5 Questions With Paul McConnell

Our new Head of Secondary, Paul McConnell, will be joining BSG in August. Paul has worked at Nord Anglia schools in Thailand and Qatar.

1. Tell us a little about your educational philosophy.
Teaching is a privilege and the very best schools work hard to ensure that relationships within the school community are polite, respectful and caring. If students and teachers feel valued, they will challenge each others’ learning and success will follow.  

2. What are you most looking forward to about working at BSG?
Being a new member of the BSG community is very exciting. Everyone has been friendly and helped me to get a good understanding of the school during my visit. I am, even more so now, looking forward to August and joining this wonderful school.

3. Will you be travelling here with your family?
Yes and no! Mrs. McConnell will be joining the PE Department here at BSG but we will sadly miss our two daughters as they are now studying at university in the UK - having both recently graduated from Nord Anglia schools. I think we are now called ‘empty nesters’ … but at least we have our three cats to keep us company.

4. What are you first impressions of Guangzhou?
Green, very green. As I currently live in Qatar, I have become accustomed to looking at the desert environment and already appreciate the way that Guangzhou has built a modern and exciting city around lots of green space. We look forward to exploring many new places in China in the coming years.

5. What do you think are the challenges that lie ahead for the Secondary School?
BSG is heading toward a very exciting period of growth due to its outstanding students, excellent staff and well-deserved reputation. Accommodating and planning for this growth will be challenging but I have quickly learnt that there is nothing BSG cannot achieve!