First School Management (FSM), the global school advisory and management initiative by GEMS Education, today announces the appointment of Rob Tarn CBE as its new Managing Director. He will be based in Dubai and officially assumes his role in April 2025.
Mr. Tarn brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of transformation and educational excellence. A former chemistry teacher who began his career in 1998, he grew up in a small South Yorkshire mining village, where his father and grandfather were coal miners.
His journey from classroom teacher to executive leader is marked by an unwavering commitment to raising standards and improving life chances for students, particularly in some of the most challenging communities in the UK.
Over the past 15 years, Mr. Tarn has held senior leadership roles at Outwood Grange Academies Trust and, since 2017, as Chief Executive of Northern Education Trust (NET). Under his stewardship, all schools inspected by Ofsted while under NET’s care moved from ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ to being judged ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.
His innovative approach to school improvement, culminating in the development of the NORTHERN model, transformed outcomes for over 14,000 students and received national recognition.
In 2024, Mr. Tarn was appointed the UK Department for Education’s national attendance ambassador, and in 2022, he was awarded a CBE for services to education.
As Managing Director of FSM, Mr. Tarn will lead the next phase of the organisation’s growth, building on its mission to deliver GEMS Education’s renowned standards to schools worldwide. FSM’s work includes revitalising underperforming schools and supporting the launch of high-performing new institutions through strategic partnerships, such as its recently announced collaboration with Spark Education Platform to launch GEMS-branded schools in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Mr. Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder of GEMS Education and The Varkey Foundation, welcomed Rob’s appointment, saying:“Rob Tarn is a visionary leader with an extraordinary record of impact in education. His deep understanding of school transformation and his values-driven leadership make him the ideal person to lead FSM. I am delighted to welcome Rob to the GEMS family and look forward to seeing FSM flourish under his direction as we expand our global reach.”
Speaking about his new role, Rob Tarn said:“Joining FSM is an incredible opportunity to help extend GEMS Education’s mission to transform lives through learning. I have always been driven by the belief that every child deserves a great education, no matter their background, and I look forward to applying everything I’ve learned to support schools across the world. My family and I are excited to make Dubai our home and embrace this new chapter.”
FSM was launched in November 2024 as a strategic advisory and operations platform, mobilising expert teams to support schools in achieving operational excellence, educational quality, and long-term sustainability. It reflects GEMS Education’s 66-year legacy of innovation and excellence in K-12 education.
