Andrew has worked at BISS Puxi since 2013 and held senior academic and Head of Secondary School roles before becoming Principal in 2019.
An impressive academic record that includes BSc (Hons), PGCE and NPQH provide the foundation for Andrew’s career as an educator. He’s the recipient of a Shanghai Silver Magnolia Award, proving the impact he’s had here.
Before taking the reins as Principal, as Head of Secondary, Andrew oversaw a sustained increase in the school’s academic results for IGCSE and IBDP students, ensuring outstanding academic results that have enabled two thirds of our BISS Puxi students to reach the world's top 100 universities in the last year.
Not just a faculty member, Andrew is also a BISS Puxi parent. His two sons, with Deputy Head of Whole School, Lisa Cavanagh, have spent their learning journey at the school too.
UK-born Andrew attended Keele University to take a degree in Philosophy and Politics. This was followed by a PGCE programme at the University of Nottingham to teach Mathematics.
His first teaching job was volunteer work with VSO in Papua New Guinea, working in a high school in a very rural environment. Andrew then spent a year working in London before going overseas again to work at the British School of Lomé in Togo, West Africa – initially as a Mathematics teacher, then Head of Mathematics, followed by IB Diploma Coordinator.
After ten years in Togo, he came to China for the first time to work at BISS Puxi where he rose from Head of Mathematics to Head of the IB Academy. After six years at BISS, Andrew returned to Africa for two years as Head of Secondary at a newly established school in Gabon. This was followed by a return to BISS for another two years as Head of the IB Academy before moving across the river to NAIS Pudong as Head of Secondary.
Andrew is a shining example, and advocate, of our commitment to helping students understand Internationalism.
Lisa started teaching German and French at a secondary school in Northamptonshire in September 1999. Very early on in her teaching career she was fortunate enough to be able to take on a pastoral role as Deputy Head of House, Head of House and then Head of Year. In the classroom, Lisa’s strengths lie in her organisational skills and making each step of a lesson clear and connected. Furthermore, she encourages all the students in her lessons to participate and take risks.
Thomas has been at BISS Puxi since 2010 and is the founding manager of the BISCAP programme. He has had many roles in his eighteen years of teaching which started in Manchester as a school Sports Coordinator. It was for his excellent results in this role that he won the prestigious ‘Innovations in Sport’ award for raising attendance at extracurricular activities in deprived parts of the city.
Thomas holds a Bachelor of Education with Honours in Education with Secondary Physical Education from Lancaster University, and a Master's Degree in Athletic Administration and Sports Management from Endicott College in Massachusetts. His role at BISS is to oversee the sports programme across the whole school and to help to create an environment that fosters a life-long love of sports through participation, providing opportunities to develop, succeed and excel. Thomas is a keen sportsman and has enjoyed many years as a competitive cyclist and endurance athlete. Currently, he is an iron distance triathlete but spends much of his spare time with his family.
Richard has proved inspirational at every level of the learning journey.
As Head of Languages at an international school in Beijing, she used western language learning methodologies in her Mandarin teaching to foster enjoyment and confidence in her students. From there, she led the MFL and Classics Faculty in an outstanding school in north London, Northwood College, which excelled in developing deeper thinking in students.
Originally from Cheshire in the UK, Simon moved to China in 2005 to explore the business, social and cultural opportunities that the country has to offer. During his stay, Simon has worked with a large number of businesses and individuals helping them to understand and prosper in this fascinating and diverse country.
For seven years, Simon was a Director at China-Britain Business Council responsible for promoting British education across China and creating closer Sino-UK ties in education, innovation and talent development. Prior to CBBC, Simon worked as a corporate trainer delivering leadership and communications workshops for international companies and academic institutions in China.
Echo grew up in Shanghai and studied English at the Shanghai Teaching University. Echo joined BISS straight after university and worked her way up to the Admissions Manager role within the Marketing, Admissions and Communications department. Echo has seen the school grow and how the addition of key buildings such at the two STEAM centres in the Primary and Secondary Schools make such a difference to students and their learning.
Echo enjoys the whole journey from the initial interaction with parents to seeing students join on their first day and developing academically, creatively, personally and socially at the school. Echo is married with one child. In her spare time, she enjoys watching films and travelling to new places with her family and friends. Echo believes that travel is an education in itself and an opportunity to open our eyes to new perspectives.
Great teachers help to make great schools, which is why we recruit the world's best. It doesn’t stop with recruitment; we provide training with world-leading institutions to create outstanding professional development opportunities.
Our teachers:
• Access subject-specific training every year with MIT and Juilliard. This exclusive training means our teachers are on the cutting-edge of their profession.
• Are offered an Executive Master’s in International Education from Kings College London. This degree provides our teachers with an in-depth understanding of school leadership in international settings.
• Use performance management process for ongoing developmental feedback and opportunities to discuss career aspirations.
• Collaborate and share resources with their 10,000 peers worldwide.
Speak to our Admissions Team about what makes us unique or arrange a visit to our campus and see for yourself.
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