Founding Head of Secondary

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Founding Head of Secondary Sardinia International School

Sardinia International School is looking for its Founding Head of Secondary to support the opening of the new school in September 2027.

• Closing date: 9 a.m. Thursday 19th November

Sardinia International School is a rapidly growing international school in Olbia, northern Sardinia. Following a highly successful founding year, the school now educates more than 130 pupils and is developing towards a full 6-18 offer, with IGCSE, the IB Diploma and boarding central to its next phase.

We are seeking an exceptional Founding Head of Secondary to lead this exciting development. Working with an experienced leadership and teaching team, you will shape the culture, curriculum and direction of the Secondary School as it grows from its current Years 7-9 provision through to Year 13.

We are looking for an ambitious, collaborative and internationally minded secondary leader who combines educational excellence with the energy and adaptability to build. This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting contribution to a distinctive international school at a pivotal point in its journey.

Who we are

Sardinia International School is a young and ambitious international school in Olbia, providing an internationally minded education for children from diverse backgrounds. Since opening, the school has grown rapidly and now educates more than 130 pupils across its primary and early secondary divisions. Building on a highly successful first full year, SIS is developing towards a full 6-18 education, with IGCSE, the IB Diploma and boarding central to its next phase of growth. Supported by an experienced international team and significant investment in its campus, SIS is creating a distinctive educational community with strong connections to Sardinia and an increasingly international reach.

About the role

The Founding Head of Secondary will provide the educational leadership, vision and direction for Sardinia International School’s growing Secondary Division, shaping its development from its current Year 7 to Year 9 provision into a full Year 7 to Year 13 international secondary school.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead at a formative stage in the school’s development. With 55 pupils currently in Secondary and the first Year 7 cohort already at capacity, the successful candidate will build on strong foundations while preparing for substantial further growth. A key priority will be leading the introduction of IGCSE and the IB Diploma, alongside the opening of Years 10 and 12 and the school’s first boarding provision.

The Head of Secondary will be responsible for the quality of teaching, learning and pastoral provision across the division, creating a culture of high expectations in which students are known, supported and encouraged to achieve their potential. They will continue to develop the curriculum, recruit and grow the staff team, and ensure that SIS provides an international education of consistently high quality.

The early development of the Middle and Secondary School has been led by the CEO alongside a number of founding staff, establishing strong foundations from which the new Head of Secondary can build. The incoming Head will work closely with Deputy Head Morgan Curtin, who leads pastoral and organisational matters, and Director of Studies Richard Poles, who leads the academic programme, alongside a strong group of internationally experienced Heads of Department and specialist leaders.

Working closely with the CEO and Head of Primary, the Head of Secondary will also contribute to SIS’s wider strategic development as an all-through 6-18 school. For an exceptional candidate with the appropriate experience and ambition, there may be scope for the role to carry a wider Head of School remit, providing educational leadership across the whole school.

This is an opportunity to help shape something with significance beyond the school itself. SIS has been founded with the ambition not only to provide an exceptional international education, but to make a positive and lasting contribution to Sardinia, strengthening the opportunities available to families on the island and helping to attract new families, talent and ideas from around the world.

For the incoming Head of Secondary, there is a rare chance to join at a formative stage and influence what the school becomes. The impact of their leadership could be felt not only by generations of SIS students, but across the wider community as the school grows, develops partnerships and establishes itself as an important part of Sardinia’s future.

Key priorities will include:

• Leading the growth and development of the Secondary School from Year 7 through to Year 13.
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