Meet the team
Meet the Benenden School staff members responsible for the Benenden International partnerships.
Matt Commander
After completing his degree in Civil Engineering, Matt joined the Army and served for 11 years as an officer in the Royal Engineers and Queen’s Gurkha Engineers.
On leaving the Army he took up a Physics teaching appointment at Cranleigh School before moving to Christ’s Hospital where he taught GCSE, A Level and IB Physics alongside being a Houseparent for six years.
Matt Joined Benenden in 2015 as Assistant Head (Co-curricular), moving to Deputy Head (Staff and Cocurricular) in April 2017.
From September 2018, Matt took on the role of Director of International and Strategic Projects, overseeing all aspects of the School’s international school partnerships as well as working on other school strategic educational projects.
Nick Rendall
Nick graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London having read English and History of Art, prior to joining the Army in 2001, serving in the Coldstream Guards.
On leaving the Army he joined Stowe School as an English teacher and worked as an Assistant Housemaster prior to teaching at Truro High School and King Edward’s Witley where he was a Housemaster and Head of the Lower School.
He holds a PGCE (QTS) from the University of Buckingham and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and School Improvement from the University of Cambridge.
At Benenden Nick has been a Housemaster, alongside teaching English, prior to becoming Director of Partnerships and Assistant Director of International and Strategic Projects.
Lisa McNally
Dr Lisa McNally is our International and Academic Courses Co-ordinator. Lisa read English Literature and Language at the University of Oxford, remaining there to undertake an MSt and then DPhil.
A career educator, Lisa has taught overseas at the British School of Cordoba in Spain as well as working at Brighton College in the UK. She has been a lead member of the English department at Benenden for the past nine years.
Lisa is responsible for the development of links between Benenden School in the UK and international school partners via mutually beneficial educational, social and cultural opportunities and exchanges. She is also responsible for the development of Benenden’s own international academic and cultural courses programme.