Ben Crowder

I come from a stunning part of the South of Ireland called Killorglin, County Kerry. I started my teaching career in Dublin and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there.  I always had a desire to move abroad and experience new cultures, travel and gain international experience. I was so thrilled when I got an opportunity to move to Dubai in 2016. During my time here, I have loved teaching in Foundation Stage and in Year One. I am enthusiastic and passionate about teaching Year One. I adore the creative and imaginative aspects of teaching Year One as well as seeing the children develop a love and a zest for learning. It is wonderful to see their independence and confidence thrive throughout their time in Year One.    In my spare time, I love going for walks along the beach and hiking in the beautiful rocky mountains of the UAE. I also enjoy reading, getting lost in story books and listening to podcasts. My favourite part about living in Dubai is having so many incredible opportunities to travel and experience new places around this wonderful world!   BEST MOMENT IN TEACHING   One of my favourite moments was during my second year teaching in Dublin when our principal announced she was retiring the following school year. We planned a special assembly with the children. A child in my class who was always a little reluctant to share his feelings wrote the most beautiful and heartwarming speech. I shared his speech with my colleagues and it melted everyone’s hearts - we knew we had to get him to read it on the night. He was not overly confident but after lots of practice, on the night he read it and he had the whole place standing on their feet! He made everyone laugh and cry, and at the end he had the biggest smile on his face! Forever a stand out moment for me seeing him beaming with pride!  

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.