Staff Directory
Staff are listed in alphabetical order by first name. To find a particular staff member by Name: search by Last or First name in the keyword box and press the tner key or click on the search button. For school specific departments use the drop down list to filter by school sections and subjects.
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Abeer Al Hassan
Senior Nurse
Departments: Administration -
Adele Stanbury
Grade 1 Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolAdele was born in Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has also lived in Zambia, South Africa with her family. Adele graduated from Edith Cowan University in Perth in 1986 with a Diploma of Teaching. Adele also holds a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Public Relations and a Minor in Education. She has since spent many years living and teaching in Australia. Adele is married to Darren and has two teenage children, Nikita and Thomas.
This is Adele’s first International posting, joining Ajman Academy in 2017. Adele has taught all year levels across the Elementary school in Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria in Australia, with over 25 years of teaching experience. She has a passion for teaching younger children and has a strong interest in improving children’s literacy. Adele has relished the challenge of teaching different curriculums and working with new teachers, parents and students. Her strength lies in her ability to communicate easily and effectively with people, and in wanting to get to know them at both a professional and more personal level.
Her passion is travel, and Adele has a thirst for exploring new places and for meeting new people! She has a love of dance and music. Adele enjoys walking, swimming, zumba, yoga and pilates. As a result of travel, she has developed a love of photography. -
Ahmad Al Hmidi
Islamic Teacher
Departments: Secondary School, Arabic, Islamic -
Ali Abdallah Ali
Arabic Teacher
Departments: Secondary School, Arabic -
Amna Safyan
Grade 3 Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolAmna was born and raised in the United Kingdom where she studied and gained a Bachelors in Education. She has also spent 10 years working in a school setting in various roles. When looking for a new adventure she moved to the UAE with her husband, who is also a teacher and worked at Gems Wesgreen International School in Sharjah for 5 years.
While at Wesgreen she developed her skills in teaching Grade 2 and also took on the role of the Curriculum lead for Math where she worked strategically to raise the standards for the children in her year group. The underpinning factor of every part of her practice is ensuring that the children in her care feel safe, loved, valued and confident to take risks and have a go. Amna’s students can expect a teacher who is consistent and fair, whilst being positive, caring and genuinely interested in their growth as future citizens.
Amna’s role as an educator is to use her knowledge of high-quality teaching and learning to relentlessly inspire children to have a natural inquisition and desire to learn. She believes that alongside the academic skills that we endeavour to nurture in our children, it is of paramount importance that we teach them life skills and personal qualities by being a role model for kindness, determination and respect. -
Andrew Lewis
Grade 4 Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolAndrew was born in Newport, South Wales. He wanted to be a teacher from an early age, after being inspired by a sports-mad teacher he had in his primary school. He Qualified with a Bachelor of Education degree (B. Ed Hons) in June 1991 from the University of Wales and has been teaching ever since. He worked in two schools in South Wales for a total of 16 years and was a class teacher and a coordinator for science, maths, ICT, and PE. In 2001 he became a Deputy Headteacher and had that role for six years before moving to Ras Al Khaimah in 2007.
Andrew joined RAKESS ( now RAK Academy) in 2007, initially as a class teacher and then as Deputy Head. He worked there until 2018 and was then privileged to open a new school for RAK Academy in Al Rams as Head of school. Andrew is married to Caroline and has two children, Nadia who is in the UK studying Psychology at University, and Cian, who will begin his A levels this year and is an outstanding rugby player. He also admits that his wife Caroline is by far the most creative member of the family!
Andrew is a firm believer that every pupil has a talent, whether it be in maths, science, languages, sport, or the arts and it is a teacher's responsibility to identify that talent and help pupils reach their full potential. He hopes to inspire children in the same way he was inspired as a boy, by providing enjoyable, engaging lessons within a fun environment. He loves to see pupils being curious and asking questions. He is also a firm believer in pupil's respecting themselves and others.
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Andrew Shaw
Science Teacher
Departments: Secondary SchoolAndrew was born and raised in England. He graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology. He had worked in the south of England for 24 years. In 2021, he decided to move to the UAE to continue his teaching career. During his time in England, Andrew taught the British curriculum and held various management responsibilities, including being the Head of Science.
For the past two years, he has been teaching the American curriculum in Science at a charter school in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, he served as a grade level lead before taking on the responsibility for digital platforms while continuing his science teaching.
Andrew's teaching philosophy is based on engaging and motivating students by using their experiences as a starting point. His main objective is to create a stimulating learning environment that fosters confidence and encourages students to reach their full potential. -
Arwa Sayyam
Arabic Teacher
Departments: Primary School, ArabicArwa was born and raised in Jordan. She has a Bachelor Degree in the Arabic Language. She has been in UAE since 2013 and worked at Ajman Academy for the last seven years. Arwa has 29 years teaching experience which was taken her to many countries such as Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia through in primary levels from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Arwa has specialised training in the Special Education field as well as hold an Apple Teacher certificate. Arwa is married and has one daughter and two sons.
Arwa’s ethos for teaching is to provide a favourable environment for the students to develop them to be responsible, thinkers and open-minded. Arwa provides innovative lessons through the use of technology and allows her students the opportunity to be creative in their learning experiences. Her students are confident and hold a high level of respect to their peers and community. Arwa always pushes her students to succeed and reach their full academic potential as she believes every student deserves that success. -
Asma Jamil Hafesji
Classroom Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolAsma Hafesji is a graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University. She graduated with a First Class Honors Degree in Bachelors of Primary Education and began employment immediately in a three-form entry primary school setting. During the seven years at this school, Asma has covered a range of roles, always striving to continuously improve and progress in her career. She began as a class teacher and was able to continue this role, alongside leadership opportunities such as Middle Leader of KS1, ICT lead, University Mentor, Tuition Tutor during COVID, curriculum and subject leadership and E-safety lead.
In August 2022, Asma moved to the UAE to expand her opportunities to progress and worked at the International School of Creative Science, completing the role of Head of Section for KS1 and her eighth year in the Education sector. This was the next step in Asma’s career development plan and allowed her to be accountable for 735 students and 102 members of staff. Her role covered a range of academic and pastoral / operational responsibilities, and she oversaw two buildings for Year 1 and Year 2.
During Asma’s teaching experience, she has covered all key stages of the National Curriculum of England, including EYFS, KS1 and KS2, as well as completing leadership roles and being part of the Senior Leadership Team. She has also been a designated safeguarding lead and has completed the NSPCC safer recruitment training, amongst many other CPD sessions for both teaching and leadership. Even though her aspirations are to progress eventually to a senior leadership position, she is adaptable, and her skills can be transferable to other roles and situations. Asma is confident about teaching all subject areas in the Primary school.
Asma firmly believes that the students should be at the center of their learning and is passionate about researching ways in which teachers can provide students with the correct tools and opportunities to become independent and lifelong learners. She is always keen to participate in any additional CPD to broaden her experience and understanding, to ensure that the students are always given the chance to make progress in each lesson, regardless of the subject or content being taught. Asma believes that students should have a positive experience in education, where they feel valued, respected, and inspired to have high aspirations and to reach their full potential. Each child is individual and unique, and this should be celebrated and encouraged.
During Asma’s free time, she likes to socialize with friends, go out to eat in new restaurants to try different types of cuisines, go to the cinema, go shopping with friends and go to the spa / pool to relax and enjoy the climate of the UAE. She also enjoys exploring new places in the UAE and learning about different cultures and nationalities.
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Atif Hanif
Maths Teacher
Departments: Secondary SchoolAtif is a mathematical enthusiast who has come into teaching to pass on his passion for the subject to the future generations. Atif has been teaching students aged 11-16 for 2 years in the UK and enjoys the interactions and challenges that come with working with young pupils.
Atif has been associated with education since a young age, from nursery to university to now teaching. Atif obtained a bachelor’s degree (BSc Mathematics) from the University of Southampton and then completed his PGCE with QTS at the same university, the following year. After university, he began teaching at Gospel Oak School and has shown his commitment to the school by completing two years of service there.
Living all his life in the UK, Atif feels that the time is right for him to experience working in new environments and broadening his knowledge of education in other parts of the world. Working with fantastic teachers, Atif has become a proactive team member and helped share and implement ideas to improve the department. Atif has developed through continued professional development and observations to ensure that his teaching practice is to an exceptional standard. He has become a determined individual who can use his initiative and complete required tasks to meet regular deadlines.
Having implemented the Gatsby Benchmarks into his lessons, Atif has shown pupils how the skills they learn in the classroom can be applied to different careers. Atif has also supported pupils in projects where representatives from EA Sports and Morgan Stanley have been invited into the school. Experience with different employers will allow Atif to facilitate the MYP programme efficiently.
He also engages with a range of sports, both playing and watching. His love for football is eccentric as he engages with all aspects of the Premier League (England’s top football division).
Atif is looking forward to starting his new chapter.
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Azza Ibrahim
Arabic Teacher Support
Departments: Primary School, Arabic -
Bakr Al Ahmad
Islamic Teacher
Departments: Secondary School, Arabic, IslamicBakr was born in Syria and has a Bachelor in Islamic Education from Damascus University.
With twelve years experience in Syria and the United Arab Emirates, he has attended many different training sessions and workshops, which have taught, teaching morals and teacher development as well as how to teach children with learning difficulties. Bakr has also attended training on how to improve a student’s recital of the Qur'an (Tajweed) as the Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him, recited.
Bakr has the skills to deal with different age groups. He can discover the strengths of the student and encourages that student to build upon those strengths. -
Belal Khaled Satouf
Arabic & Islamic Specialist
Departments: Primary School, Islamic -
Cara Frances Black
Biology Teacher
Departments: Secondary School, ScienceSecondary Title: Head of Department - ScienceOther Titles: Grade 7 Boys MentorCara has over ten years of experience teaching science, specialising in Biology, including seven years teaching at schools in England and five years teaching in schools in the UAE. During this time she has taught MS science, GCSE, iGCSE, A level and IAL Biology, and the American curriculum Biology AP, as well as holding positions of responsibility within the science departments she has worked within.
Cara was born and raised in London, England, and holds a BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences degree from the University of Essex and a Secondary Science PGCE from the University of Exeter. More recently she has completed her NPQML with University College London, and she is currently completing her Masters in Education with the University of Exeter.
Cara’s educational philosophy is child-centred, focused on developing in her learners the subject knowledge and critical thinking skills required to engage with scientific issues and developments in our global society.
Cara is an avid SCUBA diver and a committee member of the BSAC406 dive club in Sharjah. In her spare time, she enjoys diving and travelling, with a particular interest in ocean conservation. -
Caroline Lewis
Pre-KG Teacher
Departments: Primary School -
Christian Ravena
Teaching Assistant
Departments: Primary School, AdministrationSecondary Title: Grade 4 & 5Other Titles: Administration AssistantChristian Angelo Ravena was born and raised in Iloilo City the "City of love" of the Philippines. Graduate of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2011. Started as a Customer Service Representative of different accounts such as T-mobile(UK) or currently merged under Everything Everywhere (EE), Comcast and Netspend USA. Afterwards, he became a Community Facilitator for the Philippine's Social Services Department known as "DSWD or Department of Social Welfare and Development" where he learned to manage and handle people of different age and educational attainment.
He later became a Computer Programmer for the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) which is a government office in the Philippines. He started teaching in 2013 as an Assistant Instructor for Basic Computer, teaching first-year students in his alma mater, Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College (NIPSC). When he moved to UAE, he became a Shadow Teacher for students in Ajman Academy before being promoted to Assistant Teacher in 2016.
He believes that to teach is to touch lives forever. The students of today are the makers of tomorrow. He is doing his best to teach children through knowledge, passion and with all his heart. -
Claire Chapman
Classroom Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolClaire Chapman is a BA (Hons) UK primary trained teacher who has been extremely lucky to achieve her dream career for the past 7 years. She loves working with children and seeing them thrive and achieve in every way. Through her specialism (PSHE), she understands the importance of making all children feel secure in order to bring out their full potential, this is the heart of her ethos.
Claire continually promotes positivity, respect, motivation and trust, which helps to build true connections with her students, which in turn helps her students to become confident and engaged. Claire originates from Southport, England but decided that there was a big world out there and decided to teach abroad. She moved to the UAE in 2014, landed in Ras Al Khaimah and fell in love with the place, the culture and the people. Since moving to RAK, she has worked in both Grade 1 and Grade 2 at RAK Academy and is very excited to join such a wonderful school to continue her career. In her spare time, Claire enjoys playing golf and exploring new places that the UAE has to offer as well as travelling and learning about new cultures to enhance her understanding of the world. This allows her to share experiences with children to enable them to be Global Citizens of the future.
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Coba Burger
KG1 Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolSecondary Title: Grade Leader -
Darren Stanbury
Grade 5 Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolDarren was born in Perth, Western Australia. He is married to Adele and has two teenaged children, Nikita and Thomas. He attended Edith Cowan University in Perth and graduated in 1986 with a Diploma of teaching. Darren went on to further educational studies with a Bachelor of Education, Graduate Diploma of Arts in Religious Education and more recently in 2006 a Master of Education.
Darren has been fortunate enough to have been involved in Elementary education for 30 years and has worked in three states within Australia as a teacher and administrator. Darren has had leadership roles as a Deputy Principal and has had 16 years as a principal in four different primary schools in Australia. In 2017, Darren and Adele extended their teaching horizons moving to Ajman Academy, their first International teaching position.
Darren has developed many skills over the years and particularly enjoys working with other teachers in the field of coaching and mentoring and believes in a collaborative approach to education.
In his spare time, Darren enjoys tennis, golf, hiking, cycling, travelling and spending time with his family.
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Deborah Vincent
Secondary School Principal
Departments: Leadership, Secondary School, Individual & SocietiesSecondary Title: Individuals and Societies Subject LeaderOriginally from Durban in South Africa, Debbie has spent many years teaching in countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Qatar, Oman, Mauritius and the UAE.
After graduating from the University of Natal with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Geography, Debbie completed her Higher Diploma in Education in English as a First Language, English as a Second Language and Geography. Debbie has a wealth of experience in teaching all levels of Secondary School, from year 7 to year 13. She has experience in the National Curriculum, the IGCSE and AS/A levels, as well as the MYP and Diploma Program. In her previous schools, Debbie held the posts of Head of Humanities Faculty and Head of Year 7. She is currently the MYP Coordinator at Ajman Academy and Head of the Individuals and Societies department.
Debbie is passionate about teaching and helping her students to develop a positive learning experience. After 33 years in education, she continues to feel privileged to work with young adults and to watch them grow and develop. -
Ekhlas Barakat
Admission Assistant & Ministry Liaison
Departments: Administration -
Farag Mohammed
Classroom Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolFarag Mohammed was born and raised in Birmingham, UK. He graduated from Birmingham City University with a Bachelor Degree in Primary Education. He has worked in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He has been in the UAE since 2019 and has previously worked at RAK Academy in Ras Al Khaimah. His 13-year teaching experience has rewarded him the opportunity to teach Grade 3 through to Grade 5 including being a SEND and specialist maths teacher. He has also has had the opportunity to lead whole school PE. Farag’s philosophy in teaching is to provide a safe and positive learning environment for students in which they develop their academic and social skills needed to become responsible community and global citizens. He wants the children to develop responsibility for their own learning and a resilient attitude to challenging tasks. His students are encouraged to respect, value, and share their own and each other's unique abilities.
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Filipinas Macalalad
Accountant Assistant
Departments: Administration -
Gabrielle Theodore
Classroom Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolGabrielle Theodore was born in London and studied at Roehampton Institute (University of Surrey, UK), where she obtained a BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature and Education. Gabrielle has twenty-five years of valuable teaching experience which includes the UK and internationally. She has taught across the age phases from Nursery to Grade 6. Her career began as a Montessori teacher, which inspired her holistic approach to childhood education and passion for making learning fun, engaging, relevant and memorable. Gabrielle’s passion for creating a curriculum that encourages critical thinking and promotes life-long learning skills led her to qualify as a teacher in multicultural UK schools. During her teacher training, she participated in an Erasmus scholarship programme in Lund University, Sweden, which specialised in “Teaching in Multi-Lingual Primary Schools”. This training led to an interest in teaching English to multi-lingual students in the UK and internationally. Gabrielle has worked for the British Council teaching English to children and adults in summer school programmes in London, Jordan, Hong Kong and Qatar. Gabrielle’s international teaching experience also includes the British School of Kuwait, Doha British School, British International School Abu Dhabi and Aldar Academies. In addition to this, she has been a subject coordinator at several schools, English as an Additional Language coordinator and contributed to raising standards of achievement in Writing and Science.
Gabrielle is delighted to be joining the Ajman Academy community. She is committed to implementing the best methods to overcome language barriers to learning so that all students succeed. Gabrielle believes that a safe learning environment that nurtures self-esteem and respect for others is crucial in developing confident and tolerant global citizens and leaders that can work collaboratively with others towards a better world for all.
Gabrielle enjoys travelling and visiting places of historic interest. Her travelling experience has also inspired an interest in photography and silk painting. She is also an avid reader and enjoys going to the theatre and music concerts.
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Genalyn De Leon
Learning Support Assistant
Departments: AEN -
Ghada Ata Mahmoud Samara
Social Studies Teacher
Departments: Secondary School -
Ghadeer Ahmed
Receptionist - Primary School
Departments: Primary School, AdministrationSecondary Title: Bus Coordinator -
Hala Sweilem
Assistant Primary Principal - PYP Coordinator
Departments: LeadershipHala Sweilem
Hala was born in Jordan to an Arab American mother and a Jordanian father. Hala is married with two young daughters.
Hala is a certified IB educator with 12 years of teaching experience. She holds a master’s degree in International Education from the University of Bath (UK). Hala is also a certified IB Workshop Leader who values sharing and gaining experience from other educators. She is bilingual, speaks English and Arabic, and enjoys learning and speaking other languages. Hala has recently held teaching and a PYP Lead position at Amman Baccalaureate School in Jordan.
Hala believes that children must have a stimulating educational environment where their curiosity and interests are nurtured and developed so they can strive to be agentic lifelong learners. She believes that every educator should aspire to create a safe and happy environment for students so they can grow in all aspects and become well-rounded citizens who will make a positive impact on the world.
In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Hala enjoys meeting new people and gaining new experiences; she is delighted to join Ajman Academy Team.
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Hamdy Mostafa Darwesh Mostafa
Accountant
Departments: Administration -
Hania Easton - Wisniewski
Classroom Teacher
Departments: Primary SchoolHania Easton was born and raised in Scotland, United Kingdom. She attained an MA (hons) in International Business management with marketing from Heriot Watt University. Later, she graduated from the University of Birmingham, with a PGCE in Primary Education.
Hania has been living in the UAE since 2017. Prior to joining Ajman Academy, she was working as a primary teacher at a British school in Dubai and has loved her time teaching in the UAE. Hania is passionate about creating positive and engaging learning experiences for her students. She hopes to share her inquisitive nature and passion for knowledge with the young minds that she works alongside. She understands that all children are unique and aims to nurture their gifts.
Outside of school, Hania enjoys skiing, particularly on beautiful mountain slopes. She regularly travels to her home in Scotland and enjoys being with her family in the bonny Scottish countryside.