News DeskDubai UAE: Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi (NAS Abu Dhabi) has announced two key appointments in its founding leadership team, ahead of its opening in August 2023.
The two appointments come from within the Nord Anglia Education group with Liam Cullinan, previously as Principal of The British International School of Abu Dhabi (BISAD) taking up the role of Executive Principal of both NAS Abu Dhabi and BISAD, and Michael Connor, formerly Deputy Head Teacher at Nord Anglia International School Dubai (NAS Dubai), joining as Head of Primary.
New Executive Principal Liam Cullinan brings with him a wealth of experience in both British and international education and has a passion and track record of delivering impressive results and transformative educational experiences. As Principal of BISAD and previously founding Head of Secondary at NAS Dubai, Mr Cullinan enjoyed career success with both schools achieving ‘outstanding’ rating with ADEK and KHDA respectively – BISAD being one of only 11 in Abu Dhabi.
During his eight-year tenure at NAS Dubai, Mr Cullinan’s strong leadership skills saw the secondary school grow into one of the most sought-after schools in Dubai, and one of the top 100 schools globally, achieving the highest International Baccalaureate (IB) academic results in the UAE in 2021 (39.4-point average).
Mr Cullinan said: “It is a great honour to be appointed as Executive Principal at NAS Abu Dhabi. As a leader, I am passionate about empowering teams, building a strong sense of community, and nurturing a culture of academic excellence. At NAS Abu Dhabi, our ethos is very much about providing a personalised approach to education and looking to the future. I am excited to meet and build relationships with the students, parents and staff who are joining us for this exciting new era, and I am looking forward to fostering an inclusive and inspiring learning environment.”
As a new Nord Anglia school, NAS Abu Dhabi will offer the UK curriculum, teaching students from Early Years until graduation in Year 13. It will also offer unrivalled A-levels subject choices for Years 12 and 13 to give its students real depth of study within their subjects.
The school’s purpose-built campus will have capacity for 2,600 students, with an Early Years building, specialist classrooms, two sports halls, three swimming pools, and an auditorium. The state-of-the-art campus will include more than 100 classrooms, 12 science labs, art studios, music rooms, and a large design technology and maker space.
With more than a decade of international experience in teaching and leadership, new Head of Primary, Michael Connor has also moved from NAS Dubai where he served as Deputy Head Teacher for nine years, driving innovation and cutting-edge technological advancements to enhance the student experience. He also completed a tenure as the Head of Year at Kings’ Dubai School from 2012 to 2015 where he demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and spearheaded multiple initiatives that culminated in three consecutive ‘Outstanding’ KHDA and BSO inspections for the school.
Mr Connor said: “I am delighted to join NAS Abu Dhabi as Head of Primary and am looking forward to creating a culture where students can feel enriched and challenged within a supportive and nurturing environment to facilitate outstanding learning outcomes. I have been part of the Nord Anglia family for some years now and am extremely passionate about curating a holistic learning experience as well as delivering whole-school initiatives so that our children can thrive.”
