“Stephen has the gift of combining business acumen with educational research and a solid dose of common sense. He is articulate, persuasive, creative and highly organised.

Our business association spans over 10 years. Firstly, as a former head of an international school in Singapore, I hired Stephen to talk to current and prospective families about the importance of a school’s reputation. He carefully crafted his presentation to meet the needs of the audience and gave unique and very relevant insights.

Secondly, in my current role as WASC Senior Vice President, International Schools, Stephen has significantly contributed to our WASC member schools’ understanding of marketing, branding, sustaining a positive reputation, and effective and focused strategic planning through participating in our Fireside Chats (webinars). When Stephen is due to speak, our webinars are highly attended, participant engagement is high and participants ask searching and meaningful questions. Although I have been in the educational industry for many years, I always come away from one of his sessions with new ideas and renewed energy !”

“This workshop was insightful, engaging, and highly relevant to my role. The practical strategies and real-life examples provided valuable guidance that I can immediately apply in my institution!”

“The 5Rs Partnership’s school reputation and positioning workshop was excellent and provided great insights for me as someone starting the path in school marketing. The workshop structure was spot on for what it was intended for. The workshop was very helpful and gave me a strong head start in my new role. It also got me thinking from a wider perspective, rather than just marketing the school!”

“Just wanted to say how professional and enlightening your session at EARCOS conference was. The session was energetic and presented with great skill. No wonder you are being snapped up by schools in the US!”

“Thank you both for a really powerful and thought-provoking session – Schedule Innovation: A School Reputation and Positioning Opportunity for ICGS Schools!”

“Dear Stephen,

I wanted to write a few words of thanks for all the work that you have put in to the strategic planning process for The Sultan’s School here in Oman.

Nearly two years ago, we began to discuss what this project would look like after your excellent and informative keynote session at the EARCOS Leadership Conference in Bangkok. After attending this session, I was able to see the great value added in having an external partner in working with my own school to develop a 5-year plan that was truly inclusive, comprehensive and powerful. 

The Sultan’s School is a very well established school which has been running since 1977. It is a complex bilingual institution that is very much part of the social fabric of Oman, producing generations of the country’s leaders. Over the past two years you have been able to capture where the school is going, its strengths and potential areas for growth. This was based on thorough research and in-depth stakeholder participation. You engaged respectfully with our community and have demonstrated considerable empthy for where we are as a school.

Your work has furthermore strengthened our own work on reviewing our guiding statements as a school and been a key pillar of our accrediation journey. After working with you, we have a clear sense of direction and purpose as a school. You have challenged us, supported us and helped us to explore new opportunities with tact and sensitivity.

I would wholeheartedly endorse the work that you and 5RS have done and stronly recommend you to any international school or education group looking for a strategic consultation partner.”

“Dear Dr. Holmes,

On behalf of NYSAIS and our board of trustees, I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude for your insightful presentation, “Building a Compelling Positioning and Reputation: Enact a 5 Step Whole of School Strategy Process,” at our recent trustee conference.

Your five-step process was both comprehensive and highly practical. Our trustees particularly appreciated your emphasis on the importance of community engagement and the strategic alignment of school values with external perception. The concepts you presented provided a clear and actionable roadmap for our schools to strengthen their unique positioning and reputation within their communities.

The on-site feedback we’ve received from the trustees has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have already begun discussing how to apply your principles to their own institutions. Your talk has not only inspired us but has also equipped our leadership with the tools they need to drive meaningful change.”

“We engaged Dr. Andrew Taylor to work with us on a comprehensive review and analysis of our existing daily schedule, which included a full review of our school’s program.  Andrew met with many members of the community online and in person and then was on campus for 5 days total over two separate visits. We were thrilled with him work in every way. Andrew is professional, communicative, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. He customized several pieces of the consultation based on our unique needs, and the deliverables were just what we had hoped for. I would gladly re-engage with him in the future.

 Highly recommended!!!”

“It was our pleasure to welcome Dr. Stephen Holmes to Princeton, NJ to conduct a training for all ISS Heads of Schools and other leaders. His deep experience based in the international school context helped ensure this session was relevant and meaningful, and resulted in him moving on to do work individually with ISS schools – very different in their size and competitive landscapes. Dr. Holmes is insightful and he meets schools where they are at in this important journey. His reputational approach to school branding and marketing has sparked interesting work in the ISS system, and we look forward to seeing even more positive results as their co-created strategies take root!”

“Dr. Holmes, your session was insightful and different than anything else I attended in CIS this year. I am very keen to share with my team and management the ideas you presented.”