International Partnerships

The integrity of the NLCS brand is at the core of our managed franchise model. We are looking for well-established organisations or individuals with a strong affinity with and commitment to NLCS’s brand ethos and values.

We have worked with different types of partners to develop our international schools. NLCS Jeju was established in partnership with the Jeju International Free City Development, a branch of the South Korean Government, whilst NLCS Dubai and NLCS (Singapore) are operated in partnership with Meraki Global.

Parents choose a school sometimes because of the price point or because other children go there, or have seen ratings on the website. The… kids and parents have chosen NLCS (Dubai) because they have done their research and know they will not find this kind of education anywhere else here. It is important they have these choices to help keep these people in Dubai Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)
I am proud of the fruitful partnership that we have built with NLCS Enterprises, and believe, that together, we have created an exceptional school that provides and inspiration programme for our students Lee Kwang-Hee, former Chairman of the JDC

The NLCS brand and reputation rest on delivering our unique educational approach, rooted in over 170 years of pioneering British education. In the UK, NLCS is well-known for its unique combination of academic excellence, exceptional extra-curricular provision and high-quality pastoral care. NLCS (UK) is consistently ranked as one of the top UK schools for A-Levels, IB and GCSEs, with a strong track record of students securing places at leading universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and the Ivy League.

NLCS International has a proven track record of delivering outstanding international schools, adapted to local markets. We now support the ongoing operation of four international NLCS schools: NLCS Jeju (opened 2011), NLCS Dubai (opened 2017) and NLCS (Singapore) (opened 2020).

Each school within the NLCS group has met or exceeded its targets, reflecting the educational quality and value of the NLCS proposition. The common educational approach and high-level of ongoing support from NLCS International ensures that NLCS standards are met consistently by each of our international schools.

Alumni from NLCS (UK) and NLCS Jeju, known as ONLs (Old North Londoners) have gone on to become inspirations leaders in the arts, sciences, politics and business; with many alumni making an important mark on the world. Their success is a testament to the exceptional education provided by NLCS, a standard that extends to all our international schools. While our other international schools, NLCS Dubai and NLCS (Singapore) are still relatively young, their students possess immense potential, destined for promising careers, just like our accomplished ONLs from Jeju and the UK.

  • Dame Anna Wintour DBE, current Editor-In-Chief of Vogue
  • Roma Agrawal MBE, structural engineer who worked on London’s Shard building
  • Jo Dunkley OBE, Professor of Physics and Astrophysics at Princeton University
  • Dame Helen Gardner DBE, the first women to hold the position of Merton Professor of English Literature at Oxford University
  • Lindsey Fraser, an Olympic Diver
  • Lilian Lindsay CBE, the first qualified female dentist in Britain and the first female president of the British Dental Association
  • Anna Popplewell, actress appearing in The Chronicles of Narnia and TV series Reign
  • Antonia Romero, Permanent Secretary of the UK’s Ministry of Justice, former Secretary for the Department for International Trade
  • Dame Victoria Sharp DBE, President of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court in England and Wales
  • Gillian Tett, Chair of the Editorial Board and Editor-at-Large of the USA’s Financial Time

Dame Anna Wintour DBE

Current Editor-In-Chief of Vogue, NLCS (UK)

Yunsoo Yoon

Cornell University, Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2020, NLCS Jeju

Roma Agrawal MBE

Structural engineer who worked on London’s Shard building, NLCS (UK)

Dame Helen Gardner DBE

The first women to hold the position of Merton Professor of English Literature at Oxford University, NLCS (UK)

Jerry Hanbyul Rim

UCLA, Political Science, Class of 2021, NLCS Jeju

Lilian Lindsay CBE

The first qualified female dentist in Britain and the first female president of the British Dental Association, NLCS (UK)

Eubeen Yang

University College London, Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE), Class of 2014, NLCS Jeju

Anna Popplewell

Actress appearing in The Chronicles of Narnia and TV series Reign, NLCS (UK)

Lizzie Monaghan

University of Manchester, BA (Hons) Art History, Class of 2014, NLCS Jeju

Antonia Romeo

Permanent Secretary of the UK’s Ministry of Justice, former Secretary for the Department for International Trade, NLCS (UK)

Dame Victoria Sharp DBE

President of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court in England and Wales, NLCS (UK)

Matthew Kim

Berklee College of Music, Music Production and Engineering, Class of 2015, NLCS Jeju

Jo Dunkley OBE

Professor of Physics and Astrophysics at Princeton University, NLCS (UK)

Gillian Tett

Chair of the Editorial Board and Editor-at-Large of the USA’s Financial Times, NLCS (UK)

Kenny Lee

University of Toronto, BSc Mathematical Application to Economics and Finance, Class of 2018, NLCS Jeju

We operate a co-operative partnership model for our franchised schools. A key part of our brand proposition is maintaining consistency across the NLCS group. We therefore take a very hands-on approach during all the phases of a project, from inception to maturity. We are able to provide support at every stage of the project and leverage our extensive experience in opening international schools.

Initially, we work closely with our partners to establish the feasibility of a new project and adapt our educational model to local market requirements. This involves understanding the current international school landscape and how best to bring an NLCS education to the territory.

In the pre-opening phase, we co-develop the school opening plan and support the partner in managing the critical path from inception to opening. In-house experts from the NLCS International team (with specialist support from colleagues across the NLCS group where necessary) help develop the academic plan, the educational brief, the detailed organisational structure and other pre-opening documentation. We also support key pre-opening activities including teacher recruitment and training.

Post-opening, we continue to work closely with the school team and our partners to ensure delivery of their annual objectives and development plans. This is achieved through a programme of ongoing academic and management support, assistance with teacher recruitment, annual training and academic monitoring and inspection.

NLCS International’s overseas partners are responsible for constructing, funding, and operating the school.

The NLCS Difference

Amongst franchise international schools, NLCS is unique. Through NLCS International, we have a strong ongoing relationship with each school, facilitating:

  • Academic excellence

    Each school within the NLCS group has excellent academic results, significantly exceeding the global IB average score.

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  • Brand and quality assurance

    NLCS International works closely with all our international schools to ensure that the ethos and quality of education associated with our brand is maintained. In addition to the continuous dialogue between NLCS International and our schools, we conduct regular visits to the school, to review in person the academic provision on offer.

  • Parental recognition

    The NLCS brand, and what it stands for, is recognised and welcomed by parents. NLCS schools in highly competitive markets such as Dubai and Singapore have seen strong enrolment since opening.

  • Dedicated team

    NLCS International has a dedicated team, co-located with NLCS (UK). The team is closely connected to the school, with several members of staff having held dual roles in both organisations. Being based at the school, NLCS International can seek expertise from colleagues and draw on their wealth of experience.

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  • Educational support

    Members of the NLCS International team are in frequent communication with academic colleagues at each international school, to offer ongoing educational support.

  • Teacher training

    All new teaching staff are invited to participate in training at NLCS (UK) when appointed to a school within the NLCS group. Additional training is also provided to newly appointed members of the senior leadership team, if they are new to the NLCS group. This is a unique opportunity for new staff to engage with the NLCS ethos by experiencing the school ‘in action’.

  • Teacher recruitment

    Ensuring that all newly appointed staff meet the NLCS standard, NLCS International interviews teaching staff before they are appointed.

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  • International Baccalaureate certification

    NLCS International supports new schools to obtain accreditation with the IBO (International Baccalaureate Organisation) and has successfully worked with NLCS Jeju, NLCS Dubai and NLCS (Singapore) to obtain their accreditation for the various IB programmes, in line with each school’s development plan.

“Education is a thriving sector, with increasing numbers of organisations recognising the benefits of working with world-class educational providers. We recognise our ability to positively contribute to the growth of the sector, with a strong track record of school opening and consultancy projects which embody the key principles of an NLCS education: outstanding academic outcomes, strong pastoral care and a very rich extra-curricular provision. It is extremely rewarding to use our extensive experience to support education providers across the world in strengthening and improving what they have or plan to offer”

Mr Ali Aliev, Director of Business Development

How we work with partners

All NLCS schools are built on the same founding principles, so when you walk through the door you know immediately that you are in an NLCS school. Our team is involved throughout the start-up and on-going operation of all of our international schools.

Once the school is open, we continue to support with recruitment and training, as well as monitoring and inspecting the school for academic, pastoral and operational quality. We also support the school’s leadership team and the partner with academic, pastoral and business matters as needed.

While every school within the NLCS group shares a common ethos, each school is also distinctive and unique.

Contact NLCS International to learn more about our partnership opportunities

Support we offer:

  • Architectural design

    NLCS International advise on the school’s architectural design to ensure it can deliver an NLCS education effectively at full capacity.

  • Recommending academic staffing structures

    Appropriate staffing supports the NLCS educational pillars of high academic ambition, excellent pastoral care and a wide-ranging extra-curricular programme.

  • Supporting recruitment and training

    We provide support and assistance in the recruitment and training of staff for the founding team and on an ongoing basis.

  • Application to the International Baccalaureate Organisation

    We assist our schools when applying to the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) for programme accreditation.

  • Support with school operation

    We help to develop the schools operating structures and provide assistance in important areas such as the production of policies, advice on admissions processes, marketing and continuous professional development of staff.

Our projects

Image of school International Curriculum Development in Sichuan Province

International Curriculum Development in Sichuan Province

A large-scale, multi-school enterprise requested a robust and high-quality curriculum for their first international school in Sichuan province. Working closely with their educational advisers, we developed an integrated curriculum model from kindergarten through to International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Our curriculum designers provided engaging core curriculums that developed students’ use of English for academic purposes. In addition, we planned a stimulating academic enrichment programme that helped the school to develop an all-round, internationally minded education. To support the effective running, we also provided leadership structures, extra-curricular and pastoral provisions for the school’s senior team.

Image of school Planning a bilingual start up in Nanjing

Planning a bilingual start up in Nanjing

A start up with no previous experience in education sought out the help in setting up a bilingual school in Nanjing. Our consultancy team first helped to review and refine the school design site specific details, before developing a bespoke, holistic curriculum from kindergarten through to International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Our Team then produced clear leadership structures and key academic, pastoral and administrative policies, to ensure smooth school operation from the opening day. In addition, we provided marketing support and advised on recruitment, assisting our client through each step of the school’s development.

Image of school NLCS Jeju

NLCS Jeju

NLCS (UK) was approached by the South Korean Government (JDC) to open a school on Jeju Island as part of a global education hub. It was the first school to open on the island, with plans for seven schools in total. NLCS Jeju is a boarding school, and our team was heavily involved in ensuring that the boarding provision was designed to the best international pastoral and safeguarding standards while also being aligned philosophically with an NLCS education. We were also involved in tailoring the academic curriculum to deliver Korean language, culture and history lessons alongside the wider academic programme, to ensure we provide an internationally rounded education.

Image of school NLCS Dubai

NLCS Dubai

Working with our partner, Sobha (now Meraki), a real estate developer and investor, we opened NLCS Dubai in a highly competitive market with strong admissions numbers. We are also involved in tailoring the academic programme to include Arabic and Islamic Studies as required by the KHDA, Dubai's Education Authority. This ensured that we met the standards to achieve accreditation for the Primary Years and Middle Years Programmes from the IBO through a culturally sensitive approach to curriculum planning.

Image of school NLCS (Singapore)

NLCS (Singapore)

After the success of our Dubai school, we worked again with our partner, Sobha (now Meraki), to ensure that the school opened with strong admissions numbers, despite opening during September 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also supported the design of the school on a relatively small site footprint, to ensure that the facilities are still world-class and match NLCS (UK)’s standards. As a result of the exceptional education provided in the school, pupil numbers have grown dramatically over a short period of time.