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 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.

Lee is honoured to have been appointed to the privileged position of Vice Principal - Student Culture and Experience at WEK at the start of this academic year

Having trained as a PE teacher with a Bsc In Sport and Exercise science , Lee has obtained numerous educational qualifications, most recently the National Professional Qualification for Headship. 

Lee has an educational philosophy that values, culture and standards work in symbiosis to support  the development of children holistically during their time at school, which will provide them with the skills and qualities to be successful throughout their lives 

Outside of school, Lee is a committed father of 3 but strives to better himself by completing challenges such as Marathons, an ultra-marathon, endurance cycle rides, mountain climbing, and most recently a HYROX event, whilst maintaining his first love of playing football. 

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.