Neil is the Head of Secondary PE, having joined BISS Puxi in August 2018. He started his teaching career in 2002 at The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College in Hartlepool, where he gained experience as a teacher of Physical Education and Head of Year. In 2006, he and his wife Elizabeth, who also teaches in the Primary School at BISS, moved to Shanghai to work.
Neil gained valuable experience teaching in an international school as the Head of Junior School Physical Education and Head of House. He thoroughly enjoyed life in the international school community and the travel and cultural opportunities on offer. He then returned to English Martyrs School as the Director of Physical Education and Sport where he was also lead practitioner for GCSE Physical Education. Ten years and two children later, James and Betty, the exceptional opportunities on offer in Shanghai for the whole family were too hard to resist and the family joined BISS Puxi. Neil loves a challenge and always finds himself trying to improve current practices, and looking for more efficient and better ways of achieving the department and school's goals. He would describe himself as a ‘people person’ and finds his interactions with students, throughout all the age ranges, as the highlights of his day. Neil values and expects honesty and hard work from himself, his colleagues and his students - he believes that these can be achieved by everyone and are so important in all aspects of life. Above all, Neil believes the best thing we can give our children is time. His biggest successes with students have all been based around the willingness to give them time, listen to their ideas and concerns and show an interest in them.
Neil enjoys a variety of sports and has competed at county level in football, athletics, cross country and golf. He still enjoys recreational sport and tries to keep fit, but his most recent love has been coaching his local junior football club where his son James has played for the past two years.