Helping Educators Explore What Comes Next

A practical starting point for experienced teachers and school leaders who are beginning to question what life beyond the classroom could look like, and want to explore it thoughtfully, not impulsively.

After nearly 20 years in education, including leadership roles as Deputy Head and Head of School, I made the decision to step outside the traditional system and build something different.

House of Orkney Education began as a small tuition practice and has grown into a calm, creative learning space for children and families.

Along the way, more and more educators began asking the same questions:
How did you do it?
And could I do something like that too?

This page is here to help you start exploring those questions - with clarity, not guesswork.

From Head of School to Education Entrepreneur

Leaving school leadership wasn’t a quick decision.

I loved working with children and supporting staff, but over time I began to realise that the system I was working within didn’t always allow for the kind of calm, creative learning environments I believed children needed.

So I began building something different.

Today, I run small-group learning hubs, work with families across the North East, and design learning experiences that focus on confidence, curiosity and wellbeing.

Alongside this, I now support other educators who are beginning to explore how their skills could translate beyond the classroom.

Are you an educator thinking about this more often than you admit?

• Could I use my skills outside the classroom?
• What would replacing my income actually require?
• Is building something of my own even realistic?
• How do other educators make this transition safely?

You’re not the only one!

For many educators, these questions start quietly…
on a Sunday evening, during a long half term, or in the gaps between everything else.

But they don’t go away.

This is for you if:

• You’re an experienced teacher or school leader
• You feel a growing misalignment with the current system
• You’ve started wondering what else you could do with your skills
• You want to explore options without making a risky leap
• You need clarity before making any big decisions

These resources are designed to help you move from: “I don’t know if leaving is even possible…” to “I understand what this could realistically look like for me.”

Resources for Educators Exploring What Comes Next

These guides are designed for experienced educators who want to explore their options carefully, thoughtfully and with a clear understanding of what is involved.

The Education Business Blueprint

A strategic framework for experienced educators who want to build something of their own — thoughtfully, safely and with integrity.

This guide shares the structured process I used to move from senior leadership into building an independent education business.

It’s designed for educators who feel the pull to do something different, but want to make careful, responsible decisions.

Inside the Blueprint, you will:

• Redefine what success looks like for you
• Follow a structured process for modelling income replacement
• Explore sustainable education business models (1:1, small group, hybrid)
• Learn how to stabilise income before expanding
• Understand key considerations like safeguarding, compliance and foundations

This will help you:

• Move from idea to structure
• Avoid common mistakes when starting out
• Build something that is sustainable, not reactive

This is not about impulsively leaving teaching.
It’s about architecting a new professional model deliberately.