Senior
Leadership Team Thai
Donnah Ciempka
Head of School
Donnah Ciempka is a dynamic leader who has worked in education for over 20 years. Her teaching career began in 1997 in Australia, and since then she has worked and held leadership roles in a wide range of schools both internationally and nationally.
Donnah has driven exceptional teaching and learning practices that are at the forefront of education today with an intentional focus on curriculum design and instruction. She is highly qualified with a Bachelor of Education, with Honours in Early Childhood Pedagogy, an Advanced Certificate in School Leadership and Positive Education.
Donnah is an experienced International Baccalaureate (IB) Educator who has supported schools across Asia for the last 10 years. Having worked in such schools as Western Academy of Beijing and Geelong Grammar, she brings to our community a diverse understanding of international education and what it means to be an IB World School. She has held many roles throughout her career and is also the recipient of several accolades including:
- IB workshop leader and facilitator, school visitor, and team leader
- CIS and WASC school visitor and accreditor
- Curriculum writer for IB, Pearson Education, and Australian State Educational bodies
- Published author of pedagogical and curriculum documents
- Scholarship recipient for Executive Leaders Colloquium through the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute, Melbourne University 2016
In addition to her work in schools, Donnah ran her educational consultancy business guiding schools through accreditation processes, strategic planning, and curriculum implementation. She has worked alongside universities, not-for-profit organisations, and government departments aligning policy and pedagogy throughout South East Asia. Her strengths are driving organisations to ensure a collective focus and placing the learner at the centre of all decision-making.
Mark Allen
Head of Secondary School
Nicola Holloway
Head of Primary School
Nicola is a passionate and dedicated educator with over 25 years of experience in education. Born and raised in England, Nicola graduated from the University of Cambridge, with her PGCE. She started her teaching career in the UK before beginning her career as an international educator. Nicola has worked internationally for over two decades, being a member of Pedagogical Leadership Teams in the International School of Ho Chi Minh City, Munich International School and Oberoi International School.
Nicola is a dedicated IB educator, supporting educators around the world and continues to expand her roles within the IB network. Nicola has presented at several IB Global Conferences. She is a workshop facilitator, Evaluation Leader, Programme Leader, Visit Chair and Consultant. In addition to her IB experience, Nicola holds a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management from Bath University and she is currently an MBA student.
Nicola is committed to ensuring that every student at the school has the opportunity to reach their full potential. She believes in the power of the IB program to foster critical thinking, creativity, and a love of learning in students, and is dedicated to providing the support and environment needed to make this happen.
In her spare time, Nicola enjoys travelling and exploring the vibrant city of Bangkok. She is also an avid maker and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is excited to be a part of the Ascot community and enjoys working with students, parents, and teachers to create a positive and enriching learning environment.
David Hopkinson
Head of Digital Systems
David is a highly motivated and talented member of the leadership team. He has experience working in both the world of education, and in commercial endeavours. He has a background in Computer Science, software development and network engineering. David completed a degree in Network Design and Management at the University of Portsmouth, UK, where while studying, he also worked as a tutor helping other students to develop their programming skills. After completing his Bachelor’s degree he went on to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of Nottingham, UK.
David has worked at Ascot International School for the past nine years and has taught in both the IB Diploma and IGCSE programmes. He provides leadership for the continued development of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment throughout the school. He is responsible for IT governance and policy, resource allocation and Information technology protocols. He works with both the academic and admin staff to improve their computer literacy and IT skills. He is currently guiding a large group of teaching staff towards becoming certified Google Educators.
In addition to his experience in the field of education David has also worked for a number of software development companies and has experience developing a range of products including medical tourism systems and flight simulator software.
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At Ascot International School, safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of every child is our unwavering commitment.
An IB World School, accredited by CIS.
