Our Team

My name is Joe Creal, and I am the Assistant Head of Upper Key Stage 2 at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. I have thoroughly enjoyed returning to the UAE and being part of the founding team at RGSGD after holding many roles in a variety of Prep schools both in the UK and previously in Abu Dhabi. Before taking up the role here I was previously teaching at the Preparatory School of the Royal Grammar School Guildford, UK for the past 4 years. There I have served as Head of Science, Housemaster, teacher Mathematics to Years 5 and 6, and Games coach. I bring the full experience of the RGS to Dubai as I was a pupil myself at the Royal Grammar School Guildford in the UK.

My name is Carly Cannon and I am part of the Upper Key Stage 2 team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. I studied at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, London where I graduated with a BA Honours degree in Primary Education. After graduating, I began working in a primary school in central London before moving to Dubai in 2016, where I have been teaching ever since. I have been teaching now for 10 years and have had the pleasure to teach across both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, as a Class Teacher and a Year Group Leader.

My name is Sam Townsend and I am part of the team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. During my eleven-year career as an educator, I have worked at numerous schools in England and gained a vast amount of experience during this time. Ahead of joining RGSGD my most recent post was Assistant Head Teacher at a large primary school in England, which allowed me to learn about how a school can move forward whilst still expanding.

My name is Andi Price and I have over 20 years of teaching experience across many roles. I have been a Headteacher both here in the UAE and in the United Kingdom, and a member of Senior Leadership Team for 13 years. In 2017 my craving for fully utilising Educational Technology to inspire and enhance learning led me back full-time into the classroom.

My name is Robbie Parker, and I am one of the Year 6 teachers at Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. Originally, I am from County Durham in the Northeast of England and moved to Dubai in 2020. After completing my undergraduate degree, I pursued my Primary PGCE at Newcastle University and began my teaching career shortly after. At a small village primary school, I gained valuable experience across the primary phase, teaching pupils from Year 1 to Year 6, before embracing a new adventure in the UAE.   During my time in the UAE, I have worked as a Year 5 teacher and served as the curriculum leader for Mathematics. I am thrilled to be returning to Year 6, which has always been one of my favourite year groups. One of my passions is promoting the importance of reading and inspiring children to explore a wide range of books. As a practitioner, I lead by example, focusing my energy where it has the most impact.

My name is Matthew Lancaster, and I am delighting to be joining the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai team in August as a Year 6 Teacher. I will be moving from the UK to Dubai with my wife and I am very much looking forward to being a part of the RGS community. I have extensive experience and knowledge of teaching in Year 6 and have led this year group for the past 8 years within a school in the UK.  I graduated from Liverpool Hope University in 2015 with a First-Class Primary Teaching degree, which specialised in Mathematics. I then went straight into the classroom and have been enjoying teaching within Year 6 ever since. I have led in multiple roles in addition to my classroom practises and have coordinated both Computing and Physical Education – raising standards and pupil enjoyment in both. Further to this, in my role as whole-school Assessment Coordinator, I was instrumental in the re-design, implementation and monitoring of an assessment system as well as a home-learning system during the pandemic.

My name is Georgina Davis and I am delighted to be part of the team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. I graduated from York St John University in 2012 with a First-Class Honours Degree in Primary Education, where I specialised in Additional Educational Needs. Over the past 10 years, I have taught in the UK, Kuwait, Australia, and the UAE. I am currently working in Abu Dhabi as a Year 4 Teacher and have been there for a total of four years.

My name is Rebecca Antoine and I am part of the Upper Key Stage 2 team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. Over my 15-year teaching career, I have worked across Key Stage 2 as a teacher and Year Group Leader and have also worked for my Local Authority creating schemes of work to be used in schools.  As a teacher, my goal is to inspire every child to be the best version of themselves that they can be. To do this, I ensure that I create learning environments and learning experiences that enable pupils to become curious about the world around them and to continuously ask questions, promoting positive, happy and respectful relationships between all members of the class.

My name is Louise Kelly. I am thrilled to be part of the team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai as a Key Stage 2 teacher. I bring over nineteen years of secondary and primary teaching experience to the team, having been an Assistant Headteacher of two successful and dynamic comprehensive schools in England. I graduated from the University of Surrey with a First-Class Honours degree in Drama and Theatre studies in 2001, then gained my PGCE from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. I became an Assistant Headteacher in 2010 and led my teams with a vision and passion for collaborative and inspirational Teaching and Learning.

My name is Ana Santos and I am part of the Key Stage 2 team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai as a Year 5 teacher. I am an experienced Primary school teacher with 16 years of experience both in England and Dubai. I completed my PGCE Primary at London South Bank University and taught in London primary schools before deciding to embark on a career in teaching in Dubai. Before joining RGSGD in 2021, my most recent post was a class teacher and the mathematics lead for KS2. I have taught across KS1 and KS2 in well-established schools and private schools.

Hello, my name is Lisa Roberts and I am really thrilled to be amongst such a great team of educators at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. I am originally from London but lived in Brighton for most of my life. I studied for my Bachelors in Primary Education (hons 1st class) at North London University and have then taught in exceptional schools across London and Brighton for over 25 years. I have worked across all key stages and have previously led year groups, key stages and curriculum teams in Art, Design Technology and Science.

My name is Joseph Ablett, and I am delighted to be part of the team at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai as a Key Stage 2 Class Teacher. I moved to Dubai from my home in London, England 1 year ago and I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming part of the community at the school.  Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree in music, I went on to achieve my PGCE in Primary Education at the University of Leeds. I have been a teacher for over six years in which I have enjoyed working in Spain and most recently at a Primary school in North London, teaching across a range of year groups in Key Stage 2 and leading subjects including PSHE and Music.

My Name is Andrew Grainger, and I am delighted to be joining the team at Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai as a Year 5 Teacher. Having taught for 13 years, I have experience leading as a Deputy Head within the UAE and as a member of the Senior Leadership team across several schools in the UK. My passion for technology and Science has also given me opportunities to take on leadership roles as a STEM Lead and Science Lead across multiple schools. Each of these roles has equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of curriculum development and how to bring innovative new ideas into the classroom environment.

My name is Adam Williamson, and I am delighted to introduce myself as a key stage 2 teacher at Royal Grammar School Guildford School, Dubai community. Originally from the Northeast of England, I graduated with an Honors Degree in English Literature before completing my PGCE in Carlisle. In my hometown, Nantwich, I taught for nearly ten years across a range of year groups across both key stages 1 and 2. For the past two years, I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching at a British Curriculum school here in Dubai. Throughout my teaching career, building positive relationships has been at the forefront of my values. By creating a warm and welcoming classroom atmosphere, I strive to build trust and rapport with each child, ensuring they feel valued and respected.

My name is Chrystal Philippou, and I am beyond excited to join Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai as a Year 5 Class Teacher. I was born and raised in Cardiff, Wales with a Greek Cypriot heritage. My journey in education began at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where I attained a First-Class Honors degree in Primary Education Studies. This was followed by a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, further enriching my qualifications. With four years of teaching experience, I bring to the classroom my passion for fostering creativity, curiosity, and engaged learners. What I love most about being a teacher is finding out what makes each child special and helping them uncover their unique strengths and talents. My aim is to empower students with a skill set that extends beyond the classroom, nurturing real-world resilience, independence, and confidence.

My name is Sophie Ryan, and I am delighted to be joining the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai team as a Year 6 teacher. Originally from Buckinghamshire, after completing my teacher training in Oxfordshire, I soon moved away from the rural Home Counties to teach in the city of London. A decade ago, I began my teaching career in Upper Key Stage 2 in an Outstanding primary school in the city centre. After two years, I soon decided to spread my wings to seek new challenges and experience international teaching in the UAE. During my 8 years of teaching in the same school since arriving in Dubai, I have taken on pivotal roles as Head of Year and Head of Department, witnessing firsthand the transformative power of education.

My name is Sameera Hussain, and I am thrilled to be joining Year 6 at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai. Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, I graduated with a Bachelor of Education Honors degree from the University of Strathclyde. Dubai is now my home, where I live with my husband and two young boys. With 12 years of teaching experience, including 9 years as a Year 6 teacher and Curriculum Leader at an outstanding Dubai school, I bring enthusiasm and dedication to my new role at RGSGD. In my classroom, I strive to create a stimulating and inclusive learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential.