SAFEGUARDING

After graduating from The University of Glasgow (PGDE Primary), Paul Fisher embarked on his teaching career, working across Key Stage 1 and 2. Following a move to Dubai in 2017, Paul Fisher moved into a leadership role as Head of Key Stage 1. This role then evolved into Assistant Principal, where Paul Fisher was responsible for the strategic development of the school.

Paul Fisher has always been an advocate for innovative teaching and has worked with local authorities in the UK to expand their use of technology within the classroom. He has experience in curriculum development and adaptation to enhance its ability to meet the needs of all learners. He believes learning should be fun, purposeful and engaging for the children.

As a teacher, Paul Fisher is passionate about inclusion. He believes that meeting the needs of all learners is vital to ensuring that all children feel successful and are able to reach their full potential. Mr Fisher believes that a positive, successful and enjoyable time at primary will inspire children to become lifelong learners.

Paul Fisher is delighted to become a member of the Arcadia team. It is a very exciting time to become a part of the Arcadia team as the school is growing from strength to strength.

As a founding member of staff, Alice James has been heavily involved in the development of the teaching and learning in Key Stage Two at Arcadia. As a highly skilled Year 3 Class Teacher, Alice understands the transition from Key Stage One to Key Stage Two and the importance of planning and delivering high quality lessons that cater for all abilities and learning styles as well as using a range assessment tools to identify gaps and misconceptions.

During her time at Arcadia, Alice has also furthered her passion for leadership. In January 2018, she was appointed as Head of Mathematics. As a core subject leader, Alice was responsible for further developing the quality and consistency of the teaching and learning of Maths from Foundation Stage to Upper Key Stage Two. Alice completed action research into a variety of schemes of work, implemented new initiatives to raise attainment and progress of students and regularly planned and delivered continual professional development for members of staff. In addition to this role, Alice also took on the role of Lower Key Stage Two leader in September 2018 which involved leading the team of Year 3 and 4 Class teachers and utilising assessment and data to make improvements to teaching and learning across LKS2.

Using her experience in leading Mathematics, Alice has been successfully appointed as Core Subject Coordinator this academic year. In the role, Alice is working closely with the Core Subject Leaders to develop consistency across the school, further develop teaching and learning in all subject areas through strategic planning, creating a network of schools through cluster meetings to share good practice and make improvements to quality assurance. Alice is also working on curriculum design and adaptation with a particular focus on concept based learning.

CDA Licensed Counselling Psychologist & Play Therapist PTUK Play Therapist | Parent Coach | Trauma-Focused Practitioner | Person-Centred Therapist

Greetings! I am a dedicated and empathetic counselling psychologist specialising in play therapy. With a profound belief in creating collaborative and non-judgmental spaces, I am passionate about supporting children, young people, adults, and families on their unique journeys.

I pursued my bachelor's and master's degrees in counselling psychology, setting the foundation for my enriching career. Additionally, I am a certified Play Therapist from PTUK, using an integrative and holistic model of therapeutic play. I am adept at parent coaching, trauma-focused approaches, and person-centred therapy, tailoring my interventions to meet individual needs.

My journey has taken me to the dynamic educational landscape of the UAE, where I have over a decade of experience in counselling, play therapy and special education. Holding a CDA licence and ABA certification, I combine my diverse skill set to create a holistic support system for my students.

Within the realm of therapeutic models, I am proficient in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and specialise in child centred play therapy. Furthermore, I excel at implementing well-being initiatives, utilising positive learning strategies to foster team building, communication, and conflict resolution.

One of my areas of expertise is parent coaching. I work closely with parents to establish effective boundaries, taking into consideration the cultural context and tailoring strategies to meet their unique needs.I am dedicated to making home environments more harmonious by fostering open communication, understanding, and cooperation.

Beyond work, I'm passionate about board games, boxing, and reading. I find joy in organising, whether it's spaces or ideas.

I am thrilled to be a part of Arcadia School, contributing to the growth and well-being of our school community. Together, we embark on a journey of discovery, healing, and empowerment. Let's make this journey a memorable one, together.

Liam Cain is an inspirational and highly motivated leader with a commitment to providing innovative and stimulating learning opportunities for young children. His range of experience in several settings has enabled him to develop a honed reflective practice and regularly use this to guide and mentor others.

Before joining Arcadia five years ago, Liam taught across Key Stage 2, as well as gaining the positions of Teacher Mentor and PE Curriculum leader. Through this, he learnt fostering positive relationships to be intrinsic to his practice, enabling children to become strong, independent learners and for staff members to truly master their craft.

Upon joining Arcadia, Liam was awarded the position of Upper Key Stage 2 leader. Within this role, he is responsible for upper-school improvement using outcomes from lesson observations and assessment data. Using this information, Liam will adapt the curriculum, ensure our staff have continual and relevant development and ultimately ensure that teachers impart a wholesome and efficient learning programme maximising the progress and enjoyment of the children.

As a teacher, Liam firmly believes in imparting essential learning skills such as communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration within the curriculum. He considers it imperative to teach students about the mental processes required to adapt and improve upon a modern work environment. Liam has a key interest in this strand of education and has recently embarked on the task of implementing a learning skills programme in Arcadia.

The Arcadia mission of creating 'lifelong independent learners' resonates deep inside Liam; he takes great pride in ensuring this passion is instilled in children, helping every child flourish and realise their potential. He is a dedicated individual who is committed to developing this ethos in Arcadia school.

Bryan Cahill began his working life in journalism, having gained his Bachelor of Arts, before transferring to teaching in 2007. After initially working as an English teacher with second language students, in Dublin, he then moved to London to undertake his PGCE, graduating from London South Bank University in 2010. Mr Bryan Cahill describes himself as hardworking, friendly and passionate about teaching. Prior to joining Arcadia, Bryan Cahill was teaching in a school in Westminster, London. This included roles as a subject lead, Year 4 Leader and a member of the Senior Leadership Team. In addition, Bryan Cahill was a Key Stage 2 Writing moderator for the last seven years, moderating writing samples for the Standards and Testing Agency across London.

Nicola Walker is originally from Derbyshire, England and lives here in Dubai with her husband and daughter.

She has been teaching in the Early Years for eleven years, eight of those at schools in Dubai. She has taught in a wide range of school settings as a Foundation Stage teacher, FS2 leader and 'Special Educational Needs' teacher.

Walker strives to ensure that children come to school feeling happy, confident and excited to learn. She believes that children learn best when they are encouraged to be creative and independent in a safe and engaging environment. She celebrates achievement at all levels and works hard to support all children to reach their potential, both as learners and as individuals.

Outside of school, Mrs Walker enjoys spending time with family, cooking, reading, travelling and spending as much time as possible outdoors.

Tom Gayler has a passion for innovative technology and the positive effects it can have on teaching and learning in the modern classroom. Originally intending to become a secondary PE teacher, Tom studied a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Youth Sport from Sheffield Hallam University, graduating in 2010. In 2011, Tom returned home to Lincoln, England to study for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, specialising in upper primary school. He acquired his first teaching post in a small rural setting, teaching multiple year groups and taking on a vast amount of responsibility for an inexperienced teacher. In 2014, Tom was appointed Special Educational Needs Coordinator and took the masters level qualification from the University of Northampton. With teaching a multi year class full time and leading the SEN department in the school, Tom started to see the benefits of using technology to help learners and teachers in the classroom. In 2016, Tom was appointed as one of the founding teachers for the Arcadia School in Dubai. Initially, his job was Head of PE and Head of Computing, taking on the leadership of two subjects that he was passionate about. In 2017, Tom was made the full time Head of Digital Innovation in the school, overseeing the use of technology for teaching and learning across all of Arcadia. His job is ensuring that teachers have the skills, confidence and resources to experiment and innovate the teaching and learning in their classroom. In 2018, Arcadia was named as an Apple Distinguished School, making it one of only 500 schools in the world to do so. Tom played a vital role in achieving this accolade and continues to work closely with Apple to ensure he is constantly improving the school’s practice. Following this, Tom works with the Arcadia team to make sure we host and provide support to other schools and teachers, making sure they can reach their potential in this growing field. In 2019, Tom was named as an Apple Distinguished Educator, joining a group of only 3,000 educators worldwide that have received this award. He was presented with this for his continued work and efforts to improve and innovate the use of technology in education. He is excited about the opening of the Arcadia High School and continuing to develop and improve the teachers across both schools.

Ms. Tania Ahmad hails from London, England and brings a wealth of experience having taught GCSE and A-level English there, whilst also holding the distinctive positions of Lead Practitioner and RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) Lead, prior to moving to Arcadia. Since coming to Arcadia, as Head of Pastoral Care, Tania has developed the pastoral systems for Secondary with a strong focus on rewards and student well being.

Tania is also an examiner for Pearson iGCSE Edexcel, utilising her expert knowledge to head the English department at Arcadia. Whilst in the UAE, Tania has been a guest speaker at educational conferences such as the world-renowned GESS Dubai, as well as the Global Schools Alliance, authoring a blog for the latter, on the topics of Oracy and English pedagogy. As well as this, Tania has received professional training on Oracy and has delivered many training sessions to staff, sharing her knowledge and passion for dialogic learning. Tania comes from a strong educational background and holds a Masters in English Education from UCL; BA in English Literature; PGCE (IOE) and most recently completed her NPQ in leading behaviour and culture. Tania has a vested interest in Shakespearean literature, specialising in this during her Masters and in her final thesis; her work with the RSC afforded her the opportunity to co-direct a performance of her students in ‘Romeo and Juliet' at the prestigious Barbican theatre in London. Outside of the classroom, Tania has the travel bug and loves to explore new countries, cultures and cuisines with her husband.

Imani Henry joins the Secondary School Psychology department with a strong academic and professional background. She holds a Master's in Leadership, a Bachelor's in Psychology, and a PGCE in Psychology from UK universities. With five years of teaching experience in North London, including roles as Head of Year 12 and Year 13, she also brings valuable experience from her previous career as a prison officer, working in the UK prison and probation service. Outside of teaching, Imani enjoys fitness, travelling, and spending time with friends and family. At Arcadia, she will teach Psychology and serve as Head of Year 10.

Victoria Stewart is an experienced educator with a strong background in Physical Education, having studied at De Montfort University, UK. She has worked in schools in the UK, Qatar, and Dubai, where she has been teaching for the last nine years. With 19 years of experience as a Senior School Head of Year, Victoria brings a wealth of pastoral knowledge to her role. As Head of Girls' Football, she combines her passion for sport with her commitment to coaching, inspired by her love for football and volleyball. Victoria is a dedicated supporter of the England Lionesses and is driven to inspire girls to excel in football.

Colette Puchalski joins the Performing Arts department at Arcadia School with an impressive background in dance and theatre. A former professional dancer with experience on international stages and London's West End, Colette is a qualified ISTD teacher in Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Jazz, and National Dance. She holds a BA (Hons) in Drama, Dance, and English Literature from De Montfort University. Her experience includes roles as Faculty Leader of Creative Arts, Head of Drama and Dance, and senior leadership positions in the UK and UAE. Colette will lead the Dance Program, teach Drama, and serve as Head of Year 8 and a member of the extended leadership team. Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, dancing, and playing golf.

Charlotte Robinson joins the Secondary School Physical Education department with a strong background in sports education. She completed her Sports Studies degree and Qualified PE Teacher training at Newman University Birmingham. Charlotte has held roles such as Assistant Head of Sixth Form and Lead BTEC Coordinator in schools across England and the UAE. In her new role, she will teach PE and lead as Head of Year 9 and Post-16 PE Lead Teacher. Outside of work, Charlotte enjoys playing netball and spending time with her family.

Alexander Gray is an experienced educator and leader originally from North Birmingham in the UK. He holds a BSc in Human Biology and a PGCE in Science from Loughborough University, as well as a Master's degree in Education from the University of Bath. Alex taught science in grammar and boarding schools across the West Midlands early in his career, before serving as Head of Biology at Bishop Vesey's Grammar, a highly academically selective school founded in 1527. Seeking to broaden his experience, he moved to Dubai in 2015 and has been the Head of Science at Dubai British School Emirates Hills since 2019. In his five years at the KHDA Outstanding-rated Dubai British School, Alex has spearheaded numerous science and STEM initiatives. He is highly experienced teaching varied science curriculums including AQA, IB, A level and Edexcel programs. Professionally, Alex is a published author and member of the Chartered College of Teachers. He boasts coaching certifications from the Rugby Football Union and as a Qualified High Performance Coach. He has recently completed the National Professional Qualification for Leading Teaching and Learning (NPQLTD) with University College London. Beyond the classroom, Alex is highly involved in professional learning networks across the UAE, having delivered keynote speeches and professional development sessions at major conferences such as GESS Dubai. He has been involved in webinars and workshops for international education networks as a recognised leader and expert in pedagogy and science instruction, and most recently AI implementation in the classroom. Outside academics, Alex enjoys playing and coaching rugby, videography, and photography. He resides in Dubai with his wife Kerrie, an interior designer, and their two daughters, Ava and Olivia.

Ms. Katrina Spartalis is a CDA licensed social counselor with a profound commitment to championing the well-being of young people. Over the past six years, she has had the privilege of working as a counselor in the vibrant multicultural landscape of Dubai. During this time, her scope of practice has encompassed a diverse range of students, including children aged 4-18, adults, families, and esteemed school staff members. She prides herself on being an enthusiastic, positive and compassionate counsellor who cares deeply about those in her care