Independent Schools

Helping Independent Schools Chart Bold Futures

Our experience with independent schools began in 1999 with our first strategic planning client. Since then, we have helped over 30 independent schools across Canada develop and execute their strategic plans. Recently, we expanded our products and services to other areas including board governance, staff engagement, stakeholder satisfaction, HR and talent management, sustainability, and wellness.

Schools We’ve Worked With

17

British Columbia

2

Alberta

1

Saskatchewan

2

Manitoba

4

Ontario

6

Quebec

+10

Further Reading

For more information about our work in this sector, check out our case studies.

  • York House School

    “Spark”-ing Purpose, Shaping Tomorrow Through Strategic Planning

    In 2023, York House School embarked on a transformative journey to create a bold, new strategic plan. With a new Head of School and a collaborative approach involving the Board, Leadership Team, and the broader community, the school aimed to reflect its evolving vision and position itself for ongoing success. The result was the launch of “Spark,” a strategic plan designed to ignite curiosity, inspire purpose, and empower change. This is the story of how we helped York House School bring their vision to life.

  • Stratford Hall

    Strategic Alignment: Strengthening Board Leadership at Stratford Hall School

    On September 21, 2024, Stratford Hall School conducted a critical Board retreat with the assistance of Berlineaton, focused on setting board priorities for the coming year. The session aimed to strengthen the Board’s effectiveness and clarify roles, with key outcomes centered on fundraising, governance, and aligning the Board with the school’s strategic vision. By gathering input from Board members and engaging in facilitated exercises, Stratford Hall reinforced its commitment to clear goals and actionable plans, ensuring a unified direction moving forward.

  • St. Paul’s High School

    From Plan to Action: The Implementation Advantage

    St. Paul’s High School in Winnipeg, an independent Jesuit Scholl with a history dating back to 1926, is committed to educating young men as whole persons, inspiring them to become ‘men for others’ and leaders in their communities. After completing a major strategic planning project, St. Paul’s re-engaged us to support the next phase of implementation, focusing on sustainability and leadership development. Our collaboration helped refine tactical plans, engage staff, and ensure measurable progress, ensuring that the strategic plan continued to drive success.

  • St. John’s-Ravenscourt School

    Shaping Vision, Mission, and Values for the Future

    St. John’s-Ravenscourt, a well-known independent school in Winnipeg, partnered with Berlineaton to refresh its vision, mission, and values as it approached the close of its current strategic plan. The goal was to ensure these foundational elements aligned with the school’s evolving aspirations and the needs of its community. This collaborative process set the stage for the next chapter of St. John’s-Ravenscourt’s journey, providing a strong foundation for future success. Read on to discover how our partnership helped shape the guiding principles that will drive the school forward.

  • St. George’s School

    Uniting Voices Through Community Consultation for Strategic Planning

    St. George’s School, a leading independent boys’ school in Vancouver, engaged Berlineaton to lead external consultations for its internally driven strategic planning process. By gathering valuable insights from students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni, the school ensured that its vision was directly aligned with the needs and aspirations of its community. This collaborative approach laid the foundation for a bold and impactful strategic plan. Read on to explore how our partnership helped shape a clear, future-focused direction for St. George’s School.

  • Southridge School

    Board Governance Project

    With a new Board Chair, a recently completed Campus Master Plan, and about to embark on CAIS re-accreditation, Southridge, a co-ed, K-12 independent day school located in South Surrey, BC, engaged Berlineaton to explore “what’s next” as a Board.

  • Havergal College

    Using Community Insights to Shape Strategic Direction

    Havergal College, an independent girls’ school in Toronto, embarked on a transformative strategic planning journey with Berlineaton, driven by community input and a new Head of School’s leadership. The resulting strategic plan, “Empowering Excellence,” reflects the voices and aspirations of the entire school community, from students and parents to staff and alumnae. This collaborative approach sets a bold and clear vision for Havergal’s future as a leader in education for young women. Read on to discover how our partnership helped shape this powerful plan.

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    • Your efforts in guiding the robust planning process that has resulted in UCC’s Strategic Directions were quite simply extraordinary; your partnership was integral to any success achieved. Thank you. I hope you are as proud of the final product as we are.

      Sam McKinney, Head of School,

      Upper Canada College

    • The knowledge and experience Berlineaton brought to the table were invaluable. From thoughtful planning to expert facilitation, their professionalism and skill led to the development of a very usable framework that our school will implement to guide generative discussions on each governance driver over the course of the academic year. Not only will the conversations be valuable in and of themselves, but they will also lead to the development of a clear strategy for the ongoing Board governance education program that will be equally important to new and seasoned Board members alike.

      Drew Stephens, Head of School,

      Southridge School

    • The emphasis on Strategic Management was important to us, since we didn't want a plan that sat on the shelf after several months of strategic thinking. I found that Berlineaton didn't come to our organization with a preconception of what our strategic plan would look like, but they made an authentic effort to understand the people in our community and be in tune with its ethos, its goals and its people. They gained trust and confidence and continue to work with us on the implementation of our tactical plan.

      Head of School in Victoria,

      British Columbia

    • Berlineaton’s approach to strategy development and execution is a great way to re-visit our current plan and not only discuss and see where we were but to dream about where we will go next.

      Board Member,

      Balmoral Hall School

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      Shelly Berlin

      BA, MBA, FCMC, ACC
      Strategist, Confidante, Entrepreneur.

      Shelly is a co-founding partner of Berlineaton and has over 25 years’ experience in management consulting in strategy, process improvement and leader development.  

      She’s worked extensively with public and private sector organizations, and she is a professional facilitator, expert in the design, development, and execution of strategy. She is a certified executive coach and a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants. 

      Shelly’s passion is to help leaders and their organizations achieve extraordinary success through bold thinking, courageous risk taking and disciplined action planning. Dark chocolate helps too.

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      Mackenzie Farrell

      BSC, MMgmt, CMC
      Collaborator, Community Builder, Go-Getter.

      Mackenzie is a Senior Consultant at Berlineaton, known for her experience in strategy development and execution. She brings an innate sense of curiosity, meticulous attention to detail, and a strong interpersonal focus to all aspects of her work. She works across all practice areas to support leaders in creating stronger, more effective organizations.

      Mackenzie specializes in working with independent schools, helping them to navigate unique challenges and build stronger, more sustainable institutions. She has worked with over 20 schools across Canada.

      With a deep-seated passion in helping organizations foster visionary futures for themselves, Mackenzie excels in guiding organizations through an engagement and people-centric approach on growth and improvement. Her strategic insights and commitment ensure that her clients achieve sustainable success.

      Outside of the office, she can be found taking advantage of all the world-class access to nature that the West Coast of Canada has to offer, including her favourite past times, skiing, surfing, and hiking with her husband and dog Molson.