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Head of Outdoor Education

GESS International School· Academic – Whole School
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Hybrid (Singapore)Full-timePosted 3w ago

About the role

Leading the design, delivery and continuous development of a whole-school Outdoor Education programme for Grades 1 to 12, aligned to IB PYP, MYP and DP, and to the GESS mission. The role combines teaching and leadership, owning the outdoor education curriculum, safety management, budget, and external partnerships, reporting to SLT and the Board via the Director of Educational Programs.

Responsibilities

  • Leading, developing and supporting a productive, positive and effective Outdoor Education team
  • Designing, writing and maintaining the whole-school Outdoor Education progression framework (Grades 1 to 12), articulated with the PYP, MYP and DP and with the IB Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning
  • Planning and publishing the annual calendar of outdoor learning units, day experiences, residentials and expeditions, and redesigning Enrichment Week as the culmination of year-round outdoor learning
  • Teaching outdoor learning across the grades and leading the High School (Grades 9 to 12) expedition and leadership strand, including its link to CAS and service as action
  • Working with Heads of School, Programme Coordinators and class teachers to embed outdoor learning units in the written and taught curriculum
  • Monitoring and evaluating the quality of outdoor teaching and learning against agreed school expectations, and reporting outcomes to the relevant Directors
  • Running effective departmental meetings and communicating effectively within the department, across the school and with parents
  • Informing the Director of Educational Programs of all relevant issues in a timely manner
  • Owning the school’s Outdoor Education safety management system: policies, standard operating procedures, activity-specific risk assessments, emergency and critical-incident plans, incident reporting and review
  • Ensuring the programme meets the Singapore Standard on management systems for Outdoor Adventure Education activities and recognised international good practice, and maintaining the school’s readiness for external review or accreditation
  • Vetting, contracting and monitoring external providers, venues and transport, including overseas expedition operators
  • Setting and enforcing staff-to-student ratios, competency requirements and leader qualifications for every activity, on and off site
  • Ensuring appropriate insurance, medical screening, consent, safeguarding arrangements and communication protocols are in place for every off-site activity
  • Acting as senior leader on residentials and expeditions and as the first point of escalation for incidents in the field
  • Line-managing, appraising and developing the Outdoor Education Coaches
  • Training, briefing and supporting teachers who accompany outdoor learning, residentials and expeditions, and maintaining a register of staff qualifications and competencies
  • Building in-house capacity so that outdoor learning is delivered by GESS staff rather than relying on external providers
  • Developing outdoor learning opportunities and events beyond the classroom, including co-curricular outdoor clubs and award schemes
  • Developing and implementing agreed school policies and actively promoting a whole-school vision for wellbeing, student agency and sustainability
  • Working as part of teaching and learning groups to innovate, develop and implement whole-school priorities; taking a whole-school leadership role where required
  • Contributing to the school-wide professional development programme and representing GESS in regional and international outdoor education networks
  • Supporting Admissions and Communications in presenting the programme to current and prospective families
  • A coherent, progressive Outdoor Education programme is in place for every grade in scope and is developed in line with school-wide priorities
  • Every outdoor activity is delivered within an approved, documented safety management system; incidents are reported, reviewed and acted upon
  • The Outdoor Education Coaches and accompanying staff are performing at a high level; underperformance is addressed according to school policies
  • The programme is delivered within budget and the agreed three-year implementation plan; progress is reported to SLT each term and to the Board as required
  • Student, parent and staff feedback on outdoor learning is gathered, analysed and used to improve the programme

Qualifications

  • A recognised teaching qualification and a degree; a postgraduate qualification in outdoor education, adventure education or a related field is an advantage
  • Significant experience teaching in the IB PYP, MYP or DP curriculum
  • Proven experience designing and running a school outdoor education or expedition programme, including multi-day and overseas expeditions
  • Recognised outdoor leadership awards in at least one land-based and one water-based discipline (e.g. Mountain Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor, paddlesport or sailing instructor awards)
  • Current wilderness or outdoor first aid qualification (Wilderness First Responder or equivalent, minimum 16 hours) and a willingness to maintain it
  • Working knowledge of outdoor safety management systems and standards (e.g. Singapore Standard for Outdoor Adventure Education, UK AALS, Australian Standard or IOF Accredited Practitioner)
  • Experience of line management, budget management and working with external providers

Skills

Required:Pedagogical practice in outdoor educationTeam leadership and developmentRisk management and decision makingCommunication and collaborationOutdoor activity leadership
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About GESS International School

International School Singapore: GESS is One of the Best International Schools in Singapore with the World IB Curriculum.

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