Academic Head- Crawford International at ADvTECH

Key Areas of

Responsibility Include:

• Alignment of brand academic strategy with Group strategy and focus on brand differentiation
• Leading review and development of the brand academic strategy in consultation with the Central Academic Team and brand management
• Working with schools’ leadership to align brand value propositions with the academic strategy.
• Communicating and monitoring performance goals against the strategy.
• Definition and development of the tactics, goals, and processes to achieve that strategy.
• Oversight of brand implementation against strategy.
• Development and oversight of professional development and associated activities to improve brand performance.
• Budget and cost management - Develop and manage the academics function budget.

Academic performance benchmarking and improvement

• Driving data literacy in the schools by communication of findings and collaborative agreement with school management of improvement strategies.
• Monitoring implementation of the performance improvement strategies at brand level.
• Set measurable targets for each subject(s)/department/phase/teachers/mentor/Principal where applicable, monitor the target achievement and work with the principals in ensuring the required support is in place to achieve those targets
• Develop a strategic and tactical plan to drive academic excellence for all phases in the brand

Teaching and Learning

• Working with the central team to develop school competency in the brand for the implementation of progressive teaching and learning methodologies and technologies.
• Oversight and leadership of implementation and impact monitoring of agreed strategies.
• Oversight of implementation of the framework for the use of ICT in teaching and learning
• Oversight of implementation of appropriate technologies to support learning and teaching in the brand.
• Oversight of implementation of appropriate alternative methods including hybrid, online etc at both subject and full school level for the brand
• Oversight of the brand adoption of learning management systems as next phase of blended learning.
• Ensure and assure development of teacher skills in brand schools.

Curriculum alignment and monitoring

• Ensure brand implementation of the appropriate differentiation and standardisation projects that will enable common assessments and benchmarking including but not limited to timetable efficiencies and models.
• Oversee implementation of scope and sequence project in brand schools.
• Identify and support projects to share best practise and learning material.
• Seek high impact, low cost solutions for offerings of strategic subjects such as FAL and for low impact, high volume subjects such as life orientation
• Support the running of brand differentiated curricula where appropriate.

School effectiveness and efficiencies

• Collaborative work to ensure effective and efficient staffing and other resource models for schools in the brand aligned with impact assessments and group standards.
• Ensure school compliance with the requirements of national and provincial requirements in the academic space.
• Identify and promote implementation of common resources where suitable between the schools in the brand and with other brands – making use of both traditional and digital platforms.
• Ensure that brand represented on all matters related to the student information system insofar as related to academic matters. Coordinate input and manage compliance.

Innovation

• Evaluate trends and products to identify those with the potential for impact on teaching and learning and work with CAT to implement and adopt where appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate impact and adoption.

Differentiation (brand and divisional)

• Ensure inclusion of brand differentiators as well as compliance in terms of global competencies and RDI
• Develop and implement programmes/ competitions/ other differentiators in the academic space in collaboration with CAT.
• Development of the brand academic strategy and policy to drive the delivery of our value proposition, i.e. Academic pillars aligned to IB and IEB requirements.

Data driven decision making

• Ensure brand compliance with common assessments as standardised assessments across schools.
• Develop robust and relevant measurement mechanism and process to ensure that the quality of the academic delivery is in line with the Academic excellence target of the Brand.
• Use benchmark testing data to compare and develop performance and align performance goals and strategies.
• Embed a goal-oriented approach to results including deliberate use of data from Jumptrak baseline and benchmarking, ACER IEB, and grade 12 final results.
• Implement the timetabling and load management strategy of the Group and contribute to its refinement
• Drive use of KITSO and other data tools to improve school management of performance.
• Contribute to central development of tools for data driven decision making.

Research and Analysis

• Contribute to divisional research by conducting analysis of key areas of academic performance through data collection and analysis in brand and central projects.
• Keeps abreast of educational trends and assesses for impact and implementation where appropriate.

Quality Assurance

• Implement the quality assurance frameworks including performance measurement.
• Establish a QA and growth-oriented mindset in each school to support the aims of quality assurance.
• Ensure compliance with the evaluation and monitoring procedures and tools.
• Oversee authorisation and verification visits of newly introduced curricula.
• Ensure that schools working towards their first matric cohort are implementing the required plans and monitor progress of the cohorts.
• Training and capacity development

People Management

• Support brand management of staff and assist with senior appointments
• Give regular, actionable feedback to the brands and schools.
• Support transformation objectives.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Partner with brand leadership to quality assure differentiation as well as divisional compliance
• Strategically manage relationships with principals, MDs, COOs, and teachers.
• Represent brand in academic matters with CAT
• Ensures and enables clear and open communication that includes regular feedback and information sharing.
• Drive adoption of the Hub and other centralised information systems and services.
• Report to Management Committees and provide Brand input to central reporting.
• Contributes to brand marketing & communication strategies.
• Ensure compliance with requirements for academic work across the division are known and understood and engage with the relevant bodies to ensure compliance.
• Be the brand spokesperson when it comes to general academic matters (PR) where necessary.
• Manage and leverage relationships with the Academic partners of the Brand: IB, suppliers of learner management system, academic applications.
• Develop strategic relationships and partnerships locally and internationally, which are in alignment with the Brand Academic Strategy.
• Ensure that all new contracts or transactions are in line with the Group and Brand policies and that the relevant Functions’ reviews and approvals is solicited when required.

Qualifications: 

• Preferably a master’s in education but an NQF Level 8 (Honours level) would be acceptable for a person with sufficient leadership experience in education.  Qualification and experience must be in teaching academic subjects at school level.
• 5 years’ Teaching experience (academic subjects IEB and IB knowledge and experience)
• 3 - 5 years' Management experience
• Knowledge and understanding of Independent Examination Board (IEB) processes and policies.
• Knowledge and understanding of International Baccalaureate PYP Program