What does O'Keeffe Education Consultancy do?

OEC is an independent education consultancy supporting investors, founders, owners and boards across the UAE, GCC and Saudi Arabia. It works across five areas: quality assurance and inspection readiness; governance and board advisory; leadership and school improvement; early years and nursery excellence; and strategic advisory and due diligence.

Who does OEC work with?

Investors, family offices, founders, owners, boards and senior leadership teams of schools, nurseries and education groups.

Which regions does OEC serve?

The UAE, the wider GCC and Saudi Arabia. OEC is based in Dubai and has operated in the UAE education sector since 1995.

What makes OEC independent?

OEC has no affiliation with regulators, inspection bodies or training providers. The only interest is the client's success, which allows a candid, evidence-based view that is difficult to obtain from anyone with a stake in the outcome.

Which regulatory frameworks does OEC know?

KHDA, SPEA, the UAE School Inspection Framework, the ECCE Quality Framework, Loughat Al Daad, NEASC accreditation and BSO accreditation, across British and American curricula.

Who is Janet O'Keeffe?

Janet O'Keeffe is the founder of OEC, with more than 25 years at executive and board level in UAE education as a teacher, school leader, director, board member and chair of governance. She has been based in Dubai since 1995.

How do engagements work?

Every engagement begins with a no-obligation conversation. Scope, milestones and investment stages are agreed before work begins, the view is always independent, and impact is measurable.

Independent Education Advisory · UAE · GCC · Saudi Arabia

O'Keeffe Education Consultancy

Independent advice from someone who has sat in every chair.

Janet O'Keeffe · Educator · Adviser · Advocate

Partnering with investors, founders, owners and boards to help schools, nurseries and education groups become the best versions of themselves — across the UAE, GCC and Saudi Arabia. Locally grounded. Independently minded. Quietly uncompromising about quality.

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Janet O'Keeffe

Educator · Adviser · Advocate

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30+

Years in education

1995

In the UAE since

Governance

& board leadership

British & American

Curriculum expertise

BSO & NEASC

Accreditation experience

Early Years

Specialist

Services

Five areas of practice, one consistent standard

Most clients begin with a single focused engagement. Many continue as a long term advisory relationship. The full detail of each area lives on the Services page.

For owners, principals and boards

OEC conducts independent quality assurance reviews, validates self-evaluation against the evidence, and supports leaders in identifying the priorities that improve children's learning, wellbeing, inclusion and continuous improvement. Through candid evaluation and a senior leadership debrief, schools and nurseries gain a precise understanding of their strengths and the priorities for improvement. It is work Janet has led from the inside, preparing schools and nurseries for inspection under both KHDA and SPEA.

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For owners, boards and founding families

OEC strengthens governance, safeguarding, inclusion and wellbeing oversight, ensuring boards keep a clear focus on outcomes for all learners, including students of determination. Independent governor support and retained board advisory provide an experienced, independent educational voice alongside owners and leaders. Having served at once as board member, chair of governance and executive leader inside major UAE education groups, Janet works alongside owners and boards as a natural counterpart.

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For owners and senior leaders

OEC supports sustainable school improvement through leadership development, strategic change and organisational capacity building, guiding organisations through transition and coaching principals and senior leaders through the decisions that define a year. The emphasis is on cultures of continuous improvement that strengthen outcomes for children and young people.

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For founders, owners and nursery operators

The first years shape whether a child feels secure, whether they belong, and how they come to see learning for the rest of their lives. Quality here is never about a beautiful room or a compliant file. It is about understanding how young children actually learn, and building settings where children, families and educators all flourish.

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For investors, family offices and groups

Independent due diligence, feasibility and market entry advice, and the integration support that decides whether an acquisition actually performs. This is the senior, specialist end of the practice: the view the financials do not show. Drawing on extensive experience across British and American curriculum settings, OEC contributes educational judgement, governance insight and quality assurance expertise alongside specialist teams supporting school establishment, transition and growth.

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Timely · Inspection Readiness

From the 2026-27 academic year, KHDA resumes quality assurance visits in Dubai, with schools given no more than 24 hours' notice of a full inspection or a monitoring visit. Many have not been formally inspected since 2023-24. An independent review beforehand is the difference between confidence and exposure.

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The Difference

What sets OEC apart

A genuine early years specialist

From the classroom to the KHDA ECCE Quality Framework, with deep early years and EYFS expertise.

Board-level governance

Chair of governance experience inside major UAE education groups, not theory.

Establishment from scratch

Nurseries opened from first concept to confident opening and first inspection.

A critical friend

Independent, candid challenge from someone with no stake in the outcome.

How We Work

Working with OEC

Independent by design

Not the regulator. Not in house. An unconflicted view, shaped by genuine experience of the decisions that matter most.

A conversation, not a template

Every engagement begins with an open discussion of what you need, and scope and milestones are agreed before any work begins.

Senior throughout

You work with Janet directly, supported where the scale of a project requires it by a trusted network of specialist associates, without the overhead of a large firm.

Measurable impact

Every engagement is judged on outcomes: a successful licensing decision, a stronger inspection result, a board that functions, a school that improves.

Children always at the centre

Every recommendation balances the ambitions of owners and investors with an unwavering focus on educational quality and outcomes for children.

Client Voices

What partners say

Governance, Integrity & Board Partnership

“

Having served alongside Janet as a fellow board member, I saw her navigate the complex relationship between owners, governors and school leaders with an unwavering focus on what is best for children and families. She is a trusted adviser whose credibility, professionalism and commitment to excellence make her an outstanding partner for school owners, boards and educational organisations.

Pamela Haidat

Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales · Partner, Ibrahim Alserkal Advocates and Legal Consultants LLC

Strategic Oversight & Organisational Performance

“

Janet brought exceptional strategic oversight, governance expertise and operational insight. She consistently provided clarity, challenge and support, helping leaders make decisions that strengthened both organisational performance and outcomes for children.

Keith Miller FRSA FCCT

International Executive Principal, UAE and GCC

School Improvement & Leadership Support

“

During a demanding period of school improvement, she gave our leadership team clear direction, thoughtful challenge and unwavering support, and her impact showed in the real, measurable progress we made together.

Suzanne Rodricks

Vice Principal & Head of Primary, Bahrain

Leadership Development & Coaching

“

What sets Janet apart is her ability to combine warmth, wisdom and professional challenge. She helped strengthen leadership practice while always keeping children at the heart of decision making.

Gaynor Dale

Head of Primary / Vice Principal

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Whether you lead a school or nursery, sit on a board, own a group, or are weighing an investment in the region's education market, the first conversation costs nothing.

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