Head of Primary and Deputy Head of Primary, Keystone Academy, Beijing, China (two roles)

HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AND DEPUTY HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL (TWO ROLES), 

KEYSTONE ACADEMY BEIJING, CHINA

Keystone Academy is unique. Since it opened in 2014, it has consciously set out to be a ‘new world school’, a school that is simultaneously national and international. It brings together the best in Chinese, American and international pedagogy and practice on its campus in Shunyi District, Beijing.

As Keystone starts to move beyond its founding phase, it seeks to fill these two key Primary School leadership positions. The positions offer wonderful opportunities for world-class educators and leaders who are fully committed to Keystone Academy’s mission and approach, who believe in the power of bilingual education, and who are attracted by the excitement and the benefits, the challenges and the tensions that come from intentionally bringing together such different cultural and pedagogical traditions.

Keystone is a bilingual school of 1,200 students from Foundation to Grade 12 (with expected growth to 1,800). It is fully residential in Grades 9-12, with boarding optional in Grades 7 and 8. The commitment to bringing together the distinctive elements of eastern, western and international education is apparent throughout the school, from the design of its campus to the language immersion programme and classroom practice, the structure of the curriculum and the range of co-curricular activities.

Keystone Academy’s first four years have been highly successful, culminating in its first High School graduation earlier in 2018. Its challenge now is to build on this success, to consolidate where appropriate, and to develop and innovate further, constantly seeking to make the concept of a new world school a reality, while also redefining the idea so that it can remain relevant. This sense of development will include the planned and phased transition of Keystone’s founding leadership. Since the Primary School has been the engine of Keystone’s growth so far, it is fitting that it will lead the school into the next stage of its journey with the appointment of a new Head (from late July 2019) and Deputy Head (from late July 2019 or earlier).

The new Head and Deputy Head of the Primary School will need to be comfortable with the idea of building on what has been achieved and refreshing the Primary School’s vision as it moves into its next stage. They will want to be in the frontline of nurturing a supportive and professional community, and will need to be able to recognize success and be excited about the opportunities of a still new school. They will require track records of success as educators and leaders, and exceptionally deep cultural sensitivity to be able to understand and balance the expectations, requirements and contexts of the human, cultural and pedagogical traditions represented in the school. It is expected that the Head of the Primary School will be bilingual in English and Chinese.
 

For full details of these roles, please see the attached Candidate Information Brochure.

To arrange a confidential discussion about the role, please contact: Jean Sullivan on jeansullivan@rsacademics.co.uk 

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 4 September 2018 at 10:00 (British Summer Time).

You should submit:

1. A copy of your Curriculum Vitae/Resumé.  Please include the details (name, address, email address and relationship to you) of at least two professional referees.
2. A covering letter addressed to the Keystone Academy Head of School, Malcolm McKenzie, outlining:

• the position for which you are applying and your reasons for applying;
• relevant professional experience that you feel is aligned to the needs of the role;
• how you relate your personal educational philosophy to your understanding of the role.

Applications should be made electronically to RSAcademics. Please email your completed CV and covering letter (both as PDF files please) to applications@rsacademics.co.uk.

Keystone Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The posts are subject to appropriate safeguarding checks and satisfactory references.