Consultancy Services on Establishing a New Educational Institution
Providing high-quality education through establishing a school is a noble effort. They say it takes a village to raise a kid – CPD Singapore is here to assist.
What goes into setting up a school? From planning to implementation and finally operations, there are many aspects to consider, all of which are crucial in the success of the school. Both ‘hardware’ – the infrastructure, logistics, technology and supplies – as well as ‘software’ – the academic framework, staff and institutional policies – need to be taken into consideration.
Many of the aforementioned aspects also require domain knowledge, whether it is the design of the school’s syllabus or the establishment of institutional policies. There is also a need to coordinate the entire process to ensure that the school’s goals are achieved within a certain time frame and budget.
Domain Experts
CPD Singapore has a wide array of retired educators (school principals and professors) who can provide consultancy services, closing knowledge gaps and offering invaluable advice during the set-up of your school.
Each educator-consultant has substantial experience and expertise when it comes to the steps that are required to set up a new school. Dedicated resources will be provided, and our consultants will also be on-hand to provide advice on specific decisions or problems encountered during the entire process. Some examples include architecture and design of campus facilities, curriculum design, teacher training, fees structuring, procuring school supplies, finance and budgeting, regulatory compliance, marketing and branding.
Every School is Unique
Different schools have different visions for their students and the kind of learning experience they hope to provide. Our educator-consultants are here to understand what you envision and provide strategic advice on how to make them come true.
What is needed to start a school?
Planning and Preparation
- Survey of Market
What is missing in the current academic climate that you are sure your institution can offer? A market research to identify key issues will help refine the initial idea to ensure that the school meets local demand and needs. Factors such as existing public and private educational services, parents’ preferences and how best to market your school, should be carefully appraised.
- Feasibility Evaluation Assessment
The feasibility of the project also needs to be evaluated. Various criteria for its success such as financial feasibility and regulatory compliance will be taken into consideration. This is to assure your investors and funders that the project is going to be successful.
- Comprehensive Project Proposal
The comprehensive project proposal serves as a blueprint for the entire project, with estimated timelines, budget and other details such as selected site and curriculum to be adopted.
- Strategic Financial planning
It is important to document both inflows and outflows, so as to ensure that cash flows are sufficient throughout the entire duration of the project, with initial infrastructure construction costs and yearly operational costs included. This will also help to estimate the financial viability of the project, and if additional funding needs to be secured.
- Ensuring Statutory Compliance
There are various approvals by the government’s educational ministry which need to be sought. This will often involve the preparation of documents, which our educator-consultants can help review.
Setting up Structure and Strategic Collaborations
- Internal Organisational and Governance Structure
A school requires a sound organisation and governance structure so as to ensure accountability and facilitate decision making. Both the board and management team should work closely together and convene regular meetings. Our educator-consultants can provide strategic advice on how to set up a board and management team that builds on the strengths of individual members with each contributing their own expertise and knowledge to the school.
- External Collaboration with National/International Experts and Organisations
External collaborations are also vital to keep the school open to continuous innovation and opportunities. Our educator-consultants can tap on existing networks with national or international experts and organisations depending on the synergies they foresee with your school.
- Hiring Decisions
Quality education can only be provided if qualified and passionate teachers are hired. Advice can be provided during the hiring process so that you know what type of positions are required to support your institution, and what to look out for during the screening process.
Programme Design and Implementation
- Design of Academic Programmes
Academic programmes need to be carefully designed to make sure that they align with the country’s approved educational guidelines such as IB/ iGCSE.
- Design of Co-Curricular Activities
Co-curricular activities are just as important as academic programmes in the 21st century classroom. They can range from sports to clubs and societies, and are important for a holistic education for enrolled students. Organising overseas learning or service-learning experiences are also another form of co-curricular activities you can consider.
- Training and Skills Development
Training and handbooks should be provided to staff to ensure that they are aware of the various procedures and policies in the school. Continuous skills development should also be conducted for both administrative and teaching staff.
Launching the School, Branding and Marketing
- Organising the Launch of School
The launch of the school is a monumental event whereby prominent members of society such as ministers and other educators may be invited to. The launch is extremely important, as it will serve as a first impression to parents who may wish to send their children to the school.
- Branding
Creating a strong vision for the school is an important start to building a strong brand. To stand out from the other schools, the school must find its own distinctive edge. Our educator-consultants can help in the ideation process.
- Marketing
There are also many channels of marketing to ensure that the right target audience are reached. A comprehensive marketing strategy will be put in place and marketing collaterals will be designed for effective outreach.
Infrastructure, Operation and Logistics
- Site Selection, Architectural Design and Construction
The design of learning spaces and institution environment should cater to the specific programmes and objectives of the school. We will connect you to top-notch architects with extensive experience in designing schools.
- Use of Technology and Other Pedagogical Resources
A top-leading, modern educational institution should be equipped with the most up-to-date technology and pedagogical methods. However, that does not mean that they should be implemented without considering the specific goals of the school. It is more important to consider the school’s needs carefully and how best to integrate technology and modern pedagogical methods into its curriculum.
- Procuring School Supplies
Uniforms, books, stationery and furniture etc, are all required and our educator-consultants can recommend trustworthy suppliers.
FAQ
Setting up a school is a mammoth task and requires knowledge in various domains such as marketing, programme design or logistics management. By hiring a consultancy service, you can minimise costs attributed to poor planning and execution. Our educators-consultants are all endowed with substantial knowledge and experience in school management. Their advice and resources will increase the feasibility and success rate of the school you envision.
If you have a site in mind and have procured funding, that is a good start. Even if you do not have a site in mind, our educator-consultants can help you to source for a few possible sites. Subsequently, our educator-consultants will be there every step of the way to guide you through the requirements of the project.
A school is often considered a positive contribution to society. However, a market study or feasibility report will ensure that its contribution actually meets the needs of the market in its proposed location. Other aspects of feasibility such as finance and statutory requirements need to be examined as well. Failing to do so could result in unnecessary obstacles that could have been avoided, once the project has been initiated and investment has been poured into it.
Thus, to ensure the soundness of your investment, we advise conducting a proper market study or feasibility report including timelines and risk assessment, driven by research and data.
Every school has its own specific requirements. Thus, the deliverables for each new school setup will also vary in type and scope. The fee is thus calculated on a case-by-case basis.
You may schedule an appointment with us to discuss project requirements with our consultants. After finalising the deliverables and the scope of work, we will let you know the consultancy fee applicable to you.
No, CPD Singapore is willing to extend our services to schools globally, especially in the region or in countries with similar educational contexts. Singapore is well-known for its education system, and thus our educator-consultants’ knowledge will be particularly useful to ensure the success of your school project.
For more information and pricing, please email contact@cpdsingapore.com.