Head of school

Founded in 2023, Good Dharma is a young and growing international school in southern Sri Lanka, providing education from Early Years through Primary.

Our school is set within two acres of tropical gardens, organic growing areas and animals. Nature is our classroom, providing children with opportunities to learn through direct experience of the world around them.

Good Dharma follows the Oxford International Curriculum (OIC), which provides the academic foundation and progression for learning. The Good Dharma Approach to Education defines how we bring that learning to life through seven pillars:

Child-Led · Nature-Based · Playful · Sustainability · Social-Emotional · Creativity & Movement · Community & Culture

We combine strong academic foundations with inquiry, play, creativity, movement, community and meaningful real-world experiences.

Learning can be rigorous without losing its joy.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced, visionary and highly engaged Head of School with excellent educational leadership skills and a genuine connection to Good Dharma's educational philosophy.

The Head of School is the senior leader of Good Dharma and holds overall leadership accountability for the school as a whole, its educational quality, people, culture, safety, standards and continued development.

This is a role for someone who wants to help build a school, not simply inherit one.

The Head of School owns the educational vision and is accountable to the Directors for turning that vision into a consistently excellent school. This means setting direction, developing people, establishing standards, identifying obstacles, solving problems and ensuring priorities are followed through.

The Deputy Head of School leads much of the education team day-to-day, while operational leaders manage their respective areas. The Head of School leads across these functions at school level and ensures Good Dharma operates as one coherent organisation.

Experience in nature-based, alternative, progressive, outdoor or experiential education is highly valued, but is not essential. More important is a leader who understands and connects with our approach, is curious about different educational models and can translate the Good Dharma vision into excellent everyday educational practice.

Ownership & Accountability

The Head of School will:

• Hold overall leadership accountability for everything connected to Good Dharma School, whether it happens on campus or off campus, and whether it relates to education, operations, people, safety, students, parents, community, events, trips, partnerships or another area of school life. Responsibilities may be delegated to the appropriate leaders and team members, but the Head of School remains accountable for ensuring matters affecting the school are properly managed, followed through and resolved.

• Take overall accountability for the performance, standards, culture, safety and continued development of the school.

• Ensure Education and Operations work effectively together as one school.

• Identify problems, risks and obstacles early and take professional action to resolve them.

• Set clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and expected outcomes.

• Hold leaders and team members accountable and follow through until agreed actions are completed.

• Make timely and well-considered decisions within the authority of the role.

• Bring the Directors solutions and recommendations, rather than simply passing problems upwards.

• Report clearly to the Directors on school performance, progress, priorities, risks and significant challenges.

Responsibility can be delegated. Accountability for the school cannot.

Educational Vision & Curriculum

The Head of School will:

• Own and champion the Good Dharma educational vision from Early Years through Primary.

• Lead the continued implementation and development of the Good Dharma Approach to Education.

• Maintain overall accountability for the Oxford International Curriculum, academic standards and progression.

• Ensure OIC and the Good Dharma Approach work together as one coherent educational model.

• Ensure the Seven Pillars are meaningfully reflected throughout planning, teaching and school culture.

• Maintain strong foundations in English, reading, writing, phonics, mathematics, science and the wider curriculum.

• Ensure nature-based and experiential learning is meaningfully integrated across the curriculum, using the gardens, animals, campus, community and wider environment as educational resources.

• Ensure Learning Cycles provide meaningful contexts for learning without replacing curriculum objectives or progression.

• Champion inquiry, exploration, creativity, movement, play and real-world experiences where they deepen learning.

• Maintain high expectations for teaching quality, assessment, student progress and wellbeing.

The Good Dharma Approach & Nature-Based Learning

Nature is our classroom and nature-based learning is an important part of the Good Dharma Approach.

The Head of School does not need to come from a nature-based or alternative education background. However, we are looking for someone who is genuinely interested in these approaches, open to learning from them and excited about developing them within Good Dharma.

Previous experience with nature-based, forest school, outdoor, experiential, inquiry-led, progressive or other alternative educational approaches is a significant advantage.

The Head of School will help ensure children have meaningful opportunities to observe, investigate, grow, build, experiment, question and interact with the world around them, while maintaining strong academic foundations and clear curriculum progression.

The Head will also support teachers in developing their confidence and capabilities in nature-based and experiential learning and help connect Good Dharma with strong educational practice locally and internationally.

Leadership & People

The Head of School must be an excellent leader of people, capable of building a professional, motivated and accountable team.

The Head of School will:

• Lead, support and develop the Deputy Head of School and work closely with operational leadership.

• Establish clear standards, priorities and expectations.

• Develop leadership capacity and accountability throughout the school.

• Maintain first-hand understanding of teaching quality through regular classroom presence.

• Oversee the school's Teacher Training & Professional Development Programme.

• Ensure educators are appropriately trained in OIC, the Good Dharma Approach, assessment, inclusion, safeguarding and the school's approach to nature-based learning.

• Recruit, develop and retain excellent educators and leaders.

• Address performance concerns promptly, fairly and professionally.

• Build a culture of collaboration, reflection, accountability and continuous improvement.

Hands-On Leadership

Good Dharma was founded in 2023 and remains a young, growing school. We need a leader who is excited by the opportunity to help build its next stage.

This is not a role for someone who wants to lead primarily from an office.

The Head of School should be visible, approachable and actively involved with teachers, children and parents. The role requires someone comfortable moving between long-term strategy and practical leadership — developing the school one moment, coaching a teacher the next, meeting a parent, spending time with children or stepping into a classroom when required.

A flexible, hands-on and multi-tasking approach is essential. The Head should be willing to step into different areas when the school genuinely needs leadership or support and lead by example in professionalism, responsiveness and work ethic.

At the same time, strong leadership means developing capable people, delegating effectively and building systems rather than trying to do everything personally.

Stepping in is not the exception; it is part of the leadership culture we expect.

Systems, Procedures & School Standards

As a school founded in 2023, Good Dharma is continuing to build the systems and standards required of a strong international school.

The Head of School will:

• Identify where policies, procedures, SOPs, checklists or guidelines are missing or require improvement.

• Develop and maintain clear, practical documented processes across the school.

• Ensure strong procedures exist for curriculum planning, assessment, safeguarding, inclusion, student wellbeing, behaviour and parent communication.

• Ensure appropriate risk assessments, safety checks, incident procedures and emergency protocols are established and implemented.

• Develop structured staff induction, training and refresher programmes.

• Ensure procedures are understood, trained and consistently followed — not simply stored as documents.

• Work with Operations where responsibilities involve facilities, security, health and safety.

• Regularly review and improve systems as the school develops.

Where recurring problems reveal that a system is missing, the expectation is to create the system rather than repeatedly solve the same problem.

Safeguarding, Inclusion & Wellbeing

The Head of School holds senior leadership accountability for the school's safeguarding culture, inclusion and student wellbeing.

This includes ensuring appropriate policies, procedures, training and reporting systems are maintained; serious concerns are acted upon and escalated appropriately; additional learning needs are supported; and every child experiences Good Dharma as a safe, respectful, inclusive and supportive environment.

Parents, Community & Partnerships

The Head of School is one of Good Dharma's most important representatives and should be able to communicate the school's vision clearly, confidently and authentically.

The Head will:

• Build strong and trusting relationships with parents and maintain an accessible presence within the school community.

• Communicate the Good Dharma Approach and OIC curriculum clearly to current and prospective families.

• Lead important parent meetings, presentations and educational workshops.

• Develop the Good Dharma Friendship School Programme.

• Develop and support scholarship initiatives and community outreach.

• Build local and global partnerships with schools, educators, universities, organisations and educational networks.

• Develop collaborations connected to education, sustainability, culture, community and experiential learning.

• Lead selected special projects and educational initiatives.

• Create opportunities for Good Dharma children to connect with people, organisations and communities beyond the school.

Brand & School Presence

The Head of School will work with the Directors and marketing team to ensure Good Dharma's educational identity and achievements are communicated authentically and consistently.

This includes providing educational direction for the school's website, social media and storytelling; identifying meaningful learning stories and projects worth sharing; participating in appropriate content and events; and representing Good Dharma through partnerships and educational networks.

The Head is not responsible for day-to-day marketing production, but plays an important role in strengthening Good Dharma's local and international presence.

School Development

The Head of School will maintain a clear School Improvement Plan, identifying priorities, risks and opportunities as Good Dharma grows.

This includes planning future educational staffing and leadership needs, contributing to campus and learning-environment development, identifying resource requirements, developing new programmes and working with the Directors on longer-term school strategy.

Growth should never come at the expense of educational quality, safety, culture or the Good Dharma Approach.

Qualifications & Experience

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A Bachelor's degree or higher in Education, Primary Education, Early Childhood Education or a closely related field and a recognised professional teaching qualification.

• Significant Early Years and/or Primary experience, including substantial educational leadership experience.

• A strong track record of school and educational leadership, with demonstrated ability to lead people, maintain high standards, build culture, solve problems and drive school improvement.

• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to develop people, manage performance, make decisions and implement change.

• Strong understanding of curriculum, assessment and academic progression.

• Strong understanding of safeguarding, inclusion and student wellbeing.

• Experience developing systems, policies, procedures, SOPs or training programmes.

• Excellent spoken and written English and strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• The organisation and determination to turn ideas into action and follow through.

• The flexibility and energy required to thrive within a young, growing and evolving school.

• A genuine interest in nature-based, alternative, progressive and experiential approaches to education, with the ability to understand and champion the Good Dharma Approach.

Previous professional experience in nature-based, outdoor, experiential, inquiry-led, progressive or alternative education is a significant advantage, but not essential.

Experience with the Oxford International Curriculum, Cambridge, English National Curriculum or another recognised international curriculum is highly advantageous.

Experience with partnerships, community programmes, scholarships or special educational projects is also advantageous.

The Leader We Are Looking For

We are looking for more than an experienced school administrator. We are looking for an educational leader with vision, ownership, energy and the ability to make things happen.

You do not need to arrive at Good Dharma having spent your entire career in alternative or nature-based education. You do need to be curious, open-minded and genuinely excited by the opportunity to lead a school that approaches education differently.

Good Dharma is still building, evolving and improving. Not every system will already be perfect, and not every challenge will arrive neatly within someone's job description. We need someone who sees this as an opportunity to help build an exceptional school.

When something isn't working, investigate it. When something is missing, build it. When standards fall, address them. When an opportunity can strengthen the school, pursue it. When the team needs leadership, step in.

Above all, we are looking for someone ready to take genuine ownership of Good Dharma — its educational direction, people, standards, culture and continued development — and be accountable to the Directors for turning that responsibility into results.

Working at Good Dharma

This is an opportunity to help shape the next stage of a young international school with a distinctive educational vision in southern Sri Lanka.

Give children an education that could only have happened here — and academic foundations that can travel anywhere.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV, cover letter and references to hr [at] gooddharma.lk.

In your cover letter, tell us about your educational leadership experience, your approach to developing people and school culture, and what connects you to Good Dharma's educational vision. We would also love to hear about any experience you have with nature-based, alternative or experiential education.