Emily Hopkinson, Head of Secondary will take on the role of Principal as Mark Ford retires at the end of current academic year 

Dubai, Apr 18, 2024: The English College, Dubai has appointed Emily Hopkinson as the new principal of the school. She replaces Mark Ford who retires at the end of this academic year in August.  

Hopkinson has been Head of Secondary at The English College since 2020. She is originally from Yorkshire in the UK and has enjoyed a global career in education spanning 19 years in the UK, Malaysia and the UAE. 

Hopkinson says, “During my time as Head of Secondary, I have focused on several important things; building strong relationships across the school, developing policies and processes to ensure clarity and consistency and investing heavily in the professional development of teachers and leaders. I will continue to focus on these in my new role to ensure that English College students have the best possible learning experience and thrive under my care.”  

Meanwhile, Ford is retiring after a 40-year career as an educator.  

He served for five-years as Principal of The English College.  

On his retirement, Ford says, “The decision to retire has not been an easy one and has been made after a lot of consideration. I, of course, wanted to ensure the new principal would be able to take the school through its next phase of growth. Mrs Hopkinson has led the Secondary School to its best ever set of examination results at both GCSE and A level, and its best Progress Test results at Key Stage 3. I am excited to see the school thrive further under her leadership.” 

Ford will take on the role as a member of the Board of Governors.