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.

Rebecca Layton-Short
Girls’ Schools Principal

Rebecca’s career started in the UK and has since taken her to countries as diverse as Qatar, Belgium, Japan, and China – and into roles where she has worked on strategic expansion plans for schools, as well as on start-up initiatives.

For the past two decades, she has held senior leadership positions in top-tier international schools, including the British International School Riyadh, Brighton College Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and the British International School Cairo. She is an adept teacher and leader at both primary and senior school levels and has specific experience working in girls’ schools.

Following bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nottingham, UK, Rebecca trained as a teacher at the University of Cambridge. She then went on to complete the National Professional Qualification for Headship at University College London’s Centre for Educational Leadership.

Rebecca is an experienced school inspector with certifications from several of the leading professional bodies, including the Independent Schools Inspectorate through whom she is qualified as an inspector of international schools.

Rebecca is committed to providing the highest quality education and pastoral care for the students at Misk Schools.

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

Rebecca Layton-Short
Girls’ Schools Principal

Paul McConnell
Boys’ Schools Principal