Why International Schools Need Business Consultants: Six Years On

In June 2020, just as Sage Consultancy was getting started in the middle of the pandemic, I wrote an article entitled Why International Schools Need Business Consultants. It was a short piece, written at a time when schools were facing considerable uncertainty around enrolment, budgets and future planning.

Looking back, the article was probably written with a mixture of experience, optimism and aspiration. We believed there was a need for a consultancy focused specifically on the business operations of international schools, but at that point we did not yet have six years of evidence to show precisely why schools would choose to work with us.

The original article identified four main reasons: schools need a second opinion, extra resources, specialized skills and, at times, an independent buffer. Six years later, all four remain relevant, although our understanding of them has developed considerably.

A trusted second opinion

International schools often turn to consultants when they are facing a complex decision and want an external perspective. In many cases, school leaders already have a view of the problem and a possible solution. What they need is reassurance that their thinking is sound, or a challenge from someone who is not as close to the issue.

This has certainly proved true. Schools value an independent opinion, particularly when recommendations are being presented to boards or committees. They want advice that is not influenced by internal agendas, historical relationships or organisational politics.

However, it is no longer simply a matter of providing a second opinion. Over the past six years, Sage has developed into a team of more than ten consultants with experience across school leadership, finance, human resources, admissions, governance, facilities and operations. Between us, we bring decades of experience from international schools, including some of the strongest schools in the world.

Schools come to us because they know they are speaking with people who understand international education and have delivered quality in demanding environments. We can help them recognise risks, avoid potential pitfalls and identify issues they may not yet realise they need to address.

Extra capacity in a changing environment

The need for additional resources also remains real. Schools frequently have important projects that sit outside the daily workload of their leadership teams. Reviews, documentation projects, system implementations, restructuring work and strategic planning all require time and sustained attention. Consultants can provide temporary capacity without the school needing to create a permanent position for a one-off project.

What has changed significantly since 2020 is the emergence of artificial intelligence. Used well, AI can help school leaders complete some tasks more quickly, improve analysis and create additional time for change projects. It can also help consultants deliver work more efficiently. However, AI does not remove the need for expertise. Without experienced judgement, it can produce repetitive, generic or poorly directed work. The greatest value comes when technology is combined with sector knowledge, analytical thinking and a clear understanding of the school’s context.

Specialist skills and deeper expertise

The need for specialist skills has probably been the most consistently accurate part of the original article. Many international schools are not large enough to employ senior specialists across every aspect of finance, HR, operations, governance or facilities.

A consultancy gives them access to those skills when they need them.

International school heads are increasingly expected to act as the chief executive of a complex organisation, leading not only teaching and learning but also finance, operations, risk management and long-term sustainability. It is unrealistic to expect one person to be an expert in every area, which is why there is real value in having experienced, trusted advisers with whom they can speak confidentially, test their thinking and seek support on unfamiliar or sensitive issues.

Over time, Sage has also moved beyond relying only on the experience we gained as former international school employees. We have developed more specialised consulting expertise in areas such as salary and benefits reviews, compensation benchmarking, organisational design, systems implementation and operational improvement.

Our regional and international salary surveys are a good example. Running these surveys has deepened our understanding of compensation structures, benefits, market positioning and the challenges schools face when setting competitive and sustainable remuneration.

Consulting is a different discipline from working inside a school. It requires us to analyse quickly, identify the real issue, structure evidence and communicate recommendations clearly and in a way that calibrate to the school we are working with. That has been an important area of professional growth for everyone involved with Sage.

Independence and support through difficult decisions

The idea that schools sometimes need a buffer has also proved correct. Difficult projects can become emotional or political, particularly when they involve restructuring, performance concerns, compensation or major organisational change.

An external consultant can bring independence, objectivity and process discipline. The aim is not to take difficult decisions away from school leaders, but to help ensure those decisions are informed, fair and properly managed.

Professional development and capacity building

One area of our work that was less visible in 2020 is professional development.

We now provide coaching and mentoring to school leaders and business professionals, helping them transition into new roles or strengthen their performance in existing ones. We have also developed online courses and in-person institutes for finance, HR and operations professionals.

This has become one of the most rewarding parts of our work. It also requires significant investment in content, organisation and continuous improvement. We are now entering the third year of running our institutes and still see this as a developing journey. We do not believe we have perfected the model, but feedback from participants and schools suggests that we are moving in the right direction.

The value of CAKE

Early in my career in finance and audit, we used the acronym “CAKE”: cumulative audit knowledge and experience, to express value of deeper understanding of an organization from ongoing work.

The same principle applies to consulting. One reason schools continue to work with us is that they have worked with us before. Over multiple projects, we learn their structures, culture, people and priorities. This allows us to move beyond being an external adviser and become a trusted strategic partner.

Six years on, the reasons identified in the original article still stand. Schools need expertise, capacity, independence and an informed external perspective. They also need professional learning, trusted relationships and partners who understand their context.

As we look ahead to the new school year, we are excited to continue supporting international schools around the world and helping them strengthen the systems, people and decisions that underpin excellent education.