Founding Head of Boarding

The school

Lüderitz Blue School, founded in 2022, is a not-for-profit private international school offering the British National Curriculum in Lüderitz, Namibia. We currently offer Grades 0-7 and are expanding to offer Grades 8-12 in the near future. The school has a strong focus on academic excellence and encourages independent thinking and boundless curiosity. We have a high number of scholarship places and host a range of extramural activities open to all learners in the community. As a ‘Blue School’, our learners are taught about the marvels of the natural world, with a particular focus on Lüderitz's unique desert-ocean environment. We are a very young school with the ambition to become a beacon for educational excellence within the next 5 years. Candidates are kindly referred to the Candidate Information Pack for further information about the school and the town of Lüderitz.

The opportunity

Due to our school’s continued growth, we are delighted to be expanding our team to welcome a motivated and enthusiastic Founding Head of Boarding. We are proud to be able to open our school to children joining us from outside of Luderitz, providing them with a top quality school experience in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Founding Head of Boarding will be responsible for overseeing the growth of our Boarding Houses and managing all aspects of boarding facilities, ensuring a supportive and safe environment for boarders. They will oversee the maintenance and administration of our boarding houses, manage the staffing of the facilities, including recruitment and management of support staff.

The successful candidate will ensure compliance with local regulations and standards, as well as develop programmes and activities to enhance the boarding experience.

As with any start-up or new organisation, all team members need to get involved with everything. We are looking for someone who is happy to go the extra mile when required, to take on whatever work needs to be done and sees opportunities and areas to do things better.

The ideal candidate will be happy making do with what there is, a creative problem-solver and a nature-lover. We value contributions from all staff in helping to shape the overall direction and development of our young, but growing school.

The person

The ideal candidate will have the following:

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in education, counselling, social work (or other related field)
• Significant experience in boarding education, including leadership roles
• Previous leadership experience, preferably in a start-up or founding capacity
• Experience in student support services, policy development, and budget management
• Proven commitment to child wellbeing and safeguarding
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills

Personal Qualities:

• Passion for working with young people
• Integrity, resilience, and adaptability
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Excellent organisational, communication, and teamwork skills
• Flexible, adaptable, positive mindset, and love of nature

Application Process

To apply for this role, candidates are requested to apply via the TES portal. The closing date for this role is 30 June 2024 at 12:00 GMT. Early application is advised.

Please note that only applications with strong motivation letters tailored to the school in their supporting statement will be considered.

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place via Zoom.

Safeguarding Statement

Lüderitz Blue School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All staff are expected to respect and adhere to this commitment and are subject to vigorous checks. The appointment of this post is subject to provision of a a satisfactory Police Clearance Certificate (or equivalent) that is less than three (3) months old. Appointment is also subject to provision of original professional qualification certificates and two (2) satisfactory professional references.

Privacy Statement

By submitting your application for this position, you consent to the storage and processing of your data by Lüderitz Blue School and its affiliated entities. If selected for the position, you also acknowledge and agree that additional information, including sensitive data such as bank details and medical information, may be retained by Lüderitz Blue School and its associates.