Meet the College Leadership Team at Brighton Al Ain
‘ The school has recruited, and developed, highly skilled teachers who inspire students to develop a love of learning. ’ - ADEK Inspection Report
Oliver Bromley-Hall
Head Master
First and foremost, Oliver is a values driven educator. He cares deeply about young people and about education which is holistic and transformative, which was the motivation that brought him into teaching after studying English at university. He believes that the pastoral and the academic parts of a pupil’s school life are inextricably linked and without nurture and genuine care from adults, young people are unable to thrive in their studies and wider lives. He strongly believes that education has the potential to transform lives and the community here at BCAA have a duty to put children first in all that we do.
Victoria Shillingford
Deputy Head – Development & Operations (Whole College)
Victoria started her teaching career in 2004, in an inner-city school in Manchester, in the UK. It was during her time there when she truly fell in love with teaching and being part of making a difference in a child's life. It was also here where she started her leadership journey by undertaking the role of Head of Year 7 and transition and also leading the ICT curriculum team. She then moved to a school on the outskirts of Stockport where she was able to continue her development through a variety of academic and pastoral roles such as Head of Faculty for ICT, Business and Technology and a pastoral Assistant Headteacher.
Victoria is always seeking to improve as a leader and has a keen interest in academic research and literature. She has an MSc in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Manchester and will shortly be embarking on her Doctorate in Education.
Her leadership is child centred and empathetic and what is best for the pupils here at BCCA, is always a priority in her vision and decision making.
Rebecca Graves
Head of Senior School
Joining BCAA with over 22 years’ experience both internationally and in the UK, Rebecca is passionate about teaching and learning and providing an environment that enables every young person to be ambitious and make a difference in the world.
Rebecca started her English teaching career in London, quickly progressing into senior leadership. She has worked in a variety of leadership roles, including Director of Teaching School for a leading UK Academy Trust where she developed a programme of networks, teacher training and professional development for over 30 schools. Moving to Vietnam as Assistant Headteacher in one of South East Asia’s leading international schools, Rebecca was responsible for professional learning and leadership, organising conferences, developing a senior leadership programme and bringing the first TeachMeets to Vietnam. Rebecca is a trained facilitator for the NPQSL programmes and has recently completed the NPQH qualification herself.
Rebecca joins from her more recent role as Deputy Headteacher in a successful Nottinghamshire school. She has led on character education, oracy and developing reading; three areas that are crucial in a young person’s development.
Delighted to be here in Al Ain at this exciting point in the college’s development, Rebecca joins with her husband and two daughters who will be pupils in years 9 and 10. In her free time, she enjoys art, theatre, literature, food and is a keen traveler and cannot wait to explore what the region has in store. She is looking forward to developing links with pupils, parents and the whole community as the senior school moves into the next stage of its journey.
Mr Andrew Ryan
Head of Junior School
Andrew joined BCAA as Head of the Junior School after more than 25 years teaching and leading schools internationally. He is passionate about supporting students as they reach their potential academically, and as impactful global citizens.
Andrew started his teaching career in Leeds, UK, before embarking on a career that has taken him to Brunei Darussalam, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan. He is starting his third headship here at Brighton, and has a desire to use his experience to help Brighton College Al Ain build on its outstanding reputation.
A lifelong learner, Andrew has an NPQH from the Institute of Education (UCL), has completed his MA in Education Management from Kings College (UCL) and more recently qualified as an executive coach (ILM). This last has revolutionised the manner in which he seeks to lead in both his work with children, teachers and fellow school leaders.
Andrew is delighted to be at Brighton College Al Ain with his family, 3 of whom attend the Junior School.
Catriona Long
Deputy Head of Senior School - Academic
Catriona moved to Brighton College Al Ain in 2015 from the North East of England and in this time has seen the College grow and open it’s doors to all year groups. Throughout her teaching career she has held a variety of roles such as Lead Teacher for Teaching and Learning, Head of Science, Assistant and Deputy Head Academic. In all these roles it is still teaching Chemistry in the classroom that she enjoys the most. Catriona fully understands the importance of blending the British Education curriculum with the Ministry of Education and is keen on developing suitable pathways to allow all pupils to achieve their potential.
Andrew Kenning
Assistant Head Senior School - Head of Sixth Form
After a successful and rewarding first year as Head of the English Department, Andew is now very much looking forward to taking on the role of Head of Sixth Form at Brighton College, Al Ain.
Andrew has been in education for over 30 years and has headed post-16 provision at 3 other schools, 2 of them A Level institutions, the other offering the International Baccalaureate. In all of those posts, Andrew has overseen the development of pupils from a wide range of backgrounds, helping all secure places at universities, some of them at the world's highest ranked ones, including Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Former pupils have gone on to a range of highly successful careers in professions that range from acting to politics.
Matt Brant
Deputy Head Junior School - Operational
Matt Brant joined Brighton College Al Ain after 8 years at a large British international school in Bahrain, where he was part of the leadership team which led the school to maintain its outstanding status in inspections. Originally from Reading, UK, where he earned a BA (Ed) Hons Degree in Primary Education, he began his career at a founding Forest School where he learnt the importance of a holistic education, nurturing, valuing and developing the whole child to be the best they can be. He is passionate about gymnastics, previously coaching in the UK and developing his own club in Bahrain and holds a Level 3 coaching qualification. He is also an accredited Level 2 Google Educator.
As a Brighton College parent, Matt fully understands the impact being part of the Brighton College family can have on its pupils and is committed to ensuring that this is experienced by every child in his care.
Melanie Rackham
Deputy Head Junior School - Pastoral
Melanie is now in her eighth year as Deputy Head of Pastoral and Wellbeing in the Junior School. She has over 22 years of teaching experience, with a wealth of educational experience in schools
internationally and in the UK, across many contexts, teaching varying age ranges with different curriculums. She is an adaptable person and has had responsibility for leading on many different curriculum areas and with numerous leadership roles during her career.
Within Brighton College Al Ain, as a member of the Junior School Leadership team, Melanie has
contributed fully to 3 successful ADEK inspections of which we achieved outstanding. She has also helped shape the development of the Junior School, taking it from 2 form entry to 4. Through her pastoral care role, Melanie has supported behaviour, mental health, wellbeing and pupil voice, providing leadership opportunities for many of our children, so they aspire to be more.
In addition, she is also Child Protection Officer, Designated Lead for Mental Health and has recently attained her National Professional Qualification for Headship.
Kerry Lynch
Deputy Head Junior School - Head of Early Years
Kerry is an experienced and dedicated leader with a passion for nurturing our youngest learners. She is passionate about early childhood and ensuring all children receive the best start on their learning journey. She believes in creating dynamic, exciting and developmentally appropriate environments that foster a love of learning and inspires curiosity.
Throughout her career Kerry has successfully implemented innovative approaches to learning, in her previous posting in a successful school in Egypt she led on developing a play based approach across Pre Prep. She was also the reading leader for RWINC phonics. Whilst at Brighton she has been an integral part of the team bringing our unique Desert Discovery site to life as well as developing our 'Reggio' inspired approach to learning. Kerry successfully taught and led a CACHE level 3 program in a previous school ensuring all adults were trained to support young learners.
Alex Stagogiannis
Deputy Head Senior School - Pastoral
Richard Brashier
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning
Richard is passionate about young people and education. He firmly believes that everyone can achieve through an enriching, vibrant curriculum and relentlessly setting high expectations. Richard has recently moved to Al Alin, having lived in the UAE for ten years. Prior to that, he lived in Malaysia. He is originally from England and joins us with his family of three children. He has gained his Masters in Education focusing on feedback and seeks to develop this further at BCAA.
Dr. Anas Jrab
Head of MOE subjects
Anas is a highly accomplished individual with 18 years of experience in both Jordan and the UAE. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Jurisprudence and its fundamentals and joined BCAA in 2013. His profound expertise in these fields has not only enriched the academic community but has also had a profound impact on legal and religious circles. Anas's combination of academic rigor, cultural heritage, and deep-rooted knowledge makes him a symbol of excellence in his field. He has authored numerous research papers exploring the horizons of Islamic Jurisprudence, actively participated in conferences worldwide, and remains a vital member of the ICOP (Islamic Crescent Observation Project).