About the position
A leading and well-established education group is seeking an exceptional Founding Head of School / Principal to lead the academic establishment and growth of a new international online school.
This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced education professional who is passionate about academic excellence, digital education and building high-performing teams.
The Opportunity
As the Founding Head of School, you will provide strategic and academic leadership across the school, establishing the academic function, setting teaching and learning standards, developing the curriculum and assessment framework, and building the founding academic team.
You will have significant academic authority and will play a key role in shaping the school's culture, learner experience and future growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the school's overall academic strategy and delivery.
- Establish and maintain high standards of teaching and learning.
- Lead curriculum development, assessment and academic quality.
- Recruit, develop, coach and performance-manage academic teams.
- Lead Heads of Department, educators, learning support teams and instructional specialists.
- Establish effective learner support and intervention processes.
- Oversee learner preparation for external examinations.
- Lead parent and stakeholder engagement.
- Promote a culture of academic excellence, integrity, care and learner success.
- Drive the effective use of data, learning analytics and digital platforms.
- Champion responsible use of technology and AI within education.
- Contribute to enrolment, learner retention and broader school development.
- Lead the academic function through the launch and early growth stages of the school.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor of Education degree OR a bachelor's degree with a PGCE.
- At least 10 years' experience in education.
- At least 5 years' experience in school leadership, such as Principal, Deputy Principal, Head of Phase or Head of Academics.
- Leadership experience within Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel or OxfordAQA schools.
- Cambridge curriculum experience will be highly advantageous.
- Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
- Strong experience using data, dashboards and learning analytics to drive academic decisions.
- Ability and willingness to work within a Gauteng-based hybrid environment.
Advantageous
- Postgraduate qualification in Education, Leadership or Management, such as an Honours, [URL Removed] or MBA.
- Experience leading an online or hybrid school.
- Experience working with digital learning platforms and analytics.
- Knowledge of accreditation and regulatory processes.
- Experience with IEB, SACAI or the South African National Senior Certificate.
- SACE registration.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a visionary and hands-on academic leader who can:
- Build and lead high-performing academic teams.
- Set clear standards for teaching excellence.
- Use data to improve learner outcomes.
- Lead effectively in a digital and online learning environment.
- Manage multiple stakeholders confidently.
- Build academic structures and processes from the ground up.
- Thrive in a fast-paced environment where strategy and execution are equally important.
Why This Opportunity?
This is more than a traditional Principal position.
You will have the opportunity to help build a new international online school from the ground up, shape its academic model, appoint the founding teaching team and establish the standards that will influence the school's long-term success.
You will have the opportunity to make a visible impact on curriculum, teaching quality, learner outcomes, academic culture and school development.
Desired Skills:
- Stakeholder Communication
- Integrity and Care
- Data-Driven Judgement
