Geneva English School

Thank you for your interest in Geneva English School. Founded in 1961, GES is a thriving, academically successful all-through school situated in the canton of Geneva, just outside the heart of the city and conveniently near public transport links. We have two campuses - one in Genthod (Primary) and one in Versoix (Secondary) - and offer a vibrant and engaged international community.

The Pre-school and Primary school are housed in an elegant, mid-nineteenth century estate and accompanying buildings by the Lac Léman. The campus includes five acres of outside space, 22 classrooms, an indoor gym, library, and spacious, specialist classrooms for art, music and drama.

Our school delivers the English National Curriculum to children from age 3 to 18. We are passionate about high quality teaching and learning and want our staff to strive for excellence in all they do. Our students and their families deserve and expect nothing less.

We are English in name, but our school community is as diverse as the Geneva area we serve, with over 60 nationalities represented amongst our students. We are deliberately a small school, currently welcoming 340 students, and focused on ensuring that every young person in our care is challenged and supported through their childhood and teenage years. Parents choose GES not only for the outstanding education their children receive, but because of the strong pastoral care we provide and the fact that our size allows us to know each child, individually.

The GES approach is open, encouraging and outward-looking, and our results place us in the top 5% of British schools worldwide. We want our students to go on to attend the best universities, and to be confident and resilient as they forge a path for themselves across the world. Our academic outcomes and pastoral care are graded outstanding by the Independent Schools Inspectorate and we are the only school in Switzerland accredited as a British Schools Overseas by the UK government’s Department for Education.

We have high standards and we feel that we can push this even further by using research-informed practice to enhance teaching and learning. Our teachers are thirsty to learn and this post will be key to training and developing what happens in the classroom and across the school. The Head of Primary will have autonomy to lead this change, along with a supportive and dynamic leadership team that works closely together to achieve outstanding results.

The Head of Primary role is a key appointment for the school and this is an exciting time to join GES.

We require the successful candidate for this role to start working with us on 1st August 2025, and to be available for a comprehensive hand-over with our current Head of Primary in May and June.

We are looking for someone with the leadership skills and experience to move GES Primary School to the next level of success. Candidates should:

• be experienced in Primary school leadership, ideally in an English National Curriculum school;
• be an outstanding classroom teacher who understands how Primary students learn, and who can demonstrate excellence in their day-to-day practice;
• have significant experience of the ENC, with the ability to adapt it to our international context;
• have the ability to develop and enhance a curriculum that ensures all students can shine;
• have a track record of improving outcomes of all students through outstanding teaching and learning;
• have a sincere commitment to inclusion and supporting children with additional learning needs, and experience improving their outcomes;
• be committed to innovation and the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning;
• have a thorough understanding of data and assessment and how to apply these tools to improving student outcomes;
• be a confident coach with exceptional interpersonal skills.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• UK teaching qualification (PGCE or B.Ed);
• experience leading an English National Curriculum Primary school;

The ideal candidate will:

• have at least five years of senior leadership experience at Assistant Head, Deputy Head or Head level, and evidence of great classroom practice. We will watch you teach and expect you to be brilliant;
• be working in an English National Curriculum school that follows the Early Years, KS1 and KS2 curricula;
• have experience re-writing a curriculum and improving the quality of teaching and learning across part or all of a school;
• have outstanding planning and organisational skills, and not be afraid to make and follow through on difficult decisions;
• be fluent in English (oral and written) and have exceptional communication skills;
• be a people person and have outstanding interpersonal skills;
• be someone who loves teaching and working with young people, and who has a great sense of humour;
• have a working knowledge of iSAMS.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• lead on teaching and learning, developing colleagues as appropriate and ensuring that GES is leading the way on modern classroom practice;
• lead on the quality of education provided across the Primary school, including the curriculum, academic performance and assessment of students across the school;
• ensure that children's transitions from EYFS TO KS1, KS1 to KS2 and from KS2 to KS3 are successful;
• line manage department areas and lead on the Primary performance management system;
• undertake full leadership team responsibilities, including running the Primary site when needed;
• act as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Primary school;
• deliver staff training and be an excellent classroom teacher (teaching time for this role is between 5 and 10 hours);
• establish professional and effective communication with parents, reporting to them formally and informally on the development, progress and attainment of students across the school;
• lead the creation of a stimulating learning environment around the school;
• lead on the creation of professional development pathways and take an active interest in educational debate and development, including the latest educational research;
• carry out administrative and supervisory duties efficiently and conscientiously;
• undertake such other tasks as may be reasonably assigned by the Director General.

PAY AND BENEFITS

This is a senior post with a salary commensurate with its level of responsibility and the cost of living in Switzerland. Details of the compensation package will be discussed during the recruitment process.

SAFER RECRUITMENT

GES is committed to equalities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We welcome applications from suitable candidates no matter their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers, enhanced national/international criminal records checks and prohibition from teaching checks.