Staff Profiles
Year 3 – Year 4
At St Christopher’s, our dedicated and well-qualified team of staff put your children at the heart of everything we do.
Year 3 – Year 4
Ashley Byrne
Year 3 AB
English Leader
Ashley is originally from the United Kingdom and has a BA in Education from Northampton University. After training, Ashley taught in Rugby, England for 5 years as both a class teacher and member of the Senior Leadership Team.
He enjoys being creative, active and being outdoors whenever possible. Ashley’s passion for cars and motorcycles has taken him down many routes but building his own car has been one of his highlights.
Having visited Penang many years ago with his wife, Miss Beth, they fell in love with the island and thought it to be an ideal location to launch their international career in teaching. He has been at SCIPS now for two years and has taught both Year 6 and Year 3 during his time here.
Alicja Lopatto
Year 3 AL
Alicia is originally from Poland where she spent 5 years studying Humanities and Economics, as an English major at the University in Lodz, before spending 3 years teaching English in Primary Schools in Bydgoszcz, Poland. She moved to Malaysia in 2010 where she has been living ever since, having joined the SCIPS family in 2012 as an Infants teacher.
Apart from teaching, Alicia’s biggest passion is music which she loves arranging and performing.
Alicia is married, has 2 dogs and has recently expanded her family by a beautiful daughter – Anelle Joy.
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Lauren Bailey
Year 3 LB
IPC Coordinator
Lauren is from the United Kingdom and has a Bachelor degree in History from the University of Leeds. She then went on to complete her PGCE teaching qualification at the same university. After four years teaching in Leeds and Manchester, her passion for travel and learning about other cultures led her to make the decision to move to Penang.
This is Lauren’s second year at SCIPS and as a class teacher in Year 3. In her free time Lauren enjoys hiking, climbing and swimming. This year she plans on exploring more of South East Asia.
Hannah Phillips
Year 4 HP
Hannah is from the United Kingdom and has a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Studies at the University of Sunderland. She then completed her PGCE teaching qualification through Northumbria University. Hannah taught in Northumberland, England for five years, and was P.E. lead for two years at her last school. Hannah loves keeping fit and socialising with new friends. Hannah enjoys travelling and after a trip to Thailand in 2017, Hannah fell in love with South East Asia and is looking forward to exploring Penang and Malaysia.
This is Hannah’s first international teaching post and she is very much looking forward to becoming a part of the SCIPS family.
Jessica Mewis
Year 4 JM
Mathematics Coordinator
Jessica is originally from the United Kingdom and has a Bachelor degree in Geography and English from Keele University. She then went on to complete her PGCE teaching qualification at Derby University. After teaching for two years in her home town of Burton, Jessica decided to fulfil her ambition of teaching abroad. She has taught for two years in Dubai and this is her third year at SCIPS. She is looking forward to teaching a group of fun, friendly and inquisitive year four’s.
Outside of school Jessica loves to exercise, travel, explore different cultures and relax in the sunshine. She looks forward to continuing her adventure with the staff, parents and pupils at SCIPS.
Luke McRae
Year 4 LM
PSHE Coordinator
Luke is from Newbury in the United Kingdom, which is just outside of London. He began studying in 2011 at Roehampton University and graduated in 2014. Before graduating from university, he travelled and lived overseas, spending large amounts of time in Australia, South-East Asia and India. Malaysia has often felt like his home away from home to him. During his time overseas, he was inspired to become a teacher. He began his teaching journey in London and has since taught in Qatar. His favourite hobby is travelling with his young family. His wife is also a teacher and his young son keeps him busy and entertained. Luke is looking forward to his second year at SCIPS.