Mark Ellis

I am the Head of Inclusion at GEMS First Point School. I have been a teacher for 25 years having graduated from St. Martin’s College in Lancaster, United Kingdom. My entire teaching career has been dedicated to supporting those students with additional needs including specific learning disabilities and those who are exceptionally able.  I am a qualified SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) and am also qualified to carry out a range of formal assessments in order to ensure students can access additional arrangements in public examinations.

I have held a variety of positions in a wide range of schools. I have been whole school coordinator for humanities, maths and English and was Deputy Head Teacher at one of the most challenging Special Schools in the UK. I spent two years as Head of SEND at an International school in Qatar which had a population of over 6,000 students following three different curriculums! In 2013 I was seconded into a local authority position in order to oversee the implementation of the new Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities following the introduction of the Children and Families Act (2014).

Since coming to Dubai in 2015, I have been heavily involved in developing SEND provision here at First Point School but have also worked extensively across the GEMS network of schools. I have been part of numerous GEMS reviews teams enabling me to further disseminate outstanding practice and to develop effective and consistently effective processes for identification and provision.