RSAcademics is a global executive search and consultancy firm working exclusively with schools. For more than 20 years, we’ve supported governors and leaders at pivotal moments – whether they are appointing senior staff or making complex strategic decisions.
What makes us distinctive is the depth of first-hand experience in schools across our team – as heads, governors, bursars and senior professionals – combined with specialist expertise in areas such as strategy, research, marketing and finance. This blend is continually enriched by our ongoing consultancy and appointments work with schools worldwide, so our advice is always current, practical and evidence led.
How we help
We work in two complementary ways, each reinforcing the other:
Get the insights you need
The right insight can unlock clarity and direction. Whether you want to strengthen admissions, ensure financial resilience, refine your strategy or understand your community better, our consultancy provides evidence, perspective and clear recommendations you can act on with confidence.
Our dual focus on appointments and consultancy means impact is lasting — leaders thrive in schools where governance is strong, strategy is clear and communities are engaged.
Our impact
The impact of our work is seen not only in the leaders appointed or the strategies agreed, but in the strength and confidence of the schools we support.
- Strong leadership – appointing heads, bursars and senior leaders who shape culture, deliver strategy and inspire trust.
- Better decisions – giving governors and boards the clarity and evidence they need to make choices that stand the test of time.
- Sustainable schools – supporting marketing, admissions, fundraising and reputation so schools can thrive in competitive and uncertain environments.
- Wider influence – sharing research, insights and thought leadership that help shape the debate on the future of education.
At every stage, our impact is about more than solving today’s challenge. It is about ensuring schools, their leaders and their communities are equipped to thrive tomorrow.
Our people
At RSAcademics, people are central to the quality of our service. Colleagues with experience as proven school leaders — former heads, governors and bursars — work alongside researchers, marketers and strategists, bringing both sector insight and specialist expertise. This blend, continually refreshed through our ongoing work with schools, means we understand schools from every angle and can offer advice that is clear, practical and evidence-based.
Our values
Our values guide everything we do. They inform how we work with each other, how we work with clients and candidates, and how we approach the wider contribution we make to education and society.
- Integrity and empathy: We are fair, honest and respectful in all we do. We seek to listen before we act and treat everyone with kindness.
- Expertise and evidence-led thinking: We combine lived experience in schools with deep sector knowledge, drawing on robust research and careful analysis to inform our advice.
- Collaboration: We build inclusive relationships and value the contribution of every voice. We achieve more when we work together.
- Courage with courtesy: We ask important and sometimes difficult questions. We do so thoughtfully and with respect for others.
- Making a difference: We work with schools because we believe in the transformative power of education to improve lives and strengthen communities.
These values underpin the advice we give, the partnerships we build and the outcomes we deliver.
Why schools choose us
Schools tell us they choose RSAcademics not just for what we do, but for how we do it. We bring:
- Specialist focus – we work only with schools, giving us unrivalled sector insight.
- A dual offer – executive and non-executive search and consultancy, each reinforcing the other. Some schools come to us for leadership appointments, others for support with governance, strategy, marketing, admissions or development consultancy — and many engage us across both search and consultancy.
- Credibility and track record – thousands of successful appointments and consultancy projects delivered for schools across the UK and worldwide.
- People who understand schools – our team combines first-hand school experience with specialist expertise, continually refreshed through our consultancy and appointments work. That’s why the guidance you receive is always clear, relevant today, and built to last.
- A reputation for both care and rigour – known for combining rigour and evidence with support and advice that ensures boards and leaders can be confident in their decisions.