meet the team

Having graduated in Geography and Economics from University of Surrey, Ann Haydon completed her PGCE at University of Nottingham, going on to gain the National Qualification for Headship from University of London in 2007. She is a fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Ms Haydon served as Deputy Head at Guildford High School before taking up the position of Principal of Surbiton High School in 2008. It was during her time at Surbiton High School that Ms Haydon and her team received the ‘Outstanding Senior Leadership Team of the Year’ as well as ‘Outstanding Governing Board of the Year’ awards from Independent Schools. In 2017, Ms Haydon took on the role of Head of Harrow International School Hong Kong, named one of the Top 100 Schools in the World since 2020.

Ms Haydon was awarded a distinction in the Pearson UK Headteacher of the Year Award and gained national recognition for her work in leadership, governance, teaching and learning, and marketing in schools. In 2024, she was named on King Charles III’s New Year’s Honours List and awarded an MBE for services to British Education in the UK and Hong Kong.

Ms Haydon has served as HMC London Division Secretary, a member of the HMC Sports Committee, and International Schools representative on the HMC Communications Committee. She was a member of the United Learning Heads Reference Group working on strategic developments across a group of independent schools and academies and she has sat on the governing body of several independent schools.

Ben has been in the UAE since 2015, holding various executive leadership roles before becoming the Secondary Principal at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail. He holds a National Professional Qualification in Headship from University College London and a degree in Management and Mathematics from the University of Essex.

Passionate about fostering independent learning, Ben is committed to ensuring students develop into lifelong learners equipped with the interpersonal skills needed to build strong, lasting relationships. A keen sportsman, he has participated in many sports and is also a certified Dive Master.

As a husband and father of two, Ben enjoys travelling with his wife and children, exploring new destinations together as a family.

At the heart of his leadership is a strong focus on relationships with parents and the wider school community. Ben values the partnerships that bring a school community together and actively engages with families through coffee mornings, school events, and community gatherings at the Academy.

Paula has been at the Academy since it opened in 2013, mainly working across the Foundation and Primary stages. It has been an absolute pleasure for her to see the Academy children grow and develop over the years, becoming increasingly confident, independent and resilient in their learning. A graduate of the University of Strathclyde, Paula has a four-year honours degree in education specialising in both music and additional support for learning. She has also completed a postgraduate certificate in inclusive education.

A highly experienced practitioner in a range of settings, Paula has a broad and comprehensive understanding of child development. She believes that the best education starts with the personal, social and emotional needs of the child, ensuring that they are happy, confident and ready to learn. She believes that learning should be personalised for each student, with all children appropriately challenged and supported. She also believes children should have opportunities to learn independently and in collaboration with others. They should be encouraged to be inquisitive, creative and innovative. They should learn to see 'mistakes' as part of the learning process, helping them to challenge their thinking and solve problems in different ways.

Outside of school, Paula enjoys enjoy playing tennis, reading fiction books and cooking. She likes to think of herself as an active person but, in reality, loves nothing better than curling up on the couch to watch a movie with her husband and two cats, Harry and Voldemort.

Over the last seven years, Paula has built excellent relationships with children, parents and staff across the Academy community. Her door is always open to celebrate achievements, welcome feedback and support teaching and learning.

Having worked in the UAE since 2014, Lisa is delighted to be appointed as the Secondary Vice Principal at the Academy, moving from GEMS First Point where she was Deputy Head of School. 

Lisa graduated from the University of Lancaster and holds a Masters in Educational Leadership. She is currently working towards her National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and is extremely passionate about ensuring every child is successful within education.

Lisa has two children and enjoys travelling with them across the world. She also enjoys staying fit, in addition to keeping a keen eye on developments in education through research. Lisa is very much looking forward to meeting all WEK families this year and getting to know everyone. She believes this school is a very special one and is looking forward to watching it excel across all areas.

Having spent over a decade in school Leadership in the UK, Sarah joins WEK as the Senior Vice Principal with oversight of Teaching and Learning. Sarah’s passion for shaping the lives and futures of students through delivering outstanding education is what led her to a career in teaching. Following her degree in Law at Kent University, Sarah has continued to study and completed her NPQSL and is a Lead Practitioner in teaching English - her subject specialism. During her tenure in the UK, her role was not only developing best practice in her own schools, but also to work closely with teams of staff across various specialisms to secure the best outcomes and attainment for all students.

In line with our WEK school pillars, Sarah fundamentally believes in research informed practice being at the heart of what we do in the classroom. As such her role is support our own staff to innovate in their own classrooms, to develop their own pedagogy and really push for limitless learning for all! 

Outside of work, Sarah and her family can often be found exploring the great outdoors, both in the UAE and back in Europe over the summer break. Her favourite things are spending nights under the stars camping, walking through the wadis and beautiful coastlines of her home country and paddle boarding in the lakes of Europe.

Sarah joined the GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail family this year and is excited to work with the fantastic team of leaders and teachers, and the wonderful community of families and students to ensure what happens in the classroom is at the forefront of best practice, and truly amounts to outstanding results for every student.