Meet the team

Miss Samantha Hughes-Lewis (Miss H-L) is the Vice Principal of The Pearl Academy. She moved to Abu Dhabi in 2014 and joined the Pearl in 2018.
Miss H-L has been a teacher for almost 20 years and has lived and taught in schools all over the world. She trained to be a teacher in London, where she spent four very happy years developing her skills at an outstanding primary school. She left England to pursue her career abroad and moved to the French Alps, commuting to Switzerland daily to teach in a large international school in Geneva. She has also taught in France, Austria, Germany and Nepal! Throughout her career, Miss H-L has worked as an Assistant Principal, Assistant Headteacher, Head of Curriculum, Head of Pastoral, Head of Key Stage, Head of Year and Head of various subjects.
Miss H-L loves kitesurfing and skiing in her free time. She speaks French and German and is also a keen musician, leading the school band!
As a member of the school’s Senior Leadership team, Miss H-L works hard with her colleagues to develop the school’s ethos and implement the school’s development plan. She enjoys her role at the Pearl Academy because she loves working with our amazing children, families and staff.

Mr Darren McAleese is the Assistant Principal of Pearl British Academy and is responsible for curriculum development. He has worked within the Aldar Education family for 8 years and joins PBA from Mamoura British Academy this academic year.
Mr McAleese has been a teacher for 12 years, both in Abu Dhabi and the UK, and has a decade’s worth of leadership experience. His management roles in other schools have included Director of Learning and Teaching, Head of Upper Key Stage 2, Head of Year, and Head of English, Maths, and PE.
As a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team, Mr McAleese is passionate about developing both students and staff, while helping to create a thriving and supportive school community

Mrs Jallad is the Head of MoE at the Pearl British Academy and has joined in its second year in 2008. She oversees all aspects of the MoE subjects, and always looks forward to being a part of student growth and development and is dedicated to ensuring the delivery of high-quality education.
Mrs Jallad holds a Bachelor Degree of Science from Al Yarmouk University, Jordan, a Bachelor of Education in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies from Al Hosn University, UAE, as well as an Advanced Instructional Leadership of Professional Diploma. With more than 25 years of experience in teaching and leadership gained through working in different British curriculum schools in the UAE, Mrs Maha has developed her skills in implementing meaningful learning experiences for children.
Mrs Jallad is always keen to further her knowledge and development to enhance the student’s learning experience and takes pleasure in the growth and success of the school as the years have progressed

Mr Jonathan Marcroft is Head of the Pastoral and Enhanced Provision in The Pearl British Academy. Mr Marcroft joined the school in 2015 as a PE and Swim teacher and is delighted to carry out his above role.
Mr Marcroft has been a teacher for 12 years, working in both the UK and here in Abu Dhabi. During this time, he has realised that the students are the life and soul of all schools and providing them with a strong pastoral structure and opportunities to grow and flourish are key.
In his spare time, Mr Marcroft is a keen golfer and is an avid football fan, his favourite team being Blackburn Rovers. However, he has a passion for all sports and is keen for The Pearl to maintain its reputation as one of the best sporting schools in the Emirate.

With over 19 years of leading operations in the hospitality and aviation industry, my focus is to provide a safe and enriching environment for the children and staff of Pearl Academy and to support academic excellence in the classroom.
I do believe that every child is here to learn and grow. My role is to lead a great operations team ensuring that the academic team has the right support to deliver great lessons and outstanding education for the children to develop themselves into the ladies and gentlemen of tomorrow.
From executing the movement from the Pearl Academy campus, my main aim is to drive service culture at every step. We are constantly working with our facility and health and safety teams to enhance the infrastructure and environment thus providing a superior experience for our children, parents, and staff.
This is my 19th year in the UAE, therefore, it is home away from home. Another interesting fact-I hold a bachelor’s degree in Alternative Medicine and Surgery. You can address me as a doctor as well. I am looking forward to enjoying the beautiful journey at Aldar with all of you.

Miss Jaskirn Kaur Singh is Head of the Early Year Foundation Stage (EYFS) in Pearl British Academy. Miss Singh joined the school in 2021 as an FS2 class teacher and is delighted to lead a team of outstanding practitioners across the early years.
She has a passion for Early Years education and child-centered learning, where every child is inspired and supported to reach their potential in a safe, secure and nurturing environment.

Miss Singh has achieved her National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) with the University of Central London and, gained a BA(Hons) in Education and a Primary PGCE specializing in EYFS and KS1 at Roehampton University in London.

Miss Singh has lived in Abu Dhabi for 11 years and has taught and managed several international schools across the emirate.