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.

Russel Ellicott
Boys' School Principal

With over 30 years of experience, Russel Ellicott is a distinguished educational leader who joined Misk Schools in January 2025.

Russel is best known for his role as Head of Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham – the highest performing co-educational state school in the UK. During his 11-year tenure at Pate’s, he dramatically elevated the institution's national standing. Under his leadership, the school became a benchmark for educational excellence, achieving Sunday Times 'National Secondary School of the Year' awards in 2013 and 2019 – the only school to ever have received this accolade twice.

Prior to joining Misk Schools, Russel was working in a hybrid role, serving as Global Education Director for High Performance Learning, and acting as a School Improvement Partner for multiple institutions across the UK and China.

Russel holds a Master's in Education with Distinction from the University of London and is a fully accredited executive leadership coach. His professional roles have included serving as a mentor for the UK Department of Education, a lead facilitator for national leadership qualifications, and Chair of the Grammar School Heads' Association.

A key achievement was establishing the UK’s 'Prep for Headship' programme that has helped over 25 senior leaders become headteachers. During his tenure at Pates, he also pioneered international educational collaborations, brokering agreements with schools in China and Southeast Asia – a first for a state school in the UK.

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.

Russel Ellicott
Boys' School 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.