Staff Profiles
Year 5 – Year 6
At St Christopher’s, our dedicated and well-qualified team of staff put your children at the heart of everything we do.
Year 5 – Year 6
Hazel Smith
Year 5 HS
Hazel is from the North West of England. She has a degree in Psychology and a PGCE in Primary Education. Hazel knew she wanted to teach abroad after volunteering for a summer in a school in Ghana. She worked in the UK for two years before making the decision to move abroad. Hazel went to work in Kuwait, in the Middle East, where she worked in an international primary school for 3 years.
Outside of school Hazel enjoys playing sports including Gaelic Football, touch rugby and scuba diving. She also enjoys sitting on her balcony relaxing, reading a book and enjoying the beautiful Penang sunsets. She is looking forward to exploring the region and starting a new adventure here in Penang.
Bryony Masters
Year 5 BM
Bryony is from Devon, a large county in England’s West Country. She studied Primary Education at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Coming from a small coastal town, she loved the diversity of city life and so decided to start her career in teaching here. Bryony has always had a passion for travel and after spending a summer teaching English in Thailand, she knew that she wanted to pursue international teaching.
In 2018 she moved to Penang with her partner Lukas and began teaching at SCIPS as a cover teacher. She thoroughly enjoyed the past year, teaching across all year groups and subjects and is now excited to start her new role as a Year 5 teacher.
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Dean Isherwood
Year 5 DI
Dean is from New Zealand and has a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning from the University of Canterbury. He has worked at a number of leading primary schools in Christchurch since gaining his Bachelor of Teaching and Learning in 2005. Dean has been a senior team leader, supervising teacher, tutor teacher and school sport director. Before embarking on his teaching career, Dean worked as a surf lifeguard and beach education instructor where he taught primary-aged children about surf safety, the ocean and the role of surf lifeguards. This is where he developed a love of teaching. This is Dean’s second year teaching at SCIPS and as a class teacher in Year 5.
Dean has been married to his wife Tamsyn for nine years and has two children, Flynn and Isla Ruby who both attend SCIPS.
Graham Reeves
Year 6 GR
Graham moved to Penang from Bristol, a city in the United Kingdom. He studied at The University of the West of England and earned a BA (Hons) degree in Primary Education. Graham has taught in a number of state schools in the United Kingdom as well as spending two years working in an international school in Chengdu, China. At his previous school, Graham was the coordinator of Science and PE, two subjects he feels very passionate about.
Graham is a keen cyclist and used to race for his local team, Bristol Road Club. At weekends he can be spotted tackling the hills of Penang or going all the way around the island.
Graham is married to Claire, also a teacher at SCIPS, and he has a daughter called Florence. He loves living in Penang and working at SCIPS because of the strong sense of community and friendly welcoming environment for his whole family.
Andrea O’Keeffe
Year 6 AO
Science Leader
Andrea is the typical ‘Third Culture Kid’. Although she has close ties to her Irish and Spanish background, she grew up primarily in Japan before completing her Bachelors degree in Natural Sciences at Durham University. She then went on to complete her PGCE teaching qualification at Cambridge University and taught in the Cambridge area for 4 years. Having experienced the international school circuit as a student, she decided to try teaching abroad and has not looked back. In the last six years, Andrea has taught in Cairo, Egypt and now in Penang.
Outside of school, Andrea loves to play sports, such as basketball, ultimate frisbee, football and squash, but equally enjoys exploring, be it rainforest, desert, underwater environments or cultural heritage.
Jennifer Finnigan
Year 6 JF
Jen is from the UK and holds a BSc in Zoology and an MSc in Ecotourism. While working in environmental education in Singapore she realised her passion for teaching. Once Jen returned to the UK she completed a PGDE at the University of the Highlands and Islands. When based in Singapore Jen spent a lot of time travelling around Malaysia, exploring the rainforests, snorkelling the coral reefs and trying all the delicious food. That was when she fell in love with Malaysia’s vibrant culture. After teaching in rural Scotland for a couple of years she made the decision to return to Malaysia and join the SCIPS family.
This is Jen’s second year at SCIPS as a Year 6 class teacher. In her free time Jen loves being outside in nature and enjoys water sports, hiking and cooking.