Sophie Gathercole

Sophie Gathercole is the Safeguarding Local Advisory Board (LAB) Governor at GFS and brings a strong professional background in safeguarding, child protection, education and organisational leadership to the governance role.

Alongside her position on the LAB, Sophie is Head of Safeguarding Operations for GEMS Education, where she works as part of the Central Safeguarding Team supporting schools across the UAE and Qatar. Her role includes providing strategic and operational safeguarding oversight, supporting schools with complex safeguarding matters, strengthening policy and practice, delivering professional development, and working alongside school leaders and Designated Safeguarding Leads to promote consistently high standards of safeguarding.

Sophie has worked within GEMS Education since 2013 and has developed significant experience across education, leadership and safeguarding. She is particularly passionate about ensuring safeguarding is embedded within school culture and that children and young people feel safe, listened to and confident that adults will respond when they need help.

Her professional development includes leadership, mental health and safeguarding training, and she is currently completing an LLM in International Rights of the Child with the University of London. Her academic interests include children’s rights, meaningful child participation and ensuring that the voice of the child is reflected in the policies, systems and decisions that affect them.

As Safeguarding LAB Governor, Sophie provides appropriate support and challenge to school leaders and the wider LAB, helping to maintain oversight of safeguarding arrangements and ensuring that the safety, wellbeing and rights of students remain at the heart of decision-making at GFS.