Meet the principal: David Baldwin

David Baldwin took on his first school leadership role when he joined Horizon English School, Dubai as principal in 2015. Having previously worked as vice principal at Jumeirah Primary School for seven years, Baldwin decided it was "the right time for me to take on this new challenge. It means that I have the opportunity to take Horizon forward whilst retaining that culture that has been fostered over a long period of time."

For Baldwin, the school's small size and focus on arts and sports were particularly attractive.

"Horizon is a school that really cares about the children and families it serves. Having lived and worked very close by, it always struck me how well-rounded, polite and articulate the children of Horizon were.

"It was clear from the start that the Horizon governors and owners wanted the school to be one that really stood out for providing a rich, exciting and well-rounded educational experience for all children, regardless of their starting points," Baldwin explains.

Of his first six months in the new role, Baldwin says: "Relationships were formed quickly, which meant we were able to implement some really interesting ideas at quite an early stage. We have introduced a revised school improvement and self-evaluation framework, which considers and reaches into all parts of the community. This has assisted us in identifying areas for improvement and innovation, such as the introduction of a new assessment suite, a new Arabic reading scheme, improvements to our parental communications and learning support," he explains.

Next on the agenda, he says, is a deeper focus on innovation. "The further integration of technology, leadership development, the arts and school sport are all high on the agenda. In addition, we have introduced the brand new role 'global languages leader', which will commence in September 2016. The scope of this role will be to establish a cutting edge approach to foreign language learning and establish Horizon as a hub of excellence in this area. It really is an exciting time to be a part of the school."

Biography

David Baldwin is the new principal of Horizon English School, Dubai. Formally the vice principal of Jumeirah Primary School, he had been with Gems Education since 2008. Baldwin has more than 10 years of experience working across primary and secondary schools in the UK and Dubai. He has a strong background in leadership and management, curriculum design and professional development. Baldwin has extensive knowledge of the educational landscape in Dubai and has worked as a school reviewer and leadership trainer/facilitator supporting many schools and individuals in their development.