Penny trained originally as a teacher of English (1986) with undergraduate degrees from Reading and Cambridge. She then gained an M.Phil in Psychology of Education, also from Cambridge, in 1987 and took her MA in 1990. She joined Malvern College in 2004 in the Learning Enhancement department, subsequently also teaching English to IB, GCSE and in the FY for several years and TOK for two years. She is also the College’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.