Teachers make a school. And, at the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park, we recruit only the most highly qualified educators from across the globe. 99% of our parents believe their child is taught by high-quality teachers and that they have a good relationship with them.
To be part of our team, we expect teachers to be fully on board with our values, be able to encourage creativity and growth in our children and, of course, be experienced educators. The teachers at BISC-LP embody the school spirit of excellence—which translates to excellent results for our students.
Mike hails from a long line of teachers and spent the first 20 years of his career as a math teacher in England. He took on more responsibility with each role, before eventually achieving his childhood dream of becoming a headteacher. He led a secondary school for three years before the opportunity arose for him to take his skills to Washington, D.C. as Head of Secondary at the British International School.
Mike is passionate about empowering his teachers to help students master their subject matter, while having fun and making memories along the way.
After graduating with a degree in science, John decided to fulfill his ambition to become a teacher. His first post was at a village school on the Staffordshire Moorlands in England, with picturesque views right outside the classroom window. John moved to the British International School of Chicago in 2007, excited to expand his horizons overseas. He was then appointed Head of Primary at South Loop.
John enjoys enhancing the curriculum so it continually challenges and inspires students.
Matt's journey from East London to the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park is a testament to his dedication to education and the well-being of his students. Starting at the local school he attended as a child, Matt had a deep understanding of the community and the needs of the students he served. He joined BISC-LP in 2013 and has two children, Siobhán and Eddie, at our school.
Matt's focus on educating 'the whole child' indicates that he prioritizes not only academic achievement but also the emotional, social, and personal development of all students. As the staff member responsible for well-being and community at BISC-LP, Matt plays a vital role in ensuring that the students feel safe, confident, and cared for within the school environment. This aspect of his work is likely integral to fostering a positive and inclusive atmosphere at the school.
His passion for equipping children with essential skills for navigating the world and becoming tomorrow's leaders speaks to his commitment to shaping young minds beyond the confines of traditional academics. By emphasizing skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and empathy, Matt is helping to mold well-rounded individuals capable of tackling challenges and contributing positively to society.
Universities Attended: University of East Anglia, University of East London
Degrees Earned: BA History, PGCE Primary Education
Certifications Earned: Certificate in Professional Studies, University of Gloucestershire
Jen is originally from the UK and started her teaching career in a small village in Lincolnshire. From there, she moved to Qatar International School in Doha, where she was a member of the Senior Leadership Team across both Primary and Secondary, and then to North London Collegiate School, on the beautiful island of Jeju in South Korea. Returning back to the UK, Jen then worked at Oundle School in Northamptonshire before embarking on a new adventure to continue her career in at BISC Lincoln Park in 2022.
Having achieved a Masters in Special Educational Needs, Jen’s core belief that every child can achieve whatever it is they set their mind to. The role of educators is to encourage and inspire those dreams and to support continuously to ensure they have provided every opportunity to continue to keep children’s passion ignited as they grow during their school journey.
Universities Attended: University of York, University of Manchester, Bishop Grosseteste University, University of Northampton, University College London
Degrees Earned: PGCE Primary Education, BA Hons Religion and Theology, Masters in Education, specializing in Special Educational Needs
Certifications Earned: Psychometric Testing, National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership
Professional Development Experiences: Olevi Outstanding Teacher Programme, Olevi Power of Mentoring Programme
Universities Attended: DePaul University Driehaus College of Business
Degrees Earned: Accounting and Economics
Universities Attended: Lane College
Degrees Earned: BA Business
Steven is a health and fitness enthusiast who joined the school as Athletics Director in summer 2023. He attended Manchester Metropolitan University and earned Qualified Teacher Status in 2014. Since then, he has worked as a PE specialist in schools in the UK, Germany, Spain and most recently the United Arab Emirates. Steven is dedicated to delivering an outstanding PE curriculum to develop the physical, mental and emotional health of all students.
After pursuing other careers, Judith retrained as a teacher after the birth of her third child. She has since worked in a variety of public and private schools. As well as teaching across different key stages, she has enjoyed roles as Head of Year, and as Director of Curriculum, as well as leading different subject areas. Relocating to Chicago with her family in 2012, she led Student Support at Lincoln Park for a number of years, before extending this role across both campuses, sharing expertise within both Student Support teams to meet student needs. She is passionate about the principles of Inclusion, in which all aspects of a person’s identity are identified and valued and is proud of our commitment to partner with all stakeholders to help the students thrive. We are fortunate in enjoying the resources of a truly global network of schools that embrace a holistic approach to education and provide rich opportunities for appreciating the diversity of our world.
Universities Attended & Degrees/Certifications Earned:
Bristol University, BA Joint Honors in French and German
St Mary's University, Twickenham, PGCE with Primary Languages
De Paul University, Chicago, MA in Educational Leadership
Middlesex University, International Award in SEND (iNASENCO)
ELKLAN Speech, Language and Communication, Level 3
Originally from Glasgow, Sara earned her B.Ed in Primary teaching. She then went onto teach in the Primary sector in Scotland before moving to Dubai to become a part of the founding team of Nord Anglia Education, Dubai. During her time there, she worked as a class teacher, before gaining an MSc in psychology from Manchester Metropolitan University and becoming Leader of Personalized learning for the Primary sector. She spent more time back in Scotland before joining BISC Lincoln Park in 2019. She is thrilled to be part of a vibrant international community of learners and educators.
Courtney grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she attended Purdue University for her undergrad and graduate studies and has over 15 years of experience working in Early Childhood education. She has lived in Chicago since 2017 and is entering her 4th academic year at BISC-LP. She believes that every child learns and develops at their own pace and that our Pre-Nursery program is laying the foundational work for each child’s academic success.
Universities Attended: Purdue University
Degrees Earned: B.S. Early Childhood Administration, M.Ed in Educational Leadership
Amy grew up in a small seaside town in the North East of England called Redcar. She studied Primary Education at York St John University and began teaching in 2013. During her 4th year as a class teacher, she studied to become the Special Educational Needs Coordinator at her school which helped provide her with a better understanding of how children learn in different ways.
In 2019, she accepted a teaching role at the British Vietnamese International School, Hanoi. After one year of working in Hanoi as Y1/2 class teacher, she moved into Early Years as Early Years Leader. She is looking forward to moving to Chicago and exploring the USA!
Libby grew up in Norwich in the East of England and after gaining some teaching experience in the UK, she embraced an exciting opportunity to teach at the Nord Anglia School in Warsaw, Poland. This role not only allowed her to immerse herself in a new culture but also fueled her passion for travel as she explored various destinations across Europe.
Libby joined BISC-LP in 2019, where she has taught Year 6 and Reception classes. Currently, she enjoys teaching Science across the school and is the Director of STEAM. In this role, she aims to strengthen the school's collaboration with MIT and further develop the innovative STEAM curriculum, including its implementation in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Universities Attended: University of East Anglia
Degrees Earned: BA (Hons) Education and PGCE Primary with Modern Foreign Languages
Certifications Earned: Qualified Teacher Status, Cambridge TEFL
Colette grew up in a small village on the west coast of Scotland. She moved to Chicago in 2009. She believes that unique and global opportunities enhance every student's learning experience. At the age of 17, Colette had the opportunity to spend a year volunteering in a school in Honduras, Central America. Speaking no Spanish, this was, in the beginning, a real challenge, but one that she would never trade. She feels that offering students exciting ways to learn is key to grasping their attention and in turn helping them develop their love for learning.
Universities Attended: University of Aberdeen, University of Strathclyde,
Degrees Earned: BSc (Hons) Health Science, PGCE Primary Education
Certifications Earned: MLPS Primary Schools
Professional Development Experiences: Taught at a Bilingual School in Honduras, Central America. Attended a Pegagogy in Primary Languages course at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Justin was born in London, England. She has dual citizenship with a French father and a British mother and has spent most of her childhood living in France, Spain and the United States. She holds a BA Honors degree in Fashion and Marketing from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts in London. She has always enjoyed working with children and decided to pursue a postgraduate in education at the University of Gloucestershire in 2008.
Universities Attended: York St John University
Degrees Earned: BA (hons) Primary Education with English Studies and QTS
Universities Attended: York St John, University of East London
Degrees Earned: BA Englisht Lit and American Studies, PGCE Primary Teaching
Certifications Earned: BA Honours and PGCE
Professional Development Experiences: Alistair Bryce- Clegg- from mark maker to writer, phonics training, NAU courses
Emily grew up living near Portsmouth on the South Coast of England with my parents and my three older siblings. She attended the University of Glamorgan in Cardiff, South Wales. During her teaching career she has primarily taught in Lower Key Stage 2 and have led whole year groups. Outside of teaching, she enjoys musical theatre and sport, particularly soccer. Emily is looking forward to this exciting new chapter in Chicago.
Emily strives to create a classroom culture where learning and growing as a team is instilled from the start. She wants all children in her classroom to understand how important they are and to see school as a steppingstone to achieve whatever they set their minds to. She is looking forward to getting to know the children and seeing how she can help them to reach their full potential during their time together.
Carla attended Liverpool Hope University obtaining a BA (Hons) in Primary Education with History Subject specialism. She will be entering her 10th year at BISC-LP and looks forward to getting to know a new group of children and their families.
Universities Attended: Liverpool Hope University
Degrees Earned: BA (Hons) Primary Education with History Subject specialism
Kerry's key focus is to build excellent relationships with all pupils. She prides herself on developing a positive, safe and nurturing classroom ethos where pupils can grow as confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors and successful learners. Putting the child at the center of everything she does is a high priority
Adam studied French and History at the University of Nottingham before training as a teacher at Warwick University as part of the Teach First program. He believes that creativity and challenge help our students get better every day because they give a child the freedom to explore new skills and the chance to surprise themselves and others.
Universities Attended: University of Nottingham and University of Warwick
Degrees Earned: BA in French and History, PGCE in MFL
Certifications Earned: Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership.
Katie was born and grew up in Surrey, England, which is just South of London. After completing her Primary Education degree in Bristol, she returned to Surrey to teach for two years. Following this, she moved to North Carolina in 2015 and taught there for seven years before moving to Chicago in the summer of 2022. While living in the States she has taken the opportunity to travel as much as possible, and recently completed the goal of visiting all 50 States! Her next goal is to visit all seven continents of the world!
After pursuing other careers, Judith retrained as a teacher after the birth of her third child. She has since worked in a variety of public and private schools. As well as teaching across different key stages, she has enjoyed roles as Head of Year, and as Director of Curriculum, as well as leading different subject areas. Relocating to Chicago with her family in 2012, she led Student Support at Lincoln Park for a number of years, before extending this role across both campuses, sharing expertise within both Student Support teams to meet student needs. She is passionate about the principles of Inclusion, in which all aspects of a person’s identity are identified and valued and is proud of our commitment to partner with all stakeholders to help the students thrive. We are fortunate in enjoying the resources of a truly global network of schools that embrace a holistic approach to education and provide rich opportunities for appreciating the diversity of our world.
Universities Attended & Degrees/Certifications Earned:
Bristol University, BA Joint Honors in French and German
St Mary's University, Twickenham, PGCE with Primary Languages
De Paul University, Chicago, MA in Educational Leadership
Middlesex University, International Award in SEND (iNASENCO)
ELKLAN Speech, Language and Communication, Level 3
In her spare time, she enjoys travel, theater, hiking, and is an avid jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts practitioner.
She joined BISC-LP in 2024 and instantly felt welcomed by the staff and families. She enjoys being a part of team with teachers and parents to help each student feel happy and healthy in school.
Universities Attended/Degrees Earned
Bachelor of Arts- Religious Studies, English- The University of Arizona
Master of Arts- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages- The University of San Francisco
Associate of Science- Registered Nursing- City College of San Francisco
Alicia is originally from Oak Park, IL. She received her Masters in Clinical Psychology at Roosevelt University in 2016 and is a nationally certified counselor. She has worked with children and adolescents in various settings including forensic, school, residential, and acute hospitalization. She is a strong believer in the benefits of building supportive and lasting relationships with children.
Universities Attended: Roosevelt University
Degrees Earned: MA in Clinical Psychology
Certifications Earned: National Certified Counselor
Allyssa is originally from Detroit and moved to Chicago in 2009. She believes learning should be personalized to each student and education should focus on every child's achievement by understanding how they learn.
Universities Attended: Roosevelt University, Touro University Worldwide
Degrees Earned: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Arts is Psych Concentration in Media
Certifications Earned: First Aid/ CPR
Universities Attended: New York University (undergrad) and Manhattan College (graduate school)
Degrees Earned: BA Psychology, MS. Ed School Leadership
Ryan grew up in Seneca, a small town south of Chicago. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration. While at BU, she had the opportunity to take part in their international internship program in Madrid, Spain. Her internship sparked an interest in youth travel and international education. After graduation, she began working for Hostelling International in Northern California before transferring to their hostel in downtown Chicago.
Lauren was born and raised in the north shore suburb of Highland Park. Prior to joining BISC-LP in 2020, she worked in public programming and marketing at the Field Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is excited to be part of a dynamic community of educators and students.
Universities Attended: University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana (undergraduate) and School of the Art Institute of Chicago (graduate)
Degrees Earned: BFA in Metals, MA in Art Education
At BISC-LP, technology is seamlessly integrated into our school so that children of any age can use it to learn more and have more fun. Our teachers use technology in traditional learning to make sure it is accessible and approachable.
Students have access to a wide range of technology from an early age such as classroom laptops, iPads, and robotics equipment.
Children learn best when they’re happy—and they’re always happy when our teachers bring the highest education standards into the classroom!
Our teacher’s international experience already gives them an advantage as educators and our world-class online training and collaboration via Nord Anglia University, means our staff stay at the forefront of global education practices.
Many of our teachers learn from subject-specific annual training from leading educational organizations such as MIT, Juilliard, and King’s College London. In fact, Nord Anglia offers every teacher a leadership pathway through our management training courses, culminating in our exclusive Master’s in International Education at King’s College itself.
With the support of the world-leading experts of Nord Anglia’s Education Advisory Board, we ensure our teaching practices remain exceptional. Our teachers are continually assessed against local and national benchmarks, as well as Nord Anglia’s Quality Assurance framework. As a school, we’re accredited through the Council of International Schools and both the IEYC and IPC—an accreditation that is reviewed every 3-5 years.
We conduct rigorous background checks on every member of staff, all of whom receive frequent training in child protection and safeguarding. This underlines our commitment to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for your child.
We believe in recruiting the most passionate, empathetic, and talented teachers. If you’d like to join our thriving school community, email us today.
Speak to our Admissions Team about what makes us different or arrange a visit to see for yourself.
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