It was probably a childhood spent hiking, camping, and reading rain-soaked maps in the mountains of Northern England that gave me the urge to study geography when the time came to head to university. Then, after three years of river wading, glacier mapping, pond dipping and dune sampling in pursuit of my BSc at Loughborough University nothing felt more natural than to share my passion for this amazing subject with others. So, in 1999 I completed a PGCE at Goldsmiths College and began my teaching career in Greenwich, London.
Feeling the need to see a little more of the world, I taught in New Zealand before returning to the UK and settling in Shropshire in 2002 where I gained experience as a Head of Geography, Head of Year and then a Director of Learning leading the pastoral care and academic progress of students from Years 7 to 13.
I moved into senior leadership in 2009 as an Assistant Headteacher overseeing pastoral care, personal development and well-being in an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ school in Worcestershire. In 2012 I completed my MA by evaluating strategies to promote inclusion and achievement across primary and secondary schools, and I subsequently became Deputy Principal with responsibility for pedagogy, professional development and quality assurance.
In 2013 I began my Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Birmingham in which I focused on educational leadership and conducted action research into effective methods for sharing professional excellence in schools. Working in a National Teaching School I also had the opportunity to deliver training to teachers through the National Professional Qualifications programme and to lead a team of Specialist Leaders in Education on regional school improvement projects. In 2015 I completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and used the experience to strengthen my understanding of the links between the primary and secondary education phases.
In 2016 my family and I sought a new adventure and headed to Malaysia where I became a Vice-Principal leading curriculum, assessment, and progression at the Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur. Whilst at Alice Smith I worked with my colleagues to build upon the school’s impressive academic pedigree and saw standards rise even further at GCSE and A Level from already excellent starting points. Our persistent focus on high-quality research-based learning through the Extended Project Qualification eventually led to formal recognition as our students’ results placed the school within the top 5% globally.
Having joined in 2022, I am extremely proud that my family and I are a part of the Dubai British School Emirates Hills community. Indeed, it’s the word ‘community’ that repeatedly comes through in any conversation I have about the school with those who know it well. I particularly value the privilege of learning from the superb staff working across the DBSEH journey from foundation to graduation and working with the students who make the school such a genuinely special place to be.
