Open an Independent School
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ExploreRetained Advisory Service
Independent schools and alternative provisions operate in a demanding regulatory environment. Standards change, guidance updates, inspection frameworks evolve, and complex situations emerge with little warning. Having a trusted expert on call — someone who knows your setting, understands the regulations, and is just a phone call away — turns regulatory pressure into manageable, well-handled day-to-day work.
What Is Our Retained Advisory Service?
The Retained Advisory Service is an ongoing professional relationship between your setting and a named senior advisor. For an agreed annual fee, you get on-call expert advice across the full range of regulatory, leadership, safeguarding, governance, and inspection matters that affect independent schools and alternative provisions.
It is a peace-of-mind service. Whatever arises — a tricky parental complaint, a safeguarding question, a Material Change consideration, a sudden inspection call — you have an experienced advisor at the end of the phone.
Who Is This Service For?
It is designed for proprietors, headteachers, and governors of independent schools — full registration and BSO — and for registered and unregistered alternative provisions. It works particularly well for smaller settings without in-house regulatory expertise, and for schools and AP providers who want a steady external voice across the year.
We're here for youNot sure whether this is what you need? Talk it through with us first.
What Does the Service Cover?
Each retainer is shaped to your needs, but typical inclusions are:
- A named senior advisor for the year
- Unlimited telephone and email advice on regulatory and operational matters
- Annual policy and Independent School Standards check
- Termly review of safeguarding practice and KCSIE compliance
- Material Change advice and application support
- Inspection readiness advice and updates on framework changes
- Support with complaints, allegations, and difficult parental situations
- Governance and proprietor body support
- Advice on staffing, leadership, and operational decisions
- Annual on-site visit and written summary
How Does the Retained Advisory Service Help Your Setting?
1
Have an expert on call
Regulatory questions rarely arrive at convenient times. With a retainer, you have an experienced advisor available whenever you need a steady, professional voice.
2
Stay current with changing guidance
ISS, KCSIE and inspection frameworks all change. Your retained advisor keeps you ahead of the changes and tells you exactly what to do about them.
3
Handle difficult situations well
When something serious arises — a complaint, an allegation, a sudden inspection — you need experienced advice immediately. The retainer makes sure you have it.
4
Strengthen safeguarding all year round
Termly safeguarding reviews keep your practice tight and your culture sharp, between formal audits and inspections.
5
Plan Material Changes properly
Changes of age range, capacity, or address require careful regulatory handling. We help you plan and execute them without disruption.
6
Support governance and proprietor bodies
Many independent schools and APs have small governance teams. We provide the technical expertise and external perspective they need.
7
Get value across the year
Many ad-hoc questions, taken individually, would cost more than the retainer. A single annual fee gives you certainty and predictability.
Book a quick, friendly callTwenty minutes with Shaun, our Founder and CEO, to explore how we can help you.
How the Retainer Works
- 1We meet to understand your setting, your structure, and your priorities.
- 2We agree the level of retainer, the inclusions, and the named advisor.
- 3Your advisor is available across the year by phone and email.
- 4We carry out termly safeguarding and policy checks as agreed.
- 5We visit once a year on site and provide a written summary for proprietors and governors.
- 6We respond rapidly to urgent matters as and when they arise.
What You Get Across the Year
Across the retainer, you receive:
- On-call expert advice from a named senior advisor
- Termly safeguarding checks and updates
- Annual ISS and policy review
- An annual on-site visit and written summary
- Material Change and inspection advice as required
- Peace of mind that an expert is always within reach
Arrange a chatTell us your timescale and we'll tell you honestly whether we can meet it.
Key Features of Our Service
Named senior advisor
— You work with the same trusted expert across the year, who comes to know your setting in depth.
Always available
— We respond quickly to calls and emails, including urgent matters.
Predictable, value-driven cost
— A single annual fee covers wide-ranging advice and removes ad-hoc cost surprises.
Why Choose Jarvis Education?
Our advisors have led independent schools, run alternative provisions, and worked with inspectorates. We know exactly what the regulator expects and what good practice looks like. With a retainer in place, that expertise is permanently at your shoulder — not just on the day of inspection.
Next Steps & How to Get Started
- Speak to one of our experts. We will listen to your setting’s needs and recommend the right level of retainer.
- Once we agree the scope, we confirm everything in writing and introduce your named advisor. From that point on, you are never alone with a difficult question.
- Contact us today to discuss how a Retained Advisory Service can support your independent school or alternative provision.
- We are ready to be the expert at your shoulder.
Who We Work With
We support settings of every type across England and internationally.
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Ready to make a change?
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Talk to us about Retained Advisory Service
Leave your details and Shaun, our Founder and CEO, will get back to you. No pressure, no obligation, just a friendly chat.
- A response within two working days, guaranteed
- You speak to our Founder and CEO, nobody else
- Initial conversations are always free
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