PRINCIPAL

Nature and Scope of Job

An effective school is dependent on school administrators and the quality of leadership they provide. The Principal will provide the overall leadership and management of the educational programme for the School in achieving academic excellence. The Principal is responsible for the direction and supervision of all personnel who perform their respective functions within the school in Springhill. The Principal is required to work collaboratively to direct and nurture all members of the school and to communicate effectively with parents. Inherent in the position are the responsibilities for scheduling, curriculum development, extracurricular activities, personnel management, emergency procedures, and facility operations.

The Principal must be willing to work in conjunction with/under the direction of the Head of School. Under the supervision of the Head of School, the Principal will be managing the school to ensure the efficient operation of the school; provides support and supervision in the management of the school’s environment, and financial and human resources to effectively and efficiently achieve the school’s educational goals and priorities; provides assistance and support to staff in Classroom Management and Instructional Teaching; creates a safe and enabling work and school environment in order to foster staff development and team work and executes performance management function for the school; designs and reviews school curriculum for effective implementation; teaches subject areas as required and provides general support to the Head of School.

The Principal also has responsibility for communicating information to all members of the school community, administering all internal and external assessment, and acting as the primary point of contact between the school and external programme bodies.

As an ambassador, senior leader and administrator for the school, the Principal will be seen by staff, parents, students and the wider community to fully support the mission, vision, beliefs and values of the school. The Principal will also uphold the views of an support the decisions made by the School Leadership Team led by the Head of School.

As a leading professional in education, the Principal should be able to demonstrate that he/she is an effective leader, teacher and manager who challenges and supports all staff and students to do their best through:

• Inspiring trust and confidence
• Building team commitment with colleagues and students
• Engaging and motivating students
• Analytical thinking
• Positive action to improve the quality of students’ learning

Note: As of 18^th July 2022, Sekolah Sri UCSI Springhill comprises of Tadika Sri UCSI Springhill, Sekolah Rendah Sri UCSI Springhill, Sekolah Menengah Sri UCSI Springhill and UCSI Swimming Academy Springhill.

Guiding Principles

• Supports and advances the Mission and Vision of UCSI Schools Group.
• Supports the Head of School in managing the school and in decision making.
• Supports student learning and achievement through cooperative effort and best practices.
• Supports and promotes school curriculum based upon the UCSI Schools Group’s goals and mission.
• Supports and advances national curriculum and education.
• Incorporates current research and best practices in decision making.
• Brings growth to the student population.

Job Purpose

• To be responsible for the development and enhancement of administration and educational leadership of the respective section of school
• To be accountable for the continuous improvement of the respective section of school in maximizing student achievement
• To provide leadership and management necessary to ensure the success of the school in fulfilling its mission and working towards its vision
• To always model the values of the school and in all aspects of his or her job
• To promote and safeguard the welfare of children

Responsibilities and Tasks

1. Administration

• Responsible for the day-to-day management of the respective section of school
• Responsible for the deployment of teachers and the assignment of their responsibilities
• Responsible for disciplinary matters through the principal, involving students, which originate in or out of school.
• Maintain and develop link between school and parents
• Responsible for daily matters such as students’ attendance, staff attendance, registers and covers
• To lead regular meetings with respective section of school
• Annual 'Teaching and Learning' audit, including horizontal and vertical alignment of curricula
• Schoolwide professional development leadership
• Schoolwide leadership of external authorization, accreditation and qualitative processes
• Schoolwide strategic communications with parents (for example, platforms such as Seesaw, newsletters, webinars, parental 'education' relating to curriculum)
• Ensure timely dissemination of information to all concerned people/channels and ensure smooth running of school
• Ensure repair and maintenance of school’s infrastructure
• Assist with the creation and implementation of school policies
• Maintain records effective data management systems
• Writing reports as required by the Head of School

2. Leadership and Management

• Participate as a member of the School Leadership Team and participate fully in the major decision-making processes and contribute to the review and revision of the school’s strategic plan
• Implement the school’s strategic and annual improvement plans, monitoring and providing support as necessary to ensure that the school meets its strategic objectives
• Develop, motivate, and lead all staff to achieve the highest professional standards
• Build collaborative learning culture within the school and actively engage with other schools and agencies to build effective learning communities
• Manage change effectively
• Develop links with the community
• Treating people fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture
• Manage school finances effectively in conjunction with the Head of School
• Contribute to the development of whole school strategic planning
• Lead the development of school goals and targets that support school goals
• Communicate goals and targets to all relevant staff and students
• Ensure jobs descriptions and performance management/appraisal for all staff are based on clear roles and responsibilities, reviewed at least annually and consistent with current conditions of employment
• Developing and maintaining a culture of high expectations for self and for others and taking appropriate action when performance is unsatisfactory
• Ensure that all policies are kept up to date, working closely with teaching staff and the principal
• Maintaining sound procedure for security, supervision and maintenance of the school environment ensuring that all health and safety regulations are met
• Manage one’s own personal professional development while ensuring the well-being of and a good work/life balance for all teachers
• Ensure the provision of orientation to new teaching staff and provide them with opportunities for giving input in academic programmes
• Identify and groom staff for administration for future responsibilities.
• Identify learning and training needs of employees and ensures that the relevant professional development activities are organized and participated in accordingly.
• Ensure all responsibilities delegated by the Head of School are carried out
• Develop, and where appropriate manage, high quality extended services
• Collaborate with Senior Assistant and Academic Coordinator in all tasks and projects as assigned
• Undertake other such duties as may be reasonably expected

3. Academic

• Devise curriculum policy documents, an overall curriculum plan and schemes of work for the implementation of curriculum to meet the individual and collective learning needs of students
• Lead in the design and implementation of curriculum, which inspires and engages all students
• Ensure a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on student assessment and achievement, using appropriate data and benchmark to set, monitor, track and evaluate individual student progress
• Recognize and seek alternative learning solutions for students with behavioral or learning complications
• Use the assessment results to inform overall curriculum planning, termly and weekly plans as well as day-to-day teaching so that classroom practice in the school meets the known needs of the students
• Maintain accurate and proper student records and use data to help inform on student progress
• To monitor staff performance and curriculum delivery, undertaking disciplinary measures where appropriate; in association with the School Leadership
• Monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice and promote improvement strategies; always aim for outstanding standards of learning and teaching
• Meet with each school staff member within the respective section to monitor their performance and development plan
• Prepare and monitor Personal Performance and Development Plan
• Plan for staff Professional Development
• Challenge and remedy under-performance for students and teachers
• Ensure exemplary standards of behavior and attendance

4. Communication

• Build effective relationship with all stakeholders through excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and taking and providing appropriate advice
• Ensure that all lines of communication within the school are respected and they are well known by all parents and staff
• Coordinate with all sections of school for smooth transition and continuity of learning
• Represent the school at educational conferences and making certain that other with curriculum development responsibilities also have this opportunity
• Produce written reports, as required, to the Head of School, to the Board and any individual or organisation nominated by the School Leadership Team concerning activities and curriculum and student learning  

5. Business Development, Marketing and Community Relations

• Increase admission rate through promotional, marketing, and other initiatives according to KPIs
• Monitor industry trends to enable benchmarking and learning from industry best practices
• Build and maintain contacts with current and prospective customers
• Establish linkages with relevant bodies and organization
• Identify new business opportunities in order to generate revenue, improve profitability and help the business grow
• Actively participate and encourage staff participation in parent-teacher and other community groups, as a means of developing understanding, cooperation, and respect for school objectives and endeavours.
• Pro-actively share positive news about the year group, the student and the school with parents and community
• Contribute to the school’s overall marketing plan and actively participate in school marketing events.
• Take every opportunity to promote the school’s values and purpose
• Ensure that others associated with the school also promote the school’s values and purpose
• Create contents for School’s Website, School Facebook page and other online and social platforms

6. Health, Safety and Student Welfare

• Participate in devising and implementing a health and safety policy in accordance with the national laws and the school’s policies and good practice
• Participate in establishing and maintaining an environment in which all users – student, staff, and others – are safe
• Promote, through professional development and other activities, staff awareness of health and safety issues
• Promote, through the curriculum, teaching and other means, student awareness of issues affecting their own health and safety and those of others
• Participate in establishing and maintaining structures, procedures and a general environment in which students are supported academically, socially, emotionally, and physically and in which they can develop in all these areas
• Developing and sustaining procedures to facilitate transition of students coming in and leaving school
• Deep practical and philosophical understanding of Malaysian National Curriculum and Cambridge programs and assessments.
• Appreciate the importance of the Leadership Team, the relationship with other members of the school community, and the importance and overall impact of effective working relationships
• Having a good standard of professional interactions and ensuring professional relationship boundaries are in place
• Uphold professional integrity at all times e.g. discretion, confidentiality, loyalty, and trust
• Regularly reviewing own practice, setting personal targets, and taking responsibility for own personal development
• Ability to create a professional learning community
• Leading teacher training for pedagogical transformation
• Effective collaboration and communication skills
• The impact of leadership on student achievement
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Head of School, Sekolah Sri UCSI Springhill