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, honest thinking, usually in collaboration with someone who has been there before. That is what I offer.
I work with schools and education groups as a strategic thinking partner, 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.
My work
I generally work 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 underlying focus on educational quality is the same.
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. I work with groups and investors to get that right. My work in this area has spanned:
Group identity and coherence
– educational philosophy, values and positioning
– academic partner selection
– balancing group-level standards and school- or brand-level autonomy
– 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
– 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
– 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. Ensuring that requires clear thinking about what the essence actually is, what it demands of a new campus and team, and arguably most importantly, what could dilute it. My experience in this area includes:
Brand and identity
– articulation of educational essence and non-negotiables
– cultural and geographical adaptation
– protecting against dilution
– articulation of educational essence and non-negotiables
– cultural and geographical adaptation
– protecting against dilution
School founding
– investment partner selection
– building and learning environment design
– leadership and founding team recruitment
– curriculum and staffing models
– 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
– 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. I work with school leaders and their teams as a thinking partner and critical friend: someone who has navigated the same pressures and can offer both challenge and support. Areas of focus include:
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
– 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
– 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
– 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
No two engagements are the same. Some clients need a sustained thinking partner over months; others need focused input at a particular moment — a decision point, a period of change, or the early stages of something new.
Every engagement begins with a conversation to explore the context, identify what is needed and discuss the nature and scope of our working relationship. If you'd like to start one, get in touch via the contact page.
