Head of School Rising Calaba

The context: 

Across the developing world, more children than ever are in school – but they are not learning. A recent study estimated that less than 1% of school children in Sub-Saharan Africa attend a school where the teaching meets basic standards of quality. At Rising Academies, we’re changing that, and we want your help. Our mission is to create the best schools and the most powerful teaching and learning tools for the people that need it most. We’re one of the fastest-growing quality-focused education companies in Africa, and a Certified B Corp®. 

About Rising Academies: 

We own and operate our own great value private schools, partner with governments to improve the quality of public school systems, and use our content and technology to help other education providers. Founded in Sierra Leone in 2014, we provided emergency education to children kept out of school by the Ebola Epidemic before opening our first school in April 2015. Today, we serve more than 250,000 students across more than 1000 schools in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and now Rwanda.

And we get results: independent studies show Rising students make more than twice the progress of their peers in comparable schools. In June 2024, one of our private schools in Sierra Leone - Rising Academy Waterloo - was shortlisted in the Top 10 for the World's Best School Prizes in the Overcoming Adversity category. Sierra Leone's Minister for Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Hon. Mr. Conrad Sackey, helped announce this honor.

We keep the safety and well-being of our students at the heart of what we do. All Rising employees are expected to abide by the Child Protection Policy, and to share in our commitment to meeting the highest standards of safeguarding excellence and protecting children from harm. 

About the role:

We are looking for a driven, committed and passionate Head of School to join our private school in Calaba. As Head of School, you will create safe, values-driven schools where strong culture, excellent teaching, and high performing teams drive student success. You’ll collaborate closely with your Private School Lead to support Teachers to use learning and assessment data to continuously deliver engaging, standards-aligned lessons that spark curiosity and foster measurable learning gains for students. The Head of School will manage all teaching and non-teaching staff in their school and ensure effective execution of our Positive Behaviors for Learning (PB4L) techniques at all times. 

The Head of School, Calaba will:

• Support teachers through weekly lesson plan reviews, helping them take ownership of the curriculum and deliver lessons accurately and confidently.
• Analyze student learning data and work with teachers and the private school support team to set and review termly student-achievement targets.
• Ensure all classrooms display, enforce and refer to the student code of conduct at all times, with daily and weekly reminders/reinforcement at assemblies.
• Celebrate positive student behavior through praise boards, awards, and assembly shout-outs to empower students.
• Conduct daily walk-rounds and weekly classroom observations, recording actionable feedback every time for best practices.
• Facilitate weekly Communities of Practice with active full staff participation, document activities and link reflections to actionable classroom improvements.
• Ensure all staff are fully onboarded and clearly understand expectations (i.e. curriculum, safeguarding practices, and Positive Behaviors for Learning techniques).
• Plan and lead school promotion events that showcase the school’s values, involve the community, and help boost student enrollment and retention.
• Maintain student attendance, and oversee daily collection and deposit of school fees, ensuring all revenue and data is accurately recorded, tracked, and reported on time.
• Build a strong and positive team culture by promoting collaboration, giving regular feedback, and supporting staff growth.
• Foster open and effective communication with parents or guardians through PTAs to keep them informed about their child's progress, goals, and challenges.

Location and reporting:

This is a full-time on-site position. The Head of School for Calaba will report directly to the Private School Lead, Sierra Leone and would primarily be based in Calaba.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum 4years of classroom teaching experience, ideally in primary or lower-secondary settings.
• Experience (at least 2 years) as a Head of School, Administrator or as an Assistant is a plus.
• Solid understanding of curriculum planning, formative assessment, and behavior management strategies.
• Familiarity with data-driven instructional models or willingness to learn our School Vitals/Bambai systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Education/Teaching is preferred. However, we welcome applicants with a degree in any discipline who demonstrate a strong passion for teaching and education. 
• Well-organized and committed to student learning and development.
• Creative, Energetic, Strong moral values and discipline with an ability to manage others.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding, Child Protection and CPR

About You:

• You believe in every child’s potential and tailor your approach to support diverse learners.
• You deliver results by setting ambitious goals, focusing on what’s in your control, and using data and evidence to drive progress.
• You take full ownership of your work, hold yourself and others accountable, and celebrate successes along the way.
• You collaborate effectively, building trust, reducing friction, and influencing others to achieve shared goals.
• You build rapport with students, families, and colleagues through clarity and empathy.
• You are open to feedback, eager to learn, and constantly refine your practice to improve outcomes.
• You adjust lessons to meet student needs and classroom dynamics.
• You thrive in fast-changing environments, adapt quickly, and have the highest level of integrity and sound reasoning.
• You are comfortable working with technology and using collaborative tools to drive progress.
• You are passionate about delivering excellent education for every child, no matter their background.

Benefits

Why Join Us?

Compensation: We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. We regularly benchmark our compensation against comparable businesses, social ventures and non-profits. Rising’s goal is to be transparent about salaries at all levels of the organisation and have a standard, global pay scale for all positions that is non-negotiable. 

Continuous Development and Growth: Rising is a Certified B Corp and twice named in its “Best for the World” list. We are committed to continuous development, which is grounded in our values and a vital part of how we bring the ‘Rising Way’ to life. We provide a nurturing environment where our staff are supported with the right ongoing conversations with their managers, among teams and as an organization, to support their career growth and help us reach our goals. 

Training: We offer exceptional instructional leadership and international best-practice frameworks through our Rising Institute. Over 10,000 teachers have advanced their careers and skills with Rising's intensive training and coaching support and now you have the opportunity to benefit from this best-in-class experience too.

Impact: Our students achieve learning gains 2.4 times faster than their peers in comparable schools, positioning our impact in the top 10% of global education interventions. This role offers an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to this proven success.

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Rising is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, national origin, family or parental status, veteran or disability status.

Rising is committed to creating a culture within the organisation, and its schools, that recognises the importance of safeguarding children and prioritising their rights and needs. We strive to uphold international safeguarding standards, and keep the safety and well-being of our students at the heart of what we do. All Rising employees are expected to abide by the Child Protection Policy, and to have the same level of commitment to protect children from harm. Safeguarding questions are part of every interview process and all Rising employees undergo reference checks before joining the organisation.