Head of English

NLCS (Singapore) believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success and that contributions should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities.

Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but not limit the employee, nor NLCS (Singapore), to only the work identified. It is the expectation of the school, that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our organisation.

Our School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The School expects all teaching staff, non‐teaching staff and volunteers to share and uphold this commitment.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, highly qualified and committed Head of English with an outstanding track record of success, from August 2025. This is a unique opportunity to join a leading international school as it enters an exciting new phase of development. We have just started our fourth year of operation and enrollment is already approaching 1300 students.

The successful appointee will lead all aspects of teaching and learning of English throughout the Senior School (Grades 6 to 12). All members of staff are expected to be involved in pastoral care within the school community, usually in the role of form tutor, and also to contribute actively to the extra-curricular life of the School.

Leadership & Management

1. Take overall responsibility for the quality and ongoing development of provision within the department, including teaching and learning, curriculum documentation, extracurricular enrichment, and support for university applications.
2. Lead by example at all levels, including heading up the delivery of academic extension sessions to prepare students for university applications related to the subject area.
3. Produce an annual Department Development Plan, in line with whole-school priorities as well as those specific to the subject area, and review progress against it on a regular basis.
4. Lead the academic monitoring of the department, collaborating with colleagues to ensure that appropriate quality assurance measures are in place as per the Academic Monitoring Handbook.
5. Lead, manage and evaluate all teaching staff within the department, ensuring that they consistently maintain high levels of teaching quality and professionalism (note: in cases where department members have additional responsibilities and are line managed by other colleagues, this is a collaborative process).
6. Liaise with the appropriate member of Senior Team to ensure that the training, development and welfare needs of members of the department are met.
7. Maintain a Department Handbook, which contains departmental policies and procedures regarding curriculum, assessment, marking, feedback, reporting and any other relevant information for teachers in the department.
8. Ensure that members of the department adhere to the Department Handbook and the Academic Staff Handbook, as well as other relevant school policies.
9. Coordinate the drawing up of schemes of work/unit plans in the department, ensuring that there is effective vertical articulation of the curriculum and that it is academically challenging and rigorous.
10. Liaise with colleagues in the Junior School to ensure vertical articulation of academic provision in the subject area.
11. Ensure that all students are taught the concepts, contexts and content outlined in the agreed department schemes of work/unit plans and prepared accordingly for associated internal and external assessments.
12. Ensure that departmental colleagues set appropriate, differentiated teaching and homework tasks, and that high-quality feedback is given in line with the department marking policy.
13. Produce an annual resource order for the department, ensuring that all books, stationery and other resources needed for the following academic year are included.
14. Through management of assigned budgets, ensure that the day-to-day resourcing needs of the department are met.
15. Oversee the curation of a bank of teaching materials and other resources within the department.
16. Liaise with the Head of Libraries and the ICT Director to ensure that appropriate library and electronic resources are in place to support teaching and learning in the department.
17. Ensure colleagues make effective use of available resources to support teaching and learning (including the Library and ICT).
18. Ensure that systems are in place for the quality assurance of all assessment, recording and reporting in the department, including standardisation/moderation of grades awarded and proofreading of written report comments/targets.
19. Encourage and organise extracurricular activities and events associated with the department (e.g. exhibitions, clubs, societies, enrichment weeks) and promote student participation in these, as well as external events and competitions.
20. Bring to the attention of the relevant Assistant Principal (Academic) any difficulties that may arise.
21. Attend regular line management meetings with the relevant Assistant Principal (Academic).
22. Chair regular minuted meetings with team members to discuss department matters.
23. Assist in the recruitment, assessment and appointment of department personnel.
24. Ensure that the general appearance of the department area is kept up, and that high quality displays are in place in department corridors and classrooms.
25. Liaise with parents on issues related to departmental provision, as appropriate.
26. Collaborate with other departments in the running of interdisciplinary activities, including MYP Interdisciplinary Units and enrichment weeks, supporting the horizontal articulation of the curriculum.
27. Keep up to date with educational developments and changes within the subject area.
28. Review examination results and other assessment data within the department, implementing remedial action when necessary to improve performance of the department and the students within it.
29. Present an annual review of the department to the Principal, including strategic analysis of examination results and achievement of development priorities.
30. Ensure that relevant health & safety measures are followed by all members of the department, at all times.

Teaching, Learning & Assessment

1. Demonstrate passion for the subject and strive to engender the same in students.
2. Plan and deliver lessons that inspire, motivate and challenge students whilst ensuring that they are fully prepared for assessment tasks and are able to make the progress expected of them.
3. Encourage students to take a scholarly approach to their studies, fostering a love of learning and promoting the pursuit of their academic interests beyond the confines of the curriculum.
4. Create and maintain an engaging, exciting classroom environment that encourages discussion, debate and collaboration between students.
5. Ensure that students have an excellent understanding of the content outlined in departmental curriculum plans, and are able to apply it effectively.
6. Build stretch and challenge into teaching at every opportunity.
7. Use a variety of formative and summative assessment techniques to measure students’ progress and achievement, and inform teaching.
8. Provide individualised support to students who are underperforming.
9. Make effective and timely use of feedback (written, verbal and otherwise) to support students in understanding their current achievement levels and what they can do to improve them.
10. Maintain high expectations of the quality of students’ work, liaising with colleagues to implement support strategies for those who are underperforming.
11. Maintain high expectations of students’ engagement and work ethic, liaising with colleagues to implement support strategies for those who are not meeting them.
12. Maintain high expectations of students’ behaviour, collegiality, attendance and punctuality, in line with School policy, ensuring that relevant procedures are followed if these are not met.
13. Ensure that teaching fosters the development of students’ knowledge and use of academic English, implementing appropriate support strategies for EAL students.
14. Implement classroom strategies prescribed by the Individual Needs Department for students with an Individual Needs Plan (INP).
15. Adopt a positive and developmental approach to academic monitoring activities such as lesson observations, work scrutiny, learning walks and student voice.
16. Assess, record and report on the attainment, effort and conduct of students in line with School and departmental assessment policies and procedures.
17. Maintain accurate records of student attendance through the School’s attendance system.
18. Fulfil a teaching commitment in line with the School policy and allocation.

Enrichment

1. Support the School’s academic enrichment programme by contributing to the McCabe Lecture series, supporting student-led academic societies and delivering taught enrichment sessions.
2. Attend School events and activities as directed by the Principal and voluntarily support events such as trips, Arts Festival events, sports fixtures (home and away) and musical performances by students, after school and at weekends.
3. Deliver co-curricular activities in line with School policy.
4. Support the House Competition by attending events and encouraging student participation.

Pastoral Care

1. Always consider students’ welfare and best interests, striving to promote both at all times.
2. Support the strong pastoral emphasis within NLCS (Singapore) as a tutor, including teaching PSE. Manage a lively, enthusiastic, orderly and safe learning environment fulfilling the responsibilities of that position.
3. Develop strong relationships with students, providing guidance and support in academic, pastoral and enrichment matters.
4. Liaise with relevant colleagues with a focus on supporting student’s academic and personal development.
5. Maintain regular and positive relationships with parents with a focus on supporting their child(ren)’s academic and personal development; the spirit of communication with home should be personal and individual.
6. Liaise with and support the Pastoral Leadership team in all matters pertaining to pastoral well-being, responsibility and strategy.
7. Working alongside the Senior School Management Team to contribute to academic, pastoral and enrichment activities that broaden students’ experiences and enhance the general life of the school.
8. Follow the school’s policies and procedures with regard to pastoral provision.

General responsibilities

1. Play a full part in the life of the School, supporting its distinctive aims and ethos, and be prepared to actively participate and contribute to the community activities that exist within the School.
2. Maintain familiarity with the School’s Guiding Statements, striving to embody and promote them at all times.
3. Work effectively as part of a subject and pastoral team.
4. Maintain high levels of professionalism and conduct, acting as a positive role model for students.
5. Carry out supervisory duties as per published duty rotas.
6. Continue own professional development in relevant areas, including subject knowledge, pedagogy and others related to career and personal development goals.
7. Attend assemblies, staff meetings and training sessions as per published calendars.
8. Engage actively in the appraisal process.
9. Contribute to the preparation and implementation of academic and pastoral development plans, policy and practice.
10. Treat all students with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position.
11. Abide by the expectations laid out in the Academic Staff Handbook and the Staff Code of Conduct.
12. Maintain familiarity with, and follow, all school policies.

Safeguarding

1. Abide by the school safeguarding policy and keep abreast of any changes