Advisory and retainers
Ongoing access to specialist expertise in assessment, capability frameworks, learning design, and improvement systems.
What you’ll get
A trusted thinking partner who can help solve complex problems, review work, challenge assumptions, and accelerate projects without the cost of a full-time specialist.
Why choose us
We bring deep expertise in assessment, developmental thinking, and capability design.
We help organisations move from vague ideas and inconsistent judgement to practical, evidence-informed systems.
How it works
Each retainer is shaped around your context and priorities, then structured to give you support where it counts most.
1
Identify priorities
We clarify your goals, challenges,
and opportunities, then agree on where advisory support will have the greatest impact.
2
Work alongside you
We provide regular advice, feedback, reviews, and strategic input tailored to your projects and team.
3
Build capability
Over time, your team develops stronger systems, clearer thinking,
and greater confidence in making decisions.
FAQs
How does a retainer work?
Retainers provide ongoing access to expertise through regular meetings, reviews, feedback, and project support. The exact structure depends on
your needs.
Who is this service for?
Schools, education organisations, training providers, government agencies, and businesses looking for ongoing support with learning, assessment, capability, or improvement initiatives.
What can you advise on?
Assessment design, developmental rubrics, capability frameworks, learning progressions, professional learning, evaluation, curriculum design, AI in education, and improvement systems.
Let’s start something
If you’re trying to define growth more clearly, build a progression that holds up, or stop your assessment language drifting into vague territory, a discovery call is the fastest way to work out whether this is a fit.
His guidance drew on deep expertise, allowing us to quickly and effectively create a high-quality assessment tool.
Ben Taylor
The English Lab
Together, we transformed the original Seven Steps rubrics for narrative, persuasive and informative writing - making them far more robust and explicit.
Sarah Bakker
Seven Steps
Ben delivered an outstanding professional learning session on developing rubrics, expertly engaging staff with practical strategies and getting everyone on board.
Sally Morath
Deputy Principal Oak Park Primary
Pattern Re:Cognition
Occasional notes on assessment, learning design, and patterns worth paying attention to.