Catherine has proudly led Al Nayfa Charter School since 2019, first as Vice Principal and as Principal from 2021. During her tenure, the school has achieved significant progress in improving quality and student outcomes. She has over 24 years’ experience in education, including more than 16 years in leadership roles such as Instructional Coach, Head of Department, and SEN Lead, supporting school improvement in both Ireland and the UAE.
Catherine holds a First-Class Honors master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Limerick, Ireland, and a Bachelor of Education from Trinity College Dublin, where she specialized in inclusion and linguistics. As a bilingual educator, Catherine is committed to preserving language and culture in schools through innovative and inclusive practices. She believes that community, trust, and lifelong learning drive excellence in education and remains dedicated to empowering students and educators to achieve their fullest potential.
Catherine has supported ADEK initiatives, contributing to the development of an arts curriculum and being a facilitator on the the Growing Great Leaders program for school leaders in Abu Dhabi. She is a certified UAE school inspector.