MFL Senior Faculty Leader - Rachel Burman

A passionate linguist with a love for travel, Rachel spent a year in Lyon, France as part of a degree in French and Geography from Swansea University.  She then taught English as a foreign language in rural Japan and Madrid. Rachel completed her PGCE in French at Exeter University and taught in Farnham, Surrey for three years.  During this time she also organised educational visits to France and became assistant head of year.  Rachel then moved to a designated language college in Frimley, Surrey where, amongst other things, she mentored PGCE students and NQTs and established a French exchange. Eager for further adventures, Rachel moved to the Dubai British School and become faculty leader of Modern Foreign Languages.  Her achievements include co-ordinating a whole-school international week and supporting her colleague’s professional development. Rachel’s favourite teacher was Mr Sinnett who taught her French.  The lessons were always fun and he had a fabulous collection of bell-bottomed flares.

Teacher of Mordern Foreign Languages - Noredine Charef

Noredine is a French national who holds two Masters in the teaching of foreign languages (French & English).  He is currently working on a PhD with the University of Paris. He has worked as a professional translator for a publishing house and as a teaching assistant at the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He then taught French Language and Modern Literature at Wabash College, Indiana, USA. After then teaching in secondary schools in France and in UK, where he obtained his Qualified Teacher Status through the Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CiLT), London, Noredine came to the UAE in 2002 where he has enjoyed teaching modern foreign languages in British schools.

Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages - Steven Vadgama

Steven graduated from the University of London Goldsmiths’ College with a B.A. (Joint Honours) in German & French in 1991. He spent the third year of his four year degree course working as an English Language Assistant at a school in Aubervilliers, a northern suburb of Paris. After graduating, Steven spent another year as an English Language Assistant, but this time at a school in Erlangen in southern Germany. Whilst in Erlangen, he also taught English to the employees at Puma. On returning to England, he completed a TEFL Certificate and worked from 1993 to 1996 as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language at a language school in Ingolstadt in southern Germany, where he mainly taught the employees of Audi. Steven then decided that he wanted to become a school teacher and completed the PGCE in German & French at the University of London’s Institute of Education in 1997.  He started his teaching career at Sunbury Manor School, where he worked for two years before moving on to The Heathland School in Hounslow, West London, where he worked for seven years. Steven has been teaching German and French at DBS since September 2007.

Teacher of Modern Forgeign Languages - Beverley Rodwell

Beverley graduated in 1995 with a BA (Hons) in European Studies with Spanish and had a variety of jobs before completing her Secondary MFL PGCE at the College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth in 2002. She spent a year working in South Devon and then in 2003 came to the UAE and worked at the British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi for four years. Beverley worked for the BSA group in Washington DC for a year before returning to Dubai British School in 2008. Currently at DBS she is the subject leader for Spanish, assists with Key Stage 5 and recently ran the school's successful trip to Madrid. Beverly is involved with the Secondary Choir and invariably gets involved with music performances.  Outside of work Beverley and her husband Stephen love to travel the world and spend time with their families in the UK.

Teacher of Modern Forgeign Languages - Noella Cuven

Noëlla completed her degree in History and French literature and her PGCE at Southampton University, England. She subsequently worked in Southampton for 10 years where she taught French and Spanish to students from KS2 to KS4, most recently has Head of Foreign Languages. Throughout her career, Noëlla has also taught English as an Additional Language, PSHE and other responsibilities have included mentoring trainee teachers.

Noëlla is very much looking forward to working at Dubai British School where she hopes to pass on her energy and enthusiasm as a MFL teacher and to share this passion and commitment with all her students.