ARCADIA DEVELOPMENT BOARD

Mr Robert Kesterton

Acting Principal - Jumeirah College

Rob Kesterton, is the acting Principal of Jumeirah College: an ‘Outstanding’ English Curriculum secondary school. He is the son of two teachers, the husband of a teacher and the father of three boys, enabling him to enjoy a unique insight into education for as long as he can remember. Rob is a History and Politics teacher by training, although he began his career as a Teaching Assistant in a pupil referral unit in the UK. He taught in a variety of contexts in the South-East of England, before moving to Dubai 13 years ago. He has been at Jumeirah College since then, and been fortunate to be entrusted with several roles including: leading on Teaching and Learning; Data and Assessment; Examinations; Curriculum Design; Timetabling; and the line management of the Heads of the Department team.

Rob's educational philosophy is simple: happy students are more likely to be successful students, where a safe and nurturing environment, filled with engaging experiences and the right level of challenge, is how to create lifelong learners. Rob believes that if students are able to self-manage their learning, they are more likely to be successful in both the short and long term and the role of educators is to spark their curiosity, and to encourage them to embrace problem solving, critical thinking and enquiry, as a challenge accepted. Rob is confident that Arcadia mirrors his educational philosophy; which is why he is so keen to work alongside the school leaders as an educational support and advisor.

Mrs Sarah Lambert MA (Oxon), MSc (Oxon), PGCE, FCCT

English Teacher, Oracy lead and Competitive University Counsellor

Sarah Lambert is an experienced English teacher and examiner who currently teaches English, Latin and HPQ/EPQ at Dubai College, having previously taught at RGS Guildford (UK) and Guildford High School. Sarah read English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford and completed her PGCE there too, teaching at John Mason School, Abingdon and Banbury School. At Dubai College, Sarah is responsible for Oxbridge applications and is a Specialist Leader in Education, developing oracy and Harkness lessons across the school; she is a Voice 21 International Oracy Leader too. Founder of the Dubai Oracy Hub, a platform through which practitioners and academics can share ideas and promote oracy, Sarah champions the use of talk in classrooms to enhance learning and develop students’ confidence in using their voices and listening to the views of others. Sarah’s MSc Learning and Teaching research looked at the positive impact of Harkness lessons on students’ confidence and her NPQSL project focused on embedding and tracking oracy progress in KS3 lessons across departments. Sarah has delivered oracy CPD sessions to several schools in Dubai and has presented at national and international conferences, including the Global Schools Festival (with Professor Neil Mercer) and the Speaking Citizens Conference: The Uses of Oracy. When not teaching, Sarah can be found leading a Cub Scout Pack, reading, or sailing with her family.

Mrs Marwa Yassin

HOD/Teacher of Islamic Education - High School
Coach & Trainer of the K-12 Islamic Curriculum Team
Dubai American Academy

Marwa is an experienced educator with over 18 years of experience in the field of teaching. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and is currently completing her Master's degree in Islamic Studies and in Leadership and Management. Her passion for teaching and training, combined with her commitment to student success, has made her a respected and valued member of the education community.

For the first 10 years of her teaching career, Marwa taught English as a second language and served as a team leader, where she coached and trained her colleagues. She then moved to Dubai Academic Academy (DAA) and took on the role of Islamic Teacher and Head of Department for the past 9 years. In her current role, Marwa serves as a coach for the Islamic K- 12 curriculum team.

Marwa is also a trainer at Gems, where she has conducted over 10 workshops across Gems schools as well as for external organizations. Her dynamic and engaging teaching style has earned her recognition as an effective and knowledgeable educator.

In her personal life, Marwa is married and has five children. When she is not teaching, she enjoys cooking and spending quality time with her family. With her strong educational background and passion for teaching, Marwa is a valuable asset to any school or organization.

Mrs Alison Peterson

Headteacher - The English School, Kuwait

Alison Peterson is the Headteacher at The English School, an outstanding British Prep school in Kuwait. Having lived in the Middle East since childhood and working at a variety of schools within Kuwait, Alison has invaluable knowledge and experience of the region. In addition, she has worked at a range of schools in London. During her career, Alison has worked with all age ranges from Early Years to Year 13, and strongly believes that pastoral care plays an integral aspect in a successful education. She is passionate about safeguarding and has played a leading role in initiating change and support within Kuwait schools and for DSLs in the region. She is a member of IAPS and an ISI inspector, in addition to having close working relationships with BSME, COBIS and AoBSO. Alison enjoys building positive and inclusive experiences for children in international schools and is excited to be a part of Arcadia’s enriching journey.

Mr Andrew Wilson

AGS Founding Principal

Andrew is an experienced international educator who has helped transform Westminster School, Sharjah into a high performing school. Andrew believes passionately in building positive relationships with the school community and providing an enriched curriculum which stimulate child learning experiences.

Andrew previously served as Assistant Head at the outstanding Jumeirah College, before being appointed as the Vice Principal and Deputy CEO at Westminster. Prior to this, Andrew was the Director of Learning at one of the best comprehensive schools in the UK and National UK Award-winning Geography teacher and departmental leader.

Andrew holds Post Graduate qualifications in Educational Leadership and Secondary Education, a BA(Hons) in Geography and is currently pursuing his National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH). Andrew is a dynamic, enthusiastic and highly skilled student-focused educational leader. Outside of education, he is a loving father and family man, keen sportsman with a passion for playing golf, supporting his beloved England cricket team and Derby County football team.

Arcadia Global School Al Furjan (AGS) will be the third school of the Arcadia Group, following in the footsteps of the National Award Winning sister schools, Arcadia Primary and Arcadia High School in JVT. AGS will focus on the National Curriculum for England in the primary years in the first year of operations and eventually moving on to the GCSE and A Level programme as the secondary phase opens from September 2024. Andrew will join the other centre principals under the stewardship of the Executive Principal Giles Pruett.

Arcadia Education are tremendously excited at the proposition of working with Andrew who has made a significant contribution to improving the quality of education in the UAE during his last twelve years.

Mrs Holly Simpson

AGS Vice Principal and Head of Primary

Holly, a proud Welsh woman passionate about education, has spent 11 years in the UAE working in leadership positions at Ras Al Khaimah Academy and GEMS Education. She has experience in start-up schools, growing capacity, and creating a warm and welcoming culture. Holly has now been appointed as Vice Principal at Arcadia Global, where she aims to drive academic development through the school's core values of health, happiness, and well-being. With a BA (Hons) in Primary Studies and QTS and completing her National Professional Qualification for Headship, Holly is dedicated to preparing children for life by promoting emotional mastery and helping them reach their full potential.