The dramatic increase in the number of British schools opening branch campuses in locations across the globe has largely been fuelled by demand from both local and expat parents. These parents want to give their children a world class education and help them gain access to top universities and global employment opportunities.

However, embarking on developing and managing a school overseas requires serious consideration and a clear understanding of what lies ahead on the journey from conception to delivery and beyond.

The first step is to gain an in depth understanding of the current education landscape and the prevailing market forces. What are parents looking for? What is the competition like? What role do the local regulators play?

The challenge for opening any new school is a choosing a realistic opening date to fit with the academic education cycle, schools cannot afford to miss the start of the academic year.

In terms of HR, it is crucial to have a timeline setting out when the key people need to be brought on board. A Founding Principal should ideally be in post at least a year before the planned opening date. They will be responsible for establishing the curriculum, recruiting the key team members as well as bringing the school to market. For this, they will need to be supported by an admissions and marketing team who are familiar with the local environment. Teacher recruitment is another key aspect, recruiting good staff can prove challenging in some parts of the world. Salary is an element but the overall package and opportunities for professional development are also important in this competitive field.

Pupil recruitment in the early life cycle of the school is mission critical. The growth of pupil numbers, either below or above target, can present challenges in terms of staffing as well as the cost implication and both need to be managed carefully.

The key is to deliver what was promised, to flag up and be open about any challenges and most of all to try to stay true to the integrity and purpose of the initial vision for the school.

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There are many reasons for considering opening an overseas branch of a successful British school. There is demand from ex pat families who desire continuity of curriculum and language as well as demand from wealthy local families who want a learning approach and qualifications delivered to the highest British standards, to provide their children with the best opportunities to succeed in a global environment.

For schools considering expanding internationally there are various factors to consider before signing on the dotted line.

It is important to be clear about the core purpose of the proposed expansion.  What does the parent school want from the expansion? Is it to do with internationalism and broadening the reach of the School or is it to do with the financial returns? Whatever the motive, implementing the new school will be costly in terms of the time for Senior Leaders and the Governors.

Having decided to go ahead,  the Governors need to think through the vision for the new school.  How much will it be able to replicate the mother ship? As Jonathan Hughes D’Aeth, former Head of Repton Dubai, comments “translating the ethos of a school into a different cultural setting is challenging, especially when the new school maybe double the size, offer a different curriculum and be subject to local regulations which impose unique challenges to the running of a school.  At Repton we preserved the House system, the uniform and much of the educational ethos of the school but we had to recognise that we were operating in an Islamic culture and some adaptations had to be made to be locally compliant”.

Creating the right ownership model will be fundamental to success. Will the School provide the capital? If it is a private investor, what role will they play and how much say will they have in the running of the school?  It is important to be clear about the financial model and how the fee levels and overall size of the school will deliver the return on capital invested given the local regulations and prevailing market conditions.  Plus its crucial to understand the implications of the Opco/PropCo arrangements and their impact on the nature of the school and its governance.

The debate about curriculum is another factor; delivering the same curriculum as the parent school may make sense but is it practical and appropriate in a new country? As Jonathan Hughes D’Aeth comments “it is important to realise the impact of national requirements on curriculum content and to take account of any additional subjects which must be fitted into the timetable.  In the UAE compulsory Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social Studies take up to 20% of curriculum time.”

Ultimately, a school is only as good as its leadership and its teachers, so recruiting and retaining staff who embody the vision of an expanding school is critical.  This challenge can be compounded by the fact that some countries operate their own teacher licensing regulations and Ministries may have final approval over who is appointed.  In addition, many countries will have quotas in place to ensure a percentage of the staff are hired from the local population.

Key to delivering and running a happy and successful ‘sister’ school is finding the right partner. One who you can trust and work with will be essential for a long lasting and successful relationship.  If this relationship works well, it will help yo ensure that the ethos of the school stays true to its original foundations whilst simultaneously securing its future viability.

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