Meet our team

Mrs Emily Hopkinson brings 20 years of experience in education to her role as Principal of The English College. She has been part of the EC community now for 5 years, having served as the Head of Secondary before becoming the Principal. Originally from Yorkshire in the UK, she has a BSc in Psychology, a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management and has completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship. Mrs Hopkinson’s career has seen her teaching and leading schools in the UK, Malaysia and the UAE.

Mrs Hopkinson is passionate about safeguarding and wellbeing, focusing on mental health and ensuring that students at EC thrive. Furthermore, she is committed to ensuring that all students have the best possible learning experience, achieve the outcomes that they are capable of and develop life long skills that will enable them to succeed in the 21st Century.

Nadia, originally from New York City, has lived in Dubai since 2016. She is Partner and Head of Strategy at Our1001Stories, an ethical luxury shoe brand supporting women and children through charitable initiatives. A mother of two young children in primary school and an advocate for the arts, Nadia is passionate about community, creativity, and building an inclusive school where children thrive.

Nadia, originally from New York City, has lived in Dubai since 2016. She is Partner and Head of Strategy at Our1001Stories, an ethical luxury shoe brand supporting women and children through charitable initiatives. A mother of two young children in primary school and an advocate for the arts, Nadia is passionate about community, creativity, and building an inclusive school where children thrive.

John-Paul has called the UAE home since 2010. With a natural drive for problem-solving and a creative outlook, he enjoys finding smart ways to get things done while keeping life fun. A strong believer in making each day count, he values learning, new experiences, and sharing that energy with those around him. Above all, John-Paul is a proud dad to Aurora in Year 8, and is passionate about resilience, community, and helping shape a positive school environment for all families.

Mark, from Birmingham England, has lived and worked in Dubai since 2004. He owns and runs his own company supplying equipment and logistics to the humanitarian and security sectors across the region. Mark’s twin daughters, Emilie and Jamie have this year joined EC in year 7. Having previously worked on major events Mark felt it was the perfect opportunity to contribute to the ECPC team, helping parents and supporting the EC community

Originally from South Africa, Vereena and her family have recently moved to Dubai, where her son Noah has just joined Year 10. Having previously lived in Dubai in the early 2000s, as well as the US, UK, Singapore and Ireland, she’s no stranger to international school life and has enjoyed being part of parent communities along the way.A jewellery designer and entrepreneur, Vereena has founded and run se veral businesses and is excited to bring some of that creative energy to the Parent Council Events Team. In her spare time, she loves cooking, baking, travelling and spending time with her family.

Audrey is French and has been living in Dubai for the past 20 years with her husband and their two boys, Maxime, who has just joined EC in Y7, and his younger brother Jules.

Esha is the Communications Lead for ECPC. She is a certified SAP Consultant and Founder of Codec Technologies, specializing in AI, Automation, and Analytics. She is passionate about philanthropy, volunteering, and community building, and believes in being a positive role model for her daughter. Esha is excited to contribute her professional expertise, communication, and organizational skills to the school community, fostering collaboration and ensuring communication remains clear, engaging, inclusive, and informative for students, parents, and the wider school community.

Katarina (Kat) is a mum of two children, with Lily currently in Year 10 and Alex in Year 8. Originally from Slovakia, she has lived in Dubai for the past 27 years. Her professional background is in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, as well as personal concierge services. She especially enjoys the creative side of being involved in school events and community activities and is always ready to help and volunteer whenever she can. In her free time, Kat loves painting, scrapbooking and spending time outdoors, whether that’s travelling, hiking or camping with her family. 

Hamad was born and raised in Dubai and is the Head of Emergency Medicine. A proud father of two primary school daughters and uncle to four English College students and graduates, Hamad is strongly connected to the school community. He joined the ECPC to support parents and help drive positive change within the school.

Neetu Quadros is the Parent Representative for KS4 and KS5. Originally from Mumbai, India and moved to Dubai in Year 2021. She has 12 years working experience in various departments of Operations for Commercial Insurance. Mother of 2 kids; one is doing Masters in Computer Science Engineering at the University of Birmingham (UK) and other is in Year 13 in EC. She is excited to connect to the Parents community.