Nick Hewlett, CEO, St Dunstan's Education Group
I have been aware of RSAcademics for many years, since you supported my appointment over a decade ago. During that time, I had engaged with your appointments services when recruiting to my team, but it wasn’t until a significant moment of change for our organisation that we utilised your consultancy expertise.
The formation of St Dunstan’s Education Group marked a fundamental shift in how we operate. We transitioned from a single‑site school to a multi‑site education group, bringing together six schools and educating close to 2,000 children across six locations. This growth required bold decisions, particularly around governance.
We introduced a new group identity, appointed a new Chair, and recognised that our existing governance arrangements were no longer fit for purpose. The structure we had made it difficult to ensure clarity of accountability and effective oversight across individual schools, while also thinking strategically at group level. What we needed was not a simple adaptation of our old model, but a fully reimagined governance structure that reflected the complexity and ambition of the new organisation.
At the same time, my own role evolved significantly as I moved into the position of CEO. It was a period of substantial development and change across the entire organisation.
The RSAcademics’ governance team brought considerable expertise, capability, and insight to this challenge. They took the time to understand our context in depth and recognised that no single governance model would meet our needs. Instead, they worked with us to draw intelligently from multiple models, tailoring an approach that was right for St Dunstan’s.
As the project developed, the scope evolved, and RSAcademics embraced this without hesitation. The team understood that truly effective governance required us to push beyond the original brief, and they supported us thoughtfully and constructively throughout.
The outcomes have been far‑reaching. We now operate with a fundamentally different governance model. Our board has been restructured and strengthened to become more strategically focused. We also undertook a director‑level review and a comprehensive review of executive and professional services. Altogether, this has represented a strategic shift in how the organisation is led, governed, and operates.
My experience of working with RSAcademics has been wholly positive. Your professionalism, knowledge, and ability to work as a genuine partner during a period of complexity and change have made a significant impact on our organisation. I have been extremely pleased with the outcome and have no hesitation in recommending RSAcademics to others facing similar governance challenges.