Andrew holds a BSc in Sport, Coaching, and Fitness from the University of Sussex and a PGCE in Physical Education from the University of Brighton. With over 25 years of experience in sport and education, his career began in cricket, where he represented Somerset at all age levels, up to the 2nd XI. A significant achievement during this time was captaining the Somerset U19 team to the semi-finals of the National competition, showcasing his leadership skills and deep understanding of the game. Following this, Andrew worked as a Cricket Development Officer for Sussex CCC, a role that allowed him to make a real impact on the next generation of cricketers. His responsibilities included coaching the County junior squads and Academy players, mentoring young athletes and nurturing their talents. This experience helped solidify his coaching philosophy and deepened his commitment to fostering growth in both sport and education. In 2006, Andrew transitioned to the world of education, where he discovered his passion for teaching young aspiring athletes. He spent 10 years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, working in diverse, multicultural settings that broadened his perspective and enriched his teaching methods. Now entering his 6th year in Dubai, Andrew continues to thrive in the vibrant international school environment. Andrew's passion for teaching stems from his belief that sport has the power to transform lives. He understands firsthand the value of discipline, teamwork, and perseverance that sport instills in young people. He strives to create an environment where students not only develop physical skills but also grow as individuals, gaining confidence, resilience, and leadership abilities. His approach to teaching Physical Education is rooted in the idea that every student can achieve their best, whether they aspire to compete at a high level or simply enjoy being active. Andrew finds great joy in helping students discover their potential, pushing them to break through their own limits, and supporting them as they grow both as athletes and as individuals. He believes that the lessons learned through sport – from handling victories and defeats to working collaboratively – are crucial for personal development and future success in any field.
Naledi Lebelo brings a wealth of experience to her role as both a coach and educator. Having competed at the highest level of netball in South Africa from a young age, her lifelong passion for the game has only grown stronger. Now, as a coach, she channels that same enthusiasm into inspiring and developing the next generation of athletes. With a deep belief in the power of teamwork, discipline, and personal growth, Naledi is committed to helping young athletes unlock their full potential both on and off the court.
Her coaching philosophy centers around creating an environment where hard work, mutual respect, and a positive mindset lead to confident, capable, and successful teams. Naledi's impact extends beyond the court. With a Diploma in Grade R Teaching from SANTS Private Higher Education Institution and current studies toward a Bachelor's Degree in Foundation Phase Education, she has a solid grounding in early childhood education.
Her experience working within school settings has equipped her with a strong understanding of how to foster meaningful student-teacher relationships that support holistic development. She also holds a Level 1 Netball Coaching Certificate and is a Schools C+ Accredited Umpire, adding further depth to her coaching credentials.
Naledi's comprehensive experience and dedication make her a valuable asset in both sporting and educational environments, where she continues to inspire young
Matt Williams. Matt began his rugby journey at Hartpury College, honing his skills in their renowned programme before earning a rugby league scholarship at the University of Gloucestershire. There, he represented Scotland Students in the Home Nations Tournament and played on the Super League Pro 9s circuit with the Gloucestershire All Golds.
After university, Matt returned to Wales to join the South Wales Scorpions League 1 Academy. His dedication saw him earn senior international honours with both the Wales Dragonhearts and East Wales Rugby League.
In 2022, Matt relocated to Dubai with his family, where he advanced his coaching credentials, achieving World Rugby Level 2 accreditation in both 15s and 7s, along with a Level 1 in Strength and Conditioning. Alongside his school role, he plays and coaches with the Dubai Tigers developing juniors, supporting senior squads, and helping grow the club’s presence in the UAE rugby scene. At Arcadia, Matt is a key figure in driving the school’s high-performing rugby programme.
As a High-Performance Rugby Coach, he mentors Sports Scholars and nurtures emerging talent, drawing on his elite and international experience to help students reach their full potential on and off the pitch.
Trixia hold a degree in Bachelor of Science from Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila, Philippines where she specialized in Biology. Trixia have a strong sports background, having competed in Philippine Women’s Waterpolo National Team at South East Asian Games 2015, Asian Championship 2013 and 16 years of experience as a competitive swimmer from grade school to university competing for NCAA representing her school.
Her involvement in sports has instilled in me valuable skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience, which complement my professional qualifications and enhance my ability to excel in this field.
With over six years of dedicated coaching experience and a recognised qualification from Swimming England, Christine Calitis brings passion, expertise, and energy to every session she leads. Specialising in water safety, stroke development, and swimmer confidence, she has successfully guided swimmers of all ages and abilities to achieve outstanding progress in and out of the pool.
Known for her encouraging and athlete-centred approach, Christine creates a positive and inspiring environment where swimmers feel motivated to challenge themselves, grow in confidence, and develop a genuine lifelong love for the sport.
Committed to unlocking the full potential of every swimmer, Christine combines technical excellence with unwavering support to help each athlete thrive, succeed, and enjoy every moment in the water.
Bishnu joshi is a dedicated lifeguard and swimming coach with a strong background in aquatic safety and sports coaching. He holds a b.Ed degree from tribhuvan university, Nepal, and has completed swim England swimming teaching licenses level 1 and 2, along with a certified lifeguard license.
With over a decade of experience in the field, bishnu has worked as a swimming trainee teacher at hamilton aquatics for 2 years, followed by 5 years as a lifeguard at gems world academy. Since 2021, he has been serving at arcadia British school as a lifeguard and swim coach, where he continues to inspire and guide students in the water.
Bishnu has a deep passion for sports and physical activities beyond swimming. He is skilled in badminton, volleyball, shot put, and javelin, and enjoys engaging with a wide variety of athletic disciplines. His hobbies include watching footballand cricket matches, hiking, running, and exploring new places, reflecting his active and adventurous spirit. Recognized for his professionalism, enthusiasm, and dedication to student development, bishnu combines his love for sports with his commitment to safety and excellence, making him a valued mentor and coach at arcadia.





Daniel’s multi-sporting experience started at the renowned Millfield School where he attended from nursery through to sixth form. During his school years he played age-group county cricket, hockey and tennis, representing Somerset. He also won the IAPS Tennis Singles and Doubles, as well as winning the Millfield Prep U13 team golf competition. For Daniel, these achievements marked the start of his exciting sporting journey.
In 2009, Daniel earned his first age-group international cap, representing Wales in hockey. He played at both U16 and U18 level before deciding that his main focus was to be cricket; his First XI cricket career saw him win the National T20 Championships in 2012 with Millfield, and he played a pivotal role in this team for the four years that he was a part of it. Daniel progressed his cricket, going on to play for Glamorgan Seconds and Wales Minor Counties. Whilst training full time with Cardiff MCCU, he made his First-Class debut against Glamorgan in 2015, alongside perusing his academics; studying a degree in Business and Events Management at Cardiff Metropolitan University, of which he obtained a First-Class Honours Degree.
Sport has aided Daniel’s love of travelling, presenting itself as an enabling factor which has granted him the opportunities to visit many new places. In fact, one of his most memorable experiences occurred through being a member of the MCC when, in 2019, he was invited to tour with the team to Costa Rica and Mexico where he played in the Central American Cricket Championship.
A Gap Year in 2013 saw the beginning of Daniel’s journey into education, having worked at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, Australia in 2013 where he coached the First XI cricket team. Then, five years on, Daniel joined the successful, co-educational independent day school, The Cathedral School Llandaff. Progression within the establishment took him from PE teacher/Sports Coach to Head of Junior Boys’ Sport, at the same time, completing his PGCE in Physical Education. Daniel also holds coaching qualifications in rugby and cricket and is currently undertaking his ECB Advanced Cricket Coaching Programme (Level 3).
Both coaching and teaching enable Daniel to remain engaged in sport, but the main attraction is seeing the sense of achievement on pupils’ faces when they reach their personal and team goals. Having been described by many as a people’s person, being involved in education is extremely fulfilling for him. Daniel is really looking forward to working alongside an experienced department and is excited by the opportunity to learn from the expertise of his colleagues.


From a young ages Louise Hamilton has been a competitive swimmer, specialising in all three Butterfly disciplines. Training intensely with her local club and the Glasgow School of Sport for a period of time, Louise was regularly selected for Scottish Silver Squad training weekends and competed at several National and County events in her home country of Scotland.
At 19 years old Louise moved away from home to complete a Sport and Exercise Science degree at the University of Abertay, Dundee and continued to compete, this time for the University swim team where she competed at the British University and college sport competitions. Alongside her degree, Louise worked part time as a swim teacher, teaching the learn to swim programme with children and adults in her local community and assisted with the elite squad training program. In 2015 Louise then went onto complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Edinburgh and then began her teaching career by completing her NQT year in Scotland followed by a 2 year stint in Qatar before making the move to the United Arab Emirates, where she has worked for the past two years.
Louise is also an avid games player and plays recreational Netball and Gaelic Football and has an interest in Crossfit and Fitness. She is Swimming, Netball and Trampoline coaching qualified and enjoys teaching and coaching a variety of different sports. She is looking forward to working with all students at Arcadia from August 2021 and, can’t wait to start working with the Arcadia swim team.


At aged 15 Joanna Pruett represented Great Britain in her first International, a Triathlon in Romania, and from there onwards as part of the World Class Perfomance Programme she continued to travel the globe representing her country. Joanna won medals at European and World championship competitions, travelling to the Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games, after qualifying in the Modern Pentathlon by winning a World Cup Silver medal in Brazil and Team Gold at the World Championships in Moscow. Whilst training at this high level, Joanna kept up her studies completing a degree in Sporting Performance and Excellence at the University of Bath.
After completing her Post Graduate in Education, she took her first teaching job at a high performing UK Independent school, before becoming Head of Sport in one of the UK’s largest and most successful Prep Schools, Danes Hill, where she coached the senior netball team to win the IAPS National Championships in 2013. Since moving to Dubai to join her Headmaster husband, Joanna has kept closely involved in coaching whilst welcoming three girls of her own.
She is a Level 2 ASA qualified swim coach and Level 2 QCF England Netball specialist, but also enjoys coaching an array of other sports.
Joanna is a high-level skier and horse rider and has already started coaching clubs at Arcadia in these areas. She is excited to be working with a world class sports coaching and teaching team at the school, particularly as her girls are all enrolled and sports enthusiasts.


I take a keen interest in all sports and I am a very competitive person in sport and in life, which I put down to having three brothers who are all equally as competitive as I am. I take pride in teaching as I get to develop the next generation of learners and I am given the opportunity to share my passion and knowledge with the Arcadia family on a daily basis. Physical Education is extremely important to me as I have grown up all my life being shown how important sport and exercise is for our body and mind, everyday I get to teach children something new about their potential in sport and help them discover their own skills and interests in the world of Physical Education.


After graduating from The University of Chichester, Mr Liam Hirrel taught physical education for 7 years in Greater London, holding various positions including Head of PE. He has spent the past three years in the UAE, working for the Ministry of Education’s Physical and Health Education department, teaching as well as training future teachers. Mr Liam Hirrel believes strongly in that Physical Literacy is as important to a student’s education as numeracy and literacy in setting them up for the life ahead.
Mr Liam Hirrel strives to create an environment where students are confident, independent learners and believes strongly in PE and Sport being accessible for all. He has been a part of the improvement of teaching and learning in many schools and this has allowed him to hone his professional skill-set whilst supporting colleagues to improve their own. Outside of teaching Mr Liam Hirrel enjoys a range of sports and has played football at a professional level and represented English Universities.
