You have made the hire. The contract is signed. Now what?
In international schools, the gap between a Head's job offer and their first day on campus can stretch up to 22 months. Heads are increasingly recruited a full academic year ahead, and sometimes two. A Head interviewed in Autumn 2026 for a role beginning Summer 2028 may not step through the door for 22 months.
This is the Transition Gap: the most underused and undervalued window in school leadership. It is the period when a new Head has the time and distance to learn the school deeply, build relationships, and prepare for the role, but is rarely given the structure, support, or resources to do so.
From offer to day one
The Transition Gap has distinct phases, each with its own purpose, pace, and priorities.
First 90 Days After Offer
Designate a named transition contact, establish communication rhythms, begin cultural orientation, and connect the incoming and outgoing Heads. The goal is simple: make the Head-elect feel wanted, informed, and supported from the moment the contract is signed.
Months 3-12: The Deep Dive
Financial deep dive with the CFO, strategic plan review, culture and community immersion, individual board relationship building, and identifying the behind-the-scenes players who hold informal influence. The Head-elect moves from knowing about the school to knowing the school.
Months 12-18: Campus Visits
Structured campus visits with clear purposes: community immersion, operational orientation, and family orientation. Informal gatherings with staff, parents, and students. The Head-elect moves from knowing the school to belonging in the school.
Final 90 Days Before Start
Family relocation support, structured operational handover with the outgoing Head, the first 100 days listening plan, and a multi-layered community welcome. The goal is for the Head to arrive on Day One not as a newcomer, but as a leader who already belongs.
Everything the incoming Head needs, prepared before they arrive.
The Transition Gap is the window in which a Head-elect can prepare properly, but few schools have the capacity to produce the research, briefings, and decks a new leader actually needs. Arrival Ready is a productised preparation pack, built from the numbers and tailored to the school, so the Head walks through the door ready to lead, not catching up.
The Full Arrival Ready Pack
All nine deliverables below, produced as one coordinated set, scoped to the school and the incoming Head. Delivered in phases across the Transition Gap.
Strategic Plan Brief
The school's current strategic plan, accreditation reports, and survey data translated into a clear 'what you need to know' briefing.
Financial Health Briefing
Audited financials, budgets, and enrolment trends turned into a visual, narrative deck the Head can actually absorb.
Community Listening Tour Deck
A structured deck for the first-100-days listening sessions with parents, staff, students, and board, with consistent questions and a synthesis framework.
First Board Presentation
The Head's first formal presentation to the board, designed and rehearsed with them.
First 100 Days Plan
A written, tailored listening plan for the first 100 days in role.
Disruptive Marketing Deck
A bold, challenger-brand positioning deck that helps the new Head articulate the school's distinct narrative and stand out in a crowded market.
Competitive Landscape Analysis
Competing schools in the market: positioning, fees, strengths, and weaknesses, backed by numbers.
Market & Demographic Research Pack
Enrolment trends, demographic shifts, fee sensitivity, and teacher supply for that specific market.
Cultural Intelligence Brief
The host country's education culture, business norms, and what leadership looks like locally.
Prefer to start with one or two deliverables? Individual items from the pack are available on a bespoke basis, scoped and priced around your needs. Book a conversation to discuss what you need.