Principal/CEO - British Curriculum School

About the role

GEMS Westminster School in Sharjah is looking for an educational leader to become its next Principal/CEO from August 2027, following the retirement of its long-serving Principal. The school is part of the GEMS Education family, follows the Westminster model and delivers the British national curriculum, preparing students for IGCSE, AS and A Level. It is described as an established, successful school with a strong community standing and a committed leadership team.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction in close partnership with an experienced senior leadership team.
• Empower others and develop leadership capacity across the organisation.
• Build on the school's strengths while developing teaching, learning and student achievement so that standards continue to rise.
• Ensure every student continues to thrive.

Required profile

• Significant senior leadership experience, ideally as Principal, Head of School, Executive Principal or Deputy Head/Deputy Principal within a British curriculum environment.
• A proven track record of delivering excellent educational outcomes in high-performing British schools.
• Collaborative, able to build trust, develop people and value collective success.
• Passionate about academic outcomes and continuous improvement.
• Skilled at building positive relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the wider community.
• Commercially aware and strategically minded, balancing educational excellence with operational effectiveness.
• Committed to safeguarding, wellbeing and an inclusive culture.

The school expects all applicants to undergo comprehensive pre-employment checks, including identity, qualifications, employment history, references and criminal record checks from all countries of residence and employment, in line with safeguarding requirements.