01
The first call
A conversation, not an assessment. You describe the position as you see it; we ask a small number of direct questions. If we are not the right people to help, we will say so on that call and suggest who might be.
Our approach
Quick to arrive. Honest about what we find.
Most schools that contact us have already been told what is wrong. What they need is someone who has run a school, will say plainly what can still be done, and will treat every word of it on a confidential basis.
What actually happens
From your first call to a decision you can act on.
02
The visit
We come to the school, usually within days, and at whatever hour suits discretion. We meet the principal, owner, governors or bursar as required, walk the site, and see the school as it is rather than as the paperwork describes it.
03
The analysis
A thorough review across the areas that decide whether a school survives — and the ones that decide whether it grows: pupil numbers and pipeline, fee income and cash position, staffing and salary commitments, premises and debt, governance, standing in the local market, and the revenue a site and a calendar could be earning but are not.
04
The options
A range of realistic ways forward — for stability now and for growth after it — each with its consequences set out honestly, including the difficult ones. Presented in person to the people who have to decide, with our recommendation made clear.
05
Carrying it through
Where you want us to, we stay involved to help implement the chosen route — and to hold the line when the difficult parts arrive.
Who we work with
The people who carry the decision.
We work directly with principals and heads, proprietors and owners, chairs of governors and governing bodies, and bursars and finance leads. Not with committees, and not through intermediaries.
Independent day and boarding schools, preparatory schools, and small independent groups — including schools with international links or ambitions. We work with independent schools only.
If the answer is that the school cannot continue in its present form, we will tell you that too — early enough for it to be handled well.
Confidentiality
How we protect the school while we work.
A school in difficulty has two problems: the difficulty itself, and what happens the moment problems are a matter of public discussion.
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Nothing in writing you have not agreed
Findings are delivered in person first. Written material follows only in the form and to the circulation you have approved.
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Visits arranged around the school day
We are used to arriving without becoming the subject of staffroom conversation. Timing, introductions and cover story are yours to set.
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No named clients, ever
We do not publish case studies, client lists or testimonials naming schools we have advised. That is why there are none on this site.
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A formal undertaking, if you want one
We are happy to sign a confidentiality agreement before the first visit, and often do.
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