Matthew brings over 30 years of leadership experience in world-class international schools across the UK, China, Singapore, East Africa, and Europe. He has held key roles in all school divisions — Primary, Middle, and High School — as well as being a Head of School (aged 2 to 18).
In the past 9 years, he has worked in Guangzhou, successfully leading several large and well-regarded schools. His previous positions include Principal of a founding IB school in East Africa, Middle School Principal at the world-renowned United World College of Southeast Asia in Singapore, and Head of School in a leading British international school in Europe.
A strong advocate for holistic education, Matthew believes in nurturing both academic excellence and character development. He is committed to providing opportunities for students to thrive across diverse interests, whether in science and technology, the arts, languages, or sports. He is also deeply experienced in multiple curricula, including the UK National Curriculum, IB PYP, IBDP, and A-Level, and has contributed to accreditations with IBO, CIS, and OFSTED.
Known for building high-performing teams and supportive school communities, Matthew values strong home-school partnerships and ensures every child receives personalised attention within a caring and ambitious environment. He leads with the belief that strong communities build strong children and remains dedicated to fostering a school culture rooted in kindness, respect, and shared purpose.
Connie Chan
Early Years Principal
ISASC’s Early Years Principal, Connie Chan, is one of our school's founding members. Having worked in the field of early childhood education for more than 30 years, she brings extensive experience and deep expertise to her role.
In addition to her work in her native Canada, Connie has served in international schools across Southeast Asia, including Parkview International Preschool in Hong Kong and Overseas Family School in Singapore. Before joining ISA Science City, she spent 14 years as the Early Years Coordinator at an IB World School in Guangzhou, where she played a key role in the school’s IB accreditation process.
Connie holds an Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Child Studies, with a concentration in Early Childhood Education, from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She is a certified early childhood educator and is listed in the public registry of the College of Early Childhood Educators in Canada.
As a early years principal, Connie is committed to leading a high-quality early years program that balances academic rigor with play-based inquiry. She works closely with teachers, parents, and students to ensure a nurturing and engaging learning environment for all children.
Connie stays regularly updated with ongoing revisions to the IB Primary Years Programme and thoughtfully integrates these developments to enhance the Early Years curriculum. She is also a passionate advocate of the Reggio Emilia approach, firmly believing in holistic development and child-centred learning philosophies.
As a founding principal of ISA Science City, Connie warmly welcomes parents to visit the Early Childhood Learning Centre (ECLC) and learn more about the enriching experiences offered to young learners.
Sophia Androu-Erriah
Deputy Head of Elementary
Sophia serves as the Deputy Head of Elementary at ISASC. Sophia is originally from London, UK where she obtained her PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). She has worked across 3 continents, as both, an Early Years and Primary teacher, as well as, holding various leadership roles relating to department leadership, curriculum development, and staff development in UK state schools, British international schools, and bilingual schools.
Sophia graduated from the University of Birmingham, UK, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Psychology, later completing her Master’s degree (MSc) in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology and worked in the field of psychology before making a career change to the teaching profession.
In 2022, Sophia was awarded her National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) by the Department for Education, UK. Her specialisms include cognitive/emotional/social development in young children, developing curriculums that are accessible and contextually relevant, supporting students with English as an Additional Language (EAL), as well as mentoring staff to reach their professional aspirations through a coaching approach.
Sophia believes that all children should be given the opportunity to thrive along their own individual paths and in a safe, secure, and stimulating environment.
Cindy Ali
Homeroom Teacher
Cindy is an EY3 teacher at ISA Science City International School. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education, with a specialization in ESOL (English Speakers of other Languages) and the teaching of gifted children from Nova Southeastern University, USA. Prior to teaching at ISA, Cindy taught at Léman International School in Chengdu, The International School of Macau and the Canadian International School of Phnom Penh. She also taught English as a second language for 12 years in the USA. She has primarily worked with lower primary and early years students and is very experienced in the field of second language learning. In the past, she has been an English Language Learners Coordinator where she supported students and teachers. Cindy is passionate about teaching through inquiry-based learning and is trained in PYP and the Reggio Emilia Approach. She believes that children’s interests should be used to inspire planning and create a personalized approach to learning. Cindy makes it a priority to assist children in becoming confident and self-motivated learners through play, discovery and guided techniques. She wants to make sure her students are happy, independent learners and can access an inspiring learning environment.
Ellen Davies
Homeroom Teacher
Ellen is an EY teacher at ISA Science City International School. Originally from Buckinghamshire, UK, she graduated from Birmingham City University with a Bachelor of Arts in Primary Education (Hons), specialising in ages 3–7, and holds Qualified Teacher Status.
Since qualifying in 2010, Ellen has taught in a range of culturally diverse schools across both the UK and China. She joined ISA Tianhe in 2018, teaching EY1 and EY2, before moving to ISA Science City in 2023. Having worked within the ISA family for over seven years, she has developed a strong connection with the community, often teaching siblings from the same families and building lasting relationships with parents.
Ellen is passionate about early years education and believes these formative years provide the foundation for a lifetime of learning. She brings an in-depth knowledge of both the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme and the Early Years Foundation Stage, blending these with a holistic, play-based and inquiry-led approach. Her classroom is a place where curiosity is encouraged, ideas are valued, and children are supported to take meaningful action in their learning journey.
With a particular strength in supporting children who are learning English as an additional language, Ellen adapts her teaching to meet the needs of every learner, fostering confidence, independence, and the motivation to succeed. She enjoys being an active part of the school’s vibrant community, contributing to its culture of celebration, collaboration, and shared success.
Felipe Giraldo
Homeroom Teacher
Felipe was born in Colombia and speaks Spanish, English, and Russian fluently. As a child, he was exposed to a wide variety of cultures, which he believes is useful when working abroad. As a teacher, he strives to provide engaging, fun, and inclusive lessons that motivate students. In addition to art, music, drama, dance, and storytelling, he believes these help children find personal meaning at school. In 2005, Felipe earned his master’s degree in Psychology from Saint-Petersburg State University and then pursued a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Nottingham after discovering his passion for teaching. He has been teaching for fifteen years. He has six years’ experience teaching primary-aged children and nine years’ experience working as an early childhood educator. Besides China, he has worked in South Korea, Colombia, England, and Thailand. He loves living and traveling in China, and spends his free time with his wife and two dogs. He is also an avid reader, particularly of classic novels. His hobbies include videogames, riding bikes, and swimming.
Yolandi Fleischmann
Homeroom Teacher
Yolandi will be joining ISA Science City as an EY teacher. Yolandi is originally from South Africa and has been a teacher and held leadership positions, both in her home country and internationally, for a total of 13 years. She holds a B.Ed. Foundation Phase Degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA). Within her teaching practice, Yolandi has taught both early years and primary aged students. When starting her teaching career, Yolandi taught children aged 4-6 years old at a primary school in South Africa before beginning her international teaching career in 2018.
Yolandi is experienced in teaching children who speak English as an additional language and flourishes in a bilingual environment. Yolandi believes every child is unique and has their own learning style and pace. She strives to create a warm, welcoming, and inclusive classroom environment where children can explore, learn and develop joy in doing so. Her teaching approach centres on play-based learning, as she believes children learn best when they are engaged and interested. Her personal hobbies include sporting activities such as running, netball and hockey. In addition, she enjoys sightseeing, photography and painting. Yolandi looks forward to joining the ISA group and is excited to build solid and positive relationships with parents and students.
Vivian Lou
Homeroom Teacher
Vivian joined the Early Years team at ISA Science City as an Early Years Homeroom teacher. She holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies, specializing in understanding diversity in Early Childhood Education from Walden University (U.S.), as well as a Master’s degree in Media, Culture and Society from University of East Anglia (U.K.). Vivian has lived and studied abroad in the UK for several years. She has been working with children from the ages of two to six years for over 10 years. Vivian’s IBPYP teaching journey began in 2013 and she has worked in three IB world schools with English as the primary language of instruction. As an experienced Early Years educator, Vivian believes in holistic learning for young learners of all abilities, and that teachers are facilitator to inspire, develop and strengthen the interests of the student. As a mother of twins, Vivian understands the challenges that come with parenting, working and developing a multi-cultural perspective. In her pastime, she enjoys completing puzzles and spending time with her family.
Lisa Corbett
Homeroom Teacher
Lisa’s passion for teaching began in 1999 and 2000 as an English teacher in Japan and Cambodia. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English Language Studies and Spanish from the University of Queensland, followed by a Bachelor of Education from Griffith University. During her studies, Lisa received a scholarship to complete part of her degree in Beijing, China. After graduating, she accepted a position at The Southport School, a prestigious boys’ school on the Gold Coast, where she taught from 2007 to 2019. That year, she returned to Beijing to take on a leadership role as Year One Coordinator. In 2021, Lisa moved back to Australia and resumed teaching at The Southport School. A recent trip through Guangzhou reignited her desire to live and teach in China. She is now excited to be joining the EY4 team at the ISA Science City School in Guangzhou. A devoted educator and mother of grown sons, Lisa is guided by the words of Anne Launders: “It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”
Hannah Low
Music & Performing Arts Teacher
Hannah joins ISASC as an early years and primary music teacher. She holds a bachelor's degree in Music Performing Arts from the University of Malaya, ABRSM certifications in music theory and piano, and a master's degree from Beijing Normal University. She is passionate about teaching music and piano and has been doing so for several years in Malaysia and China. She believes that music training in the child development years, not only contributes to their fine-tuned auditory skills but helps develop their language and reasoning skills. Her multicultural upbringing makes her lessons creative and interesting, and she likes to bring art and cultural elements into them. She wants to help increase students' coordination and give them a sense of achievement and her biggest joy is seeing the students achieve their full potential.
Marcus Tan
Music & Performing Arts Teacher
Marcus Tan joins ISASC as a Music & Performing Arts Teacher. He is a versatile music teacher with 4 years of experience delivering music education in the areas of Cambridge primary and secondary music at international schools in Malaysia. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music from Tunghai University in Taiwan. As the recipient of an exchange program grant, he studied music and theatre production at North Park University, United States. Marcus is a professional flautist and chamber musician. He has performed in Malaysia, Singapore, the United States and Taiwan area. For him, there is really nothing better than seeing his students eager to learn. Besides music, he is a traveller and licensed scuba diver.
Debika Chattopadhyay
PSPE Teacher
Debika has over 17 years of experience teaching PE at the PYP and MYP level, coordinating after-school activities, and leading classes. She has coached volleyball, badminton, soccer, kickball, cross country, and cricket in different international schools and assisted teams to win championships. Debika is also a certified ACC level-I cricket coach with Cricket Australia. Her master’s degree in Health & Physical Education was earned from one of India’s most prestigious schools of physical education (LNUPE). Currently, she has completed the PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) from Essex University in the UK. Throughout her life, she has always wanted to associate healthy living with fun and physical activities. Debika has developed her passion for PE through working with children and teaching them lifelong sport skills.
Michelle He
EY Chinese Teacher
Michelle joined ISA Science City in August 2021 and teaches Chinese in the lower grades of PYP. Prior to joining ISASC, she worked as an Early Years Chinese Co-teacher in the international schools for five years. As part of Michelle's commitment to lifelong learning, she frequently participates in professional development seminars inside and outside the school to continuously improve her skills. She studied Chinese as a foreign language at Comillas University in Madrid, Spain and earned a Master's degree. Michelle hopes to provide children with a warm, caring, and inspiring environment to help them reach their full potential in learning Chinese and become lifelong learners. She is passionate about teaching Chinese. For Michelle, learning Chinese goes beyond acquiring a language. More importantly, she believes that students can also use this language tool to learn more about Chinese culture and other aspects and use Chinese to support the inquiry learning.
Coco Li
Associate Teacher
Coco is an early year Associate Teacher at ISA Science City International School. She graduated from Guangzhou University with a BA degree in English. Becoming a teacher has always been her dream job. She has worked at an International School as an early year teaching assistant for three years in Guangzhou before joining ISA Science City International School. She loves children so much that she likes to working with children. While working with children, not only allowed her to resurrect her creativity and bring out her inner child but also an interaction she can take enjoyment and comfort from. She is passionate about interacting, communicating, and building relationship with children. From her work experience, she knows how to help children learn and develop. Play is the pedagogy of early childhood; it is through play that children are able to make sense of their world and develop the skills and dispositions they require throughout their life. Her aim is to find the most appropriate way to support children’s learning and development using a play-based method.
Jenny Lin
Associate Teacher
Jenny works as an Associate Teacher, specializing in Art at ISA Science City International School.She obtained a Bachelor of Economics degree and hold a Junior School Teaching Certificate.Before joining ISA, she worked as a homeroom teacher for K2-K3 students. This role has allowed her to nurture young minds and support their growth across various subjects, including Chinese, phonics, art, science, etc. Jenny believes that every child has the potential to succeed, and her goal is to create a warm, encouraging, and dynamic learning environment where they can enjoy explore the world and learn.
Dysis Zou
Associate Teacher
Dysis works as an Associate Teacher at ISA Science City International School. She became an English teacher in a public school after she got the BA degree. During that time, she was awarded the certificate of secondary school English Teacher II. She has worked as a teaching assistant in an International School in Guangzhou for 5 years. One year in primary and four years in early years, which makes her a lot of experiences to play with kids and support them. She likes to work with them. The innocence of children always inspires her enthusiasm for teaching. She always wants to be a risk-taker and lifelong learner, so she has learned Japanese and has got the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level N1. In order to improve the English and enrich English knowledge, she keeps going to learn and has obtained the Cambridge Business English certificate Level 2. She believes every kid is a special individual, with the help of teachers and everyone, they will grow into towering trees.
Lanny Chen
Associate Teacher
Lanny is a founding member of ISA Science City who joined the team as an Associate Teacher for Early Years. She has been working in early childhood education since 2013. While working in a Guangxi Province nursery school, she discovered her love for children. Six years ago, Lanny graduated with the National Certificate of Nursery Governess. During the same period, she passed the Test of Proficiency for Korean level 1-2. The first job Lanny had was working in a Korean preschool in Guangzhou for a year. During her time there, Lanny assisted Korean teachers with daily teaching, and she was a crucial link between families and the school. Lanny also worked as a kindergarten assistant at ISA Tianhe. During her time at the school, she assisted the teachers by providing support to Korean students throughout Early Years. She is currently studying Chinese Language and Literature at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies to improve her knowledge in this field.
Lynn Li
Associate Teacher
Lynn joins ISA Science City as an Associate Teacher for Early Years. She graduated from Southern Medical University and got her Bachelor’s Degree in June, 2007. After her graduation, she has experience at working for a local hospital, an international clinic, an international school and a children’s day-care center. She found her passion at spending time with children inside the classroom and seeing them making progress day after day when she worked for the international school over 8 years, so she took the teaching exam and got the kindergarten teacher certification. She also got the baby nursing certification and psychological junior training certification for better involved in the teaching career. She believes every child is unique and worth a gentle treat in the world.
Thea Tan
Associate Teacher
Thea joined the ISA Science City team as an Associate Teacher for early years. While in this position, she supports the homeroom teacher and serves as a positive role model for four- and five-year-old students. Thea recently graduated from a preschool education programme and is completing her studies to become a preschool international education teacher. In the past, she worked as an Associate Teacher in an English education institution in Guangzhou and in an international kindergarten in Foshan. She is exploring Korean lessons to support the Korean families at our school.
Formula Liang
PE Associate Teacher
Formula works as a physical Associate Teacher at ISA Science City International School. He acquired double bachelor degrees (English, Management) at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics. With four years of experience as an assistant coach for Guangdong provincial sports team, he accumulated a great deal of practical experience of sports coaching, management and knowledge of professional physical training by learning from world-class international strength and conditioning coaches. He strives to improve student’s physical and mental development through scientific and efficient methodology. Formula believes that proper physical exercises should be an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. He enjoys teaching students patiently with various teaching methods that suit them and stimulate their motivation. His teaching philosophy is to let children love and benefit from lifelong sports. During university, he was the captain of both badminton team and soccer team. Since then, his passion for sports coaching appeals to increasingly more students and people around.
