LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD
The Local Advisory Board (LAB), functions primarily as an advisory board and holds an important strategic role in overseeing the achievement of the school’s strategic aims and objectives.
The LAB will:
- Understand and uphold the school’s and GEMS vision and values.
- Monitor, advise and support the school on matters of strategy and policy.
- Help monitor the school’s standards and performance.
- Support the school and the Principal and seek to provide wise counsel.
FPS Local Advisory Board Members
Members are a group of experienced and skilled individuals from diverse backgrounds, who add a great deal to improve the school’s performance. Members are mindful of the role and responsibilities of the Principal, and understand and appreciate the relationship of GEMS (the company) to the school.
The LAB is not involved in financial matters, appointing staff, the day-to-day running of the school, admissions, individual issues or grievances, or any other matters which are the remit of GEMS or the school’s leadership.
Baz Nijjar
Principal Advisor – Education Technology for GEMS Education
Baz is the Principal Advisor – Education Technology at GEMS Education, bridging education and technology across the GEMS school network.
After moving to Dubai in 2015, he built on his experience as an outstanding-rated teacher in Durham, UK, holding leadership roles such as Associate Officer at Durham Local Education Authority, Assistant Principal Specialism at FirstPoint School, and Innovation Lead at Jumeirah College.
Known for pioneering education-industry collaborations, Baz introduced the region’s first school-time industry internship programs, supporting the KHDA Rahhal 10x initiative, including the first Emirati student internship within a school timetable. He also launched the first esports and game design qualifications in the region and forged key technology partnerships to enhance student skills.
His research focuses on award-winning blended learning models, youth engagement, and industry-education collaborations. Passionate about integrating real-world skills into education, Baz believes in preparing students for the future by aligning learning with industry needs.
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Raida Al Lamki
Philanthropist and Strategic Business and Marketing Consultant
Raida Rashid Al Lamki is a philanthropist and a strategic business and marketing consultant working to help businesses improve their business model in an ever changing and dynamic world. With a vast experience in business development and marketing, working with major global brands and various industries, Raida’s aspiration is to make the world a better place through education and marketing.
Raida Rashid Allamki is a multicultural and multilingual individual with an outstanding record of delivering growth and bridging the cultural gap by spending over two decades living and working in countries such as the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Algeria, India, Yemen, Egypt and the United States. During her experience working for Dubai’s fastest growing free zone, Jafza, Raida managed the marketing collaboration and communication to over 6,400 global companies with which 120 are Fortune 500 companies.
Raida Rashid Allamki is a top graduate with a Masters of Strategic Marketing. Along with her industry experience and academic involvement, Raida believes in giving back to the community. She is assisting the University of Wollongong to manage the Industry-Academia Interface in Class Initiative(IACIM), a unique initiative endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), UK. She is also currently collaborating with her professor as a co-author in publishing a book about successful businesses in Dubai.
With a passion for philanthropy and education, Raida Rashid Allamki managed to set up two schools in Africa with more than 200 children along with her mother. Her charitable work also includes fundraising and distributing donations for the poor and orphans in Zanzibar.
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Matthew Burfield
Senior Vice President - Education
Matthew began his career in teaching History and Citizenship in a Secondary School in South London over 20 years ago. Since then he spent time advising Head teachers in the UK whilst working for Essex County Council and then moved into international schooling in Athens, Greece 11 years ago. His first headship there was transforming an established school into the best British International School in the area.
He is now the very proud Executive Principal/CEO of the most successful school opening in GEMS history at GEMS Founders School (GFS) in Dubai where he was the Founding Principal in September 2016. It is a vibrant and wonderful learning environment with over 6200 children currently enrolled and a diverse community of over 100 nationalities. Most importantly to him the children at GFS are mindful and happy learners who love coming to school every day.
In 2019, He also became the Founders Brand and School Group Leader overseeing GEMS Metropole School and GEMS Founders School – Al Mizhar. He was appointed as a Vice President – Education in January 2021 and is now leading 7 schools in the UAE with over 21000 children in total. He has also recently been appointed as a Senior Vice President – Education.
Matthew has completed the full training for Penta International as a BSO Accreditor and has been a part of several BSO teams around the world, including Kuwait and the UAE. He is now also a fully trained Lead Inspector for BSO inspections working with schools across the world including currently with a school in Bosnia Herzegovina. In addition to this work with Penta and the BSO framework, he works with COBIS as a Lead Improvement Partner for their Patrons Accreditation and Compliance visits here in the Middle East. He feels honoured and privileged for representing BSME schools as a member of the Executive Committee where he holds the portfolio for professional development. Matthew is a great believer in lifelong learning and recently completed his NPQEL which has really supported him in his executive leadership role.
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Muna Al Falasi
Director of the Festival Strategy & Planning Department
Muna Al Falasi, Director of the Festival Strategy & Planning Department, is a highly accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in marketing, event planning and strategy. As a senior professional and UAE national, she has played a pivotal role in the success of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishments (DFRE), a prominent department under the Dubai Tourism and Economy umbrella.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Muna has spearheaded some of the biggest city-wide iconic campaigns of the organisation and execution in Dubai. She has been instrumental in the phenomenal growth and global recognition of events such as the Dubai Esports & Games Festival, Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Eid & Ramadan celebrations, Beach Canteen, Food Festival, and various government initiatives.
Muna recently graduated from Innovation consultancy program led by Dubai Government Excellence Program, plus A graduate of “leaders of the future” from PWC.
Muna's strong leadership skills have allowed her to develop and execute strategic goals that align with organisational objectives, taking into account cost considerations, process improvements, and manpower management. Her ability to design and plan meticulously detailed event-based projects has resulted in memorable experiences for attendees and stakeholders.
Moreover, Muna is highly skilled in coaching and mentoring team members, instilling a customer-oriented approach and ensuring adherence to company performance standards. Her expertise in project management, vendor negotiation, and supply chain management has been instrumental in delivering outstanding results and maintaining strong relationships with suppliers.
Muna's extensive knowledge and experience in aligning program scopes with strategic business objectives have proven invaluable in enhancing the effectiveness and success of projects. She has also played a crucial role in setting standards for project management capabilities, including certifications and qualifications, while driving continuous improvement through post-implementation reviews.
With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering dedication to excellence, Muna Al Falasi has consistently delivered exceptional results in managing high-profile projects that align with strategic business and organizational objectives. Her ability to combine creativity, logistics, and effective communication has made her an invaluable asset to the events industry in Dubai.
In summary, Muna Al Falasi's impressive track record, leadership skills, and expertise in event planning and strategy make her a true industry leader. Her contributions have played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Dubai's festivals and events, establishing it as a global hub for world-class experiences.
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Jan Horn
Educational Management Director
As a passionate Educational Management Director with a lifelong commitment to education and people development, Jan has more than 25 years of experience in the education sector. Having
gained experience in all levels of education from Primary to Tertiary, more than half of this time has been spent in senior management positions up to executive director level.
An educator at heart, Jan believes in providing quality education and providing pathways of development and support to students through strong industry relationships and collaboration.
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Naveed Iqbal
Principal of GEMS Metropole School, Motor City | CEO | Cluster Improvement Lead
Nav Iqbal is a leader who takes a vision and makes it reality, through a collaborative approach which places the wellbeing of every young person at the heart of any decisions made in school. He intuitively sees the threads of opportunity that wind through the school, he will bring them together into a coherent whole, he helps other extend their thinking, and drives educational excellence. He is an inspirational leader who tells stories that inspire action while at the same time is grounded in strong school leadership knowledge that levers the school.
As a life-long learner, Nav believes academic enhancement is critical to leadership and with this in mind has completed his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Nottingham and more recently his National Professional Qualification in Executive Leadership (NPQEL). Nav will consistently share his academic experiences and leadership understanding with all in a collegial and collaborative manner, as he believes this will benefit others and help contribute positively to education as a whole. Nav has over a decade of school leadership experience and prior to this worked in banking in the UK. In his early career he was a secondary Psychology teacher in the UK and excelled up to senior leadership.
Nav has also been an entrepreneur, as he successfully established SME’s in the UK which he operated for many years. He believes that the vocational life experiences he has gained, combined with academic rigour and a strong aspiration have served him well in his leadership. Respected as a credible voice in decision making, school set ups, and establishing efficient and effective schools which aim to achieve educational excellence overtime, Nav earns his respect in school leadership through resilience, emotional intelligence and a drive to improve himself and create leaders around him.
Nav has a wealth of experience in school startups as he led the two successful school set ups and led the schools to a high performing and quality standard. He now joins a strong team, aimed to spearhead excellent quality education for our school community, which is inclusive to our individual needs, will drive excellence and helps to nurture global citizens of the future.
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Nicola Newing
LAB Governor
I am humbled to be entrusted as LAB Governor with the responsibility for Inclusion. I have been a teacher in education across all Key Stages for 25 years and have learnt that fundamentally all children have the same needs. It is our duty to ensure those needs are met.
Having worked in five International Schools around the world, supporting students of diversity is my passion. My specialism in supporting students with additional learning needs gives me the subject knowledge and experience to support FPS in maintaining it’s outstanding provision for SEN.