SCIPS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Deputy Principal / Head of Prep
Alex is from the UK. She has a BA in Applied Psychology from John Moores University in Liverpool then later trained to be a teacher, gaining a PGCE in Primary Education from the University of Leeds in 2004. She then stayed in Leeds and started her teaching career working as a class teacher and SEN coordinator for the children.
After teaching for 6 years in the UK she moved to Penang and started her international career at SCIPS working as a year 3 teacher and Assessment coordinator. She then moved to Nepal for a year before moving back to KL to get married and have two children.
She worked in KTJ for five years, starting as a Key Stage 2 coordinator and then becoming the Deputy Head. Her career then took her to Tbilisi Georgia to work as the Head of Primary and Vice Principal.
Alex is now going to be working as the Deputy Head and Head of Prep School at SCIPS and is very excited about this new chapter of her life. Outside of school Alex is passionate about trekking and being involved in family activities.
Dan Guerrard is a Music teacher, composer, orchestrator and conductor from the United Kingdom. He trained at Keele University and has a Masters in Psychology of Music in Education from Sheffield University. He has worked internationally in Bermuda, Thailand, Kuwait and China before relocating to Penang.
Job Titles:
- Campus & Facilities Manager
A proud Penang local, Esther Loh has been an integral part of the SCIPS community since October 2020. With a passion for nurturing young minds, she finds joy in working with children and understands the importance of being a positive role model in both speech and actions.
Esther graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Music Performance and Pedagogy from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). She began her journey at SCIPS as a Teaching Assistant, where she took on increasing responsibilities, covering lessons and building strong connections with her students. In 2024, she officially stepped into the role of Cover Teacher after earning her Diploma in Education from Unitar.
Currently, Esther co-teaches Year 6 EAL, leads Mandarin enrichment classes for Reception students, and brings creativity and fun into Nursery with Messy Play sessions. Her hands-on approach extends beyond the classroom, encouraging children to explore and engage in outdoor play.
Outside of school, Esther is actively involved in her church, focusing on mentoring and developing the youth community. In her free time, she enjoys music, running, and traveling to new destinations.
Esther Wong comes from mainland China and has been an international teacher for over 7 years, working as a whole school Mandarin Specialist and Primary Bilingual Teacher. Esther has a Bachelor Degree in Chinese Language and Literature with Chinese teaching certificate qualification, and a Master Degree in History. She is familiar with British National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin and Alberta Bilingual Program. Esther is incredibly passionate to motivate students learning Mandarin inside and outside of classroom. She is excited to join SCIPS with her almost 4 year old son. Meanwhile explore the beauty of Penang and Malaysia.
Fenella is originally from a small town called Woodbridge in the south-east of England. She studied at Swansea University and graduated in 2013. After this, she went on to complete her PGCE and MA in Education at Liverpool Hope University. Fenella spent the first few years of her teaching career teaching Geography and PE in secondary schools in the UK. In 2020, Fenella took up her first international teaching position in Doha, Qatar, where she has been teaching primary PE. Fenella has always been a keen sportswomen, having previously competed at national level for swimming. During her free time, Fenella loves spending time outdoors, exploring new places and meeting new people. Fenella will be moving to Penang with her husband Lawrence who will also be joining the PE team at SCIPS. She is really looking forward to experiencing life in Penang and becoming part of the SCIPS community.
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Jennifer has spent the majority of her life living and working overseas. She holds a BA Honours degree in Business Information Technology, which led her to Hong Kong, where she spent around 15 years working in the Finance Industry.
While in Hong Kong, Jennifer met her husband, Jonathan, and together they have a daughter, Charlotte, who is currently studying her IGCSEs at Uplands. Jennifer's passion for education grew while volunteering at SCIPS, prompting her to pursue a PGCE from Sunderland University. She then transitioned into teaching, starting as a Year 1 Teacher at SCIPS for three years. Afterward, she returned to Scotland and taught at a local primary school for two years.
Following her time in Scotland, Jennifer moved to Spain, where she worked at an international school in Javea for three years. However, the pull of Penang brought her and her family back, and she has since enjoyed working with Year 2 students at SCIPS.
Jennifer is thrilled to be stepping into her new role as the Year Lead of Reception, where she will be an integral part of the EYFS team. She is excited to bring her diverse experience and passion for early childhood education to this leadership position.
Outside of school, Jennifer enjoys learning Spanish, reading, paddle boarding, and scuba diving. She is also looking forward to exploring more of the beautiful nearby islands with her family.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant / Physical Education
Joe has been teaching 12 years and is originally from the South of England, where he was first a teaching assistant before gaining his BA in Primary Education at University of Roehampton, London. Since then, he taught in England for 6 years, as a KS2 teacher and P.E. and Computing Lead. He then moved, with his family, to Kuala Lumpur to be Head of KS2 and Director of Sport at an International School. More recently, he taught in Abu Dhabi for 3 years.
Joe is a keen sportsman and loves to be active. He also loves to travel and has just returned from a 6 month trip travelling Central and South America with his wife and two children. He is very excited to be moving to Penang and joining the SCIPS community with his family.
Josephine was born and raised in Penang, Malaysia. She obtained her Diploma in Early Childhood Education from SEGI College Penang. She has also completed her Bachelor's degree in Early Years Education at the University of Greenwich. She graduated with First Class Honours and was awarded "The International Collaborations Prize for Best Completing Student on an International Collaborative programme".
Josephine loves teaching in the Early Years and is enjoying the fun of teaching in Reception. She is married to Bryan and they enjoy spending their time exploring different places with good coffee and food
Justin comes from Cambridge in England and has a BA in History with qualified teacher status. After three years teaching in the UK, Justin moved to Malaysia where he taught in Kuala Lumpur for four years and Kuantan for a further five. Before returning to Malaysia to join SCIPS he also taught in Nepal and China. Though he has taught all the way from pre-nursery to secondary his passion is for early years and most of his experience has been with younger children. Outside of school Justin is passionate about board games and roleplay games and also enjoys playing guitar and eating Malaysian food!
He is excited to join SCIPS and start a new chapter in Malaysia.
Job Titles:
- Head of Languages / German
Hailing from Liverpool in the UK, Katherine is excited to be joining the SCIPS team. After graduating from Sheffield University with a BA Hons degree in Modern Foreign Languages, Katherine worked in industry and lived in the Netherlands before realizing that she could combine her love of languages with teaching. After completing her PGCE at Manchester, Katherine taught in the UK before moving to Muscat, Oman as head of languages for five years. Now with her sights set on Penang, Katherine is beyond excited to be a part of a vibrant community which offers many language learning opportunities. Katherine specializes in German and Dutch, but also enjoys working on her Spanish. Katherine is passionate about creating an engaging curriculum and loves to use technology to enhance student learning. Outside of school, Katherine enjoys supporting Liverpool Football Club, reading, cooking and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Governors
Lawrence is from Durban, South Africa and grew up in Qatar where he attended an international school as a student. Upon graduating, he attended Kingston University in London and graduated in 2015. Shortly after this he worked as a football coach and lifeguard for a water safety company in the UK. He then returned to Qatar to complete his teacher training and secured a position at his current school where he has taught PE for the past 5 years across primary and secondary. Outside of school, Lawrence enjoys being outdoors, playing sports and spending time with friends and family - you will more than likely find him at the beach kicking a football or throwing a frisbee. Lawrence is very excited to be moving to Penang with his new wife Fenella, who will also be teaching PE at SCIPS.
Martin is originally from the United Kingdom and has a Bachelor degree in Education from Bangor University, in Wales. He remained in Wales and started his teaching career as a Primary teacher. The desire to travel and enter the international education sector, led him to move abroad and in his 20+ years teaching experience, he has taught in the UK, Africa, Thailand, China and now Malaysia. Prior to joining St Christopher's, Martin was Deputy Head Master of Harrow International School, Beijing.
Martin is married to Lynsey, who is also a teacher and they have two daughters, Erica and Jenna.
Job Titles:
- Academic Administrator Support
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant / Reception
Rob is from a small town called Guisborough in the North East of England. He studied at Northumbria University and graduated in 2013. After graduating from University, he spent a couple of summers coaching ‘soccer' in the United States of America, whilst also teaching in a local College. Rob spent 2 years teaching as a Special Needs Primary School Teacher in the UK before embarking on his first venture as an international teacher in the beautiful country of Myanmar. When he isn't teaching, Rob spends his free time out exploring nature, playing sports, keeping fit in the gym, and (when he's feeling like having a ‘lazy day') he spends time reading books, eating lots of food, and playing on his XBOX. He is really looking forward to experiencing life in Penang and working at such a great school.
Sarah is from the United Kingdom. She has a BA in Contemporary Theatre Practice from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Scotland and then later trained to be a teacher, gaining a PGCE Primary Education from University of Paisley, Scotland in 2005. She remained in Scotland and started her teaching career as a Primary teacher.
However, the desire for adventure led her to be a volunteer teacher on a remote island in the Marshall Islands, where she lived and worked without any electricity or running water for a year. Sarah returned to Scotland to teach but her adventurous spirit then led her to Malaysia.
She loves life in Penang and has enjoyed working at SCIPS since she joined in 2011. In 2015, she got married to a Penangite and they have a son Elliott, who loves attending SCIPS. Sarah is passionate about using technology to help enhance education and was appointed as a Google Innovator, something she is very proud of. After being a teacher at SCIPS for 7 years, Sarah took on the challenge of being Head of Juniors, a role she thoroughly enjoys. Sarah is the school's lead on our OPAL project and loves changing the nature of playtimes at SCIPS. She sees so much benefit and joy in our changing approach to play.
Yang pursued his Bio Resource degree at University Sains Malaysia in Penang before furthering his education with a PGCEi from Nottingham University and obtaining Fina coaching certification. He began his career as a PE teacher at SCIPS before transitioning to KTJ, where he served as Head of PE from 2014 to 2019. After five years at KTJ, Yang took on the role of Head of Aquatics and Club Coordinator in Tbilisi, Georgia. From 2021 to 2024, he advanced to become the Head of Whole School PE and Aquatics in British International School Tbilisi. Yang is thrilled to return to SCIPS as a PE teacher. Outside the classroom, he is passionate about fitness, water polo, swimming, and spending quality time with his family.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Media Coordinator
Yee Mei is from Kedah, Malaysia. She was graduated in 2011 from University Tunku Abdul Rahman(UTAR) with a Bachelor Degree in Chinese Studies (Hons) as well as PGDE from University Tunk Abdul Razak(UNITAR). She has been teaching for more than 10 years in private school and loves to explore teaching in a creative and fun way. Currently, she is a Mandarin teacher from Year 1 to Year 8, and she always believes that ‘no one is perfect but keep practice makes perfect'! During her free time, she enjoys music and mostly she spends her time with her family members. She enjoys cooking and also loves to try to cook with new recipes of food.
Yi Yiing is from Penang, Malaysia. She graduated from University Putra Malaysia with a Bachelor's degree in Music Performance. Later, she completed a Master's in Early Childhood Education and graduated with honours from University Science Malaysia. Her main instrument is the piano and cello is her secondary. Yi Yiing has worked at SCIPS since 2008 and she loves interacting with young children and has a passion for teaching them. She has contributed in many different ways to school life in and outside of the music classroom with particularly noteworthy contributions in leading the school music productions and music clubs, developing children's musical abilities and confidence in performances. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband Phang Seng and children, Chloe, Joie and Kenzie.