Head of Kindergarten - Early Years Leadership

Gems Education UAE; Dubai; On-site; AED 334,800 - 502,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Supportive international network

Job summary

Gems Education UAE in Dubai is seeking a Head of Kindergarten to lead a significant division. The successful candidate will demonstrate experience in early childhood education and effective leadership, guiding a team to provide high-quality education.

Responsibilities include developing improvement plans, nurturing a collaborative culture, and ensuring innovative curriculum delivery. Ideal candidates will hold relevant educational degrees and have a strong leadership track record in Early Years education.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of teaching experience in Early Years or Kindergarten education.
• At least 5 years of successful leadership experience in a Kindergarten or Early Years role.
• Strong understanding of child development and contemporary pedagogy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Kindergarten phase in accordance with the school’s vision and strategic priorities.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive Kindergarten improvement plan.
• Establish a culture of high expectations and continuous professional growth.

Skills

Early Years leadership

Curriculum design

Instructional coaching

Quality assurance

Inclusive education

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Education

Master’s degree in Education

Job description

Head of Kindergarten - Early Years Leadership

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Primary-Secondary Education

Function: School-College Administration

Experience: Minimum 10 years in Early Years education, including 5 years in leadership

Job Type: Full-time

Overview

Head of Kindergarten - Early Years Leadership in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior Primary-Secondary Education opportunity for an accomplished school leader with extensive experience in early childhood education, curriculum development, team management, and large‐scale academic operations. GEMS Education is seeking a visionary professional to lead a Kindergarten division of approximately 50 sections for the 2027-2028 academic year. The successful candidate will shape a joyful, inclusive, and future‑focused learning environment while driving excellence in teaching, student wellbeing, curriculum innovation, staff development, assessment, safeguarding, and family engagement. This role requires the confidence to lead a large multidisciplinary team and the expertise to translate contemporary early years research into measurable improvements in classroom practice and student outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Kindergarten phase in accordance with the school’s vision, mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive Kindergarten improvement plan informed by research, inspection findings, student data, and international best practice.
• Establish a culture of high expectations, collaboration, wellbeing, accountability, and continuous professional growth.
• Advise the Principal and Senior Leadership Team on Early Years strategy, staffing, curriculum, resources, and operational priorities.
• Ensure developmentally appropriate, child‑centered, inquiry‑based, and play‑based learning is consistently implemented.
• Oversee curriculum planning that builds strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, communication, creativity, physical development, and critical thinking.
• Promote learner agency, curiosity, problem‑solving, collaboration, resilience, and independence across daily learning experiences.
• Lead the purposeful integration of educational technology, digital literacy, and age‑appropriate artificial intelligence awareness.
• Embed STEM, STEAM, sustainability, multilingual development, global citizenship, and social‑emotional learning within the curriculum.
• Review and enhance curriculum frameworks to maintain relevance, rigor, progression, and engagement.
• Introduce evidence‑based approaches drawn from recognized Early Years models such as Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and HighScope where appropriate.
• Ensure effective transition arrangements from home to Kindergarten and from Kindergarten to Primary school.
• Establish developmental benchmarks, assessment systems, and clear learning outcomes for each age group.
• Use observation, assessment evidence, and student progress data to identify strengths, gaps, and improvement priorities.
• Lead self‑evaluation, quality assurance, action planning, and preparation for inspection or accreditation activity.
• Monitor classroom practice through lesson observations, learning walks, planning reviews, work scrutiny, and professional dialogue.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and inspire teachers, teaching assistants, coordinators, and middle leaders.
• Conduct performance reviews and create targeted development plans that strengthen individual and team capability.
• Design and facilitate professional learning programmes aligned with school priorities and current Early Years research.
• Develop leadership capacity within the Kindergarten team through delegation, coaching, and succession planning.
• Ensure consistent safeguarding, child protection, pastoral care, inclusion, and student wellbeing practices.
• Work with inclusion specialists to strengthen early identification, intervention, and personalised support.
• Promote emotionally safe classrooms and positive behaviour approaches appropriate for young children.
• Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across the Kindergarten community.
• Maintain compliance with educational regulations, health and safety standards, safeguarding requirements, and school policies.
• Build strong partnerships with parents and position families as active contributors to children’s learning.
• Lead workshops, information sessions, events, and communication initiatives that strengthen home‑school collaboration.
• Develop external partnerships that enrich curriculum experiences and support children’s holistic development.
• Oversee resources, staffing structures, timetables, routines, and operational systems across the Kindergarten division.
• Contribute actively to whole‑school initiatives, strategic planning, and community development.

Ideal Profile

• Regular Bachelor’s degree in Education or another relevant discipline.
• Regular Bachelor’s degree in Literature or PCM subjects may also be considered where accompanied by suitable education credentials.
• Minimum 10 years of teaching experience in Early Years or Kindergarten education.
• At least 5 years of successful leadership experience in a Kindergarten or Early Years role.
• Proven ability to lead large teams and manage complex, high‑volume educational operations.
• Strong understanding of child development, early childhood neuroscience, and contemporary pedagogy.
• Demonstrated success in improving teaching quality, curriculum provision, and student outcomes.
• Experience within a high‑performing CBSE or international school environment is preferred.
• Previous involvement in school inspections, accreditation, self‑evaluation, or quality assurance is advantageous.
• Regular Master’s degree in Education, Educational Leadership, Early Childhood Education, or a related field is preferred.
• Regular Master’s degree in Literature or PCM subjects may be considered where relevant to the role.
• Deep knowledge of inquiry‑based, play‑based, and project‑based learning.
• Understanding of literacy and numeracy development in the Early Years.
• Familiarity with Reggio Emilia, Montessori, HighScope, or comparable international approaches.
• Expertise in social‑emotional learning, wellbeing, inclusion, and early intervention.
• Strong knowledge of curriculum design, assessment for learning, and developmental progress tracking.
• Ability to integrate educational technology, digital citizenship, and age‑appropriate future skills.
• Experience coaching teachers and leading instructional improvement.
• Confidence using data to guide decisions, evaluate impact, and allocate resources.
• Strong capability in change management, strategic planning, and school improvement.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities across a large division.
• Reflective, resilient, collaborative, and solution‑focused leadership style.
• Commitment to safeguarding, professional integrity, lifelong learning, and educational excellence.
• UK‑enhanced DBS clearance or an equivalent police background check is required before appointment.

Skills Set

• Early Years leadership
• Kindergarten management
• School improvement planning
• Curriculum design
• Child development
• Early childhood neuroscience
• Inquiry‑based learning
• Play‑based learning
• Project‑based learning
• Literacy development
• Numeracy foundations
• Reggio Emilia approach
• Montessori education
• HighScope framework
• STEM and STEAM integration
• Social‑emotional learning
• Inclusive education
• Early intervention
• Assessment for learning
• Developmental benchmarking
• Instructional coaching
• Teacher development
• Performance management
• Quality assurance
• Inspection readiness
• Accreditation preparation
• Data‑informed decision making
• Educational technology
• Digital citizenship
• Artificial intelligence awareness
• Sustainability education
• Global citizenship
• Parent engagement
• Safeguarding
• Change management
• Team leadership
• Operational planning

Why Join Us

This opportunity offers an experienced Early Years leader the chance to shape one of the largest Kindergarten divisions in the region and influence the learning experiences of a substantial and diverse student population. The scale of the role provides meaningful scope to implement innovative practice, build leadership capacity, and create long‑term improvement across curriculum, teaching, wellbeing, inclusion, and family engagement. The successful candidate will join a stable and internationally recognised education network that supports professional growth, values research‑informed leadership, and provides opportunities to contribute to wider school development. The role offers the platform to lead significant change while helping young learners build the knowledge, confidence, character, and adaptability required for future success.

About the Company

GEMS Education is an internationally established private education provider with a long‑standing reputation for school leadership, academic quality, and educator development. Its schools serve diverse communities and combine strong educational foundations with innovation, inclusion, professional learning, and future‑focused curriculum design.