Starting with 1st of August 2015 LEONARDO Gifted School of Bucharest seeks a Head of Primary School.
We are a unique International British school for highly gifted children. In January 2015 we have been offered from the COBIS Board the COBIS Candidate School status. This includes us in the in the large family of quality British International Schools. We are also in the application process within the Romanian law, to become an internationally accredited school – the school is in pending process.
Leonardo Gifted School is designed to serve the needs of highly intelligent children, from preschool through 5th grade.  We are an International British school, and our aim is to attract the most intelligent and talented youngsters all over Romania and from abroad. Our intent is to educate children of many different nationalities and to proudly and actively promote international understanding and high quality global education in a gifted oriented environment. We understand the education and counseling needs of gifted children and their parents.

Our History
Started in 2010, now in its 5th consecutive program year, Centrul Gifted Education, is a Romanian charity, the first center exclusively dedicated to gifted children in Romania. We are members of ECHA-European Council for High Ability and WCGTC– World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and partners to the University of Bucharest – Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences.
Internationally, we have been supported by the Simon Fraser University – Faculty of Education through the works of Dr. Lannie Kanevsky, and the University of Connecticut- through the support of Dr. Sally Reis and Dr. Joseph Renzulli.

International Audit

Our project to open a school was audited and recommended by two reputed international Universities: CEU Business School and Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business.
Our project is internationally recommended, supported by Romanian legislation, supported by Professional Ambassadors and Excellence Ambassadors, supported by expert communities in  Germany, USA and the EU.
More than 100 gifted children already participated after their program at their regular school, by yearly attending an overall of 120-150 hours in our program. Altogether, after 5 years we have now over 1000 hours of expertise and direct work with gifted and we have fine tuned our abilities in relationship with our target group.
Due to our success with children, parents started to ask for more. Right now, due to an increased interest in the program, we have decided to open Leonardo Gifted School, a British school dedicated exclusively to gifted, in an international setting,  mindset and curriculum.
Our school will comprise in its first year a maximum of 33 children.

What makes us different
What makes us completely different than any other school is that we are:
•    unique in Romania and in the region
•    designed especially with gifted in mind
•    24 differentiators in education, one of them being an unprecedented number – over 1000 hours – of expertise and experience of direct work with gifted children,
•    we offer an extremely important value added enrichment with selected high profile mentors which ensures that the child can extend the knowledge and talent in the area of his passion with a person who has a romance with the subject, who has obtained highly respected status in the field and is in love with the idea of paying his knowledge forward to gifted children
•    we select children based on a multi-discipline multi-specialist approach, with a very well researched and specialized International standards selection which includes international stadardized tests, interviews both with the child and the parents.
•    we work with a specialized team, which includes, among other specialists, dual degree teachers, Mensa teachers, psychologists as partners in the process of education and counceling
•    we proudly announce 100% satisfaction rate among gifted kids
In our school, the application process runs year-round, with an international selection process.

Main Job responsibilities
•    To lead the future teacher department and to develop it based on their agreed action plan whilst communicating and reporting to stakeholders as may be required
•    Monitor and quality assure departmental policies, provision of curriculum and teaching and continuously improve learning and teaching
•    To be accountable for student learning progress and development within the subject area.
•    To get involved in the development of individual learning plans for children and ensure the provision of an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for children in harmony with the aims of the school and the curricular policies determined by the Governing Body and Principal CEO.
•    To co-ordinate the preparation and development of courses of study, teaching materials, teaching programmes, methods of teaching and assessment, and to integrate this into the work of the school as a whole;
•    To manage and deploy teaching/support staff, financial and physical resources within the department effectively to support the department development plan.
•    To actively promote the use of ICT in Science to support effective teaching and learning.

The successful candidate will:
•    Have a higher qualification in education and/or educational leadership. University Degree with a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education), or Bachelor of Education. British or American Teaching Certificate/License
•    Could be an asset a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH)
•    Could be an asset Gifted and Talented Education Certificate as a Continuous Professional Development
•    Experience of working with gifted directly, leading a Gifted Program, or creating gifted curriculum is a plus
•    Have at least one year experience of senior leadership in an international school
•    Have a successful and proven track record of raising educational standards in international education
•    Recent experience at least 2 years of classroom teaching, preferably in a US or UK school following the National Curriculum of England & Wales
•    EU passport or European work permit
•    Living in Bucharest area or willing and being able to relocate to Bucharest in July 2015
•    Have excellent knowledge of best practices in education in international primary education and proficient in Technology
•    Be able to provide an enhanced check with barring list (if a national from UK, or equivalent for other nationalities) in the final stage of recruitment as well as originals of qualification certificates
•    Have an understanding of financial issues, reporting and budget management
•    Have excellent fluency in English (verbal and written)

Personal Competencies
•    Lead by example, be a positive role model
•    Be internationally minded
•    Have a vision for gifted education
•    Be an inspiring educational leader
•    Have the capacity to build and manage high performing teams

Key Personality traits
•    Self-Development Process
•    High self-motivation
•    High Intelligent
•    Divergent and Creative Thinking
•    Critical thinking
•    Orientation to Solutions
•    Enthusiasm with High energy level
•    High communication skills (verbal and written)
•    Attention to detail
•    High work standards
•    Non-violent communication abilities
•    Stress tolerance and Highly Resilient and Tolerant

What we offer:
•    A highly successful, innovative, energetic, full of enthusiasm with a positive mindset and attitude team.
•    Training and development in gifted education
•    Salary range – before tax 15550 EUR / year (in the first year)

We can help you by referencing you to relocation services (based on your needs we can provide some services / perks) – and some help to aquire knowledge about the city.

Probationary period: 3 months
Recruitment process:
•    Candidates must be eligible to work in the European Union
•    Closing date for application 24 April 2015
•    Skype interviews 25 April 2015
•    Assessments online
•    Second round of Skype interview

Please contact us at recruitment {at} leonardoschool.ro, with a motivation letter and a CV/resume to include:
•    full identity details
•    a photo
•    a full employment history
•    at least 5 references with contact details – the referees will be asked if the subject has been subject to any safeguarding concerns

As soon as you apply, you shall receive from us an information pack about the position, and an application form.
Reporting to: Principal CEO
In line with: Director of Education
Responsible for: Teaching staff and other relevant people within the department.
Liaising with: Director of Education and relevant staff with cross-school responsibilities, relevant non-teaching support staff and parents.

Leonardo Gifted School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Criminal Records Bureau.

Leonardo Gifted School is developed exclusively for gifted children by the Association Centrul Gifted Education,  Non-profit organization registered in Romania with the Associations and Foundations Registry with #59/24.04.2012.

Title: Head of School/Director

Domains: Vision, Mission and Growth of the School; Program, Curriculum and Instruction; Teacher and Student

Affairs; Fiscal Management; Enrollment and Admissions; Development; Fundraising; Marketing; Public and

Alumni Relations; Board-Staff-Head Relations

Reports to: Bellwether Board of Directors

Description

The Head of School/Director is responsible for the school’s health and strategic direction, its educational mission

and philosophy, the integrity of its curriculum and programs, and the health, well being and longevity of the

school’s finances, student body, teachers, and staff. In addition, he or she continuously seeks ways for Bellwether

to stay on the forefront of education and helps to guarantee the school’s short and long-term security through sound

financial management, ongoing fundraising, and marketing and outreach. The Head of School/Director is

responsible for building strong and lasting relationships with the local and national educational community, the

local community, and the Bellwether families and staff.  He or she enlists the support of parents and deepens their

relationship with the school by connecting parents to the school’s strategic direction. The Head of School/Director

is the “human face” of the school and is the school’s primary ambassador.  

Responsibilities

• In conjunction with the Board of Directors, develop and execute strategic and master plans that are aligned with the school’s values and priorities, meet its needs, and take advantage of opportunities; Ensure that actions are in line with the school’s mission and plans
• In collaboration with the teachers and other curriculum/program support staff, ensure continuity and excellence within and between programs; support continued integration of holistic and innovative teaching methods, curricula, and programs
• Serve as the school’s primary representative to the community, including communicating compellingly to families and beyond about the school’s mission, philosophy, and successes
• Establish enrollment targets and develop strategies and tactics to ensure full enrollment
• Recruit, retain, evaluate, and mentor exceptional teachers who are knowledgeable and passionate about the art of teaching, supportive of the school’s mission, and passionate about the holistic development of young people
• Create and keep current long range financial, developmental, operational and staffing strategies and tactical plans
• Collaborate with Board of Directors to write the annual budget and oversee school’s finances, making adjustments when necessary to ensure school remains financially viable and meets its budgeted goals
• Work with the Board of Directors and ensure that the board is populated with individuals who can provide and find the resources the school needs to meet its strategic goals
• Regularly report on the comprehensive health of the school to the Board of Directors and the school staff
• Build and maintain strategic professional and community relationships.

Requirements

• A minimum of a Masters Degree in Educational Administration, Education, or other comparable degree and equivalent experience
• Experience with and knowledge of organizational and business management and culture
• Highly organized, detail oriented self-starter
• A current understanding of the philosophy and operational tenets of progressive and/or holistic education
• An excellent communicator
• A commitment to preschool and school-aged children and a devotion to education

To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume and three letters of reference to the Search Committee at

info@bellwetherschool.org

100% FTE, 12-month employee