Nadia Mekhid

LEADERSHIP & WHOLE SCHOOL IMPACT

Curriculum Design & Development

• Spearheaded the design and implementation of a bespoke STEM and Technology curriculum within the EYFS, ensuring age-appropriate integration of digital tools and inquiry-based learning.
• Led a full curriculum review and rewrite for Years 1 and 2, including English, Mathematics, and Topic (IPC), creating streamlined, differentiated units supported by comprehensive lesson plans and resources.
• Designed adaptable learning sequences that improved teacher clarity, differentiation, and pupil engagement.

Educational Leadership & Collaboration

• Regular contributor to Senior Leadership Team meetings and collaborative planning with Heads of Academics and Subject Leads to develop school-wide policies on marking, feedback, and curriculum access.
• Led phonics training across KS1, drawing on direct mentorship from an accredited Read Write Inc. trainer.
• Provided ongoing training and mentoring to Learning Assistants (LAs), including observation feedback, goal setting, and CPD planning.
• Facilitated new staff induction for KS1, including curriculum overviews, scheduling, key policies, and classroom practice expectations.

Environment & Innovation

• Played a key role in revamping the EYFS learning environment, from classrooms and corridors to shared areas, supporting a more purposeful and inviting space for young learners.
• Actively contributed to MIT-Nord Anglia STEM project collaboration, organising guest speakers, overseeing resource procurement, and supporting integrated curriculum planning across Primary.
• As an Apple Teacher and Apple Coach-in-training, championed digital fluency among staff, supporting the use of educational technology in EYFS and KS1.

Pastoral, Community, and Wellbeing Leadership

• Organised school-wide field trips, including complex logistics for over 200 children, ensuring alignment with curriculum objectives, safety protocols, and budget constraints.
• Led parent events including new family welcome sessions, curriculum meetings, and social gatherings to build community and engagement.
• Coordinated and led student charity clubs, empowering pupils from across year groups to plan and host fundraising events for chosen causes.
• Delivered staff meetings on intercultural education, soft skills, and mental health education, fostering whole-school dialogue on inclusion and wellbeing.
• Appointed as the EYFS Health and Safety Lead, ensuring best practices and compliance with safeguarding and well-being policies.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Led clubs across EYFS, KS1, and KS2 including coding, storytelling, and mindfulness
• Avid educational researcher and reflective practitioner, with an active interest in global education trends, equity in the classroom, and intercultural competence
• Recognised for being highly organised, empathetic, and trusted by colleagues for honest, collaborative, and strategic support

• Full Time Year 2 Teacher in an ‘outstanding' primary school
• Responsibilities include:
• Planning according to the KS1 British Curriculum and assessing frequently
• Planning and managing for a vast range of abilities within a ‘low ability' set class of 30 pupils
• Working as part of a team with four ‘higher ability' year 2 teachers
• Working as part of the whole school team to plan and prepare activities, ideas and make curriculum links with our topics in KS1, to ensure all aspects of the curriculum are effectively taught.
• Working as part of a whole school team to ensure we are maintaining a creative curriculum through the use of ‘The Mantle of the Expert' approach.
• Delivering a Year 2 workshop to parents.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with parents
• Creating effective ILP's for children who have SEN and sharing this and with parents
• Using Maths Mastery throughout our maths planning to promote higher order thinking and provide high quality teaching and learning skills.
• Delivering an assembly twice a term for the whole school.
• Working as a team to provide a high quality and effective shared resource area for Year 2
• Planning for intervention groups including: three Read, Write, Ink groups each with a TA, LSA support in the classroom, TA support and additional inventions throughout the week, such as, fine motor practise, handwriting and PSE practise.
• Working closely with the headteacher teacher (whose previous role was in a ‘low ability' year 2 class) to ensure planning and teaching are of the upmost quality.

• Full Time EYFS 2 Teacher in a large International School
• Responsibilities include:
• Working closely as part of a large team (ten teachers in FS2)
• Planning according to the EYFS British Curriculum and assessing frequently according to the 7 areas of learning
• Planning literacy using Pie Corbett's ‘talk for writing' strategies
• Planning IEP's for SEN children with parents and curriculum access team
• Assessing half termly and collecting evidence using target tracker and updating assessments for every child.
• Using 2simple programme on Ipads to assess and collect evidence of each child. (These then get emailed to parents).
• Teaching ‘Letters and Sounds' phonics on a daily basis including some elements of ‘Jolly Phonics' in first year. Introduced ‘Song of Sounds' phonics programme in second year.
• Using ‘funky fingers', ‘click maths' and ‘Squiggle whilst you wiggle' as daily interventions for all children in FS2.
• Communicating closely with parents via weekly emails, weblog, daily communication books and sending termly topic information and home learning sheets
• Meeting monthly, weekly and daily deadlines
• Teaching and managing a weekly Math KS1 Extra Curricular Activity
• Teaching and managing a weekly Movie KS2 Extra Curricular Activity
• Working as part of several committees to organise International week, National Day and High Performance Learning strategies across the school and specifically for the FS2 year group.
• Teaching and implementing High Performance Learning and Kagan strategies into each lesson
• Organising all FS2 trips independently for ten classes throughout the year (including: zoo, park, theatre and beach trips).
• Organising activities, planning, timetables, parent helpers and preparation for termly theme days.
• Attending all networking and moderation meetings with other international schools in the Abu Dhabi.
• CPD Presentations- researching, collecting evidence and data based on an investigation we choose as a team to address in FS2 (In order to change challenge and adapt teaching practices and ideas). These included: ‘Is Cursive handwriting beneficial from such a young age?' and ‘How can we improve the outdoor learning environment in FS2 to challenge children's learning?' These led to plans for a purpose built outdoor area in FS2 and a new approach to handwriting across the whole school.

• Full Time Year 1 Teacher (maternity cover) in an ‘outstanding' primary school
• Responsibilities include:
• Working closely as part of a team with both year 1 teachers
• Planning according to the English National Curriculum
• Assessing frequently according to subject topic e.g. maths: shape
• Assessing half termly and collecting evidence using target tracker and updating assessments for every child
• Teaching ‘Letters and Sounds' Phonics on a daily basis including some elements of ‘Read, Write, Inc'
• Planning IEP's for SEN children and sharing this with parents
• Planning effectively and collaboratively with 1:1 support for an SEN child
• Assisting with ‘Forest Schools'
• Building a positive relationship with parents

• Full Time Year 1/ 2 Teacher (maternity cover)
• Part Time Year 1/ 2 and Year 5 Teacher (part time)
• Full Time Reception/ Year 1 Teacher (permanent)
• Responsibilities include:
• KS1 leader- in charge of budget, long term, medium term and short term planning
• Leader of KS1 trip including: risk assessment, organising pupil groups, teacher and parent helpers, leading health and safety/ expectations and standards discussion with parents, resourcing and planning all the activities, leading groups and adults throughout trip.
• Assessing regularly and collecting evidence for half termly assessments
• Leading Key Stage Assemblies
• Teaching ‘Jolly Phonics' on a daily basis and preparing children for and delivering SAT's testing
• Teaching ICT and Maths for Year 5's on a weekly basis
• Planning according to both English National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
• Updating learning journals
• Leading and planning for TA's
• Moderation meetings with other KS1 1 teachers
• In charge of EYFS budget
• In charge of KS1 and EYFS Christmas Play

• Part Time Reception/ Year 1 Teacher
• During my part time teaching at St Peter's School, I also worked at Balcombe Primary School as a Part Time Reception/ year 1 Teacher (SEN and PPA cover)
• Responsibilities include:
• Planning according to the English National Curriculum
• Frequent communication and collaborating with the class teacher
• Planning and teaching PE, maths and RE weekly
• Observing and collecting evidence for assessments
• Regularly communicating and working positively with parents
• Leader responsibilities during sports day

• Responsibilities include:
• Working day to day at different Primary Schools
• Employed as Short term cover teacher at St Peter's CofE School Ardingly
• Responsibilities often included:
• Planning and delivering cover day according to medium term plans given
• Working closely with class teacher to provide feedback and discuss pupil needs
• Positive communication with parents
• Marking and assessing

• Teaching 80% year 4 (ages 8-9 years)

• Teaching 50% year 2 class (ages 6-7 years)

• Teaching and planning on a joint placement for 25% of lessons for a year 3 class

• Joint teaching experience working with small groups