Director of Learning
Description
Regional Learning Director
ISP Malaysia
Role Profile
Purpose of Role
At ISP, everyone is a learner. As a Regional Learning Director, you lead by example and model learning and a growth mindset, demonstrating a desire to learn and build on your knowledge, skills and understanding in leading your own learning and the learning of others. You foster learning and growth in those you work with, be they teachers, school leaders, or regional colleagues based in Malaysia. As the Regional Learning Director, Malaysia, you are critical to the implementation and success of all elements included in the ISP Learning and Innovation Strategy and are accountable for delivering the key goals of Embedding Quality and Academic Achievement across ISP schools in Malaysia. You are uniquely placed to support and collaborate with a wide spectrum of colleagues within and across schools, the regional country team in Malaysia, and other Asian countries and the Central ISP Learning and Innovation Team.
Learner (ISP definition)
The ISP learner recognises that their mindset, experiences, and actions drive their learning outcomes. With this awareness, they exercise voice, choice, and ownership over their process of learning - leading their learning and the learning of others.
Key Benefits
A culture of engagement and trust, where staff contributions are recognised and valued.
A passionate and motivated team of professionals who put children at the heart of decision-making.
An embedded commitment to professional development and employee well-being.
Access to expertise, best practice sharing and learning opportunities across countries and cultures.
Competitive salary.
Medical benefits.
Comprehensive hospitalisation insurance coverage for the candidate and dependants.
Group Personal Accident insurance coverage.
Employer contributions to the Malaysian Employee Provident Fund (EPF).
School fee discount for children of employees.
Relocation and settling in benefits.
Hybrid working arrangement.
ISP Principles
Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.
Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.
Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We embody the shared ideas of our community.
Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and the improvement of the Learning and Innovation team
For more information visit http://www.internationalschoolspartnership.com
About ISP Malaysia
One of the leading education groups in Malaysia, ISP Malaysia operates Tenby Schools, Asia Pacific Schools and Straits International Schools. Our nine campuses are strategically located in the developed areas of Klang Valley in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Johor.
Our schools in Malaysia follow the international school curriculum comprising IGCSE and A-levels, starting at the kindergarten level, while five of the schools also offer the Malaysian National Curriculum. With over 8,000 students, we have a 60-year history of providing education to students in the country and have gained a reputation for excellence and high standards in education.
We champion a transformative approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom. By igniting our students' curiosity and growing their self-confidence, we empower them to become the next generation of changemakers.
ISP Malaysia is part of ISP, a global community of over 80 international schools across more than 20 countries.
Overarching Responsibilities
You demonstrate and model that our students come first, always.
You relentlessly promote and facilitate the use of ISP’s Learning First Framework to Embed Quality in all schools.
You ensure that all Senior Leaders know and are able to communicate the purpose and value of ISP’s offerings, as well as our expectations, enabling schools to fully access the various elements of the Framework to positively impact on student and adult learning.
You continuously initiate and facilitate professional dialogue that focuses school leaders on improving student learning.
You consistently use, reference, and reinforce ISP’s Shared Ideas and language for learning, such that school leaders and regional colleagues in Malaysia are able to confidently do the same.
You demonstrate A Focus on Learners and Learning by actively looking for and identifying examples of excellent practice and Amazing Learning. You then communicate these and other Evidence of Learning effectively and efficiently to colleagues both in schools and the regional team in Malaysia and the Central team, such that they drive improvements in learning, and equip colleagues to effectively promote the learning benefits of the school and ISP in the wider community.
You effectively lead the Future Pathways team, ensuring that career and university guidance support services are consistently provided by counsellors to existing students in schools.
Stakeholders
Internal: Campus Principals and School SLT (Academic) and Regional SLT in Malaysia
External: Parents and students.
Line Manager
The role reports directly to the Regional Managing Director
Regional Learning Director - Key Responsibilities
Partnerships
Your success and ability to impact the learning of thousands of students in your country is built upon the positive relationships and partnerships you forge and nurture.
You consistently embody the ISP Principles, building trust and enhancing the Atmosphere within the various teams that you work with.
You actively facilitate and encourage the coming together of individuals and teams from across the region to form new partnerships, collaborations and communities of practice that support improvements in leadership, teaching and learning.
You work in partnership with Senior Leaders in school, connecting with them regularly in the schools and from a distance to develop the schools’ focus on learning. Through your partnerships within the Regional team in Malaysia, you ensure that ISP’s Shared Ideas and A Focus on Learners and Learning are considered within conversations relating to all functions.
You actively support and collaborate with other Heads of Learning within the Asia Division, and other Heads/Directors of Learning across the ISP Group to develop consistency and quality in how the role supports schools across the Group. You openly share your initiatives, your successes and your failures with the team in a way that encourages others to do the same, thereby supporting our collective ongoing development and getting better.
You are an advocate and promoter for ISP’s ongoing partnerships with Best Practice Network and other external parties, and your timely communications and collaborations with these individuals and teams prior to, during and following their interactions with schools enhance and maximise the benefits of these initiatives and innovations.
The Learning Improvement Process
You are active in schools and from a distance in effectively supporting Heads and Senior Leadership teams to know and understand the ISP Learning Improvement Process (LIP) and its purpose.
You work with Campus Principals to ensure that Leaders have the tools and skills to complete the school self-evaluation accurately and confidently against the 9 Criteria, getting better and better over time.
You review and provide feedback on the evidence provided by schools and its visibility and impact on learning, thereby ensuring consistency and accuracy across the schools in Malaysia and the wider ISP Group.
You are continually getting better at identifying evidence to support judgements against all of the 47 Indicators. You use this ability and your knowledge of excellent practice around the region to support schools in making progress against the 9 Criteria and thereby moving from Beginning to Developing to Mastering.
Learning Improvement Planning
You provide advisory support to Leaders to develop clear targets and action plans and monitor and support the schools’ progress against these during the year.
Through collecting and evaluating the schools’ learning targets collectively for your country, and through knowing the stories surrounding them, you identify areas for development across the country.
You notice and act upon opportunities to facilitate collaborations between schools that drive these improvements in learning, and actively inform the Central Learning and Innovation Team to ensure the on-going development of their offering to schools, both digital and otherwise.
Leading the Learning
You ensure that all Senior Leaders know and understand all the elements and practices related to ISP’s Leading the Learning.
Through advisory support both in schools and from a distance, you develop Senior Leaders’ ability to support their teachers' and middle leaders’ skills in identifying and evidencing learning in real-time and using this evidence to improve student learning and their practice.
Through regular visits to schools, you moderate the practice of the Senior Leaders across the country, developing consistency in the experiences and opportunities provided for teachers to learn and get better through engaging in Learning Design, Learning Inquiries and Learning Visits.
You ensure consistency and security in the data relating to the quality and quantity of learning being collected locally and divisionally in Asia.
Evidence of Learning
You are accountable for reporting on all Learning KPIs for schools in Malaysia.
You are highly informed about the quality of learning in all of the schools in Malaysia.
Through regular evaluation and triangulation of various types and sources of Evidence of Learning, you provide feedback to school leaders that supports their Learning Improvement Process.
You effectively communicate the learning stories, the areas of strength, and the opportunities of each school to your Regional Malaysian and Central teams.
You ensure that Heads and Senior Leaders know the ISP Learning KPIs; they know why each is valuable, how they are collected and reported, and when the school is expected to communicate them to you.
You regularly and systematically initiate conversations with Senior Leaders that promote high-quality analysis of learning evidence (such as external exam results, learning surveys and learning visit data) and ensure they have the appropriate access and training to maximise the potential of all relevant systems.
You review the effective use of the relevant Evidence of Learning by Senior Leaders to inform their Learning Improvement Planning and associated actions and investments.
You review and analyse large quantities of learning evidence and data at a Country level, using them to identify opportunities for collaboration and sharing good practice across different schools.
You effectively communicate information back to schools that enable them to benchmark and differentiate themselves in their local markets, as well as connect with similar ISP schools in their region and across the wider ISP Group.
Build Talent
You have a secure knowledge of the various ISP offerings and development programmes to strengthen Leadership for Learning in schools and promote these to Heads and Senior Leaders.
You maintain an up-to-date knowledge of all participants in your region and actively contribute to their development where possible and appropriate.
You work closely with the Group Head of Teacher Professional Learning and Development and support Senior Leaders with the ongoing development of teaching practice through the ISP Teacher Role Profile and associated Teacher Self-Evaluation.
You are the primary promoter for the ISP Learning Hub in your country and have a competent knowledge of the learning environment and the courses and resources provided.
You support Heads and Senior Leaders to effectively utilise the Learning Hub to develop staff and improve learning, collaborating on launch strategies for all new digital learning experiences with each school.
You regularly support the Heads and Senior Leaders in reviewing the usage and completion rates for various courses, empowering them to better onboard new staff, and develop existing staff to improve learning.
You actively share feedback to the ISP Digital Learning Team that enables the ongoing improvement and development of the Digital Learning Offer.
The Offering
You have a comprehensive knowledge of the ISP Learning and Innovation Strategy. As such you actively promote the various opportunities for improving each school’s offer.
You systematically track schools’ progress within each of the 5 core offerings through the ISP Learning KPIs, collaborating with Heads and Senior Leaders to support their focus and action.
You positively collaborate with the ISP Central Team and external partners to support coordination and implementation of programmes at the Country and school levels.
Onboarding
You are an ambassador for ISP and model the Shared Ideas and A Focus on Learners and Learning that makes ISP unique as a school group and potential partner. You communicate and build relationships with potential new Heads, school owners, and Senior Leaders that lay the foundations for a positive and efficient induction.
You support the Group Director of Learning in assessing, either in school or from a distance, the likely current performance of the school, which is reported formally in the Learning and Education Review.
Through regular visits to the school during its first 90 days, you re-evaluate the schools’ current standing against the 9 Criteria. You report efficiently and accurately to the Regional (Malaysia) and Central Teams on the quality of learning in classrooms, the factors affecting learning, and the capacity of the current leadership team to drive the ISP Learning and Innovation Strategy.
You create excitement and anticipation in the school, establishing early connections with key Senior Leaders in facilitating the school’s rapid adaptation and adoption of ISP’s Learning First Framework.
Future Pathways
Provide strategic direction and leadership on Future Pathways to support career and university guidance as well as counselling for current students.
Ensure that schools especially Heads of School, Heads of 6th Form, Key Stage Leaders etc are supported with the career and guidance journey.
Ensure that schools have access to a range of university subject talks, career talks by industry etc.
Ensure university destination data and alumni data are recorded and tracked, insight/marketing narratives are provided to the marketing teams and management information is reported to the Learning and Innovation Team.
Develop methods to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the career and university guidance programmes.
Support the development of an alumni database and programmes.
Support the setting up and expansion of post-secondary courses and centres.
Identify and nurture current student progression including individual academic advising of targeted student population to A level and/or identified foundation programs.
ISP Leadership Competencies
You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.
Collaboration. Takes an active part in leading their school or region; is cooperative and a genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.
Learning & Getting Better. Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.
Innovation Leadership. Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and is able to motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.
Outcome driven. Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals and is focused on KPIs.
Resilience. Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.
Community Focus. Is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our students and their families.
Integrity & Ethical Management. Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.
Leading & Inspiring Others. Supports, encourages and inspires students, colleagues and teams so that they give their best.
Understanding People. Is a very good judge of talent, can objectively articulate the strengths and motivations of people inside or outside the organization.
Influencing & Communication. Consistently informs, influences and inspires students, parents and colleagues through timely and effective communication.
Agile. Responds and adapts to changing circumstances; manages and solves problems by providing solutions in a climate of ambiguity.
Strategic, Commercial & Financial Awareness. Has the ability to apply an understanding of the business and industry to improve effectiveness and profitability.
Planning & Decision Making. Makes decisions on the best course of action and then plans, organises, prioritises and balances resources to achieve the desired outcome.
Diversity & Equity. Has the sensitivity, awareness and skill to understand the values, behaviours, attitudes and practices across cultures that support all children and adults to learn and work effectively
ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles
ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All postholders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years of employment history.
ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.