Pre-Prep and Prep School Leadership Team

Sarah Brannon is the Founding Head of Preparatory School at Brighton College Dubai, where she has been instrumental in shaping the Prep School since its launch. With over 20 years in international education, she has held headship roles in the UAE, Thailand, and Germany, bringing a global outlook and deep expertise.

Sarah holds a Master’s in Education focused on Educational Leadership and the NPQH qualification. She has been a school inspector for both CIS and BSO and she leads all Prep school operations and academics, ensuring excellence throughout.

A passionate advocate for lifelong learning, Sarah fosters a nurturing, high-achievement environment where pupils are supported and challenged to grow academically and personally. She values strong community ties, believing clear communication among staff, pupils, and families is key.

Under her leadership, the school empowers pupils to become confident, well-rounded individuals, ready to thrive and contribute positively to the world.

Katy Cooke is a founding member of the Leadership Team at Brighton College Dubai, where she is Head of Pre-Prep. She joined the College during its pre-operational phase after five years as Head of Reception at Dulwich Prep London, one of the UK’s most prestigious prep schools. A graduate of Birmingham City University with First Class Honours in Primary Education (QTS), Katy is currently working towards her National Professional Qualification for Headship with University College London. She has extensive leadership experience in both the UK and international school settings.

Passionate about early education, she is dedicated to fostering a nurturing and happy environment where children thrive emotionally, socially and academically. Katy’s commitment to kindness underpins her approach, preparing pupils to become compassionate and confident global citizens.

Andrew Kay is the Assistant Head and Pastoral lead at Brighton College Dubai, responsible for overseeing student well-being and development in a supportive environment. With over 15 years of experience in education and pastoral care, Andrew has held leadership roles in schools across London and Bangkok, including Head of Early Years and Assistant Head for Student Wellbeing. Before joining Brighton College Dubai, he led pastoral provision during the opening of a new school in London.

Andrew is committed to creating safe spaces where students feel valued and supported. He takes a collaborative approach, guiding colleagues in implementing strategies that address students' evolving needs. Dedicated to fostering kindness, he ensures children are supported academically and personally, a core value at Brighton College Dubai.

Sarah graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Spanish, including a year at Universidad de Zaragoza, and later earned her PGCE with a primary languages specialism. She also holds the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership.

Sarah began her teaching career in Suffolk before moving to Dubai in 2012. She joined a British curriculum school as a French specialist, later transitioning back to general primary teaching and leadership, where she headed Lower Key Stage Two. At Brighton College Dubai, she gained Key Stage One experience, led IPC in the Prep School, and now serves as Assistant Head of Pre-Prep.

Sarah’s ethos centers on fostering emotional intelligence and a love for lifelong learning. With cross-curricular approaches, metacognitive strategies, and a passion for the arts, she inspires students to think critically and creatively.

Ben is the Deputy Head Academic of the Preparatory school (since January 2022). Ben has over 12 years of experience in education and uses this experience to lead Teaching and Learning; Assessment and Data; Curriculum and Quality Assurance within the Preparatory School. His aim is to support the staff in creating outstanding learning experiences for all the pupils and to promote a love of learning that also extends beyond the classroom.

Prior to joining Brighton College Dubai, Ben obtained a Physical Education and Teaching with QTS degree in 2012 and began his career in Southampton, UK. Where he built up his leadership experience in a variety of roles such as Head of Standards, Head of Year, Maths Lead, Science Lead and Behaviour Lead. Ben has been in Dubai since 2018 and before joining Brighton College held the roles of: Head of Year, Emirati provision leader a lead teacher of High-Performance Learning.

Holly studied Psychology at university before completing her PGCE in Primary Education, specialising in Early Years and Key Stage 1. She has also completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Special Educational Needs Coordination. Before joining Brighton, Holly spent more than ten years teaching at a primary school in Surrey with an attached specialist resource provision for children with Autism. Alongside this, she undertook five years in the Senior Leadership Team in the role of Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion/SENCO.

Holly has previously been responsible for the provision and progress of groups of pupils including children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL). In her role as Assistant Headteacher, she developed the whole-school mental health and wellbeing, attachment awareness practice and the school’s racial justice strategy and formed part of the school’s safeguarding team.