Pearson International School Teacher Awards
The 2023 overall global winners
Noha Rateb, The British School of Elite Education, Egypt
Noha stood out with our judging panel for her flexibility and willingness to adopt new teaching tools to accommodate learners’ needs.
As Maths Teacher at the British School of Elite Education in Egypt, she switched seamlessly to online teaching during the pandemic, creating videos and revision sessions covering the entire maths syllabus with detailed explanations and solved examples for each topic to support her students, and she’s continued to use these videos back in school as an alternative way for students to access topic content or catch up on missed lessons.
She has also since developed a system of quizzes and tests to pinpoint students’ weak areas and show them how to work to improve their performance – and by involving parents in this diagnostic approach, she has further strengthened its effectiveness.
And because her students are really benefiting from her approach, she has now made these videos and quizzes, created out of necessity in lockdown, an essential part of her teaching support and adds to her library of recordings regularly so that her students get the support they need.
This wonderful example of switching to online teaching in the pandemic emergency, then using the content she created to transform her whole teaching approach post-pandemic, and the increased performance her students are delivering as a result, is why she is so deserving of this award, and we’re therefore delighted to announce Noha Rateb as the 2023 Pearson International School Teacher of the Year!
Krishna Sri, Kairos International School, India
Krishna is Principal of Kairos International School in Hyderabad, India. She stood out with our judging panel for her dedication and commitment to developing global engagement opportunities for her students, forging international teacher training links with other countries, and creating a safe and supportive learning environment in her school where every student feels valued and respected.
As Principal of Kairos International School in India, she demonstrates a clear dedication to her students, preparing them for their futures beyond school by instilling in them important life skills and a global perspective, offering career counselling, internships, community development programs and other opportunities to help students explore their interests and develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.
She encourages staff to embrace new and innovative teaching methods, incorporating technology and real-world experiences into their lessons, and implementing programmes that promote cultural awareness, diversity, and inclusion. She provides platforms for students to compete – and win prizes at – national and international maths championships, STEM challenges, inter-school competitions and Olympiads.
Under her leadership, Kairos International School was named Hyderabad’s Best Emerging School 2021-22 by Times Education & The Indian Economic Development Association. This roll call of achievements is the reason she is so deserving of this award.
International School Outstanding Innovator of the Year 2023
Olusegun Adeniyi
Olusegun is Vice Principal and STEAM Coordinator at Caleb British International School in Nigeria. Our judging panel were unanimous in choosing Olusegun Adeniyi as our global Oustanding Innovator of the Year. In the words of his nominator, student Olamide Oshikomaiya, he is ‘an outstanding and innovative school leader who uses art as a springboard to foster understanding of science and as a vehicle for social change and championing creativity’.
Olusegun founded a STEAM Hub to inspire students to develop innovative and creative ideas and participate in contemporary global issues at a local level as informed, responsible and responsive global citizens. With a focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for recycling, climate change and protecting lives on our planet, some of the STEAM Hub’s innovative projects include creating an eco-friendly reading lamp to help young learners read after dark in low-income communities with poor electricity supplies; tree planting initiatives to help restore the rainforests, preserve biodiversity, prevent climate change and reduce global warming and and creating artworks to advocate against plastic pollution in the oceans as a way to improve sustainability consciousness in his school community.
These sustainability projects have led to a real change in the school towards plastic disposal and have encouraged students, teachers and parents to adopt eco-friendly lifestyles. Some of the students have taken a step further by participating in beach clean-ups and many have their own tree planting programmes. His efforts in raising creative and critical thinkers equipped to solve real-world problems is the reason he is so deserving of this award, and we’re therefore delighted to announce Olusegun Adeniyi as the 2023 Pearson International School Outstanding Innovator of the Year.
The 2023 regional winners and runners-up
International School Teacher of the Year: Africa regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Glenda Añasco, Stella Maris International School Nampula, Mozambique
Runner-up: Lourina van Zyl, Mokopane Destiny Academy, South Africa
Runner-up: Mohamed Rashwan, Summits International School, Egypt
International School Teacher of the Year: Americas regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Chelsea Campbell-Ellis, Herbert Morrison Technical High School, Jamaica
Runner-up: Carolina Ursulino, St Paul's School, Brazil
Runner-up: Sharon Moore, The Edron Academy, Mexico
International School Teacher of the Year: Asia regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Cathy Wei RenWei, Zhuhai Yinghua Cambridge International School, China
Runner-up: Abhay Mathur, Genesis Global School, India
Runner-up: Leenu Singh, Genesis Global School, India
Runner-up: Myo Min Hein, Tr. Thuzar Education Centre (TZEC), Myanmar
International School Teacher of the Year: Europe regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Milena Miller, London Gates Education Group, Latvia
Runner-up: Giulia Garagnani, International School of Modena, Italy
Runner-up: Sheyla Ros Fenollosa, Colegio Alfinach, Spain
International School Teacher of the Year: Middle East regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Nayyar Hussain, Islamiya English School Abu Dhabi, UAE
Runner-up: Durshawar Khaleel, Islamiya English School Abu Dhabi, UAE
Runner-up: Farhana Khanam, Bangladesh International School (English Section) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
International School Leader of the Year: Africa regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Ghada Barsoum Sourial, Egypt British International School (EBIS), Egypt
Runner-up: Lobna El Mihy, The International School of Elite Education, Egypt
Runner-up: Olusegun Adeniyi, Caleb British International School, Nigeria
International School Leader of the Year: Asia regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Shalini Singh Hamilton, formerly (March 2020 to March 2023) of the Gaudium School Hyderabad, India
Runner-up: Ain Nafiza Binti Fairuz, EdQuest International School, Malaysia
Runner-up: John Ngai Cheung, Tai Kwong HIlary College, China
International School Leader of the Year: Europe regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Vanessa Grimward, ELIS Murcia, Spain
Runner-up: Anouchka Kingscote, St George's British International School Cologne, Germany
Runner-up: Hysnije Ismaili Kurteshi, Hello Academy of Education, Kosovo
International School Leader of the Year: Middle East regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Tamara Douqa, American Academy, Jordan
Runner-up: Katie Templar, Qatar International School, Qatar
Runner-up: Sana' Arar, Islamic Educational College, Jordan
International School Outstanding Innovator of the Year: Africa regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Dr Haitham Haggag, Summits International School, Egypt
Runner-up: Dina Ahmed Okasha, Saint Fatima International School Al Hegaz, Egypt
Runner-up: Mohamed Zakaria, The International School of Elite Education, Egypt
International School Outstanding Innovator of the Year: Asia regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Wenjun (Josie) Zeng, Stellart International School of Arts, China
Runner-up: Sobia Kanwal, Skans International Islamic Schools Junior Campus, Pakistan
Runner-up: Thuzar Myo, Tr. Thuzar Education Centre (TZEC), Myanmar
International School Outstanding Innovator of the Year: Middle East regional awards
REGIONAL WINNER: Nabil Alfar, American Academy, Jordan
Runner-up: Lina Al Nimri, Rosary School Marj Elhamam, Jordan
Runner-up: Qaisera Mubasher Shakoor, Abha International School, Saudi Arabia
Read our fabulous 2023 global and regional winners' stories
Noha Rateb
Noha Rateb, of the British School of Elite Education in Egypt was crowned as our overall Pearson International School Teacher of the Year in 2023.
Milena Miller
Milena Miller of London Gates Education Group in Lativa won our Pearson International School Teacher of the Year regional award for Europe in 2023.
Nayyar Hussain
Nayyar Hussain, of Islamiya English School in Abu Dhabi, UAE, won our Pearson International School Teacher of the Year regional award for the Middle East in 2023.
Vanessa Grimward
Vanessa Grimward, Headteacher at ELIS School in Murica, Spain won our Pearson International School Leader of the Year regional award for Europe in 2023.
Shalini Singh Hamilton
Shalini Singh Hamilton, former principal of The Gaudium School in Hyderabad, India, won our Pearson International School Leader of the Year regional award for Asia in 2023.
Ghada Barsoum Sourial
Ghada Barsoum Sourial, of The Egypt British International School, Egypt won our Pearson International School Leader of the Year regional award for Africa in 2023.
Glenda Añasco
Glenda Añasco, of Stella Maris International School in Nampula, Mozambique won our Pearson International School Leader of the Year regional award for Africa in 2023.
Olusegun Adeniyi
Olusegun Adeniyi, of Caleb British International School in Lagos, Nigeria was crowned as our overall Pearson International School Outstanding Innovator of the Year in 2023.
Haitham Haggag
Haitham Haggag, of Summits International School in Egypt won our Pearson International School Outsanding Innovator of the Year regional award for Africa in 2023.