Toshiko Malhotra
Head of Primary
With over 25 years of experience in education, Toshiko Singh Malhotra is an accomplished school leader with expertise in curriculum innovation, school transformation, and the development of high-performing teams.
Toshiko joined Modern as a Primary teacher in 1999, moving on to the Middle and Senior School and the IBDP and is currently the Head Primary, looking after the heart of the school.
Having donned many hats as Academic Coordinator and House Master in the Senior School, she was appointed as the first Transition Supervisor in 2013, and led the school's pioneering co-education initiative, successfully managing one of its most significant transformational change projects.
In 2016, Toshiko was appointed Head of Primary and spearheaded the successful transition of the Kindergarten and Primary from the CISCE curriculum to the IB Primary Years Programme, establishing a strong culture of inquiry to support to the school's vision and evolution into a fully aligned IB continuum school.
Toshiko has also contributed significantly to expanding the school's international profile through the recruitment and integration of both Emirati and international staff and students, strengthening cultural diversity and enriching the learning environment.
A passionate advocate for teacher development and leadership capacity-building, Toshiko is committed to empowering educators and nurturing future leaders. She believes that sustained excellence is achieved through confident, reflective, and well-supported teachers who inspire the same qualities in their students.
Toshiko holds a Master of Education has also completed Harvard Business School's Leading Change and several IB pedagogical and leadership programs.
At the heart of her educational philosophy is the belief that schools must prepare children for a future that is constantly evolving. Inspired by Khalil Gibran's words, "Their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams," Toshiko is committed to nurturing confident, compassionate, and internationally minded learners who are equipped to thrive in an ever changing and interconnected world.
