Dubai British School -dubai - Emirates HillsPrincipal & Leadership Team

Dubai British School Emirates Hills is operated by Taaleem and led by Principal Brett Girven, supported by a deep and experienced senior leadership team. One important note for prospective parents: the 2023–2024 KHDA inspection report names Sarah Jane Reynolds as Principal, appointed 8 January 2022, while the school's current website lists Brett Girven in that role — indicating a principal transition has occurred since the inspection. Parents should confirm the current leadership position directly with the school. The broader leadership structure remains well-staffed, with Head of Primary Yvonne Wallace, Head of Secondary Sheridan Teasel, Assistant Headteacher Emma Pennock leading pastoral care and Sixth Form, and Head of Inclusion Jacqueline Baxter among the named senior team.

The depth of this leadership bench is notable. Sheridan Teasel brings an unusually varied background — a first-class Physics degree from Oxford, over 16 years in global finance, and an MSc in Psychology with a specialism in Positive Psychology — before transitioning into education and senior leadership. Emma Pennock, a Loughborough University graduate, has built her career at DBSEH across teaching, pastoral leadership, and Sixth Form oversight. This kind of long-term institutional knowledge within the team is a meaningful stability signal, even amid the principal-level change.

KHDA's 2023–2024 inspection rated leadership effectiveness Outstanding, with governance also rated Outstanding — the highest possible grade in both categories. The School Advisory Board covers specialisms including Sustainability, Future Pathways, Arabic and Islamic education, Community and Connection, and Curriculum Innovation, providing structured external accountability. Inspectors noted that governors are supportive and hold leaders to account for school performance, and that parents are highly encouraged and well informed — a finding reinforced by the school's regular parent coffee mornings and open-door café culture.

Teaching quality is rated Outstanding across all phases — Foundation Stage, Primary, Secondary, and Post-16 — with inspectors highlighting strong subject knowledge, purposeful lesson design, and highly effective use of assessment data. The school employs 96 teachers and 32 teaching assistants for 1,190 students, producing a calculated student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 1:12, meaningfully tighter than the Dubai-wide average of 1:13.6 across 204 schools with available data. Among British curriculum schools specifically, this ratio signals a relatively well-resourced classroom environment. Staff turnover is reported at just 2% — an exceptionally low figure that points to strong staff retention and a stable learning environment for students year on year. [MISSING: percentage of staff holding postgraduate qualifications]

The school's community culture is a genuine strength. Inspectors described DBSEH as a vibrant and dynamic learning community, and the school's residential Emirates Hills setting — drawing families from the surrounding Springs and Meadows neighbourhoods — reinforces a close-knit feel across its 60 nationalities. The one area where leadership has more work to do is in Arabic and Islamic Education, where attainment remains below the school's otherwise outstanding profile — a gap the inspection explicitly flags and which current leadership has acknowledged in its action planning.