Philip White

I joined DBS in 2017 as a Teacher of Psychology and Head of Year 12 Born and brought up in London, I completed my Psychology degree at City, University of London and some years later I completed my PGCE in Social Sciences at the Institute of Education, UCL. Other than achieving my qualifications, London is very dear to me since most of my family and friends reside there including my dance group. I semi-professionally trained in a classical Indian dance form called Kathak for the best part of 15 years and had the great fortune of performing on some of the most prestigious stages and venues from Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace! Best Teaching Moment: There have been countless ‘best teaching moments’ for me at DBS. Last year, my A-Level Psychology students and I had the rare opportunity to meet and interact with Dr Philip Zimbardo in Abu Dhabi – an absolute legend within the field of Social Psychology – I think I was more stoked than my students! The next best teaching moment for me has to be coming back into school after every summer in August to see both my GCSE and A-Level students receiving their examination grades. The sense of relief, euphoria, the smiles, the tears and for some a complete surprise- these moments never fail to be priceless. Speaking of receiving results, this year, the best teaching moment needs to be dedicated to my year group – Year 11, class of 2020 – who through their hard-work, maturity and dedication achieved the highest set of IGCSE English Language grades in the history of DBS, surpassing even the national averages. Needless to say, I’m a very proud Head of Year indeed!

I have worked in schools around the world including in Kuwait, Hungary, Myanmar, China and most recently, London. My main subjects are Business and Economics but I also teach Accounting and ICT. In my spare time, I play the bass guitar and have played in several staff bands, possibly with more enthusiasm than talent! I also design and make my own jewellery and have recently taken several short courses in different techniques, such as pearl-knotting. I have visited Dubai many times over the years and am looking forward to moving there on a more permanent basis. Best Moment In Teaching When trying to think of a memorable way to teach critical path analysis to sixth form students, I came up with the idea of them trying to make a cup of tea in the shortest time possible. After the theory and planning were covered, several groups of students attempted to make a cup of tea suitable for me to drink. Some were more successful than others. In addition to the lesson being memorable for all concerned, it was Book Day at school, so the students were in fancy dress. The best cup of tea was made by Aladdin!

I graduated from the University of Wales Swansea in 2004 with a BA in History and Politics. I then completed my PGCE in my home city of Cardiff before embarking on a teaching career overseas. This began in Singapore and then moved onto Qatar - both were incredibly rewarding and exciting experiences. From there I moved to Dubai and have taught at DBS since 2016. Needless to say I love to travel and have visited more than 30 countries whilst living and working internationally. I am also a massive sports fan, with a particular love for cricket and, being a proud welshman, rugby. I live here in Dubai with my wife who is also a teacher and two young sons, Dylan and Elis. Best Moment In Teaching: There are countless examples of student success that have given me great pleasure throughout my teaching career, but some of the most memorable have been outside of the classroom, such as seeing students develop and flourish at Model United Nations conferences, along with coaching the winning U12 rugby team during my first year at DBS. Da Iawn boys!

Ever since I joined Primary School as a pupil, I knew that teaching was the career for me. I am originally from Glasgow in Scotland, but I have been teaching in a small, rural school in the Scottish Highlands for the past 3 years. My experiences there have been invaluable but I know that I’m ready to take the next step and follow my dream of working in a sunny country!   This will be my 4th year of teaching and I am beyond excited to be joining the KS1 team at Dubai British School. I love the fun and creativity that oozes out of children in this stage and I cannot wait to start making new memories with my class.  In my spare time I love playing tennis and travelling - I’m really looking forward to exploring new places around Dubai! I also enjoy running and socialising with my friends.