Having gained a BSc Hons in Geography at Queens University Belfast, Joanne went onto complete her PGCE at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has over 10 years teaching experience and begin her first role at an ‘Outstanding’ Grammar School in the UK where she taught Geography across all the secondary key stages. From there she moved onto a new role within a secondary school in Manchester where she was promoted to Citizenship coordinator and later took on the role as Deputy Head of Department and lead teacher of Geography. Prior to living in Dubai, she began her international teaching career in Qatar where she taught Geography at a British International school in Doha.

Sarah has been with Brighton College Dubai since its opening in August 2018 and holds a BA (ITE) Physical Education degree from St Mary’s University College, Twickenham. Prior to teaching internationally, Sarah worked in London for 5 years across the independent and state sector, establishing herself across both primary and secondary teaching phases.

Having been teaching for over 8 years, she has undertaken a variety of roles through with through the Hackney Teaching Schools Alliance, Head of Girls Games and now most recently Director of Sport and Co-Curricular Coordinator here at Brighton College Dubai. As a former ballerina, she is heavily involved with Dance and Performing Arts within the College community.

As a teacher, Sarah is particularly passionate about Aquathon, Cross Country, Swimming, Dance, Trampolining and Triathlon across the Dubai sports leagues of which  all schools are part of. Sarah is also newly appointed as Head of Primary Swimming for competitive leagues. Sarah has spoken at many professional events across the Middle East, the GESS Education Show, BSME PE networks and most recently at the Gulf Youth Sport Conference. Her passion and enthusiasm for the pupils and the College is evident within her day to day life.

Ian will be going into his 8^th year with Brighton College Family, having been at Brighton College Al Ain before joining us here in Dubai. While teaching in the UK he was a junior boarding master while teaching PE and Games. He read his undergraduate degree at the renowned sports institute, Loughborough University, then gained his PGCE at the University of Exeter.

Ian brings unrivalled experience to Brighton College Dubai sport having gained international honours in Rugby Union, Rugby 7's, Rugby League and basketball, as well as a number of professional clubs. Coaching and developing young sports men and women is now his number one passion, and he hopes his immense passion for sport will help inspire the pupils to live very successful and healthy lives. His number two passion is now golf. Having only taken up the game a few years ago due to "lock down" he has managed to get down to a 4 handicap. Feel free to challenge him to a round.

Catherine hails from Swindon in England. Before becoming a teacher, she studied at the University of North Texas in America where she competed as an international athlete on the Swimming and Diving team. She has a real passion for sports and is looking forward to helping pupils find a sport that they love and can enjoy!  
With her favourite style of dance being Contemporary, she is looking forward to getting involved with lots of  school productions at Brighton College Dubai.

A teacher and leader of eighteen years, Mr Ahmed has worked within the Brighton College family since 2017, formerly working as Deputy Head of Arabic at Brighton College Abu Dhabi.  In addition to his strong academic successes in the classroom, Mr Ahmed has delivered professional development workshops for teachers across the Middle East and North Africa

Lené started her academic training with a BEd.Psych degree in Educational Psychology after which she specialised with a Master’s degree in Play Therapy followed by a PhD in Psychology. She has 17 years of extensive experience in working with children, staff, parents, and professional practitioners. She has managed and had solo responsibility for pastoral teams and wellbeing divisions within various schools and tertiary settings across the globe, with work experience in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and South Africa as well as the UAE. 

Her niche lies in her ability to connect with a child, and she believes that both parents and educators are important stakeholders and role players in enabling children to thrive. Lene provides a high-quality counselling and holistic intervention as well as preventative care and support to all. She is positive, adaptable and solution focused with a great sense of humour! Lené regards it as an honour to be able to invest in the lives of others with time, compassion and empathy.

Tony has been teaching Maths for twenty four years and holds an excellent track record of securing excellent outcomes for pupils. His experiences to date as a teacher and senior leader are wide-ranging; he has experience of special schools, international schools, new start schools  and academies. Alongside his teaching commitment, he has been an Assistant Head Teacher in Manchester for the past 15 years responsible for: curriculum development, assessment, timetabling and the training of new teachers. He looks forward to sharing his creativity and passion for maths with the pupils of Brighton College.

Aidan is originally from Ireland where he studied Mathematics and Education at University before he began his teaching career on the east coast of England. In 2018 he moved to the UAE to continue his teaching journey and has fallen in love with the culture.
 
Mathematics is a great passion of his and he considers himself fortunate to have the opportunity to teach the subject he loves. He has always enjoyed the challenge of solving difficult problems and coming up with solutions to complex tasks.  It is this challenge that motivates him to ensure each pupil gets the opportunity to realise their full potential in his classrooms.
 
Outside of school, Aidan plays hurling, football, tennis and from time to time he plays golf.  His other hobbies also include chess and other board games such as Scrabble and Dingbats.

Kari is currently the House Mistress of Hampden House and teaches Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Physical Education. Before entering the classroom, Kari was a Research Scientist at the University Hospital of South Manchester.

In her role as a Senior Chemistry and Biology teacher, Kari's team helped to secure some of the best GCSE and A levels exam marks in the UAE.  She graduated in 2007 from Queens University, North Carolina with a BSc Biochemistry Minor, following a full sports scholarship in lacrosse. She completed her PGCE at the University of Manchester and taught at Casterton School and the Blue Coat School before moving to the Brighton family in 2014.

Guy is originally from London in the UK and has a wealth of experience teaching science spanning the past 15 years. He completed his degree in Zoology and Mathematics at Leeds University and later a teaching qualification at Goldsmiths College in London. His science teaching career commenced in both the state and private systems in the UK and South Africa. Guy worked as Head of Science at one of the leading British boarding schools in Kenya before moving on to teach in Thailand and then later NLCS Jeju in South Korea.
 
Guy’s main aim is to make science fun through hands-on activities and creating a positive learning environment as well as developing independent learners who think critically. He also believes in  lifelong learning, and as such, was awarded an MA in Educational Leadership and Management with distinction in 2020, which he completed whilst teaching full time.

Lori holds a BA Hons in Spanish, French and Education and a Diploma in Education from Stirling University. During her degree, she spent a year as an English assistant in a French Lycée and six months as an assistant in Bilbao, Spain.  Once qualified, Lori taught French and Spanish in a senior school and the local feeder primary schools in Fife, Scotland. 

Whilst working in Fife, Lori created and implemented a primary Spanish course for MFL teachers to teach across the Fife region. Most recently, prior to working at Brighton College Dubai, Lori was Head of MFL for almost ten years in an outstanding school in Dubai.

She has worked in education for almost 15 years, working within schools in Fife, France, Spain and Dubai. She has undertaken a variety of roles including Head of MFL, mentor to university students and a mentor to her pupils and colleagues. She has organised successful school trips to France and Spain.

Throughout her teaching career, Lori has devised extensive curriculum materials ranging from KS1 to KS5 and has supported numerous pupils in Dubai to achieve their DELF certifications through the Alliance Française.   

Ian holds a BA Hons in Literature from Essex University, an MA in Literature from Leeds University, the National Professional Qualification for Headship and an assessment qualification awarded by the University of Durham and Edexcel. Prior to Brighton College Dubai, Ian worked at two other schools in the UAE, having previously spent 7 years as a Deputy Headteacher in an outstanding UK school and 17 years in a variety of other teaching and leadership roles.  

In total, Ian has worked in education for almost 30 years, in London, Yorkshire and Dubai. Additionally, he has been a Senior Examiner for Edexcel and OCR, setting A-Levels and the AEA in English Language and English Literature since 2001. He is currently a Fellow of the CIEA. He occasionally writes for publication: his most recent article (about the role of NFT’s and Media Ecology) was published in ‘The Media Magazine’ in September 2021.

Susan initially studied textiles and fashion at Dundee University before working for seven years in museum and gallery education across Scotland. She obtained PGCE from Edinburgh University with distinction before teaching in Scotland for a number of years. 

Susan moved to Dubai in 2013, running a highly successful department at Latifa School for Girls before moving to Doha College, Qatar, ranked as one of the best international schools in the Middle East.  She is immensely proud of the results of her pupils, both at Latifa School and Doha College which have been consistently outstanding with pupils often being awarded the coveted ‘top mark in the world’ award at GCSE and A Level. 

Throughout her career, Mrs Walker has been dedicated to helping pupils achieve their full potential. She believes that education is not only about acquiring knowledge but also about inspiring pupils to become lifelong learners.  

Susan actively encourages pupils to participate in opportunities outside the classroom, such as external exhibitions, awards and competitions. She is particularly interested in photography and the development of digital media and looks forward to working with pupils and staff to develop this further.  

When she is not teaching, Mrs Walker enjoys spending time with her family, travel, photography and keeping fit. She is excited to be part of the vibrant Brighton College community and to build upon the excellent work currently taking place within the Art department and further afield.

Before joining Brighton College Dubai, Sophie held the position of Head of German at St. Julian's School, a British international school in Portugal.

She holds an MA in Translation Studies and began her teaching career in England 12 years ago. As a German Language Assistant at Millfield School, she fell in love with teaching, and after completing the Graduate Teacher Programme, moved to Dubai in 2014. For 5 years, she was the Head of German at the outstanding-rated Dubai British School. Whilst she was there, German pupils went on to achieve the best IGCSE results in the school’s history.

Another proud moment in Sophie’s career was implementing a brand new yoga curriculum for all Key Stage 3 pupils to promote mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

As a dedicated, multilingual and global educator, Sophie always aim to instil a real passion for, and curiosity of, a language and its culture in her pupils. She believes language learning must be fun and relevant to modern life and the real world.

In her free time, Sophie enjoys practising and teaching yoga, exploring new places, keeping fit, vegan baking and playing the piano.

Before joining Brighton College Dubai, Michael held the position of Head of Science at Flixton Girls School, an 11-18 high school in Manchester, UK. He has 21 years of experience, 14 of which as Head of Science, 5 as an Advanced Skills teacher and in addition to this he holds the title of Specialist Leader in Education.

Michael received his Bachelor of Science degree in Key Stage 2/3 Education and Science with Qualified Teacher Status, from Liverpool John Moores University in 2001 and immediately began teaching. Chemistry is his specialism, but over the years he has taught all three Sciences to a high standard.

Throughout his career he has consistently demonstrated the capability of being an expert in Teaching and Learning and has the skills to create a shared vision and strategic plan which motivates both pupils and staff and leads to outstanding outcomes for all involved.

Sophia qualified as a teacher from the University of Aberystwyth in 2012, having obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Liverpool in 2009. She joined Brighton College Dubai from St George’s - an independent girls’ school in Ascot, where she held the position of Head of English for three years. Prior to this, Sophia worked at Radnor House, Twickenham, for three years as the Head of English.

Sophia has a keen interest in research based practice and enjoys implementing her findings into schemes of learning and resources in the classroom. She believes in constantly learning and striving to improve her teaching - that a teacher’s love for their subject is infectious and at the core of great teaching. She aims to ensure that her ‘ardour for literature’ permeates all that she does. Sophia has experience running wide range of initiatives - from book clubs to speaking competitions - and is looking forward to contributing to the co-curricular life of Brighton College Dubai. Sophia is - somewhat predictably - a very keen reader and also enjoys cooking and baking.

After obtaining his RPT Tennis coaching level 2 in 2009, John began his coaching career as Junior tennis pro at David Lloyd health and fitness club. He has also recently passed his Swim teaching Level 2 and looks forward to using these new skills. John moved to Dubai in October 2021 and has since enjoyed travelling and exploring the UAE.
 
John’s main aim is to actively encourage all pupils to participate in new and exciting sports, while focusing on developing leadership and teamwork that will be invaluable as they progress through Brighton College. 
 
Outside of school life, he loves to travel and explore new places. John enjoys all sports but particularly tennis, golf and football.  Having run his first London Marathon last year, John plans to continue to train and hopes to complete another marathon this year. 

After achieving a distinction level Masters of Education at Queen’s University Belfast in 2019, Mrs Saul started her teaching career at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire where she was Teacher of English and Deputy Head of House. 

There, Grace was part of a collaborative department where pupils achieved outstanding GCSE and A-Level results. Additionally, she really enjoys contributing to the pastoral area of school life and promoting the importance of well-being to pupils. In August 2022, she moved to the Dominican Republic and have since been working in British Schools. 

Grace enjoys reading contemporary fiction and inspiring pupils to read texts from a range of diverse cultures. A core value that she intends to uphold in the classroom is ensuring that all students feel included and supported to enable them to flourish, and she hopes to continue this at Brighton College Dubai. 

Mrs Saul is looking forward to contributing towards the wider aspects of school life and she is excited to motivate pupils through setting up stimulating extra-curricular activities. She finds that this is an effective way to build positive relationships with pupils both inside and outside the classroom. 

Outside of teaching, Grace enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures and she is excited to be part of a vibrant community.

Alexander started his career as a Geography Teacher in a large school in London, UK and also worked to support the pastoral care of pupils as Deputy Head of Year. Following five successful years in the UK, he moved to China as Head of Humanities at Dulwich College Suzhou, implementing a range of field trips to support Geography coursework. From China, he moved to South Korea and worked at Dulwich College Seoul where he helped pupils to implement sustainable initiatives within the school community.

Alexander has taught Geography across the 11-19 age range and has a wealth of syllabus development experience in addition to working with pupils on strategies to maximise examination technique.

Outside the classroom, his interests include issues around sustainability, travel and spending time with his family.

Alastair grew up in Lincolnshire, England and studied for his degree at The University of Sheffield before completing his PGCE at Bishop Grosseteste University College in Lincoln. He then taught at a large Secondary school in Lincoln for 12 years, becoming Head of Mathematics, followed by a position at an independent school, also in Lincoln, where he worked for almost six years.

He has always had a passion for sport with football, cricket, running, swimming, cycling and fitness training featuring highly and even took part in the 100 mile Ride London cycling event last May.

Mostafa holds a degree in Islamic Studies is from Al Azhar University, Egypt, and has a wealth of experience teaching Arabic B pupils across all levels, having completed his TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training in Dubai. He has extensive experience teaching Islamic Studies in Dubai across a range of high achieving schools, at which his hard work and dedication was appreciated by his colleagues as well as by DSIB.

Mostafa is confident to say that his passion for exploring the true values and morals of Islamic education is in finding its relevance to his pupils.  He considers his excitement and enthusiasm to inspire the next generation to live up to the high values of Islam and to instil in them the responsibility of being good human beings and excellent citizens is his greatest accomplishment.

Mostafa is spiritual and likes to explore different dimensions of nature – in particular the natural world and human nature. When he is not teaching, you will find him reading. He also loves the outdoors, travelling and playing chess.

Charles graduated from Middlesex University in London with a first-class degree in Accounting and Finance, then worked as an accountant while studying to be a certified accountant. 
 
He trained to teach at an outstanding school, Harris Purley Academy. In 2021, he started at Cheam High School, an outstanding school, where he later rose to the position of A-Level Economics subject leader. Excellent GCSE results were achieved by Cheam High School pupils, and many sixth-formers gained offers from Russell Group universities. 
 
Mr Amoh-Wiredu mentored several young people and helped them to realise their full potential in their academic work, money management, and personal relationships.
  
His A-level Economics pupils at Cheam High School received exceptional grades setting a record for the sixth form in the August 2022 A-Level results.  Charles will transfer his skills and experience to Brighton College Dubai and will continue to have a positive impact on the community by helping pupils to realise their talents and potential to achieve their goals in life. 
  
Charles has always been actively involved in co-curricular activities, and he is excited to offer an exciting co-curricular programme at Brighton College Dubai where pupils will learn about money management. 
  
Away from school, Charles likes to bake, cook, travel with family and friends, watch TV shows and action films.

Casey began her teaching career at Kingston Grammar School in London, 6 years ago, where she gained a wealth of experience teaching the various areas of Design and Technology. Her additional roles, as Assistant Head of Year and Race Equality Ambassador, gave her the opportunity to support pupils beyond the classroom which is paramount in order for them to succeed academically and socially. 

Mrs Beckford aims to create a classroom environment where pupils enjoy their lessons, are engaged and feel inspired. She encourages high aspiration, by sharing her passion for design and innovation. She continues to develop my professional practice,and feels it is important to commit to lifelong learning to ensure her teaching is reflective of the world we live in today. 

Casey understands that giving pupils opportunities to explore, find their passions and meet like-minded peers is an important part of school life. She is looking forward to contributing to the school’s co-curricular activities and is keen to introduce a Junior Modelling Club.  

In her own time Casey likes to travel and she is excited about exploring Dubai in the near future. She feels most inspired after visiting galleries and museums. Mrs Beckford works best with brief design and make cake toppers, cards, wedding stationery and other crafts. 

Mrs Thompson is a passionate and dedicated educator who is committed to ensuring that every pupil receives an exceptional learning experience. With a First-Class Honours degree in Computer Studies, she began my teaching career in 2005, specialising in secondary ICT and Computing. 

For nearly eight years, Xiao led the Computing and ICT department at an outstanding Sixth Form College in London, achieving excellent results in A Level ICT and A Level Computer Science. She also taught Computer Science from KS3 to KS5 in several good secondary schools in Southeast London, gaining solid experience to become a robust classroom practitioner.  

Many of the pupils she taught have gone on to study Computer Science at universities such as Edinburgh, Bath, UCL, Southampton, Warwick, Sheffield, and Cambridge.  Additionally, a number of them have been recruited by leading IT companies like Capgemini for higher apprenticeships. 

As the new Head of Computer Science at Brighton College Dubai, Mrs Thomspon's main goal is to ensure consistent Quality First Teaching that is engaging, challenging, and fun. She uses a variety of strategies to ensure all pupils are included and supported in lessons and that each lesson's learning objectives are met, and pupils are making consistent progress.  

Her philosophy in teaching is to develop lifelong learners who are independent problem solvers for the real world. 

When not in the classroom, Xiao loves running and spending time outdoors. She has been training with British Military Outdoor Fitness weekly since 2010 and enjoys hiking, yoga, and meditation. With great enthusiasm, she looks forward to exploring the captivating beauty of Dubai and the UAE, gaining insights into their fascinating culture, and building friendships with the welcoming inhabitants. 

With a passion for teaching and a commitment to pupil success, Xiao looks forward to being a part of the Brighton College Dubai community and help shape the futures of our pupils.

Upon completion of his studies at the University of Nottingham, Matthew trained as a History teacher at Canterbury Christchurch University before commencing his professional career at the Skinners’ School, Royal Tunbridge Wells in 2010.

Subsequently, Mr Flower moved to one of the original nine public schools, Merchant Taylors’ Northwood in 2014, and in his capacity as a Housemaster he have played a major role in growing the pastoral and wellbeing support programmes at Taylors’.

As a historian, Matthew's specialisms include British Medieval Kingship, post-Reconstruction America, Nazi Germany and the Cold War. As an energetic and innovative teacher, he uses lessons to promote independent thinking, with each and every pupil being encouraged to freely express, debate and challenge their knowledge and ideas.

In Mr Flower's eyes, the Humanities department should always be at the forefront of scholarship, and his mantra will be to encourage pupils to enjoy the academic curiosity that our faculty allows.

Beyond the classroom, Matthew's main passion include sport and travel. Having visited over seventy countries around the globe, he relishes putting on my backpack and heading off on new adventures. He cannot wait to trade the hustle and bustle of London for the diverse landscapes and cultures of the Middle East and he intends on using his love of travel to create unique opportunities for his pupils, starting with an overseas expedition in his first year.  

After her formal Drama school training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Hattie began her career as an actor.

After 5 years, she started her own company where she taught co-curricular Drama in schools all across London to children who aspired to be performers themselves. The success of her company fuelled her love of teaching and empowered her to train as a Drama teacher at Goldsmiths University.

Ms Seaton has taught most recently at Emanuel School, an ISI ‘double excellent’ school, within the vibrant Drama department which won the Independent School for The Performing Arts Award.

She is incredibly passionate about her subject and the tools it offers every pupil.

Hattie aims to bring in a variety of exciting co-curricular Drama opportunities for pupils across BCD as she believes this is an integral part of how Drama becomes part of the school's traditions and foundation. She takes pride in creating a joyful, respectful, and inspiring classroom experience for her pupils which motivates them to be the best versions of themselves. Hattie is a big believer in encouraging a love of learning and therefore can’t wait to meet the curious and creative young minds at Brighton College Dubai.

Outside of school life, Ms Seaton loves to travel, explore new places, and spend time with family and friends in the sunshine.

Pallavi has worked as Head of Inclusion /SENCO  in many international  schools in Dubai  and have  been in the field of special education since 15 years and since 2014 in Dubai.  She completed her  Masters in Special and Inclusive Education in 2012 from Roehampton University , London and was also awarded Roehampton 2025 Scholarship among five students across the world.  She has also completed CPT3A qualification for access arrangements and recently completed NPQSL from UCL , London.

She has worked across many curriculums Including British, IB , American and Indian across India , UK and Dubai.

Her expertise lies in Early intervention , Dyslexia , Autism and various neuro- developmental disorders and she is passionate about working with all age groups. She believes in removing barriers in order for children to achieve their full potential.

Through the myriads of magical and fulfilling experiences , she feels that she has  developed empathy over the years and can connect to children and their families. In doing so , she hopes to make a difference , however little in their lives.