Vice Principal

Little Em's Preschool is the only school in Vietnam to collaborate with Reggio Children, proudly bringing the Reggio Emilia Approach® to our children aged 18 months to 6 years. Into this we bring elements of the EYFS. We are also an IB PYP Candidate school, with an aim of achieving accreditation in August 2025. We provide Global Education with a Local Heart – balancing international excellence with Vietnamese cultural values. We have reached a pivotal stage in our journey and as such we are looking to hire fully qualified, native level English speakers to enrich our program.

Little Em’s is a Vietnam Tinh Hoa School, feeding into Viet Nam Tinh Hoa Junior School. In August 2025 we are aiming to open Viet Nam Tinh Hoa senior school on a purpose-built site, also in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. We are a small but growing school. Little Em’s has been established for 5 years.

The Vice-Principal is responsible for the day-to-day operational, academic, and pastoral leadership of the school. They will manage all teachers, ensure smooth school operations, address immediate concerns, and act as the primary liaison for staff and parents on daily matters. They will oversee the running of the academic programme.

1. Day-to-Day Leadership:

- Oversee all daily school operations, including scheduling, staff management, and student well-being.

- Serve as the primary point of contact for staff, students, and parents regarding operational, academic, and pastoral matters.

- Ensure a structured daily routine that includes arrival, breakfast, group time, activity centers, snacks, outdoor play, lunch, rest time, and pick-up.

- Monitor and support the implementation of age-appropriate activities that promote physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.

2. Operational Leadership:

- Manage the school’s non term time program, including staffing, planning, and execution.

- Ensure effective communication with parents, staff, and stakeholders regarding operational matters.

- Oversee the maintenance of a safe and clean environment, adhering to health and safety regulations.

- Coordinate with administrative staff to manage enrollment, attendance, and record-keeping.

- Work with the MOET team to ensure all conditions of the license are met.

3. Pastoral Care:

- Address immediate student and staff welfare concerns.

- Collaborate with the leadership team to implement pastoral care strategies.

- Foster a nurturing and inclusive environment that supports the well-being of all students.

- Implement behavior management strategies and support teachers in handling behavioral issues.

4. Academic Leadership

- Ensure academic programs have the necessary resources to be successfully implemented.

- Liase with the Deputy Head (Academic) to ensure fidelity in the implementation of the academic programme.

- Ensure the Reggio, PYP and NCfE approaches are successfully blended, with support from the Reggio Lead, the English Lead and the Deputy Head (Academic)

Support the enrichment of the programme with the organization and planning of excursions and incursions.

- Lead and organize special events (festivals and celebrations) to enrich the curriculum.

- Oversee the organization of the enrichment programme

5. Staff Line Management:

- Line manage all teachers, ensuring high-quality teaching practices, professional development, and adherence to school policies.

- Line manage the Reggio Lead and the English lead, directing their support so it can be used effectively to enhance teaching practice.

- Conduct regular performance reviews and support teachers in their professional growth.

- Provide ongoing training and mentoring to staff, focusing on best practices in early childhood education.

- Facilitate team meetings and professional development sessions to enhance staff collaboration and skills.

- Lead a weekly staff briefing to ensure information is shared effectively.

6. Deputy Safeguarding Lead:

- Act as the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (Deputy DSL).

- Ensure all safeguarding policies and procedures are followed and that staff are trained in safeguarding practices.

- Respond to and manage any safeguarding concerns, working closely with the General Principal and external agencies as needed.

7. Staff Development:

- Mentor and support teaching staff in the age 3-6 classes, fostering a culture of high-quality teaching and learning.

- Lead professional development initiatives for academic improvement.

8. Admissions and Marketing

- Join ADM/MKT meetings to ensure efficient execution of events which are co-planned.

- Meet with parents as part of a rota to support admissions.

Professional qualifications:

- University or Master's degree in early childhood education; management experience in international preschools.

- Certificate of completion of educational management training program.

- Skills in managing the development and implementation of child care and education plans, skills in building and supervising the application of quality management systems in preschools;

- Ability to synthesize, analyze, read and write reports, data and documents concisely

- Good interpersonal skills, able to communicate effectively with parents, management, and able to motivate and train subordinates

- A broad understanding of different fields and methods, able to analyze data to identify organizational strengths and weaknesses, and plan to overcome corresponding problems

- Ability to understand the values and needs of the community you serve, and the ability to build positive, strong relationships with the community

- Ability to communicate well in English, ready to access international educational best practices

- Ability to understand early childhood education methods, especially the Reggio Emilia approach is a priority.

Technical skills and Competencies:

- A bachelor degree or equivalent

- Good English skills

- PA diploma or certification would be considered an advantage

- Excellent computer skills office application and project management tool.