Head of English & Drama at Malvern College Tokyo – Jan 2027
Malvern College Tokyo is seeking an experienced and visionary Head of English and Drama to join its international school community in Tokyo on a full-time, fixed-term contract beginning January 2027. This senior leadership role sits at the heart of the College’s academic programme, shaping English language, literature, and Drama education from the Primary Years through to Sixth Form.
Job Description
As Head of English and Drama, you will carry strategic responsibility for two interconnected departments, setting the vision and direction for English Language and Literature, English Language Acquisition, and the taught Drama and Theatre curriculum. Your leadership will ensure pupils make outstanding progress as readers, writers, communicators, critical thinkers, and creative individuals.
- Lead curriculum design, pedagogy, and quality assurance across English and Drama, ensuring clear progression at every stage from primary through to the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP).
- Collaborate closely with the Head of English as an Additional Language (EAL) to maintain a coherent and ambitious continuum of English language development for multilingual learners.
- Partner with Primary Years Programme colleagues to guarantee smooth and ambitious progression in English from the earliest years of schooling.
- Adopt a data-informed approach to monitoring pupil progress, using evidence to continuously refine teaching practice across both departments.
- Support teachers school-wide in embedding outstanding practice in literacy, language development, literature, and drama, ensuring equitable curriculum access for learners of all linguistic backgrounds.
- Provide strategic leadership for the Drama taught curriculum; note that responsibility for the College’s wider performance and productions programme sits with the Director of Arts.
- Take on direct teaching responsibilities within the IBDP alongside departmental leadership duties.
Requirements
- Proven experience in a subject leadership or middle/senior leadership role within an international or high-performing secondary school setting.
- Strong subject expertise in English (Language and/or Literature) and Drama, with demonstrable experience delivering or overseeing the IB Diploma Programme.
- A track record of raising attainment and improving teaching quality through coaching, curriculum development, and data analysis.
- Experience working with multilingual learners and an understanding of EAL best practice is highly desirable.
- Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; candidates must be prepared to undergo child protection screening and appropriate pre-employment checks, including references taken up prior to interview.
- Three professional referees are required as part of the application.
Benefits
- Full-time, fixed-term contract: January 2027 – July 2028 (initial 1.5-year contract aligned to the school’s academic year cycle; subsequent contracts typically follow a standard 2-year cycle).
- Opportunity to be part of the prestigious Malvern College International family of schools.
- A collaborative, forward-thinking leadership team and a richly diverse, multilingual student community in central Tokyo.