David Ardley

David Ardley is Founding Principal of Beech Hall School Riyadh – a premium, non-selective all-inclusive community with a vision to be the first truly reimagined international school in Saudi Arabia. He moved to Riyadh from Switzerland in August 2022, where he had been Assistant Head of the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz in Switzerland.

Although born in UK, David has travelled extensively, spending his school years in Hong Kong where his teachers inspired him to move into the profession. He studied a 4-year B.Ed. Hons Degree in Design & Technology in the UK, and has spent his entire professional career within education, working in premium boarding and day schools within the UK, France and Switzerland.

David has been nominated, and received awards, for his teaching (TES, NAE), has worked as a schools inspector (HMC/ISI), been a workshop leader and curriculum writer for the IBO (Design Technology), been involved with teacher training and mentoring at University level and has contributed to conferences talking about design education, school design and build, curriculum design, digital strategy, social media use and inclusivity in schools.

Away from education, David enjoys podcasting, driving and maintaining classic cars, collecting product design, rugby (from a comfy chair nowadays), listening to rock music, reading and spending time with family and friends. He is married to Laurence who is French, and home is near Toulouse, in France. They have two grown up daughters, Alexia and Charlotte, and a crazy, but very loveable, dog called Dexter.