Teaching PE in the Gulf: My Experience Leading Sport in a New British School in Dubai
When I accepted the role of Head of PE at a brand-new British curriculum school in Dubai, I knew it would be an exciting opportunity. But I didn’t realise quite how rewarding, challenging, and eye-opening the journey would be—not just in terms of teaching, but in helping shape a school culture, supporting students’ wellbeing, and working alongside brilliant colleagues from all over the world.
Starting From Scratch—with Outstanding Facilities
From day one, the scale of investment in school sport in the UAE really stood out. Our facilities are outstanding—indoor sports halls, a floodlit football pitch, a swimming pool, fitness zones, shaded courts. These resources are designed not just to look impressive, but to support year-round physical activity, even during the warmer months.
I can’t talk about my experience teaching PE in Dubai without shining a spotlight on the exceptional sporting facilities at our school. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it—certainly not during my years teaching in public schools back in Bolton. The scale, quality, and ambition of the resources here are on another level entirely.
Our aquatics facilities alone are remarkable. We have a 25-metre indoor, temperature-controlled swimming pool, complete with starting blocks, digital timing systems, and stadium-style seating for spectators. Swimming isn’t just a bolt-on here—it’s a core part of our curriculum from the early years up. Every student gets regular, high-quality swimming instruction delivered by trained staff (including myself now!), and we’ve already had teams compete in citywide galas and interschool leagues. We also have a dedicated learn-to-swim pool for younger pupils, allowing us to develop confident swimmers from a very early age.
Back in Bolton, the closest I got to teaching swimming was the annual minibus trip to the local leisure centre—with borrowed armbands, a shared lane, and a stopwatch that only worked half the time. Here, it’s a completely different ball game: swimming is serious, supported, and embedded into the school culture. And the students are thriving because of it.
But the pool is just the beginning.
We have two fully-equipped indoor sports halls, lined and marked for basketball, volleyball, badminton, and indoor football. There’s a strength and conditioning suite with professional-grade gym equipment—something our older students are using as part of our GCSE and A-Level PE programmes. Outside, we’ve got a full-sized 4G football pitch, multi-purpose courts with shade canopies (a must in the hotter months), and a 300-metre running track that loops our athletics field.
We’ve also just added a padel tennis court, making us one of the few schools in the region to offer it as part of the extracurricular programme. It’s been a huge hit with students and staff alike.
For fixtures, tournaments, sports days, and training sessions, there’s no limit to what we can offer. Our facilities allow us to host regional events, welcome other schools with pride, and most importantly—deliver outstanding, inclusive PE lessons every day of the week.
A Wake-Up Call on Health and Nutrition
One thing that really struck me in my first term was how many students struggled with basic fitness. Even short bursts of activity left some pupils out of breath. After a few conversations, the issue became clear: a combination of limited physical activity outside of school and poor diet. Many of the children were regularly eating takeaways, sugary snacks, and energy drinks. In some cases, it was clearly impacting their overall wellbeing.
I later learned this is a wider trend in the region. The rates of childhood obesity are a growing concern in the UAE—and that’s exactly why PE has such a crucial role to play.
We’ve made it a core priority in our department to teach and promote good diet, health, and nutrition alongside sport. PE isn’t just about physical performance—it’s about understanding how our bodies work, and how our daily choices affect our long-term health. We now dedicate time each term to focus specifically on nutrition: food groups, hydration, balanced meals, portion sizes, and the impact of junk food on energy and focus.
This year, we launched a school-wide initiative called “Fuel for Sport,” aimed at educating students across all key stages about the relationship between nutrition and performance. We’ve held interactive workshops, fitness and food days, and student challenges like designing healthy lunchboxes. We’ve seen some fantastic engagement—and more importantly, real change. Some students have swapped out sugary snacks for fruit, started drinking more water during the day, and even taken an interest in helping their families make healthier meal choices at home.
We’ve also been working closely with the school’s catering team to overhaul our school menu. There are now more fresh options, healthy carbohydrates, lean proteins, and colourful salads on offer. We’ve reduced the amount of fried food available and created visual food guides in the cafeteria so students can better understand their choices. It’s all part of building a culture of wellness.
A National Push for Health and Movement
What’s encouraging is that the government recognises the problem and is acting on it. Initiatives like the Dubai Fitness Challenge (30×30) and the School Health Programme are excellent examples of national efforts to promote healthier lifestyles among young people.
There’s a clear directive in many schools to increase the profile of PE, wellbeing, and nutrition. As a PE teacher, it’s refreshing to feel that physical education is truly valued—not just as a subject, but as a core part of students’ personal development. We’ve been encouraged to deliver cross-curricular programmes, host fitness events, and even run parent workshops about healthy eating and active routines at home.
Leading a Diverse and Dedicated Team
One of the best parts of my role has been working with a truly international team. Our department includes colleagues from the UK, Ireland, and the US, each bringing unique ideas and experiences. As the curriculum lead, it’s been my responsibility to support those who were new to the British system, particularly in areas like planning for progression, assessment for learning, and linking PE to PSHE and personal development goals.
What I’ve found, though, is that collaboration goes both ways. I’ve learned just as much from my team as they’ve learned from me—particularly when it comes to sports that are more embedded in the American and Irish systems. Basketball, baseball, even flag football—sports I hadn’t taught much before arriving in Dubai—have quickly become key parts of our extracurricular offer. And I’ve really enjoyed developing my own confidence in delivering them.
Sports & Health-Related Excursions That Inspire
Beyond lessons and fixtures, one of the most impactful parts of my role has been organising and leading sports and wellbeing excursions around Dubai. The city offers a huge range of opportunities to get students engaged outside the classroom.
We’ve taken groups to Dubai Sports World, where students could try everything from padel tennis to volleyball in a professional multi-sport environment. We’ve visited The Sevens Stadium for youth football and rugby tournaments, giving students a taste of top-level competition. We’ve even collaborated with local fitness centres and nutritionists to run health and wellness days, where students completed circuits, tried yoga, and attended talks about healthy living and diet.
One of my favourite trips was a full-day outdoor adventure session in Hatta, where our students hiked, kayaked, and team-built in a completely different setting from the school grounds. Experiences like that really stick with them—and with us, as teachers.
These excursions aren’t just exciting add-ons—they’ve become a key part of our PE and wellbeing offer. They reinforce the importance of movement, challenge, and personal growth in ways that classroom learning alone can’t always provide.
A Department to Be Proud Of
All of this hard work—building a curriculum, supporting each other, raising the bar—paid off when our department was awarded an ‘Outstanding’ grading by the KHDA in our most recent inspection. That’s something my team and I are truly proud of.
It wasn’t handed to us. It came from months of careful planning, consistent delivery, genuine care for our students, and a real passion for sport and wellbeing. Knowing that the quality of PE provision has been recognised at the highest level is a huge motivator—for us and for the students we teach.
A Rewarding Mix of Sports—and Lots of Engagement
One of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching PE here is how enthusiastic the students are about sport. Extracurricular activities are extremely popular. Football and basketball are huge, but we’ve also got strong numbers in hockey, athletics, and swimming. GCC tournaments add a competitive regional dimension, giving students goals to work towards and a great sense of pride representing their school.
Personally, I’ve taught a wide variety of sports in my time here, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. The students are keen to try new activities and often show great progress in a short time. Their energy and willingness to improve—when supported properly—makes every coaching session feel worthwhile.
Teaching PE in Dubai: A Professional and Personal Highlight
So, what’s it really like teaching PE in Dubai? In short—it’s fantastic.
You’re surrounded by world-class facilities, there’s a genuine appetite for sport, and you’re part of a broader national movement to improve health outcomes for young people. There’s also a refreshing sense of possibility in the air. If you’ve got a good idea—whether it’s a new club, a curriculum enrichment day, or a wellbeing initiative—you’ll usually be supported to run with it.
I’ve grown a lot professionally since taking this role. Leading a new department, supporting international colleagues, developing a curriculum from the ground up—it’s all been hugely rewarding. And earning an Outstanding grading from KHDA was the icing on the cake. But beyond the job, there’s also the lifestyle. Sunshine, outdoor living, a supportive expat community—and yes, the odd swim after work. It all adds up to a unique and enriching teaching experience.
If you’re a PE teacher looking for a fresh challenge, I’d honestly recommend the Gulf region in a heartbeat. You’ll be helping shape something meaningful, every single day—and helping to make a real difference to how young people understand and value their health, fitness, and future.
