Independent schools from UK, US, Australia and Canada look internationally for expansion

Independent schools from UK, US, Australia and Canada look internationally for expansion

By Richard Gaskell

Demand for independent, international K-12 schools continues to grow around the world and established independent school brands are using their reputation to benefit from the demand.

 British independent schools have so far led the field but US, Australian and Canadian independent schools are beginning to follow suit. So why the reason for the demand and where are the opportunities for development?

 Education – a passport to a global world

A 2014 report published by Oxford University Department of Education and the British Council (English as a medium of instruction – a growing global phenomenon by Julie Deardon) states that “there is a fast-moving worldwide shift from English being taught as a foreign language (EFL) to English being the medium of instruction (EMI) for academic subjects such as science, mathematics, geography and medicine.” The report says that “EMI is increasingly being used in universities, secondary schools and even primary schools.” The report identifies various reasons for this: “In some countries EMI is thought to be a passport to a global world. In many countries English is seen as the way to access modernity and prosperity.”  

 As economies improve and incomes increase, not only does English-medium education become a desire, but so does aspiration for western higher education. To achieve a place at a university in the US, Canada or Britain, international students face increasingly tough competition and so seek more than just good grades from their local national school. To acquire high competence of the English language, an international mindset that will help prepare them for life in a western university, and recognised qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Advanced Placement or A levels, students and their families turn to the English-medium international K-12 schools in their home country as the solution.

 An increasing demand for international school education

According to ISC Research, part of The International School Consultancy, the leading provider of data on the global English-medium international schools market which has been tracking the sector for over 25 years, enrolment in international schools around the world is increasingly dominated by children of local families; mostly the children of the richest 5% of non-English-speaking parents. ISC Research data suggests that an average of 80% of students attending international schools around the world today are children from such families.

 This demand, combined with the educational needs of expatriates, means that the international schools market has grown significantly in recent years. In the year 2000 there were 2,584 international schools around the world teaching fewer than 1 million students. Today more than 4.2 million students are being educated at almost 8,000 international schools, and by 2025 ISC Research predicts student enrolment will reach 7.8 million.

 Taking an independent school brand international

A number of independent schools have, over the past few years, been establishing themselves with significant success internationally. This move has been led by British independent schools such as Wellington, Harrow, Shrewsbury, Dulwich and Malvern College which have already forged significant reputations abroad, particularly in Asia, including the Middle East, where the demand for high quality, English-medium education is the greatest.

 These schools typically came about via licensing arrangements with local operators. In more recent years, other independent schools such as Repton, Brighton College and Oundle have started developing overseas operations in a similar way. A smaller number, including Marlborough College, have established directly managed schools abroad. Most recently, Wellington College and Harrow International opened campuses in China, and Dulwich College, which now has seven international schools, opened a new school in Singapore.

 According to market intelligence by ISC Research, an increasing number of UK independent schools, as well as some independent schools from the US, Canada and Australia, have ambitious plans to expand. US independent schools Chadwick and Dwight have opened schools in South Korea, attracted by the huge demand from South Koreans for US higher education. Canada’s Branksome Hall has also opened an international school in South Korea. US charter school network BASIS has just announced an expansion into China.

Development opportunities

 China is currently gaining significant interest from developers and independent school brands fuelled by the aspirations of Chinese families for an English-medium, internationally-oriented education. Strict restrictions apply for the children of Chinese passport holders to attend foreign-owned schools. However, there is an increasing demand for western-style education taught in the English language by Chinese families and so different types of international school are now emerging to cater specifically to these students.

 This is driving the expansion of new types of international school in the country; those that involve partnerships between a Chinese owner and a foreign school, and bilingual schools with an international focus on teaching and learning, both of which enable Chinese students to attend.

 Independent school brands, mostly from Britain, have been established for several years in China and, until recently, have responded to the demand for schooling for expatriates. The UK’s Dulwich College led the move into China in 2004 with an international school for expatriates. Dulwich now has three international schools for expatriates in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou. It was followed in 2005 by Harrow which opened a school for expatriates in Beijing. Due to open in August 2016 is Harrow International School Shanghai which is being built on the newly developed Sunland project just 30 minutes from the centre of Shanghai.

 However, independent international schools currently experiencing most growth in China are those accessible to local children, and a number of independent school brands are already involved in these developments. For example, in addition to having its three international schools dedicated to expatriates in the country, Dulwich College also works in conjunction with two high schools in Suzhou and Zhuhai to offer a UK-oriented curriculum to Chinese nationals. These schools reflect the Dulwich learning approach and students study for IGCSE and A level exams with the aim of progressing to higher education in the UK and the US.  

 Another example is Malvern College Qingdao which opened in 2012 as a purpose-built international secondary school, licensed by the Chinese authorities for Chinese nationals in collaboration with Britain’s Malvern School. Students here follow an English-speaking foundation course in preparation for taking A levels. Ancillary programmes are also provided to help the students develop high level English literacy and language skills. Malvern College open a second international secondary school for Chinese nationals in Chengdu this September (2015) as well as winning the bid for a new school in Hong Kong.

 China is not the only country where development of independent international K-12 schools is substantial and expected to continue. The United Arab Emirates has seen phenomenal growth of international schools in recent years and currently leads the world with 511 international schools teaching over 508,000 students. 253 schools in the UAE are located in Dubai alone.

 According to the ISC 2015 Global Report there are several reasons why the UAE has so many students attending international schools. Major factors include the wealth of the country, high numbers of expatriates, demand for high quality, English-medium education by both expats and the wealthy locals, plus the fact that the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi allow unlimited enrolment of local children at international schools.

 In addition to China and the UAE, ISC Research predicts development opportunities in several other countries including Malaysia, and Qatar. In Malaysia, the government has removed a previous limit on enrolment of local students at international schools and demand from local families has increased since the government introduced a requirement that all subjects including maths and science should be taught in the local language in national schools. In Qatar, as in UAE, demand exceeds supply and school expansions and new developments will respond to this. In some of the Latin American countries too, improved economies coupled with a growing demand for bilingual education is fuelling the growth.

However, expanding internationally is challenging. Depending on your choice of location there are different regulatory environments and demographic influences. Government controls and stipulations vary significantly and may include complex licensing procedures, strict standard and accreditation expectations, controls on school fees and student quotas, teaching licences and more. In some situations a local partner is obligatory, other times it can be beneficial. An increasing number of schools are being established in partnership with operating companies like EduReach and International School Services (ISS) and with minimal input from the local partner except for the provision of the land and buildings.

 Rick Johnson of EduReach, which supports British schools opening abroad, including the sourcing and interfacing between UK and local partners, offers some valuable advice: “Generally the big mistakes come in understanding how to negotiate the contracts, how to design a school from scratch, and how to choose a good opportunity in the first place. One thing to be wary and respectful of is that forcing a style of education into another country won’t work. Translation of ethos and principles with a local flavour is a better way to think about how independent schools from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK can operate successfully internationally.”

 More information about the world’s international schools market, including global and country market intelligence reports, are available from The International School Consultancy www.iscresearch.com or by contacting me, Richard Gaskell directly at [email protected]

Tel: +66 85 957 1410