Job Title: Arts Teacher (PYP)

Department: Junior School

Reporting Line: Junior School Principal

Position Location: Maputo, Mozambique

Status: Full-time

Date of Approval of JD: –

Purpose

To provide engaging, relevant, and meaningful visual arts learning experiences that inspire creativity, inquiry, and self-expression, in alignment with the IB philosophy and the mission of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo. To ensure students make progress in their artistic learning, monitor their development, and provide appropriate support and interventions to help each student achieve their potential.

Context

The Aga Khan Academies are an integrated network of residential schools dedicated to expanding access to education of an international standard of excellence to exceptional young men and women, regardless of their ability to pay. Envisaged in Africa, South and Central Asia and the Middle East, the Aga Khan Academies’ foundational values include pluralism, meritocracy and civil society. Housed in spacious, attractive campuses with outstanding facilities, the Academies offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum from Primary Years to the Diploma and provide rich opportunities for teachers and students alike to grow both professionally and personally. The first Aga Khan Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2003; the second in Hyderabad, India, in 2011; the third in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2013; and the network is now expanding with the construction of the fourth Academy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Academies aim to develop meritorious young men and women into homegrown ethical leaders through education of the highest international standard in purpose-built campuses. The vision and ethos of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo are encapsulated in its mission statement, which calls for a commitment to promoting excellence in teaching.

The primary focus of every teacher at the Academy is to support student learning, understand how students demonstrate their learning, and nurture their growth within the school community. As an IB PYP practitioner, the teacher is committed to the IB philosophy and values, integrating them into daily classroom practice while fostering the attributes of the Aga Khan Academy learner profile in both themselves and their students.

Teachers at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo also show a commitment to continually developing themselves as members of a professional learning community, and they will be expected to interact and collaborate with colleagues across the campus and contribute to the growth of the Academy’s network in appropriate ways, through mechanisms such as virtual planning exercises and teacher exchanges.

Main Responsibilities

  • Planning and implementing a variety of learning engagements that promote inquiry, creativity and critical thinking in the field of arts. This includes leading the schools play productions.
  • Providing students with learning experiences that are individually differentiated to accommodate a range of abilities and learning styles according to the learning outcomes of the programme.
  • Effective teaching of the Primary Years Programme for students in the Early Years and Junior School. (Preschool to grade 5)
  • Integrating the Aga Khan Strands into the teaching and learning programmes.
  • Authentically assessing, recording, tracking and reporting on the progress of all students, using a range of monitoring and assessment strategies.
  • Developing learning environments as inviting, nurturing and interactive spaces through the appropriate use, storage and care of displays, resources and students’ work.
  • Being responsible for the pastoral care of the students, including maintaining records of individual students.
  • Communicating necessary programme information to all stakeholders.
  • Actively and collaboratively participating in the life of the Academy as a whole, in and out of normal school hours, for instance, contributing to the development of enrichment, school events and residential experiences for students.
  • Displaying and modelling professionalism.
  • Participating actively in the Appraisal for Growth process as a member of the Academy’s professional learning community.
  • Participate in PYP professional development and maintain an up-to-date understanding of IB philosophy and practices.
  • Contribute to the school’s PYP self-study, evaluations, and ongoing implementation efforts.
  • Demonstrate reflective practice and a commitment to innovation in early childhood education.
  • Working to stay abreast of professional best practice in the teaching and learning of the Arts.
  • Contribute to PYP reporting, parent-teacher conferences, and unit reflections.
  • Collaborate closely with families as partners in learning, sharing documentation and involving them in the learning journey.
  • Work collaboratively with PYP colleagues in planning meetings, reflections, and continuous programme development.

Specifications (Candidate Profile)

Required Attributes:

  • Knowledge and understanding of education in and beyond Africa, as well as an understanding and a commitment to the IB programmes.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the capacity to interact well and communicate effectively with students, parents and colleagues within a diverse and pluralistic society.
  • A team player with the ability and willingness to develop effective skills and attitudes in other adults, including colleagues.
  • Commitment to inspiring and motivating students with regard to their personal growth and academic attainment.
  • Self-starter, able to initiate ideas and act proactively.
  • A positive ‘can-do’ attitude and the flexibility necessary to thrive in a start-up environment.
  • Experience in the delivery of an arts curriculum in the Primary Years.

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in an education related field.
  • Previous experience in IB PYP Early Years or strong familiarity with PYP principles (training can be provided).
  • Professional Teaching Qualification.

Valued additional assets:

  • Master’s degree in Education.
  • Understanding and experience of education and educational standards beyond Mozambique.
  • Intercultural appreciation and sensitivity. Able to appreciate diverse cultural contexts and perspectives and use them to enrich the educational experiences of the students.

Skills:

Experience and Technical Skills

  • Comfortable and adept with information technology.

Other Skills and personal traits

  • Excellent command of English and preferably Portuguese – both written and oral.

Level of Responsability

Budget:

Direct Reports:

  • Primary Years Principal

Key Relations

Internal relations:

  • Students.
  • Primary Years Coordinator.
  • Principal.
  • Head of Academy.
  • Faculty.
  • Administrative staff.

External relations:

  • Parents.
  • Local Community.
  • Educational leaders in the Academies network.
  • The Academies Unit.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit a full application package to Recruitment.Maputo@agakhanacademies.org

The application package must include:

  1. CV.
  2. Concise covering letter (no longer than two pages), specifically linking how your qualifications, experiences and attributes will position you to be successful in the role.
  3. List of 3 references.

We are only able to contact shortlisted applicants. In the event that outstanding applicants are identified early in the search process, we reserve the right to close the process before the published deadline. For this reason, it is important that interested candidates apply as soon as possible.