Advisory & consultancy
Good schools are built on coherent thinking.
The most effective schools and groups I have worked with share a clear sense of what they are trying to create, and why, and are able to translate that into systems, structures and cultures that hold together under pressure. That coherence rarely emerges from off-the-shelf frameworks or external reports delivered and forgotten. It comes from sustained, rigorous thinking, usually in collaboration with someone who has been there before. That is what I offer.
A thinking partner, not a template.
I work with schools and education groups as a strategic adviser, bringing direct experience of building and leading academic systems from the ground up, including at founding stage and within multi-campus groups. My approach is collaborative, rooted in practice and sensitive to the sometimes competing demands of educational ambition and commercial reality. I do not arrive with ready-made solutions; I arrive with the questions, the experience and the judgement to help you develop your own.
In practice, I collaborate with three broad groups: education investors and operators building or scaling a portfolio of schools; schools expanding their brand and educational model abroad; and senior leaders working in international schools. The nature of the work differs across these groups, but my fundamental focus on educational quality, as articulated in my educational philosophy, remains the same.
Some clients are looking for a sustained engagement over months; others need focused input at a particular moment: a decision point, a period of change, or the early stages of something new. The exact shape of my involvement is something we establish in the initial conversation.
Education groups and investors
A sound financial model is necessary but not sufficient. The education groups that build lasting value are those where the educational offer is coherent, distinctive and deliverable.
At group level, I help establish and articulate educational ethos, develop policies and systems, and balance group coherence with school-level autonomy. For new schools or sub-brands, I support the development of educational identity and positioning, the selection of academic partners, the recruitment of the founding team, and the design of academic systems and learning environments. Once schools are in operation, I offer quality assurance, operational refinement, and pressure-testing what is already in place. Where a school within the group needs more direct attention, I can also be brought in to work alongside its leadership in the role described below.
Group identity and coherence
- educational philosophy, values and positioning
- academic partner selection
- balancing group-level standards and school- or brand-level autonomy
Academic operations, efficiency and impact
- modelling and articulation of academic provision
- timetabling, staffing and resource planning
- leadership structures and management systems
- quality assurance and action planning
Campus and brand establishment
- positioning and market entry
- guiding statements and educational identity
- building and learning environment design
- founding team recruitment and selection
Schools with international campuses or ambitions
Every school has an essence: the combination of values, culture and practice that makes it what it is. The best international campuses don't feel like generic schools operating under a borrowed name. They feel like the home school, transplanted. Achieving that, and protecting it once established, requires clear thinking about what the essence actually is, what it demands of a new campus and team, and what could dilute it. I have explored these questions in a LinkedIn article on what travels well when heritage schools go international.
Before the project begins, I help articulate what must be transposed intact to any international campus and what can be adapted to local context. At founding, I support the selection of investment partners, the design of building and learning environments, the recruitment of leadership and founding teams, and the development of curriculum and staffing models. Once campuses are operating, I work with leadership teams on quality assurance, cross-campus consistency, and ongoing strategic development.
Brand and identity
- articulation of educational essence and non-negotiables
- cultural and geographical adaptation
- protection against ethos dilution
School founding
- investment partner selection
- building and learning environment design
- leadership and founding team recruitment
- curriculum and staffing models
Quality and continuity
- educational quality assurance
- cross-campus consistency and standards
- ongoing leadership development and support
International school leaders
Simultaneously maintaining a clear big-picture vision and directing day-to-day practice is one of the defining challenges of senior leadership in international schools. Closing the gap between the two is one of the most important jobs a principal has, and it remains a challenge regardless of experience. But the last thing any leader wants is someone being brought in to tell them what to do or criticise their work.
For school leaders and their teams, I am a thinking partner and critical friend: someone who has navigated the same pressures, brings alternative perspectives, and helps develop and consolidate their thinking. The bullets below mark the areas where I am most directly experienced, though years in senior leadership have exposed me to all aspects of running schools.
Vision and practice
- aligning strategy, systems and practice
- balancing educational ambition with commercial and operational reality
- school development planning and evaluation
- stakeholder and partner engagement
- educational quality assurance
Academic programmes
- curriculum design and qualification frameworks
- teaching, learning and assessment
- academic enrichment and co-curricular provision
- university and careers guidance
The team
- recruitment and selection of school leaders and teaching staff
- leadership structures and management systems
- personal and professional development
- appraisal and performance management
Starting the conversation
Every engagement begins with a conversation to help me understand your context and what you wish to achieve. From there, we can discuss what I can contribute and whether there's potential for a partnership.