Penfold's Sandbox

I had the pleasure of working under Paul Penfold during my time at BCIS, where he served as Head of School. Paul brought a strong balance of professionalism, energy, and genuine care to the role, creating an environment where both staff and students were encouraged to grow and succeed. What stood out to me most was his forward-thinking mindset and genuine enthusiasm for innovation, particularly around the wider impact and potential of AI. Combined with his approachable leadership style, this created a culture that felt both ambitious and supportive.

Paul possesses a rare ability to immediately recognise the strengths, value, and potential within people. He has an exceptional instinct for understanding where individuals will thrive within a school environment and creates opportunities that allow both staff and students to flourish. His leadership style is deeply people-centred, combining professionalism with genuine care, empathy, and encouragement. He leads with both heart and purpose, creating environments where people feel supported, motivated, and inspired to contribute meaningfully.

Paul is a genuinely people-first leader. He takes the time to listen, gives honest and practical guidance, and backs his staff to grow. He leads with strong values and stands up for the people and principles he believes in. When challenges come up, he approaches them with a calm, solution-focused mindset and a real 'where there's a will, there's a way' attitude. He genuinely cares, and that comes through in the way he supports staff and students.

Paul is, above all, a genuine people person. His leadership is grounded in kindness, empathy, and an instinctive understanding of what schools truly need to function well: trust, care, and strong relationships. As Head of School, Paul is always ready to step in when challenges arise. He does not lead from a distance. He listens, supports, and when necessary, shields his staff so they can focus on teaching and learning with confidence.

I had the pleasure to work with Paul on a Capacity Development of Sri Lanka's Wellness Tourism Industry project. He delivered a high standard work and outputs, much beyond what was expected from our mandate. He is a very dedicated professional, team, client and success-oriented, able to adapt to various counterparts and situations.

Paul worked as short-term expert for a GIZ-funded SDG project in Hanoi, Vietnam. With Paul's team leadership, both assignments were carried out with high professionalism and received very positive feedback from the Vietnamese Government institutions.