Webinar: The Changing world of Early Years Education providing a foundation for the future by GESS Education

The Changing world of Early Years Education providing a foundation for the future

About

Following on from her recent talk at GESS Leaders in Education Saudi Arabia - our moderator for this session Pam Mundy will outline the overview for this webinar and we look forward to hearing from the panelists. The panel will delve into the evolving landscape of early childhood education, exploring innovative approaches and strategies to lay a strong foundation for young learners. Our expert speakers will share cutting-edge research, practical insights, and real-world examples to help educators and parents navigate these transformative times. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and practice in shaping the future of early years education.

WEBINAR ENDED

Presenters

GESS Education

Pam Mundy

Executive Director - PamMundy Associates Ltd

Pam is a highly experienced K-12 education professional, internationally renowned author and keynote speaker with global recognition for her specialism in the development of Early Childhood Education and Care, international education, school review and accreditation, inspection, analytical due diligence and school start up projects in a variety of diverse locations such as; Africa, SE Asia, the Gulf region (including significant projects in Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE and Qatar). She recently completed four years as Director of Schools and Education for the NEOM Education, Research and Innovation Sector, leading education development and school start up in the new giga city of NEOM, Saudi Arabia. Pam operates at both strategic and executive level for a wide range of international school groups, businesses, and educational organisations. She is currently working on variety of high-net-worth education development projects, including the expansion of British schools into North and South America, UAE, Saudi Arabia, West Africa, Vietnam, India, Japan and Singapore.

Other previous Executive roles include international posts as; Senior Associate to the Rashid and Latifa Schools Design Team Task Force in Dubai, Director of Education for Dar Al Marefa Schools Dubai, Chief Academic Officer for Knightsbridge Schools International and Director for Quality Assurance and Professional Development for World Class Learning/British Schools of America (now part of the Nord Anglia Education Group) based in Houston, Texas. Pam also holds positions on UK and international Education Boards and a variety of international Ministry of Education Select Committees and ground-breaking international educational research groups. She is a Founding and Advisory Board Member of the international Businesswomen in Education network and a member of the Worldwide Women Association. She was honoured to be short-listed by the Lead 50/50 organisation as ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year, 2022’ and to be named as one of the 40 Outstanding Global Women by the Think Global organisation. Her most recent publication, the co-authored ‘International Schools: Navigating Leadership Culture and Context’ (Fulton Books) was released in January 2024.

Lara Hudson

Director of Early Childhood Centres and Development - Innoventures Education

Lara is the Director for Early Childhood Centres and Development for the Innoventures Education and brings depth and experience to her role. She has worked across a range of early years curricula and has a background in training and government consultancy. A highly experienced early years professional, Lara has more than 20 years’ experience in the UAE education sector and over 25 years internationally. Lara provides the vision, leadership, and management necessary to ensure proper operational controls, administrative policy, reporting procedures and people systems are in place to effectively grow Innoventures Education’s early childhood centres, ensuring financial strength and operational efficiency.

Caz Jude

Head of Early Childhood - The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls and a Leadership Coach

Caz is a highly experienced headteacher and education leader with over 30 years experience, renowned for her work in early years education both in the UK and internationally. She trained as an early years teacher at Nottingham Trent University and holds an M Ed in Leadership and Management, an ILM L7 leadership coaching and mentoring qualification at masters level. She has also achieved the renowned National Professional Qualification for Headteachers (NPQH).
Caz is currently working as an Early Years Headteacher at The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls. She also works as a leadership coach, mentor, inspector, and NPQ facilitator. She enjoys supporting others to grow and develop.

She was a Lead Practitioner on the development of the Early Years Assessment processes in the UK, as well as a Lead Mathematics Teacher. She was Head Teacher of an outstanding early years school in the UK and in her last inspection leadership and management were graded as outstanding. She trained as an Ofsted Inspector, carrying out inspections in the UK and the Middle East. She is also an accredited British Schools Overseas inspector.

Dedicated to fostering inclusive learning environments Caz specialises in supporting early years teachers and leaders from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Her approach is characterized by empathetic listening, trust-building, compassion, and the cultivation of mutual respect among team members.

Passionate about global best practices in early years education, Caz consistently seeks innovative approaches to enrich learning experiences. She championed the integration of the Walker Learning Programme from Australia into her current school, emphasising play-based learning and language acquisition for bilingual learners. This holistic approach prioritises the assessment of learner behaviours alongside academic skills, ensuring a comprehensive educational experience.

Driven by her unwavering commitment to every child's right to a high quality education, Caz constantly challenges herself with a simple yet profound question: "Would I like to be a child in this class?"

Caz in her spare time enjoys exercise and is a keen runner, her greatest achievement was running a marathon. Caz has a passion for travel and learning about different cultures and customs. further enriching her perspective and understanding of the world.

Sari Saliba

Operations and Education Director - Babilou Middle East

I am a life-long learner promoting the equal opportunity for qualitative education for all. I’ve always been lucky to have support and opportunity to study to achieve my aspiration for knowledge. I have my bachelor’s degree in social services and master’s degree in leadership and management. I am also a registered nurse, vocational teacher, and Cache qualified trainer. I started my career in UAE as a Nursery Manager, joined Blossom nursery in 2019 as a Centre Director, few months later I was promoted to Head of Education, and from 2020 I have been working as Operations and Education Director in Blossom/Babilou Middle East.

Audrey Piccioli

Head of Year and PrekG Teacher - Fairgreen International School

With over 18 years in international and bilingual education, Audrey Piccioli is a dedicated educator whose passion lies in the early stages of life. She emphasizes powerful interactions, investing time in understanding students and building strong relationships for effective teaching. Central to her philosophy is nurturing well-being, belonging and self-advocacy. Audrey designs vibrant learning environments supporting play, critical thinking, and student agency. She focuses on tailoring strategies to help children surpass educational goals. Audrey reflects on the impactful potential of classroom environments and a sense of belonging to foster respect, independence and a passion for learning.

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