ECD Head of Department Jobs in South Africa

Christel House South Africa is seeking an ECD Head of Department (HOD) for a permanent, full-time, in-person role in Ottery, Western Cape. The role provides transformational instructional leadership for ECD and Grade R, ensuring a safe, inclusive and high-quality phase.

About the company and the work

Christel House South Africa works with young learners in Ottery, Western Cape. This leadership role focuses on a developmentally appropriate programme that strengthens English, early literacy, numeracy and school readiness through play, while building a high-performing, well-supported teaching team.

Role details / duties

• Lead CAPS-aligned ECD and Grade R curriculum planning, implementation, moderation and quality assurance.
• Promote purposeful play as the foundation of learning.
• Lead early-English development, including oral language, vocabulary, phonological awareness, Jolly Phonics and reading.
• Coach and mentor teachers through observations, feedback, modelling and professional development.
• Use assessment and school-readiness data to identify gaps and plan interventions.
• Manage phase meetings, timetables, resources, classroom organisation and staff deployment.
• Build a culture of high expectations, accountability, teamwork, wellbeing and continuous improvement.
• Support inclusive, trauma-aware and developmentally appropriate teaching, including safeguarding.
• Develop parent and caregiver partnerships and maintain professional records and reports on learner progress, curriculum quality and staff development.

Requirements

• Recognised Foundation Phase or ECD teaching qualification, preferably BEd Foundation Phase, minimum NQF Level 6.
• Full SACE registration is mandatory.
• At least 5 years’ teaching experience in ECD, Grade R or Foundation Phase, especially ages 4 to 6.
• At least 2 years’ leadership experience as HOD, Phase or Grade Head, curriculum lead or equivalent.
• Jolly Phonics training and demonstrated synthetic phonics competence.
• Strong knowledge of CAPS Grade R, play-based learning, literacy, numeracy, assessment and differentiation.
• Proven teacher-coaching, leadership, change-management and performance-management skills.
• Excellent English communication, parent engagement and report-writing skills.
• Experience in multilingual and diverse communities, strong child-safeguarding knowledge and required vetting and clearances, current First Aid certification or willingness to obtain it, and good digital literacy.

Salary was not disclosed in the source advert. The source states that applications close on 30 October 2026.

Where to find / apply safely

Apply only through the original Indeed South Africa listing using the Apply button on this page, which leads to the source advert for this permanent role in Ottery, Western Cape. Check the company and location before sharing personal details, and never pay a fee to apply.

Practical tips

• Show your Foundation Phase or ECD qualification, NQF level and SACE registration clearly.
• Give examples of curriculum leadership, teacher coaching and phonics work in ECD or Grade R.
• Highlight experience with multilingual learners, safeguarding and assessment data.

How the process works

On Indeed, you open the original advert, review the full position details, and apply through the listing’s application route. The employer then reviews applications, noting the closing date of 30 October 2026.

Important information

This post is informational only, and openings and requirements change at any time. Readers should always verify the details on the original listing before applying. Salary was not disclosed in the source advert.

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