'It’s just not cricket': is brand the new battlefront for private schools overseas?

“Haileybury is a pioneer in international education, having been the first to establish schools in Central Asia.”

So said a recent statement from the private school, which was founded in 1862. Unfortunately, however, while the statement referred specifically to its work in running two schools in Kazakhstan, it also marked the end of an era. 

That’s because, as of the 2027-28 academic year, Haileybury Almaty and Haileybury Astana are set to be taken over by Wellington College, and the schools, founded in 2008 and 2011 respectively, will be rebranded Wellington Almaty and Wellington Astana.

In the statement, Haileybury said that, following a review of its “existing portfolio”, it was working with its partners “to transition the schools to a new group in September 2027”.  

No further information has been forthcoming about why the recently formed Haileybury Education Group is pulling out of Kazakhstan.

Brand power for international schools

However, the way the change of partner was framed on the websites of the two Kazakhstan schools was quite different. 

There, the owners of the schools said the move to Wellington was “an upgrade” and “a bold step forward” for the two settings.

Interestingly, that wording has been removed since Tes first reported the transfer last week.

Nevertheless, the narrative that is gaining traction is that the change of partner has been less about a shift in strategy from Haileybury and more about beefing up the Kazakhstan schools’ branding in order to better compete in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Between July 2020 and July 2025, there was a 62 per cent rise in the number of international schools in Kazakhstan (from 26 schools to 42), according to ISC Research data. 

One of the newest arrivals on the scene is UK private school brand Charterhouse, which will open the purpose-built Charterhouse Almaty to students at the start of the new academic year. 

Given that competition is hotting up between international schools around the world, the obvious question is, should British private schools in partnerships overseas be worried that a bigger brand may swoop in to steal their school?

Tony Atkinson, head of product at ISC Research, said in a LinkedIn post that there is clearly a “brand hierarchy” and that many private international schools are entering “a second phase of competition”.

It used to be the case, he said, that a family school would upgrade to a heritage British brand “to signal prestige”. Now, however, heritage schools themselves are “being replaced by brands judged to carry more weight”.

“It is no longer British versus local,” Atkinson said. “It is British platform versus British platform.”

An unusual move

Nevertheless, Neil Roskilly, who was chief executive of the Independent Schools Association for more than a decade, stresses that whatever else the move from Haileybury to Wellington in Kazakhstan might signal, it remains - for the time being at least - “highly unusual”.

“The overseas franchising market is still in the first phase, with few failures and little consolidation,” he says.

However, he - like Atkinson - believes that “a new and different era” is beginning “in some territories”, and that “we might see more of this in the future”, as the market matures.

“It’s a warning for all schools looking to franchise overseas,” says Roskilly. “But keep in mind that there’s very little to lose financially for franchising schools - apart, perhaps, from reputation.”

On that point, it might be argued that British private schools have a delicate line to walk: as competition increases, could too cut-throat an attitude overseas have repercussions for reputation?

Again, data from ISC Research demonstrates just how much and how quickly the landscape has changed.

In 2015 there were 92 overseas campuses tied to independent school brands; a decade on, in 2025, that figure had more than doubled, hitting just over 240.

For comparison, the entire international schools market grew by 45 per cent over the same time frame.

‘It’s just not cricket’

One experienced international school leader observes that, in the current climate, when the independent school sector in the UK is facing “huge challenges” - not least the introduction of VAT on fees - schools should be “supporting one another”, “sticking together” and living the values they aim to teach children, such as “honesty, loyalty and integrity”.

Referring to the transfer in Kazakhstan, they say: “These sorts of things look mucky, and they don’t position independent schools as having any sort of moral high ground. It’s just not cricket.”

Roskilly, meanwhile, says the watchwords for UK private schools should continue to be “caution and due diligence”.

He says: “UK schools - particularly charitable trust schools - often have reputations that have been built up over hundreds of years, and that can be damaged overnight.”

Dr Tristan Bunnell, an expert in international schools at the University of Bath, believes another danger for UK private schools is that they could undermine some of their appeal to parents if they start to be seen as too interchangeable through their overseas dealings. 

Bunnell says: “These schools in England do not directly compete with each other. Haileybury, for example, is seen as a unique route into the military or civil service. This activity overseas undermines that niche, unique image.”

Inevitable developments

In terms of some international schools being swallowed up by bigger brands, he believes this was “inevitable”.

“I would expect to see further consolidation within the market, with some of the smaller players being taken over by larger groups and brands,” Bunnell says.

As to the reasons for this, he says that “some earlier, pioneer arrangements may be ending their lives”, opening up the possibility of a change of partner school for operators.

Another trigger, says Bunnell, is increased competition - and the “major players” becoming more of a draw because they “have large networks, which can be attractive in terms of collaboration between schools and alumni”.

With regard to the Kazakhstan schools, the information online setting out the reasons for the change of owner puts a big emphasis on Wellington being “one of the world’s most established and globally respected educational groups”.

It points out that Wellington currently has five international schools, with six in the pipeline (including the Kazakhstan schools) and three further schools in China under the name Hiba Academy.

It talks up the opportunities that the transfer will bring for staff and students in terms of networking, as well as “collaboration and development”.

Long-term contracts

So, should any UK private schools that are feeling the pinch and considering raising income through overseas expansion think again? Could they put in the legwork only to be thwarted by a bigger brand?

Not necessarily, say some experienced operators in the sector, given that the connection between school and local funder can be quite personal. Perhaps they are a former pupil of the UK institution, meaning it’s very much about bringing that specific brand of education into a new context. 

Ross Barfoot also has some reassurance to offer on that front. He has been brokering deals between operators and UK private schools - including Reigate Grammar and Brighton College - for more than a decade as a partner at the law firm Dentons.

Contracts, he explains, tend to be “long”, with the partners “locked in” for 40 or 50 years.

“They’re locked in because there’s a sizeable investment that is required to develop these schools - it can take 10 years for the school to get up and running and hit maximum enrolment, and for the parties to see the full financial benefit.”

Termination rights form part of the deal, Barfoot says, “but it’s quite rare for a UK school to terminate an arrangement. Equally, it’s quite rare for an operator to terminate an arrangement”.

However, he also points out that, even with “the most watertight agreement in the world”, there could be a subsequent agreement to vary it.

“Regardless of what’s in the [original] agreement, the parties can come together and decide, ‘We want to do something different.’ If you have the agreement of all the parties, you can pretty much do what you want.”

However, “there will be some kind of compensation or some kind of termination fee”, he says - and deals are typically for the long term.

The reason for this is clear. “These are not joint ventures to establish a widget-making factory,” Barfoot points out. “There are students at the heart of this.”