the school’s alumni
• Building the best possible relationships both with the local Barcelona community and with the wider world of international education.

C. THE HEAD OF SCHOOL – PERSON SPECIFICATION

The Board of Trustees aims to appoint a Head of School with the drive, energy, vision and dedication needed to lead the school towards a positive and successful future.      The successful candidate will be well qualified academically and will have outstanding professional, leadership and communication skills and personal qualities, with a proven track record of success in international school leadership, preferably in an IB Diploma school and/or a bilingual (English/Spanish) international school.     He or she is likely to be in the age range 40-55, though candidates outside this range are welcome to apply.      He or she will have a strong command of both English and Spanish, both spoken and written, and will also preferably have some knowledge of French.      Additionally some knowledge of Catalan could be an asset, but is not a requirement.

D. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE APPOINTMENT

The initial contract offered to the successful candidate will be for 3 years, renewable thereafter by mutual agreement between the Head and the Board.      The attractive compensation package will be commensurate with the responsibilities of the position.

E. THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Suitably qualified candidates should send to David Cope of Search Associates – dcope@searchassociates.com - all the items below collated together in a single pdf (to arrive as soon as possible, and no later than March 8, 2019)

• a letter of application (no more than one page), briefly outlining why the candidate wishes to apply for this position and what specific skills, qualities and experience he/she can offer
• a CV (no more than two pages)
• a statement of educational and leadership philosophy (no more than one page)
• the names and full contact details of at least three professional referees (one of which should if possible be the leader of the applicant’s current organisation)
• a good recent head-and-shoulders photo

Interviews are scheduled to take place during March and April 2019, with the final stage in Barcelona.     However, Aula’s Board reserves the right to invite selected candidates to interviews in advance of this schedule.

Closing date: March 8, 2019 Applications to:            dcope@searchassociates.com