Meet our British Online School Teachers
Experienced Fully Qualified Teachers
Meet our International British School Teachers at Sophia High
Early Years | Online School Year 1 | Online School Year 2
Online Primary School Teacher
Early Years & KeyStage 1
My name is Shazia Meer and I have been working as a Teacher in
various capacities for almost 15 years in both, Qatar and the U.K. I
Grew up in West Yorkshire, England and it is also here that I trained to
be a teacher. I have a teaching qualification in Early Childhood
Education, which means I am specialised in the teaching of 3-8 years
old children but have taught across the Primary range. During my
career, I have progressed and worked as an R.E coordinator, Music
Coordinator, Head of Year 5, Head of Pre-School, Head of Reception
as well as having been an Early Years Coordinator and Learning
Mentor. In England, I also worked as an Early Years Leader and helped
to found a Learning Club for children with Speech and Language
difficulties. In my spare time I enjoy reading, watching a good movie
and spending time with my husband and 2 children. My all-time
favourite book is Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte.
Key Stage 2
Online Primary School Teacher
KS2 Teacher
History Specialist
Laura is an experienced, dynamic practitioner who has worked over six years in education, including Japan and the UK. She effuses energy and believes strongly that every child can achieve greatness.
With senior leadership experience in leading subjects including English, PSHE, History and Geography, Laura is excited to join the team at Sophia High School to inspire another generation of learners.
In 2013 Laura completed her first-class degree in Classics from the University of Warwick, gaining the dissertation prize for her work on invective Latin poetry. With her degree-level knowledge of Latin
and Ancient Greek, Laura went on to archaeological digs, and then a placement in the British Museum’s Numismatics department, before working as a tour guide at the Museum of London. There she realised her need to be more involved in the education system, and completed a PGCE in order to become classroom-based.
Laura has taught a range of year groups from year 1 to year 6. She has worked in Ofsted outstanding schools in low-income areas of London as a leader, helping to continually raise the bar for the children who need it most. One example of this is submitting her school as the only primary-based entry to a secondary school NASA-led competition – and placing runner up in the country. She has helped produced outstanding results through her relentless energy and motivation for the pupils and knows how much difference one inspiring teacher can make.
Laura believes strongly in intrinsic motivation and works hard to build an excellent pupil-teacher relationship. She takes a genuine interest in her pupils’ pastimes and enjoys seeing their light-bulb moments in class. From experience, Laura knows that mutual respect and passion for her subjects
make for life-long learners. Her drive for academic excellence is balanced with helping students develop into rounded, curious learners who have care for others and the world around them.
Online Primary School Teacher
Additional Learning Needs Co-Ordinator
Andrea is an experienced, teacher who is passionate about oral and written literacy and raising the self esteem of her students. Andrea has a B.Ed Hons (2:1), a MEd (Special Educational Needs) and a MA (Applied Linguistics: Communication Disorders). She has worked in schools in both the UK and internationally.
For many years she has led teams to support students with additional learning needs; providing intervention programmes for individual students and also training for faculty. She has also initiated various parent chats and book clubs to provide support, information, and community for parents.
Andrea strongly believes in developing mental wellbeing and resilience. Self-esteem and the power of positive relationships are both fundamental to any learning endeavour. Students who feel safe and happy will take risks and our best learning comes from challenging ourselves with things we don’t yet know. She believes we must support our students to take those risks, persist, and grow at their own rate.
Andrea has traveled to many countries and has also lived in Australia, Bahrain, Lesotho, South Korea, the USA and Vietnam. She is a life-long learner and her travels have taught her so much, offering great opportunities to learn more about the world, whilst challenging her own resilience and flexibility.
Online Primary School Teacher
IMYC/IPC Subject Lead
KS3 Maths and Science Teacher
Rose joins Sophia High School as our primary science specialist teacher having been awarded with a PGCE from Oxford Brookes University. Prior to her PGCE, Rose attended Oxford Brookes University, where she studied Psychology and received a First Class Honours degree. She was awarded the prestigious Michael Argyle Award for her final year dissertation, which led to it being published.
Online Primary School Teacher
Online High School UK
Helen is a highly qualified primary school teacher and senior leader with over 20 years’ experience across the primary phase. After qualifying from St Mary’s College (London) with a PGCE in Primary Education, she combined her passion for teaching and her interest in different cultures by teaching in multi-cultural schools in inner-city London, Malaysia and Spain. Having taught online during lockdown, she is looking forward to joining our online learning family.
As a life-long learner, Helen has continuously sought opportunities to develop herself professionally and has fulfilled many roles and responsibilities within different schools. Her greatest driving force is that teaching and learning is inclusive, enabling every student access to high quality education, in preparation for an ever-changing world and ensuring they achieve their personal best. Helen has specialised in best practice for supporting students who are new to English, have additional learning needs or are high achieving.
Helen has a holistic approach to education and strives to provide learning opportunities that are personalised to a child’s skills and well-being. In every setting, she establishes a learning environment where students are confident in taking risks with new learning. Helen instils a love of learning in her students by sharing her passion for learning with them. She relates learning to the world community to help students become active members of society.
In her spare time, Helen has volunteered for various organisations in South America and Asia. She has taught English to local families, supported a charity for young homeless and raised funds for food banks.
Online Secondary School UK | Online High School Teachers
Online Primary School Teacher:
English Subject Lead
KS3 English teacher
Amy is a highly experienced UK primary school teacher, with over five years of experience, having led English, Maths and P.E. at various points throughout her career. Amy completed her degree in English and Sports studies at the University of Winchester, before going on to do her PGCE in Brighton.
Amy has taught from year 1 through to year 6, often teaching mixed classes in schools in the UK. She has also worked at her local County Council writing, reviewing and monitoring Education, Health and Care Plans for children with special educational needs, which has helped develop her understanding about various individual needs, their impact on a child’s education and the tools and skills that are available to overcome challenges. She has also fulfilled the role as a Deputy DSL in her previous school, helping to monitor the wellbeing of children.
Amy believes passionately about a child-centred teaching approach and tailors her teaching to suit the needs of the individual. She is a fun and enthusiastic teacher and is always searching for new and creative ways to engage the children. She likes to give the children the confidence and independence to face challenges and have a love of learning. She is incredibly excited to join us and to teach within our digital learning environment.
Assistant Head
&
KS2 Teacher
Jennifer is a highly qualified primary school teacher and assistant headteacher at Sophia High School with over eleven years of teaching experience. Her experience in the UK, Canada, and the USA has been in both private, independent and public schools. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Canada through the University of Calgary. She has also completed a Master’s degree (MEd) in education focusing on educational technology. She has experience teaching students aged 8-13 in physical classrooms and various online school environments. Jennifer has experience as a lead teacher and mentor teacher where she has led staff training and developed curriculum planning and teaching initiatives. She has taught a wide range of subjects including core subjects, as well as RE, Art and French. Jennifer continuously works on her own professional development and is a certified Google educator.
Jennifer’s teaching style can be described as student-focused. She places emphasis on delivering engaging and creative lessons, wherein students can cultivate their love of learning. Jennifer enjoys getting to know her students and what their interests are, in order to key into their driving motivations while learning. She also enjoys teaching them to the best of her ability, and building a positive rapport with each of her students and families. Her kindness, calm demeanour, and passion for education are characteristics which she tries to instil with her students. She focuses on student progress and, equally, enjoyment.
Online Primary School Teacher
Maths and Science Subject Lead
KS3 Maths and Science teacher
Holly has been teaching for over 20 years and a senior leader for 10 years in both UK secondary schools and international schools in southern Spain. After graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in Biological Sciences, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry before studying for a PGCE at the University of Durham. Holly has worked in various roles throughout her career to date including Head of Department, Head of Year, Assistant Principal, Head of Upper School (11-18) and Head of Data and Academic Assessment (EYFS-18) for an international school group. Additionally, Holly has worked closely with OFSTED in the UK and has been a NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) inspector for the last four years, as well as working as an examiner for GCSE exam boards and a mentor for trainee teachers. She has led both Primary and Secondary professional development, including sessions on differentiation, assessment, target setting, feedback, child protection, pace and challenge, student mentoring and PSHE/Global Citizenship.
Holly is passionate about a personalised approach to education and ensures students are in a positive and confident mindset to embrace learning. Her teaching is interactive, varied and relevant, placing great emphasis on contextualised themes, current affairs and Global Citizenship. She enjoys getting to know her students and their families and creates a classroom environment built on key values of respect, kindness and inclusivity, whilst developing resilient independent students. Her enthusiasm permeates throughout her teaching, leaving no stone unturned to support academic progress and personal development of young people.
Online Primary School Teacher
KS1-2 Teacher
PE Specialist
Specialists
Qualified PSHE teacher and Mindfulness & Wellbeing coach
at Sophia High School
Dominic currently works in Dubai as a Mindfulness Trainer and a teacher. Dominic went to a prestigious school called Hampton and achieved 4As and a B in his A Levels. He then attended a Russell Group University (Nottingham), where he studied Psychology and Philosophy and received a 2:1. Dominic was also awarded a PGCE from Buckingham University (one of the top universities for studying education in the whole of the UK).
Dominic then became a teacher and taught in British Curriculum Schools for eight years in both the UK and Dubai, before moving into Mindfulness training and Tuition full time. Before leading Dubai, he was Head of PSHE at a top independent prep school and helped the teachers deliver the PSHE Jigsaw curriculum across the various age-ranges. In his role as a mindfulness coach, he has helped entire families overcome their family dynamics; he also has mentored many children to become more productive and caring, and he has held many corporate lectures on the need for mindfulness in this hectic world, across Dubai. He has also delivered Mindfulness and Wellbeing courses to several schools across Dubai.
Dominic’s educational style is dynamic and pressure free. He likes children to inquire for themselves into the truth of things and to think independently. He feels that this is the most important aspect of intelligence, which is unfortunately under-appreciated in the modern education system. He is also extremely passionate about self-understanding and holistic learning, which embraces not only the intellect, but also the emotions and spirit. For Dominic, the most important aspects of teaching and learning are freedom and enjoyment.