School Directors
Our diverse and experienced executive team are dedicated to creating inclusive environments and shaping innovative learning experiences for all New Century students in the Middle East.
Our diverse education team have outstanding educational and operational management expertise.
Each of our schools has its own individual identity and offering, are led by our network of experienced principals and teachers, and guided and supported by New Century’s senior leadership team.
We work closely with governing bodies in order to provide quality education to students from all social and economic backgrounds, and are able to go beyond academics to focus on values, culture, future success, real-world skills and more.
Arnna Graham
Executive Director of Schools
Dina Khuffash
General Manager
Dina Khuffash is an education consultant and executive leader with over two decades of experience in school improvement, inspection, and leadership development. Currently the General Manager of New Century Education (NCE), she leads strategic planning, quality assurance, and reform initiatives across the UAE. Dina has inspected over 100 schools and supported 25+ institutions in reaching inspection excellence. Her background includes advisory roles with ADEK, Tribal Group, and The Digital School. She holds a Master’s in Education Leadership from Middlesex University, a Higher Diploma in Leadership, and a BSc in Computer Science.
Recognized for her hands-on, data-informed approach, Dina is passionate about building resilient leadership teams and future-ready education systems across the region.
Arnna Graham leads the Education Team at New Century Education, in the role of Executive Director of Schools. From this role she offers the educational and strategic direction to our schools, their leadership teams and directors.
Arnna graduated from Waikato and Massey Universities (New Zealand) with a Diploma in Primary Education, and a Bachelor of Education. In 2009 Arnna completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership and in 2011 her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, both with honours. Her thesis focus was: Profound Professional Learning for Experienced Principals.
Plain language reporting and the Curriculum Stocktake are two ministerial secondments she has undertaken. She has worked across New Zealand Schools as a teacher, Deputy Principal and Principal since 1990. Arnna has been contracted to the Ministry of Education to work as a Lead Facilitator in the Principal Development and Planning Centre, specialising in Principal skill development and coaching support programmes.
She qualified as a Behaviour Analyst in 2007, using the DiSC profiling system and uses this for international leadership learning and development. In 2019 her company Leadership in Pictures was developed, providing leadership development for aspiring, developing and experienced leaders. She hosts a monthly international leadership discussion keeping abreast of leadership trends.
Arnna moved to the UAE in 2012 and has worked on government partnership projects for the last thirteen years, building leadership and school programmes for Emirati children, educators and communities. Emirati learning is at the centre of her practice here in the UAE.
She has written curriculum for Vanderbilt University as a part of this project work, designed curriculum frameworks and led curriculum stocktakes and reviews across the emirate of Abu Dhabi. She was a foundation leader in the Abu Dhabi Charter School project, and worked in Curriculum, Innovation, Professional Learning Design and System Development.
Most recently she has worked as a foundation principal with the Ayjal-Generation Schools project. Her school was the first ESE government school to achieve international candidacy, with NEASC, doing so within 20 months of operation.
Arnna is qualified to work with NEASC in school reviews and accreditation practices, gaining this approval in 2022, and completed Tribal International Inspection training in October 2024. She is experienced with New Zealand, Australian, American Common Core, Ministry of Education and ADEK curriculum. Arnna has IB leadership training, is experienced with Visible Learning and is a safeguarding lead.