Job Description

Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a mission-driven, non-profit organisation that designs, funds, and operates economic development programmes to towards a vibrant, productive, and self-reliant Africa. Over the next decade, our goal is to create maximum impact towards three critical missions:

1. Empowering the next generation: Our education mission is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to access a high-quality, affordable education, and become productive citizens of a rapidly changing world.
2. Eliminating barriers to employment and productivity: Our productivity mission is to identify and eliminate health, financial, and structural barriers to employment and productivity for working people.
3. Solving water scarcity: Our water mission is to ensure that people and communities across Africa have access to a safe and affordable source of water.

We are a diverse, multicultural, and passionate organisation, with over 500 employees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Somaliland. Our headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, and we have a liaison office in London, UK, which is home to our parent organisation, Pharo Management.

Pharo Foundation’s education mission is implemented through the Pharo-brand schools, ranging from kindergarten, primary and secondary.  The Foundation operates three Pharo schools in Somaliland.  Pharo School Sheik is one of these schools.

Located in the town of Sheikh in the Sahil Region of Somaliland, Pharo School Sheikh, is a secondary school is a renowned boarding school that was established in British Somaliland in 1958. The school offers a blended curriculum and teaches both, the national curriculum of Somaliland as well as the British Pearson curriculum and prepares the student for the national grade 12 exam, edexcel iGCSE, and iA examination. The school has always been one of the top schools in the country. Many of the prominent northern Somali politicians and other key officials are graduates of this school.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an exceptional, committed School Principal who has a proven track record in leading a Secondary School to academic excellence and delivery of the British Curriculum. The incumbent should have extensive school management experience, particularly within a developing country setting.   The principal will be residing on campus and will be accountable for offering effective leadership and overseeing the daily operations of the entire school, emphasizing the school's academics.   The successful candidate will be closely aligned with the Pharo Foundation's core values and ethos.  We believe this is a unique school and context and we are looking for a candidate who has the ideal competence for this senior role to be part of our team.

Position: School Principal

Location: Sheikh, Somaliland

Reporting to: Head of Education

Contract Type:   Fixed Term

Direct reports: Vice Principal of Academics, School Accountant, School Administrator & School Secretary.  

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. School Academics

• Provide day-to-day leadership in the process of developing progressive curricula, which embraces computer technology, building and surpassing the standards and competencies.
• Work with staff to identify curriculum needs in terms of teaching materials, faculty, and programme support.

• Provide day-to-day leadership to the teaching staff to equip them with the skills to serve as effective 21st century educators focused on project based learning and equipping students to develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and digital literacy.
• Support faculty to design, implement and administer academic programmes and services appropriate to the needs of the enrolled students and consistent with the school’s vision, aims and values.
• Develop and implement a rigorous teacher evaluation and development process, with the goal of having the most competent teachers in Somaliland.
• Develop in-house and external professional development opportunities for the teaching faculty.
• Emphasize on English language proficiency on the campus for all staff and students.Develop the use of computer technology amongst staff and students and its central role in the teaching and learning environment.
• Keep abreast of current educational trends and implement trends and innovations as deemed appropriate.
• Organise activities, elective offerings, cultural exposures, fine arts, and athletics sufficient to round out the school’s academic programme and provide for student interest development.
• Implement formal and informal programmes that promote kindness, courtesy, respect, responsibility, integrity, and love of learning.

1. Enrolment

• Work with relevant schools and the Foundation stakeholders, relevant government authorities, and other key stakeholders to establish and administer criteria, standards, and procedures for admission testing and the enrolment of new students.
• Recommend enrolment objectives with respect to student numbers, character, equity, and qualities to predict the success at the school and executes programmes to achieve them.

• Oversee the efficient yearly onboarding of new students and parents on the campus.

1. Learning Supervision and Welfare

• Together with the Senior Leadership Team and teaching faculty, ensure policies are in place to meet student needs.
• Sets standards of conduct, participation and achievement in all relevant areas.
• Develop the English language proficiency of all students, through a variety of means that include courses, the use of computer technology, English-speaking volunteers, etc.
• Oversee the assessment and evaluation of student’s academic progress, responding to areas that require immediate attention.
• Develop systems for communicating with parents, and the wider community for example parents’ evenings or events.
• Work with the faculty to develop and implement procedures for tracking student progress and for intervening early when concerns are identified.
• Meet with the teaching faculty regularly to discuss student progress, and facilitate contact and follow-up with families as needed.
• Operationalise children/student safety and protection policy and procedures.

1. Human Resources

• Actively define the teaching and non-teaching professional faculty positions needed to implement the school’s programmes and recruit highly effective personnel to fill them.
• Recruit teachers by developing a plan to attract and retain strongly skilled teachers, ensuring an environment focused on collaboration, sharing of best practices and collective problem solving.
• Determine standards and maintain reasonable performance and professional growth among immediate subordinates and, through them toall professional employees.
• Establish practices and procedures to promote productive working conditions, collaboration and harmonious and constructive relationships among all of the school’s professional staff and the wider school community.

1. Management

• Work collaboratively with the School’s Senior Leadership Team to ensure the smooth operation of the school.
• Ensure the compliance of the school with the ‘Pharo School Hallmark’ a comprehensive guide and quality framework for Pharo School Principals.
• Conduct weekly meetings with the School’s Senior Leadership team.
• Engage with other schools in Somaliland as well as other Pharo Schools to anticipate trends and foster a culture of learning and continuous development. Ensure that all regional and national and international level educational standards of compliance are met through maintaining and implementing all relevant school policies.
• Lead the annual budgeting process for the school and ensure budget compliance.
• Work closely with the finance team and the parent community to ensure 100% collection of school fees.
• The incumbent must be committed to working with local community and develop ways to engage with parents and forge effective partnerships with them.  

Experiences and Qualifications

• Graduate or Postgraduate (preferable) degree in Education Management or other related disciplines.
• Extensive experience in the education sector with a minimum of five years’ experience as a school administrator, principal, vice-principal, and academic coordinator/dean at a boarding school.
• Relevant experience with the Pearson (by Edexcel) curriculum for O- and A-level.
• Relevant work experience in a developing country, particularly within Africa.
• Experience in setting strategic 5-7 year plans for schools.
• Experience in developing and overseeing a boarding school’s annual budget.
• Experience in managing the day-to-day routines of the school ensuring excellent academic performance and school-wide system efficiency and safety.
• Proven record of accomplishment in overseeing an academic community.
• Strong commitment to maintain and further develop school-wide systems in academic and pastoral care.
• Experience in attending to the physical, emotional and health care protection and support for students.
• Experience in implementing school wide English language development programmes
• Commitment to accelerate the implementation of computer technology for teaching, learning and operational purposes.
• Willingness to live and work in a rural setting with limited access to modern amenities.
• Exemplary track record working in schools with no history of performance warnings or child safeguarding incidents.

Behavioural Competencies

• Offer exemplary leadership and guidance, serving as a pillar in the community, with a strong presence on the school campus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Proficiency in Somali-language is an asset.
• Strong passion for and commitment to girls’ education.
• Commitment to the Culture, Vision, Mission, and Values of the Foundation.
• Passion for Africa’s development and familiarity with the continent will be an advantage.
• A role model across the school in terms of punctuality, attendance, positive engagement and professional relations among staff.
• Great determination, with the willpower and patience to see things through to completion.
• Proven ability to exercise great judgment and make the right calls.
• Positive disposition to involve the whole school community and take people forward together.
• Optimistic, resilient, and energetic with the willingness to make a change.
• A confident and charismatic communicator, persuader, listener, and motivator.

Skills Required

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