School Leaders and Governance

Dr Steffen Sommer
Director General

Dr Steffen Sommer has over 25 years of educational experience in senior roles across Europe and the Middle East. He has a profound knowledge of the international K-12 sector, and a particular expertise/experience in High Performance Learning (HPL) – an approach which encourages every child/student to be at their best at all times.
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Dr Steffen joined Misk Schools in August 2022 from Doha College in Qatar, where he had been Principal since 2015. During his seven-year tenure, the College became the first school in the world to receive the title of ‘HPL World Class School’ and grew to be one of the leading schools in the region. It was also Winner of the School Sustainability Initiative at the Qatar Sustainability Awards 2018, and the first school in Qatar to be accredited under the new Council of British International Schools (COBIS) Patron’s Accreditation and Compliance scheme.

He has led top international schools in The Hague, Paris, Lausanne and Doha. He is also well versed in the British boarding sector, having been Head of Languages and a Housemaster at Rugby School, one of the UK’s top independent boarding schools.

Born in Germany, Dr Steffen gained his first degree in Language and Linguistics at the University of Leipzig. After military service and teacher training, he worked in France with Peugeot and studied for a PhD in Translation Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, before finding his vocation in teaching.

A fluent speaker of six languages, Dr Steffen has a strong understanding of and love for the Arab World and its culture, as well as for the Arabic language.

Dr Steffen is a board member of the Outstanding Schools of the Middle East, Vice Chair of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), a co-founder of the international division of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), and a Fellow of High Performance Learning.

Jeremy Newton
Senior Principal

Jeremy joined Misk Schools in August 2022 from King's College School (KCS) in Madrid where he was Deputy Head.

During his five-year tenure at KCS, Jeremy demonstrated professional educational leadership of infant, primary, middle and senior year phases, playing an instrumental role in the successful development of KCS from a preparatory school of 500 students, to an all-through K-12 school of 900 students who are now achieving top academic outcomes. As the school has expanded through the upper years, it has grown to fill two campuses and, in 2020, became an accredited World Class School through the High Performance Learning Programme – a process which Jeremy was responsible for leading.

Jeremy’s educational philosophy is firmly rooted in the belief that every child can achieve academic success, regardless of context or geographical location. This is a view that has been reinforced in each of the educational environments in which he has worked – from teaching English as a Foreign Language in Cairo to his experience as an educational leader for the British Council in Caracas; and from his role as part of a transformational leadership team in the British state system in London, to the international private sector in Madrid with KCS.

Jeremy was born and formally educated in London, reading English as an undergraduate before completing his PGCE at the University of London’s Institute of Education. He has successfully completed both the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL), and the COBIS Programme for Aspiring Head Teachers. He has been an examiner for AQA and IELTS and has completed British School Overseas (BSO) Inspector Training.

Virginia Sutton
Junior Schools Principal

Virginia is a highly experienced educational leader whose impressive career has taken her all over the world from Australia to England and the United Arab Emirates to Japan.

She is a strategic thinker with deep experience in curriculum design and delivery, internal and external school evaluation, short and long term planning, faculty recruitment, team development and more. She is highly attuned to cultural nuance, adept at shaping and directing international standard teaching and learning practices to best suit the local environment.

Virginia qualified with a Diploma of Teaching from the Macarthur Institute of Higher Education at the University of Sydney, was awarded her Teacher’s Certificate from the New South Wales Department of Education (Australia) before going on to graduate from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Education: Infants/Primary. In 2010, she completed a Master of Education postgraduate degree through the University of Woollongong, specialising in Educational Leadership.

In addition to her academic qualifications, Virginia is also an accredited Cognitive Coach, an International Baccalaureate® (IB) consultant for verification and an IB Leader visitor for authorisation and evaluation. She is an English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Mainstream Trainer, equipping her with a deep understanding of the support ESL students need to be successful learners.

Nada Alhegali
‍Girls’ Schools Principal

Nada joined Misk Schools in 2019 to oversee whole-school delivery of National Identity Subjects – Arabic, Islamic Studies, and National Studies. Prior to joining Misk Schools, she worked at The KAUST School in Thuwal, where her role was establishing the Islamic Studies programme and developing an enquiry-based curriculum aligned with the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework. She also worked as a teacher for MYP classes, and as a Learning Support Teacher specialising in English as a second language.
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Nada has led a wide range of local and international professional development courses, including the Teaching and Learning Programme and Diploma in Educational Leadership from Cambridge International, and High Performance Learning sessions. She is a regular speaker at educational conferences in Saudi Arabia and abroad, presenting on developing enquiry-based teaching practices and on aligning English and Arabic curricula and pedagogy.

Nada believes that excellent education should be accessible to all students, regardless of their needs, so they are able to be high-performance learners and reach their full academic and social potential. This can be done by personalising learning, empowering students to influence their paths, and taking responsibility for their education.

Intellectually rigorous, Nada holds a Bachelor of Islamic Studies from the College of Education and Humanities at Taibah University in Medina. She subsequently completed a Master of Science Postgraduate Degree in Education, Reading, and Language Arts through Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, USA.

In addition to her academic qualifications, Nada is certified by the Dyslexia Training Institute. She holds a Certificate of International School Leadership and a Certificate of Advanced International Teaching, which were awarded by the Principals' Training Center, USA.

As Misk Schools’ registered Ministry of Education Principal, Nada is well-versed in government standards for assessments, policies, and ETEC tests (Quadrat, Tahsili), and also has considerable experience with the Cambridge International curriculum, IGCSE and A-level examinations.

Paul McConnell
Boys’ Schools Principal

Following 14 years in teaching and then Head of Department roles in the UK, Paul’s career has continued to develop through a range of senior positions in high performing schools across Asia and Middle East. He was appointed to his first international school leadership position in 2009, at Regents International School Pattaya.

From there he went on to lead the Secondary Schools at Compass International School Doha and then at The British School of Guangzhou in China.

Paul has a passion for values-based education and draws from his military experience and expertise to help students thrive through self-discipline and educational ambition, alongside personal fitness and well-being.

Paul holds a Bachelor of Education from Moray House School of Education and Sport, now part of Edinburgh University, Scotland. He also spent ten years in the British Army Reserve, commissioning from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2002, which led to the role of Commanding Officer of what is now 8th Rifles Battalion.

Paul is a certified school inspector and is in the final stages of his National Professional Qualification for Headship through University College London’s Institute of Education.

Jeremy Newton
Senior Principal

Virginia Sutton
Junior Schools Principal

Nada Alhegali
Girls’ Schools Principal

Intellectually rigorous, Nada holds a Bachelor of Islamic Studies from the College of Education and Humanities at Taibah University in Medina. She subsequently completed a Master of Science Postgraduate Degree in Education, Reading, and Language Arts through Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, USA.
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In addition to her academic qualifications, Nada is certified by the Dyslexia Training Institute. She holds a Certificate of International School Leadership and a Certificate of Advanced International Teaching, which were awarded by the Principals' Training Center, USA.
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As Misk Schools’ registered Ministry of Education Principal, Nada is well-versed in government standards for assessments, policies, and ETEC tests (Quadrat, Tahsili), and also has considerable experience with the Cambridge International curriculum, IGCSE and A-level examinations.

Paul McConnell
Boys’ Schools Principal