Governance of a network of schools: who decides what, and at which level
· 5 min read
A network of schools rarely operates according to a single governance model. Depending on whether an institution is directly managed, franchised or bound by a partnership agreement, decisions are not taken at the same level or by the same bodies. Understanding this distribution is essential for any head of institution, project owner or academic partner considering joining an education network.
Why the governance of a network is never uniform
An education group that develops directly managed institutions, a network of franchisees and academic partnerships all at once is in fact managing several types of relationships, each with its own decision-making balance. Confusing these relationships — treating a franchisee as a mere branch, or an academic partner as an institution of the group — is a recurring source of misunderstanding. The first step is therefore to clearly distinguish the three models.
Direct management: centralised decision-making
In a directly managed institution, the major orientations — curriculum, brand policy, recruitment of management teams, major investments — are the responsibility of the group. The institution has operational autonomy over day-to-day matters, but operates within a centrally defined framework. This is the most integrated model: responsibility and control are concentrated at group level.
Franchise: supervised autonomy
In a franchise model, the franchisee is an independent business owner, who owns their legal entity and is responsible for its day-to-day management: learner recruitment, relations with local companies, team management. The franchisor, for its part, defines and enforces:
- the brand and its use;
- the standards of teaching and administrative quality;
- the regulatory compliance framework (authorisations, quality certification);
- the tools and methods made available to the network.
This balance between the franchisee's entrepreneurial autonomy and the framework imposed by the franchisor must be precisely defined in the franchise agreement, so that each party knows exactly where its decision-making latitude ends.
Academic partnership: decisions shared between governing bodies
A partnership between an education group and a private or public institution — dual degree, international exchanges, host institution — rests on a different principle: that of decisions shared between the governing bodies of each institution. A partnership agreement binds both parties only after validation by the competent bodies of each of them. No institution can unilaterally impose its standards on the other: the partnership is built on a negotiated complementarity, formalised by an agreement that specifies the exact scope of the cooperation.
This mode of governance is fundamentally different from franchise: there is no equity link or subordination to a common brand, but a contractual agreement between two entities that remain fully autonomous outside the scope defined by the agreement.
Questions to ask before joining a network
Whether you are a franchise project owner or a head of institution considering a partnership, a few questions help clarify governance before any commitment:
- Who decides on brand and communication policy?
- Who validates the teaching content and its evolution?
- Who bears the legal and financial responsibility for the institution?
- Which bodies must validate an agreement, and according to what timetable?
- What mechanisms exist to resolve a disagreement between the parties?
The role of the group's central bodies
At the level of the group itself, governance generally rests on distinct bodies depending on the subjects addressed: strategic governance, which sets development orientations and arbitrates major investment choices, and operational steering functions, which ensure compliance with quality standards within the network, whether for directly managed institutions or franchisees. This organisation makes it possible to separate the decisions that commit the group's future from those that fall under the routine monitoring of compliance and teaching quality.
A head of institution or project owner joining a network has every interest in understanding this organisation before committing: it determines who, within the group, is their legitimate contact depending on the nature of their request — a question of academic compliance does not fall under the same level of decision-making as a strategic question about the evolution of the network.
What governance changes on a daily basis
Beyond principles, governance translates concretely into the life of an institution: who validates the recruitment of a key position, who approves a change in fees, who authorises a specific local communication, or who arbitrates in the event of a disagreement between an institution and the group. These rules, often appended to the franchise agreement or the partnership agreement, deserve to be read carefully before signing: they define the reality of how the network operates far more than the general principles set out in the preamble.
The BSG Group approach
BSG Group structures its network governance by explicitly distinguishing these models: its directly managed schools, the institutions it supports under franchise, and the institutions with which it builds academic partnerships. This distinction allows each stakeholder to know precisely, from the first contact, what type of relationship they are entering into and what decision-making balance follows from it.
FAQ
Can a franchisee modify the curriculum of their institution?
No: the curriculum falls under the standards defined by the franchisor, which the franchisee undertakes to comply with under the franchise agreement. The franchisee does, however, retain autonomy over the operational management of their institution.
Does an academic partnership involve an equity stake between the institutions?
No: an academic partnership rests on a cooperation agreement between legally autonomous institutions, validated by the governing bodies of each, with no equity link between the parties.
How do I know which relationship model matches my project?
It depends on your objective: running an institution under the brand falls under franchise, while making two existing institutions cooperate falls under partnership. A discussion with the group's team helps clarify the model suited to your situation.
Do you represent an institution and wish to explore a partnership with BSG Group? Discover our partnership offering.
