Blog by Dick Davison, Head of Strategy
With a BBC report earlier this summer stating that about half the 700 or so initial enquiries from groups interested in establishing “free schools” came from groups of teachers, we ask if they are really the best people to run a school…
At first sight, of course, there is nobody better. They are the pedagogical professionals, they know how children learn best and, if they are interested in setting up a school under their own control, they probably know only too well how bureaucracy and poor management get in the way of good teaching and learning. “Just let good teachers get on with the job,” has so often been the response to the seemingly endless procession of Government initiatives and regulation.
But good teaching is not all that is necessary for a healthy school. It is perhaps no coincidence that the free school legislation will require the new institutions to be set up under the same regulations as independent schools and that amongst the first things the Secretary of State will want to see before approving a new free school is a business plan.
Teachers may not always be the best figures to establish and run free schools
Most people in the independent sector understand that, to guarantee the basis for good teaching and learning to take place, a school has first of all to be a sound business, with a clear school strategy. The numbers – particularly in terms of pupil roll – drive everything, and if those numbers aren’t there, there will, sooner or later, be no school. Even though parents won’t pay fees, the same disciplines will apply to the new free schools.
Our experience at mtmconsulting is that teachers, no matter how well intentioned and motivated, do not always understand these business fundamentals and are often not well equipped to ensure their delivery.
What mtm does is provide the strategic, research and marketing services which have underpinned the success of hundreds of successful independent school businesses over more than 20 years.
- Location: We can profile the entire locality and help you find the best site.
- Demand for the new school: We can provide a range of research services from the simplest to the most sophisticated which will provide a detailed profile of your catchment area.
- Marshalling local support: Our PR and media expertise is second to none, gained in both independent and maintained sectors.
- Financial projections: We have long experience in helping schools establish secure business models and financial forecasting .
To discuss our work, please contact mtm.
