meet the team

I am incredibly fortunate to be part of the leadership team at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis. During the eighteen years I have been in education, I have led within schools across three different countries, however, WSO is where I feel at home. Working alongside the exceptionally dedicated and inspiring leaders and teachers at GEMS has helped shape the leader I am today.

Empowering leadership qualities and attributes within others and supporting teachers to be the best educators they can be is something I am truly passionate about; leading me to complete a Masters in educational leadership at the University of Canberra, Australia. This has immensely impacted my own practice, and I pride myself on keeping abreast of current research and theory relating to education.

At WSO, we provide a safe and happy learning environment for children to explore their potential and to achieve greatness. Our teaching staff are devoted and inspiring educators who cultivate a spirit of imagination and opportunity for all. Within my role, I ensure that our curriculum is broad, engaging and deeply relevant, allowing us to awaken students’ passion and unlock the individual potential of each student.

I look forward to working in partnership with you and your family, to ensure your child’s educational success.

Before taking on the Primary Principal role at WSO, I had a Headship at a popular UK academy school. Prior to this my family and I were based in the UAE. We spent over 10 years in both Abu Dhabi and Dhabi. My leadership career took root over this decade and I have undertaken on a very wide range of middle and senior positions throughout the primary setting. My final role, before leaving to return to the UK was as Deputy Head of the Primary School at Dubai British School Jumeriah Park, where I joined the executive leadership team who founded and developed the school from its original conception in 2015. 

My educational development began in Plymouth, England where I successfully graduated as a Bachelor for Education from the University of St Marks and St Johns. My first teaching roles were on the Isle of Wight, where I became an advanced skills teacher and helped develop teaching and learning across a number of schools. I am a PENTA trained school inspector, however more recently, I have earned a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management and a National Professional Qualification for Headship. This developmental journey has made me a keen advocate of educational research, which I frequently utilise to underpin and enact change. I have also developed a very clear view of my own leadership style. 

On a personal level, education clearly runs in the Stewart blood, with many of close family members and my wife working as school practitioners. My wife and I have three vibrant children, all born in the UAE. We all love the weather, culture and opportunity that living and working in the UAE has to offer. When not in school, you will find us out and about in one of Dubai’s many theme parks, or taking part in a wide range of sports - which has most recently included marathon running!

Currently in my 34^th year of education, 26^th in senior leadership across 3 countries, I am very proud to lead a secondary school that is inclusive, aspirational for every individual child and family and all of this, at scale. We have a great team at WSO from support staff right through to leadership, all focused on providing a full and balanced experience for our students, whether they be new to campus or as they progress from our amazing primary school.

I am joined by my wife, Jane, who also works at school. We have three daughters all post-school age now, two in NZ and one in London.

As one academy, we are committed to our aspiration – “World Class, World Ready – a story for every child” and in that, look forward to working with you for the benefit of all our young people.

After graduating from York University with a BSc in Economics, I spent 16 years in various Customer Service, Sales and Operations Management roles in the UK. My husband, son and I were thrilled when the opportunity arose in 2011 to move to Dubai; we were only going to try this for a couple of years, but we are still here now! My son started in Year 1 at WSO the day the Academy opened in 2011 and now he is in Year 13! I joined the WSO team as the Parent Relations Executive when the school opened and moved into my current role of Manager of School Operations (MSO) in 2015.

As the Academy MSO, I am responsible for everything non-teaching; site health & safety compliance, overseeing the provision of all our support services, including security, catering, cleaning, bus transport, school uniforms, as well as staff accommodation and maintaining the site and facilities. I love my job, every day brings interesting challenges and life at WSO never ceases to amaze me; whether we are building new facilities or simply planning how a Falcon can safely visit site, there is never a dull day!

I am so proud to be part of the WSO family; to see the amazing things that happen on a daily basis and how hard the staff work to ensure the experience for the students is as rewarding as possible. As a non-educationalist, I am constantly in awe of what the teaching teams deliver; their creativity, energy and commitment never falters, and personally for my son I could not have asked for a better experience for his education so far.

I am one of the Vice Principals across the Academy responsible for curriculum, assessment & data and post-16 oversight.

Some of you may recognise my name (and face) as I previously worked at the school from 2013-2018 returning briefly to the UK to take up an Assistant Principal position. I am really proud to return to WSO and excited about my new role.

My specialist teaching area is Science, specifically Physics, and I graduated from Durham University with a Masters in Physics in 2007.

Before becoming a teacher I was an actuary which was interesting but I thoroughly enjoy being in a school environment and nurturing young people to find their passions and talents. I am strong believer in values led learning and strive to be a life-long learner and develop this in the students here at WSO.

I return with my wife Kathryn and two active children Charlotte four and Freddie one; Charlotte is in FS2 at WSO. In my spare time between my job and family I am a cycling enthusiast and a keen, but slow runner. 

I came to GEMS Wellington Academy - Silicon Oasis from Manchester in the UK in 2015 as a Teacher of Science, and have loved seeing the academy evolve over my eight years here. 

Being a Vice Principal at the Academy means I am lucky enough to interact with a huge number of students, parents and teachers daily, and I am able to see the incredible development of students during their time here. I’m passionate about teachers making learning exciting for students and I love getting to see this magic happen on the corridors of WSO every day. I am extremely proud of what we stand for as an Academy, the unforgettable memories that are made within these walls, and the fantastic progress our students make.

My name is Sarah Hollingworth, and I am an Academy Vice Principal. My responsibilities include Inclusion and Early Years Foundation Stage. During my time at WSO, I have been a Foundation Stage Teacher, Foundation Stage Inclusion Teacher, Literacy Coordinator, and Assistant Principal for the Foundation Stage & Year 1. I have always had a passion for early childhood development and inclusion. Therefore, before gaining my Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Roehampton University, I completed a Masters degree at Durham University in Developmental Psychopathology.

At WSO, we celebrate the uniqueness of every child and create an environment where they will thrive. We are proud of the tailormade pathways and inclusive classrooms we create. The importance of our children’s well-being continues to be at the heart of everything we do. From your child’s very first day, our teachers nurture and support their personal, social and emotional development. Through our exceptional facilities and engaging and enriching curriculum, WSO provides every student the opportunity to write their own story and allows them to flourish on their educational journey.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing team sports, swimming, and cycling. I love to travel, and I like to combine my love for exercise with exploring new countries. I’m always looking for my next adventure.

Hello my name is Becky Lewis; I am a Vice Principal at WSO, I am privileged to be a part of the leadership team to drive the school forward.

Since joining the Academy in 2013, I have been KS3 Curriculum Coordinator, Director of Performing Arts, Assistant Principal and Deputy Principal. As Vice Principal, my responsibilities are; Pastoral and Wellbeing, Deputy Safeguarding Lead, Parental Involvement and Engagement and Cross Academy Leaders from FS to Post 16 for Performing Arts, Physical Education, Modern Foreign Languages and Islamic.

Middlesbrough is my hometown in the North East of England. I graduated from Liverpool John Moore’s University with a First Class BA (Hons) Drama degree. During my time at University I spent my summers working in America and Italy, teaching Drama and Dance whilst also working as a Theatre Director.

I studied for a PGCE in Drama at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. I then returned to Liverpool and worked as a Drama teacher at a secondary school. I moved to Dubai after teaching Speech and Drama in Teesside, North Yorkshire, UK whilst also studying and qualifying for an MA in Educational Leadership and Management at Newcastle University.

I am passionate about the Wellbeing of our students, staff and parents and strive to ensure that WSO is a community where all can thrive.

I graduated in 2003 with a BA in English Literature from the University of Wales, Swansea. Educated to Master’s level, I am an advocate of lifelong learning and am currently studying for my NPQH.

I am honoured to be a Vice Principal at WSO and have thoroughly enjoyed the time my family and I have had at the school since we joined in 2016. Since joining the school, I have held several leadership roles including Director of Languages and Assistant Principal.

Leading our Post-16 provision is a privilege and one I am very grateful for. Being able to support our students through their pathway and subject choices in Year Eleven through to their university choices at the end of Year Thirteen is something I am especially proud of. WSO has sent students to all corners of the globe including some of the highest ranked universities in the world.

As well as working at WSO, I am part of a proud WSO family. My wife, the Head of Art at the school, and my two children have made this our home and we are forever grateful to the WSO community for making us feel so happy here.