In Search of a Valued Proposition: Elements of a Whole School Strategy for Heads

Online Session via ICGS Streaming Channel | Release 6 August 

In our global experience with girls’ schools, we have consistently found a systemic weakness in creating and executing what we term a ‘valued proposition.’ This reverberates in many ways for schools, and typically finds its origins the limited design, creativity, and impact of the strategic plan.

The best leaders create compelling and ambitious, big picture understandings, bring them into possibility through strategic foundations including visioning, make them live through pedagogy and curriculum, and articulate them through authentic marketing and communications messages.

Joining these dots is the focus of this webinar: a school-wide planning and mindset framework involving evidence-led planning approaches that impact on reputation and deliver a compelling and cogent value proposition to stand out from the crowd in the competitive contexts in which almost all girls’ schools now operate.

This session will provide unique and internationally-applied school-specific tools and frameworks to review, develop and strengthen strategic planning in schools. The outcome will be a ‘deeper and narrower’ valued proposition and a more evidence-led, managed approach to identity and reputation.

Through Dr. Holmes’ global strategy work with independent and international schools over three decades in every continent, this workshop will explore concepts and principles to build and execute your strategic ambitions and agenda and positively impact your school’s enrollment and retention. Critically, this workshop will share global findings on how this approach to strategic planning can make it easier to choose your school over alternatives.

This session is scheduled for release on August 6 at 9 a.m. AEST (August 5 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT) . 

Register Here  | Cost: Free for ICGS Member Schools, $60 for Non-Member Schools

Dr. Stephen Holmes, The 5Rs Partnership

Dr. Holmes B. ED, MBA, M. ED, PhD (School Reputation) is Principal and Founder of The 5Rs Partnership, established in 2004 in Singapore, with offices now in Philadelphia (USA) and London (UK).

The 5Rs Partnership are experts in identity, reputation, strategic planning, marketing, and culture change, supporting independent and international schools in every continent with an unmatched client list.

Over the three decades, Dr. Holmes has come to be widely regarded as the most experienced, credentialed consultant in the world in evidence-led strategy for the education sector that leads to both education performance and market success. He is the only full-time practicing consultant with a PhD in the specific field of reputation orientation for the school sector.

Dr. Holmes has long been a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and consultant with major international school agencies across the world. In 2023-2024 alone, Dr. Holmes has been commissioned for major independent and international school projects and conference keynotes extensively across the US, UK, Asia, Africa, UK, Australia, and Europe. In April 2024, Dr Holmes was keynote speaker at the ICGS Symposium in Melbourne, Australia and will also present at ICGS Annual Conference in Baltimore (USA) in June 2024.

Dr. Holmes also undertakes substantive published research, program development training and teaching with school audiences globally – he therefore gains the respect of Heads, Trustees and CFOs of Schools who engage The 5Rs Partnership and might otherwise view consultants in a different light.

After formally entering the USA independent school market during 2023, The 5Rs Partnership’s unique blend of education and market perspective and expertise has quickly caught the attention of leading independent schools and their associations nationally. The 5Rs has already been commissioned for major school projects and conference speaking right the USA.