meet the team

Ben has been in the UAE since 2015, holding various executive leadership roles before becoming the Secondary Principal at GEMS Wellington International School – 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.

Ben is passionate about fostering independent learning in students, ensuring they develop into lifelong learners equipped with the interpersonal skills to build strong, lasting relationships. A keen sportsman, Ben has participated in many sports and is also a certified Dive Master. Now, as a father of two, he enjoys traveling with his family and exploring new destinations.

Ben places great importance on building strong relationships with parents and the broader school community. He looks forward to connecting with parents and families at coffee mornings, school events, and community gatherings at WEK.

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.

Sam has been at the Academy since 2019, initially working in a whole school role as Head of Department for Physical Education, before moving into the Secondary School as an Assistant Principal to further enhance the outstanding standards of teaching and learning. A graduate of the University of Southampton, Sam has a BSc in Sports Science, a PGCE (M) in Secondary Education and more recently a Masters in Advanced Educational Practice.

An accomplished practitioner with over a decade of experience working in a range of outstanding schools, both in the UK and the UAE, Sam has gained a broad understanding and insight into the components of exceptional teaching and learning. He believes that evidence informed practice should be at the forefront of everything we do in education and should encourage students to have a lifelong love of learning.

Outside of work, Sam has a passion for sport and exercise, regularly going for runs and playing football for his local team in Dubai. At weekends, Sam enjoys spending time with his wife, a teacher of drama and his two young daughters.

Sam is delighted to make an impact in the Secondary School working alongside our wonderful team of leaders and teachers, and our community of families and students to ensure that our best practice in the classroom leads to confident and competent young people and ultimately outstanding results for our students.