There are three lessons that UK inner city state schools in deprived areas can learn from privately owned British international schools
But before I get to them, I need to dispel three myths:
- Even though British international schools are parent funded, they are very different to private schools in the UK. Expats parents don’t have access to public schools so they have to pay for their children’s education.
- The fee structure for international schools is not an accurate reflection of operational budgets or amounts spent per student.
- British international schools are facing many of the same challenges as UK inner city state schools such as mental wellbeing, SEND, inclusion, and student recruitment.
I recently had the pleasure of attending Nord Anglia Education’s annual conference for their schools in the SEAMEI region – South East Asia, Middle East and India. For two full days I was immersed in the event that was masterfully hosted by the team at NAS Abu Dhabi led by their Principal, Liam Cullinan.
Rather than post an immediate reaction in the form of a blog that highlights the amazing school venue, the engaging and culturally relevant entertainment, or the wonderful catering, goodie bags and hospitality, I took time to reflect on something that may not be as immediately obvious.
Why can’t UK inner city state schools and multi-academy trusts deliver such high quality learning conferences?
At the risk of alienating many of my clients, I am sharing three lessons that state schools in socially disadvantaged areas of the UK could possibly learn from their wealthier cousins.
None of which relate to finance or budgets.
Lesson 1 – Action
The pace of delivering education within international schools is phenomenal. Expectations from customers (parents) are high and schools must consistently deliver to avoid them voting with their feet. Decisions are made quickly, ideas are implemented, and things get done. This is their culture.
Like most organisations, I use a CRM to keep track of relationships and sales opportunities. Deals with international schools move through the pipeline much faster than state schools in the UK do. This isn’t because they all respond positively after first contact. It is because they simply respond to communication and don’t ignore it. It only takes a couple of extra seconds to reply with “no thanks” than it does to press delete.
They don’t accept full inboxes. They have to work at pace. They get things done.
“Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I have been out of the office teaching for three days and this is my first chance to look at it.”
This is something that I rarely receive from British international schools teachers or leaders.
WhatsApp, Teams and other instant messaging platforms are used to communicate internally and externally so that things move forwards. This pace and no-excuse mentality was the biggest culture shock for me when I first started working with international clients.
Even knowing this before the conference had begun, I made a rookie mistake on Day 1. I arrived for a workshop two minutes after the scheduled start time. The result of this was that I was unable to join because the session was underway and all of the seats were taken. I had booked to attend this workshop using the Whova app that helped the organisers manage such an action packed agenda. But I was late so I had to learn the hard way. Keep up or miss out.
I was on time for every other workshop.
Lesson 2 – Value Partnerships
For clarity, I am not talking about international schools where every teacher has their own PA and two days per week of non-contact time. The examples I am drawing from are schools that either new or expanding, which means that they have no middle management and are significantly understaffed.
Which is why they often have to engage with the wider education ecosystem and rely upon community partners. This isn’t an add-on for them. It isn’t something they focus on after Ofsted has judged that they are “Good+” and they can relax a little. They build these partners into their strategic development plans and vision for their educational offer.
In the UK, I often meet with SLT colleagues who are our designated points of contact for projects and partnership work. Instead, I often collaborate with class teachers in international schools who have no other leadership responsibilities. This is a smart way to develop leaders, build capacity and open communication channels that will deliver better results from partners.
I have worked with some schools in the UK for over 5 years and I only know three or four staff members. I have worked with one school in Doha for 5 weeks and I already know 12 of their staff.
Remove bottlenecks, improve delegation, share accountability and build long term partnerships. These all contribute to better outcomes for pupils, parents, staff, and schools.
Lesson 3 – Focus on the small things
….and the big things take care of themselves.
Delegates didn’t all decline the delightful deserts during lunch to arrive on time for that workshop on Day 1. The event organisers built time into the agenda for the walk from the canteen to the training rooms at the other side of the school. These small things count.
School leaders invite me to join their internal Teams channels for more effective communication with their staff. They understand that emails may slow things down. They value the contribution I can make to their goals and objectives. They don’t treat me as an external party.
At the end of the conference, Liam invited the school support team onto the stage to receive gifts as a thank you for their extra efforts during, and in the days leading up to, the conference. This included everyone who contributed to the success of the event from Helen, Liam’s PA, to the catering and cleaning staff.
None of these things cost money. This extra level of thought, care and attention can make a real difference. Culture is difficult to describe and even more difficult to get right. Some organisations spend a fortune on consultancy and people in attempts to improve their culture.
This latest trip to the Middle East, and subsequent reflections, has demonstrated what is possible without additional investment. Despite Nord Anglia’s valuation of $14.5 billion, their SEAMEI Team is an example of social enterprise at its best. Delivering a public service in a professional, efficient and impact focused way.
Yes, UK state schools are chronically underfunded. But we may have to look for alternative solutions given our current fiscal climate.
Maybe in the most unlikely of places.
*Gemini Prompt for featured image – Create an image of two people, one who is rich and the other who is poor
