Mr Martin Cole
Principal
With extensive experience in primary education, Mr Cole joined Horizon English School in 2016 after beginning his teaching career in the UK in 2012. A passionate advocate for giving children the strongest possible start to their education, Mr Cole has dedicated his career to shaping high‑quality, joyful, and ambitious primary learning.
Since arriving at Horizon, Mr Cole has held a range of leadership roles and contributed significantly to the school’s continuous development, including its achievement of KHDA Outstanding status in 2019. Alongside his leadership responsibilities, he has completed Master’s‑level study in Educational Leadership, focusing particularly on teacher development and the conditions that enable exceptional classroom practice.
As Principal, Mr Cole leads Horizon with a commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, and with the belief that strong relationships and a vibrant school community are central to a truly great primary school. His work is driven by the conviction that every child deserves an inspiring start to education—one that nurtures curiosity, builds confidence, and lays the foundation for future success.
Mrs Lauren Craig
Vice Principal | Teaching & Learning
With over a decade of experience in Upper Key Stage 2, Mrs Craig has a proven record of teaching and leading Years 5 and 6. She is passionate about the power of relationships and routines, recognising the security they provide for children to thrive both academically and personally.
Mrs Craig has held leadership positions in the UK and, since joining Horizon in 2017, has taken on a range of roles culminating in her appointment to the Senior Leadership Team. As Phase Leader for Years 5 and 6, she drives high standards across Upper Key Stage 2. She also oversees specialist provision in Music, Art, Computing and PE, ensuring children benefit from a rich and well-rounded education. In addition, she leads Horizon’s secondary transition programme, guiding families and pupils as they prepare for the next stage of their education.
Having completed the NPQSL (National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership), Mrs Craig is committed to ensuring every child leaves Horizon confident, well-prepared and ready to succeed in the next stage of their educational journey.
Mr Adam Lake
Assistant Principal | Head of Curriculum & Assessments
Adam joined Horizon in 2017 as a class teacher after completing his teacher training in the UK. Since then, he has become a valued member of the Horizon community, progressing into leadership roles including Head of Gifted and Talented and Head of Mathematics.
He now oversees school curriculum and assessment. Passionate about Maths and Science, Adam enjoys helping children build strong foundations in Mathematics and develop the confidence to succeed. He is committed to ensuring every child engages with a curriculum that reflects current, real-world topics.
Having completed a Master’s in Education, Adam has been a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the past four years. In this role, he has led assessment strategies, developed school partnerships, and managed resources strategically, always with the aim of providing outstanding learning experiences so that every child can thrive.
Mrs Stephanie Nazarian
Assistant Principal | Head of EYFS
Mrs Stephanie Nazarian brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to nurturing the growth and development of young learners. She has been teaching in the UAE for the past 12 years, following her teaching career in her home country of Scotland.
While she has taught across most primary year groups, Mrs Nazarian's true passion lies in Early Years and Key Stage 1 education. She joined Horizon in 2021 as Head of FS2 and soon progressed into the Extended Leadership Team as Head of Early Years. In 2023, she was appointed Assistant Headteacher, continuing her leadership of the Foundation Stage, as well as working closely with the Islamic department and overseeing Wellbeing.
Mrs Nazarian is a passionate advocate for play-based learning and for creating stimulating, nurturing environments that inspire curiosity, creativity, challenge, and a love of learning. Mrs Nazarian believes a truly holistic approach, nurturing both academic progress and emotional wellbeing, is the key to helping every child thrive.
Mrs Hannah Mason
Assistant Principal and Head of KS1
Hannah is a dedicated and experienced educator with nine years in the profession, including the past seven years at Horizon English School. Mrs Mason has a strong passion for the early years of a child’s educational journey, recognising the importance of building firm foundations that support lifelong learning.
As Assistant Principal and Head of KS1, Mrs Mason leads teaching and learning across Key Stage 1 and works closely with staff to develop high-quality classroom practice, ensuring consistency, engagement, and strong outcomes for all pupils. She also plays a key role in supporting the transition from Early Years into Key Stage 1, an area in which she has developed significant expertise. Mrs Mason is currently working towards the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL), reflecting her commitment to ongoing professional growth.
Mrs Mason is committed to driving high-quality teaching and learning across the early stages of primary education, ensuring that classroom practice is consistently ambitious, inclusive, and effective. She works closely with colleagues to develop strong pedagogical approaches that enable all children to succeed from the very start of their school journey, while fostering a culture of collaboration, reflection, and continuous improvement across the phase.
Ms Kerrie Brown
Assistant Principal
Ms Kerrie Brown is a passionate and highly experienced educator, currently serving as Head of English at Horizon English School. She has a genuine love of teaching and is deeply committed to inspiring children in the classroom. She studied Primary Education at the University of Glasgow and brings over 15 years of teaching and leadership to her role, having taught across all primary phases, including significant time in Year 6. Kerrie has built a strong reputation for driving high standards in literacy and plays a pivotal role in shaping the English curriculum from Foundation Stage to Year 6, ensuring every child benefits from an ambitious, engaging and inclusive education that enables them to thrive.
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team and in her role as Assistant Principal, Kerrie leads key whole-school priorities including inclusion, Arabic, the National Agenda and Emirati education. She works closely with staff to ensure that all pupils are supported and challenged effectively, and that every child feels valued, represented and able to succeed. Kerrie is committed to developing strong provision across these areas, ensuring high-quality teaching and meaningful opportunities that meet the needs of the whole school community.
Complimenting this, Kerrie holds the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL), reflecting her commitment to continual improvement and evidence-informed practice. She is dedicated to nurturing a genuine love of learning in every child, helping pupils to become confident, curious and motivated learners. Kerrie works to support others in creating environments where learning is meaningful and inspiring, children feel supported, they grow in confidence, develop independence and build a lifelong passion for learning.
Gabriella Ridley
Assistant Principal
Gabriella Ridley is delighted to be taking on the role of Assistant Principal at Horizon English School this year. Within this role, her responsibilities include serving as EYFS Deputy Phase Lead, overseeing the EYFS Teaching Assistants, supporting Admissions, and contributing to leadership development across the school.
Having worked at Horizon for the past eight years, seven of those in leadership roles, Gabriella feels incredibly proud to continue her leadership journey within a school community that has played such an important part in her professional development.
Beyond Horizon, Gabriella has had the privilege of supporting Cognita with teacher development for the Sparkle Foundation, as well as travelling to Chile to advise on Early Years practice and pedagogy. These experiences have strengthened her passion for developing others, sharing effective practice and continually reflecting on how the very best experiences can be created for young children.
Alongside her Bachelor’s degree in Education and PGCE, Gabriella holds a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology, an area she is particularly passionate about. She is especially interested in how an understanding of psychology can inform effective leadership, child development, wellbeing, self-regulation and the ways in which both children and adults can be supported to thrive.
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