Dr Neil Hampton, CEO of Rugby Schools Group, on taking the school's 450-year-old legacy across the globe
As independent schools come under scrutiny by the Labour government in the UK, they're quietly expanding and thriving overseas. Few people know this landscape better than our next guest, Neil Hampton, CEO of the Rugby Schools Group. With a PhD from Cambridge in neuroscience and over 20 years in Rugby's ecosystem, Neil is now responsible for taking one of the UK's most iconic schools brands around the globe, with campuses in Japan, Thailand and soon-to-be Nigeria.
In a wide-ranging discussion with Walter Kerr, Neil oozes a quiet authority and intricate knowledge of the global education sector in which he works. He discusses the brutal reality of building schools abroad: the frantic countdown to opening in Lagos, the perils of finding investors that value education over rushed profits, and the delicate art of balancing Rugby's 450-year-old brand with the culture and idiosyncrasies of a new country.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Neil gives us an update on the imminent launch of Rugby School in Lagos, Nigeria in September.
He offers advice for other school groups looking to go global and why finding the right investors is vital to its success.
Even though Rugby's "whole person" mantra is applicable anywhere, he stresses that being flexible is as important as core values in different cultures.
Neil discusses the challenges of a growing a UK independent school brand abroad whilst the sector faces a myriad of challenges at home.
He stresses the importance of local partnership, cultural reciprocity and managing what can be very fiddly local government regulation.
He argues that UK schools abroad should work together and share successes in order to protect the wider brand and mission.
He shares his advice for up and coming educators and why far too many are rushing up the leadership ladder.