Empowering Teachers, Transforming Schools

Expert consultancy and professional development services for teachers, schools and education systems, led by international education expert Colin Penfold.

I believe every learner deserves an education that inspires curiosity, builds confidence, and equips them with the knowledge, skills, and values to lead healthy, fulfilling, and successful lives. Achieving this depends on high-quality, evidence-informed teaching – the most effective way to improve learning and transform lives.

With over 40 years’ experience across 16 countries

I am an internationally recognised expert in school improvement, professional development, curriculum reform and school review.

At Penfold Education, I support teachers, schools, and education systems to grow through practical, evidence-informed approaches that lead to measurable and sustained improvement.

My experience includes:

Leading school improvement initiatives and developing leadership capacity
Designing and delivering professional development and instructional coaching
Overseeing national programmes focused on raising standards, curriculum reform, and assessment design
Providing specialist support in mathematics education, pedagogy, and curriculum alignment
Advising Ministries of Education, NGOs, and international organisations on education policy and practice.

Penfold Education provides the following services:

Professional Development

Tailored training and instructional coaching for teachers and school leaders

School Improvement

Strategic support for whole-school review and development

Curriculum Alignment

Helping schools develop coherent, well-aligned curricula that support progression and continuity

Assessment Design

Designing purposeful assessments that support learning, inform teaching, track progress, and drive improvement

Mathematics Education Leadership

Training and support in mathematics pedagogy, curriculum and assessment

System-Level Advisory Support

Consultancy support for Ministries, NGOs and educational bodies

Why work with me?

Here are a few comments from people I have worked with…

“Colin demonstrates a deep understanding of effective Professional Development, consistently designing and delivering high-quality sessions that are evidence-based, intentional and practical. His work with middle leaders has been particularly impactful, equipping them with the confidence, tools, and leadership behaviours needed to drive improvements in teaching and learning across departments.”

Dr Mary Nagle

School Principal

"Colin consistently provided high-quality technical guidance to the TEACH programme from its inception through to the early stages of implementation. His contributions included the review and initial development of a new school inspection framework and methodologies... Drawing on his deep technical expertise and insights from international best practices, Colin laid a strong foundation that has evolved into a robust nationwide inspection framework."

Faith Nkala

EDT Country Director, Zimbabwe

“Through his guidance, I developed a stronger understanding of how to turn evidence-based strategies into practical classroom practices. I also gained the skills to write effective scope and sequences, adapt the curriculum with purpose, and design high-quality assessments that align with clear learning goals.”

Mohamed Tarig

Head of Mathematics

“I have learned so much from him, especially in the areas of class observations, writing constructive observation feedback and conducting effective coaching sessions… Under his guidance, our Curriculum and Assessment Team has grown stronger and more focused.”

Ali Rashid

Head of Mathematics

“Colin is a passionate and highly professional consultant who has always been a very safe pair of hands when I have worked with him across many projects. This included a literacy and numeracy coaching programme in Brunei after which PISA results made impressive and unprecedented gains. He also managed a group of educations experts supporting a large-scale FCDO programme in Ethiopia where he ensured that excellent technical quality was maintained.”

Dr Clare Buntic

Lead Adviser - System Strengthening, EDT

Let’s talk about how I may be able to help you.

If you’re looking to improve your practice – whether in the classroom, across a school, or at system level – I’d love to hear from you.

Contact me

I was the special guest on an EduLeaders Speak podcast in November 2024, titled ‘The Educator’s Path: Navigating the Journey of Professional Learning’. In this podcast, I share insights from my experience bringing positive transformation to schools across 16 countries.