The advisory practice and the people behind it

About

Natalia Ambridge FRSA

MA · BA(Hons) · PG Dip · PGCE QTS

Founder. Former Head of School. International Accreditation Evaluator (Council of International Schools).

Natalia Ambridge has held senior leadership positions across British international and UK independent schools in four countries: the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, Oman, and Türkiye. Her career has progressed through every tier of school leadership, from Deputy Head through Head of Prep to whole-school Principal.

Her work has covered whole-school transformation, integrated STEAM model design, rapid school improvement in the UK, and pastoral and organisational redesign in the Gulf region.

She retrained as a teacher after a decade in international publishing, where she was English Editor of Horus and Ahlan Wasahlan, the in-flight magazines of EgyptAir and Saudi Airlines. The editorial discipline of those years still shapes the written work the practice produces today.

She has mentored teachers into senior leadership and headship positions. She also coaches current Heads, drawing on her own time in the role.

The Panel

Senior practitioners who have led schools, not studied them from the outside.

Sigve Austheim

MBA · BA · BA · BA · PGCE · Dip

Head of School · Executive Consultant

Nearly two decades of senior leadership in international and multicultural school contexts, underpinned by fourteen years as a classroom teacher. Translates strategic goals into disciplined, high-impact practice. Has led whole-school initiatives across student achievement, engagement, and wellbeing, combining strategic planning, stakeholder management, and performance monitoring with collaborative cultures rooted in innovation. Focused on balancing academic rigour with care, inclusion, and strong pastoral systems.

Sarah Zarzo

MEd · B.Ed(Hons)

Head of School · Executive Consultant

Thirty-plus years across preschool and primary education, curriculum innovation, and accreditation. Currently Director of Preschool, Primary and STEAM Programmes at the British International School Istanbul. Principal roles across six countries. Specialist in the IB Primary Years Programme and Reggio Emilia approaches, with deep STEAM-integration expertise. Has served on fourteen NEASC and CIS accreditation teams. Author of published STEAM-integration frameworks. Fluent Spanish.

Hasan Hasanov

PhD · MSc · PGCE

Head of School · Executive Consultant

Educator, School Director, and consultant with a strong record in teacher professional development, international Olympiads, and global academic competitions. Designs and leads professional learning programmes covering classroom management, child protection, school-parent communication, wellbeing, and the role of homeroom teachers. Foundation as a Biology educator across KS3, KS4, and IGCSE. Former Head of Biology, now consulting on whole-school improvement. Based in Azerbaijan.

Bartola Mavrić

BA · MA Special Education · MSc · PhDc

Inclusive Education & UDL Consultant

Inclusive education specialist with two master's degrees and doctoral research in Business Management. Works across the IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme, Cambridge International Curriculum, and IGCSE. Designs support frameworks that enable schools to deliver strong academic outcomes alongside equitable access. Has established and led student support departments and embedded inclusive practice across school culture aligned with Universal Design for Learning. Based in Türkiye.