M.A.Ed.
Giles Pruett is an educator through and through. After completing his A-Level studies in the UK, he trained and competed as a professional tennis player for five years until moving back into full-time study to complete his Bachelor of Education at Bedford, reading Geography and Sport Science. He immediately returned to his home city of Bath and subsequently started his teaching career as Director of Rugby, Boarding Housemaster and Geography teacher in the independent community of Prior Park College. After completing a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Management at Bath University in 2012, gaining a distinction level, Giles transferred into the international education community, joining Jumeirah College in Dubai as Vice-Principal, where he remained for four years, before becoming Secondary Principal and Deputy Head of School at GEMS World Academy, helping them to become the highest rated full IB programme school in the city.
Giles is also a qualified corporate coach with a specific interest in building impactful professional learning communities by empowering others. He has developed pastoral structures to support learning and development in three previous leadership positions, ensuring that educational outcomes have been met and exceeded. Giles has experienced and driven inspection outcomes as a Senior Leader within several different frameworks, including Ofsted, HMI, CSCI, DSIB, CIS, BSO, COBIS, working as a Lead Reviewer within the GEMS organization and as Lead Evaluator for the Council of International Schools. His core inspection specialisms fall under the domains of teaching and learning, safeguarding, child protection and leadership and management.
Giles brings a wealth of experience in coaching, school operations, pastoral care and strategic school leadership and has been instrumental in developing an Apple Distinguished Teaching Programme, Entrepreneurship and Innovation curriculum alongside the design and construction of a new Senior School Learning Centre and Entrepreneurship Hub. He has a keen interest in this strand of education, recently completing a diploma from the Penn Graduate school of Education.
Above all else, Giles is a committed father to three wonderful girls and a husband to Joanna, who is also an educator and former British Olympic Modern Pentathlete. Together they share a passion for working with children, striving to bring learning to life and making a difference.
B.Sc (Hons), MA, NPQH, FCCT
Michael Strachan, a passionate and experienced educational leader, is originally from London. He worked briefly in industry before gaining a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences followed by a PGCE in Secondary Science at the University of Greenwich. Starting his teaching career in rural Kent, Michael then moved to South-East London to work with under-privileged children at a large urban school where he served as Head of Biology and Deputy Head of Science. In 2009, Michael was appointed to his first international teaching role as Head of Science at Qatar International School in Doha, a position he held for 6 years before promotion into senior leadership as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Teaching and Learning. During his tenure in Qatar, he completed a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Bath. As a life-long learner, Michael firmly believes that teachers should role model a thirst for continual development. Seeking experience teaching the International Baccalaureate, Michael moved to Repton School Dubai in 2016 where he has worked as Deputy Head (Academic), helping the school through successive inspections resulting in Outstanding ratings from the KHDA and the BSO. More recently, Michael completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) with University College London, where his work exploring alternative curricular models received high praise. He continues to be active in educational research; in recognition of his significant and sustained contribution to education, Michael was appointed as a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers in 2021. Michael brings a wealth of experience and connections to Arcadia through his involvement with numerous external agencies. Internationally renowned as an educational consultant, author and teacher trainer, Michael’s expertise is regularly called upon by Cambridge University Press and he has led professional development for teachers in seven different countries to date. Here in Dubai he has worked with teachers at the very start of their careers, lecturing on the University of Birmingham's PGCE programme as well as the University of Middlesex's MA in Education. As a passionate scientist, Michael has authored textbooks and other teaching materials which are used around the world. He also sits on the UAE Cambridge School Council where he helps guide educational policy and support for British schools in the UAE. Married to Adina, also an educational leader in Dubai, they have two children (Imogen & Alistair) and a pet dog called Jack Sparrow. Michael is very much an outdoor enthusiast who wholeheartedly subscribes to the notion that we should seek to raise 'free-range' children.
Mrs. Sarah Gray, from Northumberland, UK, is an accomplished educator with a strong background in leadership and curriculum design. Holding a First Class Honours degree in Primary Education and an NPQH, she has excelled in leadership roles at 'Outstanding' schools in both Dubai and the North-East of England.
With extensive experience in education, Sarah has consistently driven schools to new heights, implementing strategic visions that foster nurturing, stimulating learning environments. She is known for her innovative teaching methods, focusing on holistic education that supports students academically, socially, and emotionally.
Sarah's leadership emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, ensuring students are well-prepared for future challenges. Her ability to build strong relationships with parents and the wider community has created supportive, collaborative school environments, leaving a lasting positive impact wherever she has served.
We aspire to be an inclusive, world-class all-through school of choice for parents in Dubai, where every student is happy, positive and thriving academically, socially and emotionally.
Admission Enquiry
Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding and engage with others through spoken language. In school, oracy is a powerful tool for learning; by teaching students to become more effective speakers and listeners we empower them to better understand themselves, each other and the world around them. Inspired by the work of the Voice 21 organisation in the UK, students across Key Stages 2 and 3 are encouraged to develop their ideas through a high quality oracy-style education. They develop and deepen their subject knowledge and understanding through talk in the classroom, which has been planned, designed, modelled, scaffolded and structured to enable them to learn the skills needed to talk effectively.
Exclusively licensed in Dubai to Arcadia School by Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia, the CEL program prioritizes the development of four key traits that comprise the entrepreneurial mindset: opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resiliency and resourcefulness. Equipped with this mindset, our students take on interesting challenges that connect with their passions and graduate with a competitive advantage. To instill this mindset in every student, CEL is integrated into the secondary school experience at Arcadia. Project-based challenges in the classroom provide an opportunity for students to build this way of thinking while practicing entrepreneurial skills in the areas of business, design, and technology.
After the success of the Arcadia School in being recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for innovation, Arcadia School is also part of the Apple ecosystem and is vying for the same status. Apple Distinguished Schools are defined by Apple as the "centers of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrate Apple's vision for learning with technology" and Apple believes that they are some of the most innovative schools in the world! This means that innovation is at the heart of our school's DNA with our students using the latest iPad technology to innovate within and outside the classroom. This is in turn backed by a number of applications that are iPad friendly and allow our teachers to give instant feedback to our students as we prepare them to become global innovators.
The Junior MBA programme is a 12-week programme designed to deliver an MBA style curriculum to primary school students. The essence of the programme is to deliver MBA modules to children aged from 6-11 years old with four learning goals:
The Junior MBA programme was the creation of its founding teacher, Dr. Navin Valrani, Arcadia Education's award-winning CEO, who was not only educated in the finest business schools in the world but who has also successfully led a number of companies across a variety of industries.
An all-inclusive enrichment programme, at no extra cost, delivered during the extended school day (8am to 4pm for all Y1 to Y8 students). The programme is based on three key areas:
At Arcadia we acknowledge that children learn best through first hand experience in relation to themselves, their senses and the world around them. For this reason, we have designed the Early Years Explorers (EYE) programme.
This approach is based on the concept that powerful learning is built upon harnessing children's natural curiosity in ways that help them to develop new skills and understanding in context with their environment.
The programme provides a firm foundation for transition to the National Curriculum for England, which children move to in Year 1.
Giles Pruett was born and raised in the United Kingdom and developed his passion for learning at an early age through his commitment to sport and coaching.
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Michael Strachan, a passionate and experienced educational leader, is originally from London.
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Mrs. Sarah Gray, from Northumberland, UK, is an accomplished educator with a strong background in leadership and curriculum design.
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