Parveen Nawab

I am thrilled to introduce myself to you all as Head of English and Year 11 Student Achievement at GEMS Cambridge International Private School, Sharjah. My name is Parveen Nawab and I recently relocated to the UAE from London. I have taught in a range of British and international schools – most recently as Director of English at a secondary school achieving well-above national average GCSE and A-Level results – and throughout my teaching career have secured excellent outcomes for students across Years 7 to 13. I am excited to contribute to a culture of high expectations and engagement in learning for all students here at GCS.

I believe learning English is the bedrock of modern education. Proficiency in the language unlocks the greatest barriers to learning across the curriculum, and linguistic mastery not only allows young people to express themselves formally and creatively for all audiences and purposes, but also gives them access to cultures around the world, and widens their future career opportunities. I truly enjoy seeing young people’s confidence and skills develop in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and believe that through engaging and challenging English teaching, we can cultivate tomorrow’s young leaders.

I have had a passion for English from an early age, and am excited to imbue our students with enjoyment of and mastery in the language. I have a BA (Honours) in English and History from the University of Sussex and MA in Leadership from the Institute of Education, University College London, as well as a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status in English. I believe learning is lifelong, and continue to develop my professional expertise, having recently acquired accreditation with the Schools Students And Teachers (SSAT) trust as Lead Practitioner of English and Literacy in the UK.

At GCS I am excited to develop the English curriculum and see our students relishing rich learning experiences that are of a consistently high quality, and that students feel appropriately challenged yet supported in their studies. I will also be leading on Year 11 students’ achievements, ensuring they make excellent progress in all subject areas, and embedding our core values at GCS.
I look forward to building lasting working relationships with parents and students so that our students can develop as well-educated and well-rounded individuals, ready to embrace a broad range of future opportunities.