Appointment of a Principal - Amman Baccalaureate School Hassan, now seek an ... high performing school and further strengthen the ... The ABS is a mission andvision-led school and

Appointment of a Principal

Amman Baccalaureate School Appointment of a Principal 02

03 Executive summary

04 An introduction to the ABS

07 Organisational structure

09 Academic excellence

11 Holistic education

13 Finances

14 Fundraising and capital investment

15 Role description

17 Personspecification

19 Living in Jordan

20 Terms of appointment and how to apply

Contents

Executive summary


One of the leading schools in the Middle East,

the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS) is a

pioneering, bilingual IB World School with a rich

heritage and impressive reputation for innovation.

Situated in vibrant Western Amman, the ABS blends

Arabheritagewithinternationalism,offeringafirst-class,

holistic education to 1,175 students aged 4 to 18. The ABS

wasthefirstSchoolintheworldtobeaccreditedunder

the new rigorous CIS international protocol and is at the

forefront of new developments within Round Square.

The Board of Trustees, chaired by HRH Princess Sarvath

El Hassan, now seek an outstanding Principal to

succeed Stuart Bryan who will step down in summer

2019 after ten years of exceptional service. This is an

exciting opportunity to shape the future of an already

high performing school and further strengthen the ABS’

positionasanagenda-settingschoolinthefast-changing

world of international education.

The next Principal will combine a track record of successful

leadership experience with the cultural sensitivity and

global perspective to inspire a dynamic international

school. The appointed candidate will have the political

acuity to lead an organisation at the heart of the community

in Amman, and the personal authority, gravitas and

authenticitytoengagemultipleinfluentialstakeholders

nationally and internationally. A sense of adventure and

highlevelsofresilienceandflexibilityareessential,asisa

genuine commitment to the ABS’ vision and mission.

An introduction to the ABS


Established in 1981, the ABS is a pioneering

international school with an impressive

reputation for excellence in the Kingdom of

Jordan, the Middle East and globally. The School

was founded by His Royal Highness Prince El

Hassan bin Talal and Her Royal Highness Princess

Sarvath El Hassan and was the first truly bilingual

school in the region. There are currently 1,175

students aged 4 to 18.

The ABS has always been an innovative school

operating at the forefront of the changing world of

international education.

ItwasoneofthefirstschoolsintheworldtogainIB

diploma authorisation in 1986 and is now an IB World

School authorised for all four IB programmes. The ABS

wasalsothefirstschoolintheworldtobeaccreditedby

theWorldAcademyofSport(WAoS)asanofficial

Athlete Friendly Accreditation Centre.

InSeptember2017,theABSbecamethefirstschoolto

gain accreditation under the new and more rigorous

international accreditation protocol introduced by the

Council of International Schools (CIS). ABS was highly

commended for “creating an outstanding whole school

climate and a highly positive learning community, which

fully reflects the Guiding Statements.” The reports

submitted to CIS and the report written for ABS have

been selected to be used as CIS training materials.

The ABS is also a member of Round Square and is a

pioneer school for the Round Square Discovery

Programme, hosting a workshop for Round Square

education in April 2018.

The current strategic plan covering the period 2014 to

2019 can be found here.

http://www.abs.edu.jo/about-us/#stra



Vision statementThe Amman Baccalaureate School is recognised as a

leading pioneer school in the region for fostering a

stimulating learning environment based upon the

International Baccalaureate philosophy and enhanced

by appropriate educational technologies and a rigorous

differentiatedcurriculum.

Mission statementThe Amman Baccalaureate School is an IB World School

that provides a bilingual education in Arabic and English,

which, whilst meeting the highest international

standards,remainsfirmlyrootedintheArabheritage.

TheSchoolisaJordanian,non-profitinstitutionthat

promotes international understanding, communication

and awareness through embracing other cultures.

The Amman Baccalaureate School works towards

developing well rounded responsible world citizens.

Al TarbiyehTheABSisamissionandvision-ledschoolandthe

Al Tarbiyeh acronym has been developed to encapsulate

the key attributes of an ABS education. This is fully

understood and embedded across the school community

and is used to evaluate all aspects of school life.



The ABS Experience ModelThe ABS Experience Model has been created to map

the holistic experience of ABS students all the way

through the School. It connects the Al Tarbiyeh

attributeswiththeIBLearnerProfile,withtheCIS

Accreditation Model and with the Round Square

Discovery Framework.

Organisational structure


GovernanceTheABSbenefitsfromthesupportandstrategic

guidance of a distinguished Board of Trustees. The Chair

of the Board is Her Royal Highness Princess Sarvath El

Hassan and there are 12 members who are appointed at

the invitation of the Chair after nomination and voting by

the Board. One member is elected by the parent

community as the PTA Representative to the Board of

Trustees.ThePrincipalisanexofficiomember.

The recent CIS Accreditation highlighted the

“unwavering commitment to good governance”

as a notable strength of the School.

LeadershipThe Board of Trustees delegate the running of the

ABS to the Principal/CEO who is responsible for a

Leadership Team which is currently comprised of:

•VicePrincipal(ArabicProgrammeandSecondary

Grades6-12)

•VicePrincipal(English)andHeadofPrimary

(KG1-Grade5)

•AssistantPrincipal(Development)

•AssistantPrincipal(Administration)

•HeadofMiddleYearsSchool(Grades6-10)

•HeadofIBDiplomaCollege(Grades11-12)

•DeputyHeadofPrimary(KG1-Grade5)and

IBPrimaryYearsCo-ordinator

•DirectorofWholeSchoolStudentAchievement

andWell-beingandWholeSchoolAccreditation

Co-ordinator

•DirectorofWholeSchoolIBContinuum

•DirectorofAdditionalEducationalNeedsDepartment

This team oversees the three distinct schools which

make up the ABS: Primary School (KG1 to Grade 5),

MiddleYearsSchool(Grade6toGrade10)andthe

IB College (Grade 11 and Grade 12).

Organisational structure


StaffTheABSemploysnearly192teachingstaffand128

supportstaff.Ateachingstafftostudentratioof1:6

ensuresthatallstudentsbenefitfromindividual

attention and support.

The ABS is extremely successful in attracting and

retaininghigh-calibrestaffwhobringconsiderable

experience of other leading international and

Jordanian schools.

A strong emphasis on continuing professional

developmentforallstaffisakeystrengthoftheABSand

thisisreflectedinboththepopularityoftheSchooland

inthelowlevelsofstaffturnover.TheSchoolhasa

partnershipwiththeUniversityofBathasanofficial

Department for Education Study Centre through which

staffcanparticipateintheIBEducatorCertificate

Programmetofurtherenhancetheirqualificationsand

extend their development.

Academic excellence


The ABS prides itself on delivering an

international, bilingual education of the highest

quality. The School is a vibrant learning

community in which expert teachers support

each individual to achieve his or her potential in

the classroom.

The School is one of less than 30 schools worldwide to

offerallfourIBProgrammes(DP,MYP,PYP,CP)andthe

firstschoolinJordantodoso.

Teaching objectives The Teaching Objectives of the Amman Baccalaureate

SchoolareadaptedfromtheIBLearnerProfile.

As a Jordanian IB World School, the ABS aims to

provide an educational environment where students

aspire to become:

Inquirers – developing skills of inquiry and research,

nurturing curiosity and building a lifelong love of learning.

Knowledgeable – developing and using conceptual

understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of

disciplines and engaging with issues and ideas that

havelocalandglobalsignificance.

Thinkers – using critical and creative thinking skills to

analyse and take responsible action on complex

problems, exercising initiative in making reasonable and

ethical decisions.

Communicators–confidentandcreativeexpressionin

morethanonelanguagewitheffectivecollaboration

and careful listening to the perspectives of others.

Principled – acting with integrity and honesty, with a

strong sense of fairness and justice and with respect

for the dignity and rights of all people.

Open-minded – critical appreciation of one’s own

culture and personal history as well as the values and

traditions of others.

Caring – showing empathy, compassion and respect

with a commitment to service and action to make a

positivedifferencetothelivesofothers.

Risk-takers – approaching uncertainty with forethought

and determination, and being resourceful and resilient in

the face of challenges and change.

Balanced – understanding the importance of balancing

the intellectual, physical and emotional aspects of life,

recognising interdependence with other people and the

wider world.

Reflective – understanding personal strengths and

weaknesses in order to support learning and

development.

Academic excellence


CurriculumTheABSPrimarySchooloffersthePrimaryYears

Programme(PYP)providingastrongacademicfoundation

throughaninquiry-basedapproachtodiscoveryand

learning.StudentsinGrades6-10followtheMiddleYears

Programme(MYP)andtheABSwasthefirstschoolin

Jordan and the Middle East to gain authorisation for the

MYPin2002.TheIBCollegeofferstwoprogrammesfor

students in Grades 11 and 12: the IB Diploma Programme

andtheIBCareers-RelatedProgramme.

Bilingual educationArabic and English share equal importance at the ABS

and both languages are used throughout the School.

Lessons in Arabic and English start in KG1 and continue

through to Grade 12 when most students have

developed their skills in both languages to a high level.

FrenchandSpanisharealsoofferedaselectives,

with Chinese and German as activities.

International sectionThe International Section at ABS was established in 2010

forstudentsinGrades6-10whodonothavetheArabic

language skills to access the bilingual programmes.

ThesestudentsfollowtheMYPwhichistaughtin

English and they are given intensive Arabic classes

in small groups. The curriculum is tailored to suit the

needs and the levels of each individual student

depending on his or her current understanding of Arabic.

International Section students can then progress on to

the IB College where the study of Arabic is encouraged

but not mandatory.

Exam results and university destinationsThe ABS is proud of the consistently excellent academic

resultsachievedbyitsstudents.In2017,theIBMYPand

IBDPresultswereconfirmedasamongthebestinthe

world. The pass rate for the Diploma was 100 per cent

with an average points score of 35. Over 13 per cent of

students in 2017 received over 40 points and over 50 per

cent achieved a score over 35.

ABS students go on to study at some of the most

prestigious and competitive higher education

institutions in the world, regularly securing places at

Russell Group and Ivy League universities. 2017

university destinations included King’s College London,

the University of St Andrews, the University of Bristol,

Stanford University, the University of California, Purdue

University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the

University of Toronto and the University of British

Columbia among others.

Holistic education


The ABS is committed to the value of a holistic

education which supports the development of

well-rounded, responsible world citizens.

ABSstudentsbenefitfromarichprogrammeof

sporting, cultural, artistic and intellectual activities

providing numerous opportunities to develop talents,

take risks and broaden horizons.

Performing ArtsThe ABS has an outstanding reputation in the region for

the quality of its music, drama and dance.

The annual English and Arabic plays and wide range of

concerts and talent shows provide a plethora of

performance opportunities and the emphasis is on the

highest quality of performance. Students have many

opportunities to develop their skills as performers or in

various backstage roles.

The ABS is a proud member of the International School

Theatre Association (ISTA) which is closely linked to the

IB and exists to bring together young people, artists and

teachersfromdifferentcountriestoexperienceand

learn about theatre, culture and each other.

Sports The ABS has a thriving sports programme with

opportunities for students to participate across a range

of pursuits and at all levels. The main sports are football,

volleyball, basketball, rugby, gymnastics and track and

field.TheABS’membershipoftheAmmanAthletic

Conference (AAC), the Middle East Triangle Sports

(METS) and the Oasis Activities Conference (OAC)

provides many opportunities for students to compete

against teams from other schools in the region. Last

year,theABSfieldedover38teamsacrosssixdifferent

sports and more than 400 students participated.

In 2015, the ABS was accredited as a World Academy of

Sports School. This allows elite sportsmen and women

to attend the School and continue with their

international training and competitor programme whilst

completing the IB Diploma programme over a three

year period.

Holistic education


El Hassan AwardTheElHassanAward(HYA)isderivedfromtheDukeof

Edinburgh’s Award and was established in Jordan in

1984. The award was piloted at the ABS. Targeted at

youngpeopleaged14to25,theHYAexpeditionsand

servicetripsofferexperienceswhichsupportthe

developmentofwell-roundedglobalcitizens.TheABS

MiddleYearsServiceasActionProgrammeandtheIB

College Creativity, Action, Service Programmes are fully

integrated with the El Hassan Award.

Sarvath El Hassan AwardIn 1996, the Sarvath El Hassan Award Scheme was

establishedintheMiddleYearsSchooltorecogniseand

furtherencourageinvolvementinco-curricularactivities.

Over the course of Grade 7 and Grade 8, students are

requiredtocompletefouractivitiesintheABSco-

curricular programme and two qualifying expeditions.

Al SawsanahThe Al Sawsanah Award is for Grade 4 and Grade 5

students. The scheme is designed to encourage

students to participate fully in the life of the School, to

develop a sense of service to the local community and

to develop an informed international perspective.

Model United NationsTheAmmanModelUnitedNations(AMMUN) was

foundedin2002bytwoformerstudents, andisthe

leadingModelUnitedNationsConferencesinthe

MiddleEastandNorthAfrica.ThelatestAMMUNsaw

over 400 students from six countries and 16 schools

gather to discuss major global issues from cyber

security to the militarisation of space.

MUNisamajorpartoftheABSco-curricular

programme. All Grade 7 students participate in a mini

MUNtrainingconferenceandtherearenumerous

opportunities for all students to be involved in local and

international conferences.

Community engagementABSstudentsaredefinedbyastrongsenseofserviceto

the community.

AwardsTheABSco-curricularprogrammeisassociatedwith

threemajorawards:theElHassanYouthAward,the

Sarvath El Hassan Award and the Al Sawsanah Award.

Thesearedesignedfordifferentagegroupswithinthe

School and provide exciting opportunities for students

to challenge themselves, and develop a sense of

responsibility and awareness of the world around them.

Finances


The ABS is a not for profit institution under the

auspices of the Hashemite Society for Education.

It has a turnover of US $17.5 million and enjoys a

very strong financial position.

The School fully owns all its land and facilities, which is

locatedinaveryaffluentpartofWesternAmman.

Thereisnolong-termdebtandprudentfiduciary

monitoring has been integral to helping the ABS meet

the challenge of balancing rising costs with the

continuedprovisionoffirst-classeducation.

Thereisaten-yearfacilitiesMasterPlan,whichhasseen

over US $10 million invested over the past few years,

including in new buildings, such as a state of the art

Kindergarten and LEED Platinum Accredited IB College

(Post-16centre).Therehasalsobeeninvestmentinthe

renovation of existing facilities, such as an upgraded

DesignandInnovationCentre.TheSchooliswell-placed

to continue to invest in the coming few years subject to

continued progress with the fundraising strategy.

Potential planned capital projects (subject to

fundraising) include the construction of a new

Administration and Student Activities Building.

Fundraising and capital investment


The ABS is committed to offering the best

possible educational experience and fundraising

plays an important role in ensuring the School is

able to continue to invest in its facilities.

The Board of Trustees established the Baccalaureate

Endowment Fund (BEF) in 1987 in order to ensure the

School is able to maintain and enhance its buildings and

grounds. In 2010, the Capital Campaign was launched and

sincethentherehasbeensignificantinvestmentinthe

campus, together with a focus on student scholarships.

Role description


The opportunityOne of the leading schools in the Middle East, with a

reputation for excellence and innovation which extends

beyond the region, the ABS is a high performing school

withsignificantstrengths.TheSchoolhasenjoyedten

years of outstanding leadership from Stuart Bryan

whose tenure as Principal has been marked by

considerable development in many areas of school life.

His successor will therefore inherit a strong existing

platform and will lead the ABS into the next stage of its

evolution with the support of a distinguished Board of

Trustees,talentedstaffandengagedparentcommunity.

For an adventurous, ambitious individual, this is an exciting

opportunitytoleadadynamicorganisation,todefinethe

next chapter for an already successful school and to

experience the cultural richness and beauty of Jordan.

Key responsibilitiesThe Principal is accountable to the Board of Trustees for

thedeliveryoffirst-classeducationandoutstanding

pastoral care. The Principal works closely with and is

accountable to the Board in its responsibility for the

overall strategy and vision for the School.

Morespecifically,thekeyresponsibilitiesofthenext

Principal of the ABS can be outlined as follows:

Vision and strategic leadership•ToworkwiththeBoardofTrustees,theLeadership

Team,staffandotherstakeholderstodevelopaclear

strategy for the ABS which builds on progress made

underthe2014-2019strategicplanandfurtherdevelop

the School as a pioneering institution.

•Togroundthisstrategyinthecontextofbotha

changing international education landscape and a

rapidly evolving country and region, ensuring that the

ABSiswell-positionedtoseizeopportunitiesand

respond to changes locally, nationally and internationally.

•Toprovideclear,strategicleadershiptotheLeadership

Team, devolving responsibilities appropriately and

proactively creating opportunities for professional

development.

Role description


External engagement and ambassadorial responsibilities•TounderstandtheABS’suniqueheritageandposition

in Jordan, nurturing and further developing the existing

strong relationships with the Ministry of Education,

and other key stakeholders.

•TobeacompellingambassadorfortheABSinthe

local community and on a national, regional and

international stage.

•Tobuildstronglinkswithparentsandtoencourage

parental engagement in, and support for, school life.

•TodevelopgoodrelationshipswithRoundSquare,

the IB, CIS and other educational organisations,

valuing connectivity with such bodies.

People and financial management•Toprovideeffectiveleadershiptoanexperienced

LeadershipTeam,delegatingeffectivelysuchthat

colleagues are supported to deliver their remits to the

highest standards.

•ToworkcloselywiththeChiefFinancialOfficertoensure

theABS’financesandresourcesarewell-managed.

Educational leadership•Toprovideinspirationaleducationalleadership

ensuring that ABS students of all abilities are

supported and challenged to realise their full potential.

•Tochampionacultureofhighachievement,

celebrating academic excellence and the richness of

the ABS holistic education.

•Toleadbyexampleinmodellingtheattributesof

Al Tarbiyeh, ensuring these values continue to guide

the development of the School.

•Topromoteexcellenceinteaching,recruitinghigh

qualityteachingstaffandmotivatingandinspiring

these colleagues to deliver the highest possible

standards.

•Tomaintainastrong,currentknowledgeofthelatest

pedagogical developments globally and encourage all

leadersandstafftobeoutward-facingintheirapproach.

Person specification


The next Principal will be a leader of exceptional

calibre. The Board of Trustees seek an

outstanding educationalist with the vision and

strategic abilities to lead this successful school

into the next exciting stage of its development,

further strengthening the ABS as a pioneering,

innovative and ambitious school.

He or she will have most or all of the following

experience, skills and knowledge and personal attributes:

Experience•Afirst-classeducatorwithastrongtrackrecordof

highly successful school leadership experience,

ideallywithsomeexperienceofKG-Grade12settings.

•Anunderstanding,ideallygainedthroughdirect

experience, of the nature of leadership in international

schools.

•Provenexperienceofleading,developingand

motivating high calibre teams with a clear commitment

to the continuing professional development of all

colleagues.

•Clearevidenceofapositivepersonalcontributiontoa

school in the pursuit of excellence.

Skills and knowledge•Stronginterpersonalandcommunicationskills

characterised by high levels of emotional intelligence

and the cultural sensitivity and global perspective to

relate well to people at all levels and from a diversity

of backgrounds.

•Anunderstandingofhowtoworkeffectivelywithahigh

profileBoardandgetthebestoutofBoardmembers

who bring a rich range of skills and experiences.

•FamiliaritywiththeInternationalBaccalaureate

programmes.

•Abroadunderstandingoftherapidlyevolving

international education sector and the opportunities

and challenges this presents for the ABS.

•Highlevelsofculturalsensitivityandtheflexibilityto

rapidly understand and assimilate the Jordanian context.

•Agoodunderstandingofthebusinessaspectsof

21st century international school leadership.

Person specification


Leadership style and personal attributes•Asenseofadventureandtheflexibility,resilienceand

energy to adapt and thrive in Jordan.

•Awarm,empatheticandvisibleleadershipstyle

with the presence to motivate and inspire excellence

in others.

•Anauthenticcommitmenttothevaluesandattributes

of Al Tarbiyeh and to the mission of the ABS as a

not-for-profitbilingualschoolwhichblendsrichArab

heritage with the highest international standards.

Living in Jordan


Jordan is a fascinating, friendly and safe place in

which to live and work.

Ammanoffersarichmixoftheoldandthenewwith

spectacularRomanruins,buzzingcoffeeshopsand

souqs, modern shopping malls, art galleries and an

international-standardmuseum.TheABSenjoysa

privilegedpositionintheleafy,affluentdistrictof

Western Amman.

Culturally,JordanoffersmanytreasuresandtheDeadSea,

Petra and Jerash are all within easy reach. For those

interestedtoventurefurtherafield,Jordanisalso

well-placedasahubfromwhichtotravelmorewidely

within the region to Beruit, Cairo and numerous other

interesting destinations.

Terms of appointment


An excellent remuneration package commensurate with

the importance of the role and the experience of the

successfulcandidatewillbeoffered.

How to applyThe ABS has retained the services of Perrett Laver to

helpidentifythewidestpossiblefieldofsuitable

candidates and assist in the assessment of candidates

against the requirements for the role. An executive

search exercise is being undertaken alongside the

public advertisement of the post.

ApplicantsshouldsubmitaCV(including

comprehensive details of key achievements and

responsibilities) along with a covering letter which fully

addresses the competencies outlined in the job

descriptionandpersonspecification.

Completed applications should be uploaded at

https://candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies

quoting reference 3477. The closing date for applications

is 0830hrs BST on Wednesday 28th March 2018.

Longlisted candidates will be invited for interview with

Perrett Laver during the weeks commencing 9th April,

16th April and 23rd April 2018.

The shortlist of candidates will be selected on Monday

30th April 2018 and those shortlisted will be invited to

participateinafirstroundinterviewviaSkypewiththe

Search Committee on Wednesday 2nd May 2018. Final

interviews will take place at the School on Wednesday

9th and Thursday 10th May 2018.

8-10 Great George StreetLondonSW1P 3AEUK

T: +44 (0)20 7340 6200F: +44 (0)20 7340 6201

Documents

Appointment of a Principal - Amman Baccalaureate School Hassan, now seek an ... high performing school and further strengthen the ... The ABS is a mission andvision-led school and