Secondary History & Geography Team

I am from Scotland and went to the University of Glasgow to study an MA Geography. Although Scotland will always have my heart, I moved to Dubai in 2016 and instantly found my second home.  I have held previous posts as Head of Year and Head of Humanities within Dubai and joined DBS EH in 2021 as Head of the Humanities Faculty. 

I am originally from Edinburgh and went to Newcastle for University and never went home! I have always loved History, I especially like visiting places and buildings of historical importance and interest. As I progressed through university I worked with various youth groups and decided I would like to become a teacher. Unlocking the secrets of the past and encouraging pupils to always question evidence they see in front of them, and to express their own opinions is what I love most about being a History Teacher. Outside of work I love to try new foods, enjoy a new book and love watching movies. Most Memorable Teaching Moment For me there are two memorable moments that I cherish each year. The first is results day for our pupils, every year I am astounded by how our pupils perform, there is nothing better than sharing the joy of pupils achieving their goals or better. The second is when something finally clicks into place with my pupils and they have that 'Ah Ha!' moment. Where they know they can do anything that they set their mind to, whether that is remembering a tricky piece of knowledge or mastering source evaluation skills.

I was born and raised in the West Coast of Scotland and I have taught in both Scotland and Dubai and I must say I prefer working in the sunshine! I studied at the University of Glasgow where I graduated with a MA Politics before pursuing a teaching career. In my spare time I am currently studying for a Diploma in Counselling, the skills that I am developing through this are coming in very handy in my role as Head of Year. I thoroughly enjoy my role as Head of Year alongside teaching History, it is rewarding to see students developing as a whole, and not just within one subject area. I am looking forward to continuing to work with my current year group as they progress through the school and share in their successes. During the school holidays I love travelling and exploring new destinations, I have been to over 30 different countries with my favourites including Nicaragua and Thailand. My goal is to visit 50 different countries and see all of the 'New 7 Wonders of the World', I have visited 3 so far! Best Moment In Teaching My best moment in teaching so far would have to been after my first year of teaching when the exam results came in, I was just as nervous as the students. It felt so rewarding to see them so happy with their results and share in their successes, it was at that point I knew I had made the right choice going into teaching!

I graduated from the University of Wales Swansea in 2004 with a BA in History and Politics. I then completed my PGCE in my home city of Cardiff before embarking on a teaching career overseas. This began in Singapore and then moved onto Qatar - both were incredibly rewarding and exciting experiences. From there I moved to Dubai and have taught at DBS since 2016. Needless to say I love to travel and have visited more than 30 countries whilst living and working internationally. I am also a massive sports fan, with a particular love for cricket and, being a proud welshman, rugby. I live here in Dubai with my wife who is also a teacher and two young sons, Dylan and Elis. Best Moment In Teaching: There are countless examples of student success that have given me great pleasure throughout my teaching career, but some of the most memorable have been outside of the classroom, such as seeing students develop and flourish at Model United Nations conferences, along with coaching the winning U12 rugby team during my first year at DBS. Da Iawn boys!