Mr Nicholas Brain

A distinguished educator and school leader, Nick Brain joined Jumeirah College in August 2023. He brings more than 25 years of exceptional teaching and school improvement experience within a range of educational settings.

Prior to joining GEMS Education, Nick served as Executive Head of Sherfield School in the UK for five years. He also served as Headteacher of Bryntirion Comprehensive School, which underwent a rapid school improvement journey under Nick’s stewardship, leading to the school to be judged ‘outstanding’ after a mere three years.

While at Bryntirion, Nick was asked to also lead another school in Bridgend after the departure of the previous headteacher and the implementation of ‘special measures’ at the school following an unsatisfactory inspection. Under his leadership as Executive Headteacher there, the school was removed from special measures in less than two years.

Nick is a trained school inspector and has served as an executive board member of the UK’s Central South Consortium Strategy Group, leading school improvement and school-to-school support across more than 400 schools. He has also been a member of an Independent Advisory Group providing advice and support to the Welsh Government on educational reform and leadership.

Educated in South Wales, Nick spent four years studying at university in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Loughborough in the UK, before commencing his teaching career at Whitley Bay High School in North Tyneside. Nick then returned to Wales and worked at Tonyrefail School for 12 years in a variety of middle and senior leadership roles, also completing a master’s degree in education at Cardiff University as well as the National Professional Qualification for Headship.