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I fell in love with the city

I always loved being by the sea. All the universities I shortlisted were near the water, but the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ was my first choice after I fell in love with the city at an open day. 

Here, I discovered my passion for education, critical thinking, and the power of learning to transform lives. I first arrived at the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ as an undergraduate student in 2007 and continued straight into postgraduate study, studying Heritage and Museum studies, further strengthening my academic foundations and confidence.

My purpose became clear

In 2011, I returned once again to Portsmouth to complete my PGCE, a defining chapter for me. Teacher training is demanding, but it was during this time that my purpose became clear: I wanted to work in education, not just to teach, but to make a meaningful difference for students and for teachers themselves.

After qualifying, I began my teaching career in the UK. Like many early-career teachers, I faced challenges, moments of self-doubt, and steep learning curves, but also moments of real impact that reaffirmed why I had chosen this profession. 

Travelling has been in my blood

Having grown up with a dad in the Royal Air Force (RAF), travelling has been in my blood. We moved around a lot when I was little and I got to explore so much of the world that I never felt settled. I always had an inclination that I was destined to move abroad and, several years after qualifying as a teacher, I made the decision to move to Abu Dhabi, driven by a desire to grow professionally and experience education on a global scale. As someone who loves being by water and on the beach, this was the perfect destination for me.

What began as a leap of faith became a career-defining opportunity. I progressed from classroom teaching into senior leadership and am now part of a Senior Leadership Team, leading whole-school improvement in teaching and learning. My work now focuses on curriculum design, professional development, and supporting teachers to have the greatest possible impact on student outcomes.

Stick with it

Moving to Abu Dhabi was difficult to begin with – the competition is very hard to get an international job, but I would always recommend sticking with it as we are always looking for new teachers to come over here. It did take a little time to get used to different expectations in education, new frameworks, different cultures, but it quickly became second nature to me. 

I learnt that no matter where in the world you teach, children are children! My students both in the UK and abroad have kept me in this career – it is never dull! 

I told my friends I was going to write a book

Alongside my leadership role, I have also become an author with Routledge. 

During Covid I told my friends I was going to write a book, and from then on, I set my mind to it and got writing. My love for writing stems from my time studying English and Journalism at University and has always been a passion of mine. Even as an English Teacher, I loved working on writing projects. Once I get into the zone of writing, it all comes flooding out. 

I have since written two teaching and learning books, 'So...What Does an 'Outstanding' Teacher Do?' and 'Developing High Impact Teaching', aimed at supporting teachers and school leaders with evidence-based practice, adaptive teaching, and continuous improvement in the classroom. I am now writing my third book based on Adaptive Teaching strategies. 

Writing these books has been both a professional milestone and a personal achievement, one that traces its roots back to my years of study at Portsmouth where reflection, research, and purposeful practice were so strongly encouraged.

Some of my most memorable learning experiences didn’t happen in lecture theatres 

Like many students, some of my most memorable learning experiences didn’t happen in lecture theatres alone: Wednesday nights at the Students’ Union taught me just as much about balance, friendships, and community. 

As Captain of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ Hockey team, a member of the offshore sailing team, and a contributor to the Pugwash Magazine, I developed confidence, resilience, and leadership skills that continue to shape me today. Being in a team, you had to learn to get on with a range of personalities, working together to succeed. 

Share the wins together 

As a Deputy Head, I still have to use these skills to motivate, encourage and support my colleagues. These societies also taught me how to have a good time and not to take life too seriously. I still play in sports teams now, and I love being able to share the wins together and support each other through the losses. 

90s music all night long

I will always remember our Wednesday nights at the Students’ Union – the different dress ups, Snake Bites, Grad Ball – I still have all my photos and memories from those days. We would often finish our nights out at ‘The Gate’ of India for a drunken curry! I loved our sailing weekend to Cowes and the Naked Calendar the social teams would create each year! And my favourite club was ‘Babylon’ on the Guildhall Walk – 90s music all night long! Looking back, I can’t believe half of the stuff we did back then. 

The ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ was not just where I earned my qualifications, it was where I found my direction.