Case Study:
Acquisitions with a Twist:
The Village School of Naples' Unique Approach to Growth
Prefer to listen to case study on the go?
Subscribe to the private podcast feed! It's free.
In this insightful interview, Dennis Chapman, Head of School at The Village School of Naples, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how acquiring the college guidance program Quest for Success harmonized with the school's objectives and aligned with its strategy to grow its new upper school division.
It was the right acquisition at the right time.
Hear how Dennis and his team:
• Grew enrollment by 54%.
• Nearly quadrupled the size of their upper school.
• Enhanced the school's college counseling services and raised its community profile.
• Enabled the school to provide college placement services to over 500 students from all over Collier County, Florida.
Chapman's reflections offer a unique perspective on growing an independent school and serve as a blueprint for alternative ways to approach acquisition as a growth strategy.
Video Chapters
To access the chapters in the video, hover your mouse over the timeline and select the chapter of interest. For a text-based guide, scroll down to find a detailed list of chapters with corresponding timestamps below the video. These options allow you to easily navigate and explore specific topics covered in the video.
Introduction to the Village School and Dennis Chapman (00:00:00 - 00:01:05)
History of The Village School (00:01:06 - 00:02:48)
Chapman's Leadership Journey (00:02:49 - 00:04:21)
Challenges in Growing Upper School Enrollment (00:04:22 - 00:06:19)
Building and Leading Schools: A Personal Narrative (00:06:20 - 00:08:45)
Innovative Approaches to College Counseling (00:08:46 - 00:11:45)
Acquisition of Quest for Success: A Strategic Move (00:11:46 - 00:14:30)
Developing and Implementing a College Admission Strategy (00:14:31 - 00:18:09)
Overcoming Challenges in Mergers and Acquisitions (00:18:10 - 00:22:49)
Future Aspirations and Strategic Growth (00:22:50 - 00:27:11)
Closing Thoughts and Reflections (00:27:12 - 00:34:31)
Transcript
Click here to access a view-only copy of the transcript. Select File > Make a copy to save the transcript to your laptop or Google Drive.
Discussion Prompts
Strategic Growth and Challenges: How can our school emulate the successful growth strategies of The Village School, and what challenges might we face in this process?
College Guidance Programs: What innovative approaches can we adopt to enhance our college guidance services, and how can we measure their effectiveness?
Acquisitions and Partnerships: How can strategic acquisitions or partnerships benefit our school, and what factors should we consider before pursuing them? Let's brainstorm five ideas together.
Future Aspirations and Planning: Based on The Village School's journey, how can we shape our future strategies to ensure sustainable growth and continued impact on our students and community?
