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Middle School and High School Principal
Beijing International Bilingual Academy - Beijing Campus (China)

 

 

Beijing International Bilingual Academy

 

Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA) seeks a

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Effective Date is August 1, 2023

The School

Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA) was founded in 2006 by a group of passionate educators with an aspiration for developing students into progressive bilingual ambassadors in a dynamic global community.

Through 15 years of dedicated and hard-work by all staff, the school has transformed itself from a small school with 4 teachers and 44 students in the first year to now a school comprising an Early Childhood Center (ECC), an Elementary School (ES) and a Middle/High School (MS/HS) with about 1,800 students and 460 members of staff, with a vision of aspiring to become a “Model of developing internationally-minded bilingual ambassadors who promote inter-cultural understanding, respect and integration in a dynamic global community”, and known for being a school of “Love and Fulfilment” under the philosophy of “Let Children be fulfilled because of us”.

After establishment in 2006, BIBA first became a Cambridge International school in 2014-15 and started to offer the IGCSE programme in Grades 9 and 10.  It acquired IBDP authorization in May 2015 and started to offer the IBDP program in 2015-16, with its first batch of Grade 12 students graduating in June 2017.  In 2020 we became a fully authorized school to deliver the IB Middle Years Programme. We have been consistent with our IBDP results over the last several years with recent graduates achieving median scores of 38 with a number of perfect scores.

BIBA has been receiving highest ratings from them since 2012 and has been awarded the Top Prize of Private School and Kindergarten by the Shunyi Education Bureau for consecutive years and is ranked by Forbes as one of the Top 8 International Schools in China.

 

Mission and Values

The school’s mission is, through a blending of Eastern and Western philosophies, to inspire students to be rigorous, balanced and independent life-long learners; to develop compassion and positive relationships; to respect and appreciate the world in which they live; and to understand their role and responsibility in a global community.

Educators at BIBA believe that our program must be deeply rooted in the breadth and richness of Chinese culture. We believe in a student-centered education in which we impact our students with our lives. We define four character values (our 4Rs): Respect, Rigor, Responsibility and Relationship.  To these 4Rs we add 10 School-wide learner outcomes (SLOs) that we expect our graduates to possess, in addition to bilingual competence and international-mindedness in a bilingual international school context which constitute our Graduate Profile (School-wide Learner Outcomes). The School-wide learner outcomes mirror the IB Learner Profile. Through the formal and informal curricula, as well as staff’s collective efforts inside and outside classrooms, we aim to lead our students to hold such values and demonstrate attributes which we believe will have great positive impact for their life journey.

School Community

BIBA is located in the Shunyi suburb of Beijing, an upcoming area about 30 minutes from the city center. Shunyi continues to experience rapid growth and is home to many of Beijing's private schools, both national and international. Our students come from over 29 countries.  BIBA fills a growing need for Chinese parents who want a bilingual education for their children and a school that emphasizes international-mindedness while also valuing Chinese traditions and culture. The Chinese name of BIBA is "Haijia” which inherently captures the essence of a BIBA family, which not only welcomes students from all over the world but also their cultures and experiences. 

2022-2023 Hew Hires Group

 

Our campuses are totally family friendly, with a very diverse faculty from different nationalities, culture and backgrounds, all sheltered under one umbrella. Our educators and administrators are all driven by the sole desire to exploit our students’ potentials though innovation, knowledge and skills. We value all our educations and administrators, and will invest in their welfare, as well as training and career growth. We also recognize our responsibility to society and to the environment, and will develop policies and practices that make a real difference.

Staff

Our success as an institution can only be made possible through the efforts and hard work of our educators and administrators. Therefore, professional development is highly valued at BIBA and each year there is allocated budgets for supporting various forms of professional development activities for staff. These include: various forms of in-house professional development (PD) activities such as pre-term induction programs, PD days, and different types of departmental PD opportunities by internal staff or invited external experts; and opportunities for applying to attending external PD activities such as conferences, seminars, workshop, training etc. 

We strongly believe in and give internal candidate first preference over external candidates, when all qualifications are equal. This gives the staff an opportunity to explore their personal growth and career goals. With various campuses around China, we also strongly encourage transfers among the schools.  

BIBA wishes to maintain long-lasting work relationships with the faculty by recognizing those individuals who are hardworking, rigorous, who respect each other and build lasting relationships. Therefore, incentives like longevity bonus, staff parties and awards are taken serious here at BIBA!

 

MSHS PRINCIPAL

POSITION SUMMARY:

The MSHS Principal serves as the educational and community leader for the MSHS division which has approximately 600 students. The MSHS Principal ensures that everyday school activity supports BIBA’s mission and philosophy, overseas curriculum development and implementation, and maintains a partnering relationship among students, parents and teachers. The MSHS Principal role is diverse and ever-changing as she/he supports the Heads of School in managing day to day operational issues requiring a high level of administrative engagement – essentially, ensuring that a senior administrator is always available to work with parents, teachers and the greater school community. Working closely with the MSHS teams as well as other divisional principals, the MSHS Principal will use his/her transformational leadership skills to continue the growth and advancement of the School.

 

Responsibilities as a Leader at BIBA:

• Work in collaboration with the Management Team to ensure outstanding leadership and management within BIBA.
• Lead by example and be committed to high expectations.
• Maintain a high profile around the School.
• Lead on delegated areas of responsibility.
• Uphold and embed a culture that enables students and staff to excel.
• Help to improve the outcomes and progress of all students, including those who are disadvantaged.
• Support teacher development and improvement to ensure highly effective teaching and learning across the School.
• Help to create a climate in which teachers are motivated and are encouraged to develop their practice.
• Provide support to the Student Wellbeing Team and the implementation of the wellbeing program and mindfulness program.
• Promote inclusion, equality of opportunity and diversity.
• Work effectively with all stakeholders and external providers to secure the best outcomes for all.
• Contribute and take an active part in management meetings and other key meetings as required.
• Participate in and support in the organisation and management of whole school events.
• To act as an ambassador in promoting and celebrating the work and achievements of students and the School.
• To ensure the vision for the School is shared, understood and acted upon effectively by all members of the School.
• To demonstrate high expectations of students and staff, a commitment to professional learning and continuous improvement.
• To model the School’s commitment to excellence, independence and opportunity in everyday work and practice.

 

MSHS Principal

• Oversee the day-to-day function of all MS/HS programs to fulfil the School’s mission and philosophy.
• To lead, motivate and supervise staff in effective implementation of academic and administrative policies of the School.
• Lead and oversee the on-going development, implementation and management of BIBA’s unique bilingual/bicultural curriculum.
• Supervise, oversee and analyze learning and assessment outcomes and make recommendations for improvement, ensure successful development of every student.
• Guide and support the MS/HS Management team, working with the MSHS Management team to suggest strategies to continuously enhance performance and welfare of the staff, and appraise/evaluate MS/HS teachers according to the School’s Professional Expectations Process.
• Liaise with and support the relevant school coordinator’s and Curriculum Coordinators to ensure programs are running effectively and efficiently.
• Liaising with the Timetabler with staff allotments.
• Working with the Heads of Department on staff allocations.
• Working with the Human Resources team with teacher and staff recruitment, selection, assignment and professional development in the MS/HS division.
• Liaise with the ES & ECC Principal’s ensuring cohesion and consistency in procedures, programs and curriculum across all grades.
• Sustain and develop the culture of learning, collaboration and professional self- improvement among the MSHS for the primary purpose of promoting the education of the whole child.
• Foster the Homeroom and wellbeing program within the School, ensuring dedicated timetable time allocated for student wellbeing (SWB) at each grade level.
• Develop and implement annual school division objectives focused on continuous improvement and aligned with the BIBA MSHS Strategic Plan and Whole School.
• Lead and Coordinate Curriculum Verification or Authentication visits.
• Working alongside the assistant principals for curriculum improvements, and monitor student performance on a regular basis and use the data information to guide further development of action plans focused on improving student learning.
• Support and implement child protection practices in the School.
• Support a wide range of co-curricular activities.
• Maintain safety measures and security processes within the School.
• Maintain staff professional standards and formal evaluation and professional growth of all staff working closely with the assistant principals responsible for staff professional growth.
• Provide support to the Student Wellbeing Team and the implementation of the wellbeing program.
• Work alongside the SWB team on matters related to Homeroom teacher responsibilities.
• Other duties as required.

Special knowledge/skills:

• Thorough understanding and experience of school operations and ability to plan and coordinate events and activities within the division.
• Strong organizational skills, empathy, strong communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge and experience with curriculum and instruction in IB and IGCSE.
• Knowledge and experience with timetabling (Timetabler/options program beneficial).
• Ability to evaluate instructional program and teaching effectiveness.
• Ability to implement policy and procedures.
• Ability to interpret data, strong organizational skills, communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of Managebac, Assess prep, Atlas, and Destiny, to name a few.
• Caring, empathetic, good listening skills, flexible and ability to handle stressful situations.

Skills required

• Excellent organizational skills.
• IB and IGCSE experience and knowledge.
• Time management and job execution skills: able to set priorities, multi-task, and oversee multiple processes simultaneously;
• Negotiation skills, and facilitation of conflict resolution, mediation and restorative practices.
• Excellent information technology, and communication skills.
• Have a good track record of leading and managing staff; be motivational, sympathetic, empathetic, good listener, collaborator, supportive, flexible and adaptive.
• Be able to communicate clearly and persuasively, both orally and in writing, with staff, students and parents alike;
• Be passionate about raising standards in teaching and learning and have a clear understanding of excellence in learning;
• Be very well-organised, calm,and efficient;
• Be able to work accurately and calmly, and show resilience, when under pressure;
• Be able to work collaboratively with colleagues within the School and with key contacts in other organisations; have a proven ability to work as a member of a team.
• Model the 4Rs.

 

Preferred education and experience

• The applicant will have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with specific qualifications in education. The applicant must have a current teacher registration/license.
• Preferred Master’s in Educational Leadership.
• At least 5 years previous leadership experience in similar or equal level.
• The incumbent should also display demonstrated successful leadership, organization, and management skills, and have an understanding, appreciation, and familiarity with IB and IGCSE curricula.
• Extensive understanding of and experience with bilingual education preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of strong leadership in the creation and motivation of a collaborative working environment with shared vision and objectives.
• Experience in successfully supervising and supporting teachers in the development of school programs and excellence in teaching.
• Experience in managing enrollment, staffing, scheduling and budget.
• Experience in recruiting high performing teachers and track record of strong leadership in professional development.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, ability to plan and act strategically, excellent executive abilities.
• Experience and enthusiasm in working in an international setting, awareness and appreciation of cultural differences, relevant consequences and benefits.
• Good understanding of and experience in integration of technology to improve student learning.
• Experience and working knowledge with the IB program.
• Communication skills in Chinese will be an advantage but not essential.

Other duties as required by the head of school

 

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

As this is an administrative role and flexibility is needed with working hours, often weekend work is required for external and Internal events/activities.

BIBA believes that each member of the academic staff should contribute significantly to the school community and that these contributions should not be limited by job descriptions. Therefore, while this document is designed to assist in describing core responsibilities, it is still an expectation that each employee makes a significant contribution to BIBA’s success. As such, it is an inherent understanding that the Principal of MS/HS will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of BIBA. Attendance at Parent Information Sessions, Orientation programs and school major events outside normal teaching hours is required.

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary will be competitive and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include tuition for school age children, housing and travel allowance, health/life insurance and professional development opportunities. Salary considerations and length of contract will be detailed during the interview process.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

BIBA has appointed Search Associates to facilitate the search with Dr. Norma Hudson and Ms. Xiaohang Sumner serving as Senior Consultants. 

Candidates who wish to apply should submit the information requested below in the form and manner requested.

• A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in the Middle School and High School Principal position at the Beijing International Bilingual Academy.
• A current CV not to exceed two pages.
• A one-page list of at least four references who have directly supervised your performance with current phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
• A maximum of four letters of recommendation which you may already have in your possession.

Candidates should send the requested information in a single PDF attachment.

Please send all materials to Dr. Norma Hudson at: nhudson@searchassociates.com and Ms. Xiaohang Sumner at: xsumner@searchassociates.com.

The deadline for applications is December 1, 2022. However, candidates should note that the search committee will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received from Search Associates. In the event an outstanding candidate is identified early in the search process, BIBA reserves the right to make an appointment before the deadline. For this reason, it is essential that interested candidates apply as soon as possible. For further information about BIBA, please visit the website at http://www.bibachina.org/index.html?deptId=103

Please note that we will not forward-on candidates for further consideration by the hiring school/organization if a candidate is under contract or otherwise encumbered in such a way that would preclude them from freely entering into a new employment contract, if offered, and being available for the start date stipulated by the hiring organization.  Search Associates will contact the current employer/supervisor to request completion of a Search