Prabh Mokha

With over ten years of experience in international senior leadership (including Asia), I am a future-focused educator currently working on a PhD (from an Australian University) researching how critical thinking in the IB curriculum can be enhanced through artificial intelligence. My future focus also emphasises sustainability and global humanity by ensuring that a culture of caring and compassionate understanding permeates our international school community.

I am currently Head of School at a fairly new British International School that is now the market leader in the Emirate of Fujairah. In a short time we gained the highest IGCSE and AS results in the Emirate. This was due to the creation of comprehensive policies and systems (pastoral and curriculum) that embed wellbeing, technology, greater cultural relevance and EAL dimensions across the school. Teachers are supported to deliver personalised, sequenced and authentic learning experiences that drive engagement. Embedding these initiatives has seen a considerable increase in progress and attainment scores across middle and high school phases. Furthermore, PASS, student and parental surveys show a significant increase in our community’s positive attitude towards school. 

Policies and systems have been constructed strategically with middle leaders in a collaborative environment to build staff capacity and a sense of ‘personal ownership’ of the school’s strategic vision. That vision includes continual enrolment growth as the school of choice in the Emirate by offering a challenging, dynamic and fun curriculum that develops the dispositions for individual and community success within our global society.

I am a CIS Chair and have significant experience as an IB teacher, examiner and researcher, having studied the IBLP as part of my MA in International Education (awarded with distinction from a UK university). In addition, I have undertaken school-based research into inquiry-based learning together with significant preparatory work for IB school accreditation in my current role as head of school.

I am an energetic leader who communicates a clear strategic vision through distributed leadership and the use of kindness, understanding and flexibility. Within this approach, my teams have the highest expectations of themselves and model excellence for our students, our school and its community. In my current role, my highly motivated staff have been supported to use data-driven analyses to access the highest CPD engagement across every school in our company (which is the largest provider of KG to Grade 12 education in the world). As a qualified level two coach, I have run national-level projects in Brunei supporting senior leaders and teachers to become numeracy and literacy coaches within their school clusters; vital skills for schools with a significant portion of EAL learners.

As a leader, I aim for children to absolutely love their school by immersing themselves in a range of constructive opportunities that challenge, nurture and grow their social, academic and sporting abilities. Children should be absorbed in a breadth of inclusive, enriching and values-based opportunities that enable every child to gain a sense of achievement and belonging. I have significant experience in inquiry-based approaches that supports students to gain the content, skills and passionate dispositions for successful learning and problem solving for the betterment of our global community.

In New Zealand, I was responsible for implementing a Ministry pilot initiative on restorative practices in 2011, now widely used throughout the world to promote belonging and engagement. In my current school, I am integrating the PERMA model into the curriculum to help students to see themselves as being able to overcome challenges and grow through positive psychology.

I believe that education is a partnership between teachers, students and our parents. I am passionate about engaging the community we serve to ensure everyone grows from those mutually beneficial connections. Socially constructed and experiential learning opportunities can offer our students their most meaningful and relevant life experiences. In previous schools, I have supported students in running community projects that have included beach clean-ups and fundraising for community initiatives. Our students also undertook mentoring, buddy reading, and running sporting events in local primary schools. 

I relish the opportunity to serve the school community with my committed, supportive and innovative approach to helping our students gain a passion for learning, a love of their school and a desire to contribute to enhancing the sustainability of our global community. 

Kind regards

Mr Prabh Mokha MA, BA (Hons.), PGCE, FCA

Head of School 

GEMS Winchester School Fujairah, UAE August 2021 - July 2023

Context: opened in 2016, the school is now the leading IGCSE and A Level British International School in Fujairah

• Gained HPL accreditation in iFoundation (High Performance Learning) in 2021/22
• IGCSE and AS results highest in Emirate of Fujairah
• Creating and monitoring SIP and SDP in line with local School Evaluation Framework for BSO and UAE 
• Seeking High Performance Accreditation in 2022/23 
• Leading preparation for BSO inspection 2022/23
• Overhauled pastoral system to integrate Oxford well-being curriculum and restorative practices 
• Introduced management data tracking systems to ensure academic and pastoral supports are proactive, as opposed to reactive 
• Set up standardized, low-stakes assessment throughout secondary to track student flight-paths
• Incorporated metacognitive student reflections (DIRT)
• Introduced house system
• Led re-writing of KS3 schemes to ensure greater cultural relevance and accessibility to meet local community needs

Reason for leaving: Seeking move to SE Asia to be closer to my ageing parents in Canada and my children at university in New Zealand.

IB Mathematics Examiner

March 2020 - present

Literacy Development. 

International School Brunei (CIS School) August 2019 – 31 July 2021

Context: A CIS British International School following the IGCSE and IBDP curriculum.

• Collating and analysing literacy data to drive whole school improvement 
• Creating CPD to embed cross-curricular EAL strategies 
• Leading PLCs in conceptual and inquiry pedagogies and also in interdisciplinary literacy

Reason for leaving: Gained management role in Wellington College Shanghai. Fell through at the last minute due to issues with Covid and dependent visas. Accepted last minute role in UAE instead.

Senior International Coach LNCP (years 5-13)

CfBT Brunei December 2017 – August 2019 (contract cessation)

National manager of international numeracy and literacy coaches.

• Managing national teams of numeracy and literacy coaches
• Using national and regional data to drive improvement planning
• Advising school leaders and MoE on how to grow capacity, agency and confidence within middle leadership
• Using distributed leadership and coaching & mentoring techniques to empower staff and strategise for succession planning
• Identifying talent and creating specialised training programmes for middle managers and future leaders
• Training MoE staff on leadership and coaching
• Creating nationwide numeracy and literacy PD 

Assistant Principal

Whanganui Girls’ College January 2011 - December 2017

Assistant principal with responsibility for: 

• Creating and embedding whole-school pastoral systems
• Embedding wellbeing with academic data to engender holistic approaches to attainment and progress
• Leading MoE Restorative Practices across school
• Coaching and mentoring heads of year and form teachers
• Co-constructing school processes with heads of year and form tutors 
• PSHE curriculum design 
• Whole school marketing and community relations
• Learning Centre oversight

Chartered Accountant

Carey Smith & Co August 2007 - December 2010

• International trusts
• National and international reporting

2022 - PhD Education Candidature, University of Newcastle, Australia

2022 - BSO Inspector Training 

2021 - MA International Education (Distinction), University of Sunderland, UK

2020 - IB Mathematics Examiner Training

2008 - New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants

2005 - Post Graduate Certificate in Education, University of Greenwich, UK

2002 - Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales, Fellow from 2013

1996 - BA Law Combined (Hons), University of Glamorgan, UK 

1992 - Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School, UK, A-Levels and GCSEs