Executive Leadership team

Hello Dubai British School Jumeira Families,

My name is Miss Caitlin Swanwick, and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the DBSJ community. I’m so looking forward to meeting you all and becoming part of such a fun, vibrant, and welcoming school.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with children. My passion for learning led me to complete a Master of Teaching in Early Childhood and Primary Education at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. I’ve been teaching for five years, with most of my experience in a Prep classroom—the first year of formal schooling in Australia.

My teaching philosophy is built on kindness, curiosity, and a deep respect for every child’s unique journey. I believe young children thrive in warm, nurturing environments where they feel safe, supported, and valued. By fostering a sense of wonder and encouraging playful exploration, I aim to help children develop a lifelong love of learning.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading, spending time with family and friends, visiting the beach, and playing with my three-year-old English Cocker Spaniel, Stella. One of my favourite children’s books is Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. I love it because it celebrates friendship, kindness, and teamwork—all told through a magical, engaging story.

Hello, families of Dubai British School Jumeira!

My name is Mrs. Sarah Wiseman, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as your new teacher and to join the wonderful DBSJ community.

I’d love to share a little about myself before the new term begins. I hold a BA Hons in Primary Education with a specialism in Art and Design from Edge Hill University. I started teaching 16 years ago in the UK and have since taught internationally in Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, Thailand. More recently, I’ve worked in both independent and state schools in Yorkshire.

I bring a wealth of experience across Early Years and Key Stage 1. I am passionate about child-centred learning, encouraging curiosity, creativity, independence, and collaboration. I strive to make learning fun, interactive, and meaningful, creating environments where children feel safe, valued, and eager to explore. I believe in playful, hands-on experiences that celebrate each child’s unique talents.

Outside the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter, and our dog – Mango. We love walking, exploring the outdoors, swimming, and discovering new places. As a family we love to read, one of our favourite’s is Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae for its message of confidence and celebrating uniqueness.

I’m Ms. Ciara Quinn, and I am so excited to be joining DBSJ this year. From a young age, I knew I wanted to teach children.

I pursued this passion by studying Early Childhood Education at the Technological University of Dublin, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree. I have been teaching Foundation Stage 2 for the past two years, here in the UAE. I have also had the privilege of teaching young minds in Ireland. My teaching philosophy involves fostering a love of learning through play and exploration. I believe every child has unique strengths, and I work hard to establish a nurturing environment where each student feels valued. Outside of teaching, I love traveling to different countries and spending time with my family and friends. One of my favorite children’s books is “Ruby’s Worry” by Tom Percival, which beautifully illustrates how children experience worries and fears, helping them with emotional regulation.

Hello, my name is Ms. Nikki Fowler and I am so excited to be joining you as a founder member of this amazing new school community!

I would love to share a bit about myself so you can get to know me before the new term begins.

I am from Sheffield in the UK. I began my teaching career 17 years ago when I moved to Hong Kong to be an EFL teacher. A few years later I completed my PGCE and found my love of teaching Early Years and KS1. I have been teaching FS2 in a British school in Dubai for the past 7 years.

My teaching philosophy is centered around providing a nurturing and stimulating environment where young children can thrive, and learn through play. I believe in the value of child-led learning, where children are encouraged to explore their interests and be curious. I cannot wait to find out your children’s interests and help them launch into their love for learning.

Outside school I love travelling and exploring new places. I’m wondering if I will travel to my 60th country this school year! I also like hiking and reading my book by the pool or the beach. My favourite children’s book is ‘The lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’. I like this book because I remember building a scene from it with my dad when I was little. It also demonstrates how we can persevere and solve problems.

I am looking forward to getting to know each of your children and helping them grow into curious, independent learners.

My name is Miss Carter and I am thrilled to be catching a one-way flight from the UK to join the founding team at Dubai British School Jumeira.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Studies at Christ Church Canterbury University and have been teaching in the UK across Year 1 and Early Years for the last five years. In my classroom individuality is valued and children feel heard, respected and loved. By building positive and nurturing relationships, I equip children with the skills to take risks and overcome challenge. I seek to develop children’s curiosity in learning and make every day a fun and memorable experience. When I am not teaching, I enjoy playing netball and going for coffee with friends. It will be my first time in the UAE so I am very much looking forward to exploring all that Dubai has to offer. Story time is my favourite time of the day and a children’s book that is always on my shelf is The Book with No Pictures written by B.J. Novak because it is so silly and demonstrates the power of words alone.

My name is Mrs. Lucy Barker and I am so excited to be your new Year 1 teacher at DBSJ! I’m starting a new adventure too, moving to Dubai with my husband, our little boy Charlie and our three cheeky rescue dogs.

For the past 12 years, I’ve taught across Early Years and Primary, both in the UK and in exciting places like Thailand and Poland. As an Early Years specialist I’ve had the chance to lead EYFS and subjects like English, as well coordinate fun eco-projects and organise events that bring the whole school community together.

In our classroom we will be curious, creative and connected. With a love for storytelling, singing and the outdoors, I bring playful and purposeful learning to life while encouraging children to care for themselves, each other and the world around them.

One of my favourite children’s books is Way Home for Wolf by Rachel Bright, a beautiful story about a little wolf who learns that even the strongest adventurers need a helping hand sometimes. Just like Wilf, we’ll learn that kindness, resilience and teamwork help us find our way.

Outside of school, I love going on adventures with my family. We enjoy beach walks, nature trails and picnics with our dogs. I believe learning happens everywhere – and that’s something I can’t wait to share with you.

My name is Ms. Sinead Kinsey and I’m so excited to be your teacher this year! I’m originally from Nottingham, a lovely city in the middle of England and I’ve been living and teaching in Dubai for the past four years. During my teaching journey so far, I’ve had the chance to work with children in FS1 all the way up to Year 2 and I’ve loved every minute of it. Helping children learn, grow and have fun at school is one of my favourite things to do!

In our classroom, I always try to make sure it’s a happy, exciting and welcoming place where everyone feels safe and included. I love to plan fun and engaging activities that help us learn in lots of different ways—through play, talking, exploring and discovering new things together. I want every child to feel proud of who they are and confident to be themselves.

When I’m not at school, I really enjoy reading, watching and playing sports and travelling to new places to learn about the world. One of my favourite books to read is Zog by Julia
Donaldson. I love Zog because he never gives up, even when things get tricky—he keeps
trying and always does his best. That’s something I’ll be encouraging all of us to do this year, too!

My name is Mita Pandya and I am so excited to be part of such a cutting-edge and caring school.

Knowing that I wanted to make a difference to the lives of children, I initially studied law, specialising in Child Protection. Being involved in many projects and in academia led me to change my path to create a positive impact for children: education. This led me to gaining my PGCE at Brunel University London. I have been in teaching for around ten years now and have loved every minute! I have worked for six of those years in the UAE.

My teaching philosophy is focussed on children’s creativity and inspiring them to reach standards of excellence. My classroom is a place where children are happy inquirers, excited about learning, independent and challenged to a level that they set for themselves.

In my spare time I love to cook, play badminton and do yoga. A book I have really loved to read and use in teaching is Dubai’s Talking Towers by Ralph Browning. We loved bringing the characters to life through drama and through creating their own version of the story.

My name is Mr. Andrew McCracken, and I am delighted to be joining your family in this exciting journey as founding members of DBSJ!

Education has always been a huge part of my life. My mother, one of my biggest role models, was a Primary School Principal. As I am sure you are aware, teaching preparation does not stop in the classroom. At home, my sister, father and I were often tasked with cutting and laminating displays and resources! My mother instilled a passion for education in me and because of this, I studied an Education Degree, and completed my PGCE in Liverpool Hope University. Now, after teaching for 10 years (8 of these in Dubai) I strive to instil this love for learning onto your children.

My teaching philosophy includes a passion for inquiry based learning. I believe in creating an environment where children take ownership of their learning and develop their unique ways to delve deeper into concepts. Creating a love for learning and an eagerness to explore is very important to me. I have a huge passion for the arts. From a young age, the stage has been my second home. I love getting involved in productions and choirs here in Dubai and I am so excited to bring this passion to DBSJ. When I am not performing, I love to go to the Dubai Opera House or delve into a good book!