Neal Brown

Neal Brown has spent more than two decades in and around public, private, bilingual and international schools. He has lived in Switzerland for nineteen years and is based in Canton Zurich.

Neal began his career as a primary teacher in England, working with children across the full primary age range. During that period he also led curriculum innovation projects and served as a team leader and marker for a major UK examination board, before moving to Switzerland.

Across his Swiss career he has worked at two international and bilingual school organisations, across four campuses on the shores of Lake Zürich and an earlier period in Basel, progressing from teaching through senior leadership to directorship.

Most recently, Neal spent thirteen years at a multi-site multilingual organisation, joining as Deputy Head of School with responsibility for kindergarten and primary education, and then serving ten years as School Director. The school grew to four campuses during his tenure, eventually spanning early years to secondary. Over that period staff numbers doubled, from around fifty to more than a hundred and ten, student numbers grew to more than three hundred, and the school achieved thirteen consecutive years of enrolment growth. It also achieved unusually strong staff retention: more than seventy percent of teaching staff stayed for five years or more, and over a third for ten years or more.

Academic outcomes through that time were consistently strong. Ninety-seven percent of students reached expected UK reading and writing levels, with more than half exceeding them. Students performed consistently well in standardised German and Mathematics assessments, every candidate entered for DELF examinations passed, and around three-quarters of eligible students gained admission to Gymnasium or Progymnasium pathways.

Alongside the school's growth, Neal co-led the launch of new secondary provision, extending the organisation from primary into Gymnasium-level education. His work spanned curriculum design and assessment alignment, timetabling, staffing and HR, financial discipline, regulatory approvals, and the operational realities of running and significantly growing schools. He led admissions and parent engagement personally, running open days, information evenings and campus tours, and he mentored newly appointed location leaders at each campus into greater responsibility. He also led the school through the COVID-19 pandemic, during which it continued to grow.

That experience is the foundation of everything Neal does. When he works with a board, a head, or a family, he draws on direct operational knowledge of how schools function, where the pressure points lie, and what separates well-run institutions from those that struggle. His work is grounded in lived practice rather than theoretical frameworks.

Beyond his professional work, Neal also brings a parent's view of the Swiss system. His own children have attended private bilingual, Swiss public and Gymnasium schools, so he understands it from the family side as well as the leadership side.

Neal holds an MA in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Bath, the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). He has also lectured in primary English pedagogy at PH Zürich (Zürich University of Teacher Training).

For schools, his work is available worldwide, on site or remotely, and is not tied to any particular curriculum framework or region. For families, the practice is focused on Switzerland, particularly Canton Zurich.