How we work
A small number
of schools,
done properly.
ClearFrame is not built for scale. It is built for substance. This page describes how an engagement takes shape, what it tends to look like, and the questions schools most often ask before deciding whether we are the right fit.
From first conversation to closing meeting
Four stages.
No sales process. No deck. The shape of every engagement follows the same four stages, regardless of which service we are delivering.
Conversation
A direct exchange — usually an hour, by video — to understand what the school is navigating and whether ClearFrame is the right adviser for it. No pitch, no commitment.
Proposal
If there is a fit, a clear written proposal: scope, deliverables, timeline, fees, data and IP arrangements. If there isn't, an honest steer toward someone who is better placed.
Delivery
The work itself — in person where useful, remote where sensible. Personally delivered, not subcontracted. Regular check-ins to keep the school's leadership in the loop and the work on course.
Close
A documented handover, a closing meeting, and a clear answer to the question "what next?" — whether that's a further phase of work or none. No retention engineering.
Shape and scale
What an engagement tends to look like.
Three patterns recur. Most engagements fall close to one of these — though every school is different, and the exact shape is built around what the school actually needs.
Focused project
A defined piece of work with a clear deliverable — typically four to eight weeks. Examples: an AI readiness assessment with a draft strategy; an inspection self-evaluation with evidence audit; a senior leadership recruitment process from candidate brief to appointment recommendation.
Extended advisory
A continuing relationship across an academic year or longer, with a fixed allocation of days. The school knows ClearFrame is there as a thinking partner — for strategy work, leadership coaching, governance review, or whatever sequence of issues emerges.
Workshop or session
A single intervention — staff CPD, a governors' briefing, an SLT away day, a leadership team coaching session. Often the start of a longer relationship, but valuable on its own terms.
Approach to fees
Transparent, scoped, and aligned to the work.
Fees are quoted against a clearly defined scope, not against hours. Schools should know up front what the engagement will cost and what they will get for it. Where work expands meaningfully beyond the original scope, that conversation happens openly before the meter starts, not after.
For workshops and single sessions, a fixed day rate. For projects, a project fee with payment milestones. For extended advisory, a retainer covering an agreed number of days per term. Specific figures are quoted in the proposal once the scope is clear — there is no useful published rate, because no two engagements are the same.
Frequently asked
Questions schools ask.
If the question you wanted to ask isn't here, send it to hello@clearframeeducation.com. We will add it if it's one that recurs.
Who will actually deliver the work?
In ClearFrame's first year, all work is delivered personally by the founder, Rod Boswell. From Year Two onwards, ClearFrame is building a small associate network of experienced practitioners — but associate engagements are always introduced openly, never subcontracted in the background. Schools always know who they will be working with before they commit.
Do you only work with international schools?
international schools — BSO-accredited or working to British curriculum frameworks — are ClearFrame's primary focus, because that is where the depth of experience lies. Schools outside that category are considered case by case. We are honest about fit: where another adviser is better suited, we say so.
Can you work with a school remotely?
Yes. Most engagements involve a mix of in-person and remote work — typically with periodic on-site visits for the work that genuinely needs to happen in the building, and remote delivery for everything else. The right balance depends on the engagement.
How do you handle confidentiality and data?
Every engagement is covered by a written confidentiality agreement. Client materials are not shared with third parties, including AI tools, without explicit prior agreement on which tools, what data, and on what terms. Data handling is taken as seriously in our own practice as we expect it to be taken in the schools we advise.
Do you take referral fees or have affiliate relationships?
No. ClearFrame is advisory-only, with no recruitment commissions, no software referral fees, and no affiliate relationships. The advice you receive is shaped by the school's interests, not by what someone else is paying us. This is a deliberate constraint, and it isn't going to change.
How quickly can an engagement start?
For an initial conversation, within a week or two. For the work itself, it depends on what is already on ClearFrame's plate — but typically within four to six weeks of proposal acceptance. Genuinely urgent situations are accommodated where possible, but not at the cost of work already committed to other schools.
Ready to talk?
If you're exploring whether ClearFrame might be the right fit for your school, the starting point is a conversation.
Get in touch