Sarah Reynolds

I graduated with a Degree in Physical Education in 2000 and worked in Essex for six years as a PE teacher, then as a Head of ICT, before moving to the North East of England. I then worked in Consett, Co, Durham for thirteen years in a variety of roles from Head of Department, Head of Year and then to become an Assistant Head. I have always had a passion for finding new ways to support students learning, particularly through the use of technology, and I enjoying bringing these into my teaching practice. I moved to Dubai in the summer of 2019 to become the Assistant Head Teacher for the whole of DBS. I came with my wife and son and have loved the difference in lifestyle that we have experienced since moving from the chilly North East of England. We enjoy getting out into the desert camping, going to the beach or using some of the fantastic facilities that we have for exercising. Best Moment In Teaching Seeing the students that you have worked with over many years, open their envelope on results day and get the results that they truly deserve. It is a great feeling knowing that you have helped contribute in a small way to their future.

After graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Education, specialising in English and Special Educational Needs, I commenced my teaching career in a small inner-city primary school before making the move back to Northern Ireland to further my teaching profession. I had the pleasure of managing and actively working in a learning support centre for children with Specific Speech and Language disorders and Autism, an area that I am passionate about. Working in this capacity fulfilled one of my life-long ambitions and provided me with opportunities to work within multidisciplinary teams within my local education authority. I made the move to Dubai in 2012 with my two children and husband and during this time I have completed my Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) qualification, Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment and Access Arrangements (CPT3A) and continue to advance my career in Senior Leadership studies. I was delighted to an instrumental component of the Inclusion Department when we were awarded the MENA SEN department 2017. I have also had the pleasure in hosting training workshops with established training providers, which has allowed me to share my knowledge with other professionals. Best Moment In Teaching In the capacity that I work there is nothing that brings me greater pleasure than seeing my students achieve goals that they thought were impossible. Those light bulb moments are priceless and each time they are achieved. I get the greatest sense of accomplishment and a reminder of why I love the job that I do.

Sarah was born and raised in Berkshire, England. Having completed her music degree at Durham University, and later her post-graduate teaching qualification at the University of Cambridge, Sarah began teaching in 2006. Working in Cambridgeshire and later Berkshire, Sarah undertook a range of leadership roles which raised standards of teaching and learning, particularly with regards to Mathematics, and Gifted and Talented students.   In 2011 Sarah moved to Dubai and led schools within Kings’ Education, an outstanding schools group. There, she continued to raise standards and improve outcomes across a range of areas including Arabic, SEND, Phonics and Mathematics. She also reignited her passion for music and the performing arts and in doing so designed a performance-based approach to the arts curriculum, which galvanized the school community through shared experiences, and inspired an increase of students to pursue arts-based interests.   Sarah joined Taaleem in 2021, and both here and at Kings’ has led schools through over 10 years of successful inspections, rated ‘Outstanding’ by both the British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspectorate and Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB).   Holding the National Professional Qualification for Headship and as an accredited facilitator for the NPQ school leadership programs, Sarah enjoys developing leaders both within her school and across the middle east.   In her role as Principal, Sarah is passionate about inspiring students with a dynamic and exciting range of opportunities in leadership, the arts, social entrepreneurship and sports to support them in achieving more than they ever thought possible. She intends for her students to graduate as confident young adults, with a supportive network of relationships, and memories that will provide them with a lasting connection to their time spent at DBS Emirates Hills.

My first career passion was military aviation and I joined the Royal Air Force part time straight after my A-levels. After subsequently gaining a First in Physics from Oxford, I joined the RAF full time to train as a fast jet pilot, until that career was cut short on medical grounds. After leaving the RAF, I joined J.P. Morgan as a trader, and spent over 15 years working in finance in London, New York and Hong Kong, becoming a senior leader managing a global line of business for a division of AIG. In all these years I took on many training roles, and the most satisfying part of my job was helping and coaching hundreds of people to understand complex financial mathematics better, so when I decided to leave finance, I followed my passion for education full time. Whilst studying at the University of Sunderland for my PGCE (remotely), I also founded, built and managed a tutoring school in Hong Kong and competed in a sailing class world championship. I began teaching at a bilingual Mandarin and English speaking school and rapidly gained educational leadership experience as Deputy Head in Maths, Acting Head of Maths, and Head of Years 7 and then 8. As a committed life-long learner, I also began to study Psychology at the University of Derby and in gaining my MSc I found a passion for Positive Psychology, learning extensively about how well-being, performance and attainment are intertwined. This eventually led me to become the Head of Positive Education for senior years at another prestigious school in Dubai, where I helped design and implement a global award-winning Positive Education programme. Best teaching moment? When a whole class reminds me to add “yet” to the end of a sentence! My teaching practice is grounded in growth mindset coaching and all my students know that “I can’t do this YET”, is a far superior statement to “I can’t do this”. So if I ever give them a chance to demonstrate that mindset by making a statement such as “I can’t play the piano”, it is so rewarding when a whole class chants “yet” to me.

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, 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 focussed 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 eleven Specialist Leaders in Education on regional school improvement deployments. 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. It is with real excitement that my family and I prepare to join 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 or in any information I am able to glean from those who know it well. I am particularly looking forward to learning from the superb staff working across the DBSEH journey from foundation to graduation and meeting the students who make the school such a special place to be. Moreover, as ‘dad’, I can’t wait to see my 13 year old and 3 year old daughters continue to thrive in this next chapter of their lives in such a supportive and inspirational environment. BEST MOMENT IN TEACHING: Success takes so many different forms and so it’s hard to pin down such a specific thing as a best moment. Seeing a young person discover something new about themselves, take pride in something they have done or simply bring out the best in someone else is what makes me love being a teacher and having the privilege of working in schools. When any person witnesses and reflects upon their own capacity to make a difference, whether through their skills, values or mindset it serves as a reminder of their innate power and their responsibility to develop and use it. So, the moments that mean the most to me are those when young people, through their challenges and achievements, gain a little more insight into who they are, what they are capable of and who they want to be.

An inspiring leader, committed to ensuring outstanding holistic educational provision, Georgia is excited to be joining Dubai British School - Emirates Hills in August. After graduating from Liverpool Hope University College in 1999 with a Bachelor of Education degree and Honours in English Literature, Georgia began her teaching career in a large diverse school in Newham, East London. With a passion for Literacy and expressive and performing arts, it was here where she gained her first leadership role as Head of English and Drama. While working in Newham, Georgia also developed a keen interest in inclusive education, working with the local education authority and other external consultancies in developing provision for gifted and talented children. Georgia also became a mentor during this time supporting students and newly qualified teachers, sparking a life-long and genuine interest in empowering and developing others. In 2002, Georgia moved to Dubai where she spent the first 14 years teaching at two outstanding British curriculum primary schools, contributing significantly to their strategic and innovative development through an extensive range of teaching and leadership roles including English Leader, Gifted and Talented Leader, Advanced Skills Teacher and Phase Leader for Upper Key Stage 2. During this time, Georgia also successfully completed her ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) Level 3 Coaching Award from the British School of Coaching.

Having loved my own time at school, I knew from an early age that I wanted to teach children and provide them with the love for education that I am so lucky to have. Having graduated from the University of Greenwich in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Primary Education Studies, specialising in English and Special Educational Needs, I taught and led on a range of curriculum areas in schools in Kent, as well as becoming Assistant Head Teacher before making the exciting decision to move to Dubai . Since moving to Dubai in 2013, I have taught in two other outstanding British International schools where I have taken the lead on outstanding curriculum provision. I am passionate about providing children with learning experiences that whilst providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge and understandings they need in order to advance in their respective learning journeys, will ignite a passion for lifelong learning and that they will remember fondly when they reflect on their school days in years to come. I am so excited to be joining the DBS community about which I have heard so many great things. My visits to the school, have shown me what a wonderful, welcoming place it is and I am enjoying getting to know the children and staff and looking forward to meeting and working with you as parents. I have loved following recent events such as the Platinum Jubilee Performances and rehearsals for the Year 6 production and I cannot wait to be involved in them all ‘for real’. When I’m not in school, I love to travel and immerse myself in new cultures. I love to read and this year I plan to reignite my love of learning languages by taking German lessons.