About LIEC
Langford International Education Consultancy Ltd was established in late 2012 so the founder could share her varied and broad experience and expertise with international schools and families on a cost-effective project basis.
Mary Langford draws on her 40+ years of experience in international school to provide the following services to schools and families:
Founding and Managing the iLLTC (International Language and Literature Teachers’ Consultancy) serving self-taught mother
tongue IB Language A students.
School Placement Advice and Orientation for International Children and Families (Independently and as a Consultant with the Good Schools Guide).
Providing International Transition and Cultural Support for Families, Schools and International Companies and Organisations
Consultancy Services for International Schools:including Start Up Schools; School Admission Policies, Procedures and Documents
Talks and workshops on International Education and International Schools
Mary Langford, Director
Mary Langford, Director
Following a 40+year career in international schools Mary Langford has continued to support
international schools, families and students through her consultancy work.
From 2012-2014 she served as the lead consultant to the parent-founders of Halcyon London International School which opened in September 2013 as the first not-for-profit IB school in Central London. This involved planning the conversion of the building (a former rabbinical college) into a functioning school building, developing and drafting the statutory policies required for the school, seeking registration from the Department for Education, preparation for the initial pre-opening OFSTED visit, and liaising with the IBO for authorisation to introduce the IB Middle Years Programme, to be followed by the IB Diploma Programme. Mary participated in the interview and selection of the founding staff, and helped to manage the marketing strategy of the school, speaking at various functions for prospective funders and applicants. The school opened its doors in September 2013, and became a pilot school for the NEASC ACE Accreditation programme.
Since 2013, Mary has been a visiting lecturer for an international teacher training degree programme at Absalon University in Denmark, (formerly University College Zealand, part of the ITEPS International Teacher Education for Primary School) consortium involving universities in Scandinavia and Netherlands. Mary is invited annually, in person or virtually,
to lecture on international education and international schools, mobility and transition, language issues, and understanding international school accreditation.
Since 2021. Mary has worked as a part of the team of Caroline Scott’s Across Cultures programme, providing intensive online professional development for teachers and school leaders seeking to improve the provision of multilingualism in their schools. This entails rigorous 4-day, 6 hour sessions with educators based in Southeast and Southern Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America with session on mobility and the profile of third culture kids, enhanced admissions, considerations for mother tongue provision, and developing language policies. This also includes participating in pre-training road map meetings with the leadership of participant schools.
Mary continues to present on the subject of international families and transition and understanding third culture kids. Herself a TCK, Mary is passionate about this area which was the subject of her Master’s Degree Thesis at the University of Bath. Since founding her consultancy, Mary has done presentation and workshops on this topic to school parent
associations (London, Istanbul, Brussels, Havana, and virtually in Shanghai and Lisbon), teachers, school leaders and boards, admissions directors, relocation professionals, at international education and training conferences UK Diplomatic Service Family Association – DFSA, Belgian Foreign Ministry (virtually during the pandemic), American Women’s Club of
London, Shell Outpost, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the European Banking Association, Association of Relocation Professionals – ARP, European Association of Relocation Agents – EURA, FOCUS Information Services, University of Bath, and NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum, UK).
She has been interviewed for international expat blogs and podcasts, newspapers, radio (UK) and television (Spain) on the subject of international education, the International Baccalaureate Programmes, and the effects of international mobility on children and families.
She has presented a session entitled How Schools Should Serve International Students and Families on behalf of the Good Schools Guide at the 2019 Festival of Education at Wellington College, and has spoken on TCKs at the Wellington College EdFest in China in 2022. Her work has taken her to over 90 international schools in the Middle and Far East, South and Southeast Asia, North Africa, Europe, and North, Central and South America.
Mary is happy to share her experience with any organisation – schools, relocation or corporate bodies – who seek to improve how they serve and support internationally mobile families and students.
LIEC Clients & Schools
Since its launch in September 2013, The International Language and Literature Teachers’ Cooperative (ILLTC) is pleased to have had mother tongue language consultants working with students in the over 100 IB World Schools in more than 40 countries:
Across Cultures: instructor/virtual teacher trainer on EAL and bilingualism for international and bilingual school teachers and middle leaders (International Schools Parnership and British School of Rio de Janeiro).
American in Britain Magazine (author of Expatriate’s Guide to Living in the UK Education section)
American Community School International Egham and Hillingdon, International School of London in Surrey, Southbank International School (UK): speaker for parent associations on Third Culture Kids and Families in Transition
American Women’s Club of London: panelist for Good Schools Guide Presentation on Education in London.
Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Webinar Presentation on Managing Families in Transition and Third Culture Kids
Bilingual School of Lucca (Italy): new school start-up consulting with founding academic director on admissions policy and procedures, marketing and publicity.
Expatriate Corporate Relocation Conference and Exhibition (UK): presenter for parents, educators, and international relocation and HR professionals on the Impact of International Mobility on Children and Families.
European Banking Authority: speaker on Educational Options for Expatriates in the UK.
European Bank of Reconstruction and Development: speaker (in person and virtual for ERBD staff abroad) on raising Third Culture Kids and Educational Options
FOCUS Information Services: speaker (in person and in webinar format) on Parenting Internationally-Mobile Families.
French Educational Charitable Trust: expert witness at Royal Courts of Justice for UK HMRC negotiation.
CATS College Canterbury: keynote speaker on 21st Century Skills and IB Learner Profile at Conference for European Education Consultants.
Concordia Primary: Advisory board for new Free School project in Peterborough, UK
Diplomatic Service Families Association (DFSA): speaker at seminar on education for British Foreign Office families.
DLA Piper Italy: expert witness for Intellectual Property dispute, Venice.
Festival of Education, Wellington College: Speaker How Schools Should Serve International Students and Families
Good Schools Guide and Good Schools Guide International: writer specialising in international school reviews in the UK and schools for expats in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area; articles for Good Schools Guide International.
Good Schools Guide Advice Service: advising private clients (international families) on educational pathways and school placement.
Halcyon London International School: consultant to founding trustees of a new start-up school on matters relating to: UK Charity Commission registration; managing IBMYP and IBDP candidacy applications; drafting policies (admissions, behaviour and discipline, child safeguarding, complaints, language, volunteer and work placement, trips; OFSTED application and pre-registration inspection; admissions procedures, application and terms and conditions; teacher and staff job description review; teacher and staff recruitment and interviews; registration with ACER for iAchieve and ISA Examinations; health and safety and HR consultancy referrals; employee handbook; digital library and e-learning research and development; building design and use; child safeguarding due diligence; ECIS and COBIS membership applications; initial planning for NEASC accreditation; after-school and extra-curricular activities planning; governance training and planning; head recruitment planning and guidance.
Hay (Virtual) Festival 2020 (UK): Consultant and Elocution Coach to Hay Festival presenter Royal Ballet soloist Fernando Montano for presentation on his book Una BuenAventura, published by Penguin Random House 2019.
International Community School, Zurich (Switzerland): initial consultations on developing School Transition Programmes.
International School of London in Surrey (UK): speaker for parent associations on Third Culture Kids and Families in Transition
La Scuola Italiana da Londra (UK):Consultant to Board on Governance/staffing issues.
Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle (UK): Consultant for programme and content development of Erasmus Plus 2021 Virtual Symposium Ocean Voices hosted by MCS Ambassador Fernando Montano in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals (project with partner schools in Germany, Italy and Turkey).
Marine Conservation Society (UK): Consultant for Fernando Montano Dance for the conception and development of Sea video project to promote Ocean Health for 2019 World Ocean Day campaign.
Multilingual Matters (UK): Pre-publication manuscript reviewer (ESL in international schools)
Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands): Consultant for Increasing Creativity by Exploring Keys to Success Conference, Uttrecht.
Sage Publications: Reviews on articles relating to International Education; peer reviews for papers for Journal for Research in International Education.
Southbank International School (UK): speaker for Westminster parent associations on Third Culture Kids and Families in Transition; initial consultation on developing School Transition Programmes for Southbank Kensington.
Tanager Wealth Management (UK): Guest presenter on Third Culture Kids for Tanager Talks http://www.tanagerwealth.com/blog/2014/05/
United Lisbon International School (Portugal) Guest presenter on Third Culture and Cross Culture Kids for Parent Association.
University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE): Examiner for the ECIS International Teacher Certificate.
University College Absalon (formerly University College Zealand) (Denmark): Visiting Lecturer for ITEPS (International Teacher Education for Primary Schools)
Wellington College International Shanghai (China): Webinar Panel Presenter on Transition and Third Culture Kids
Articles & Publications
Below you can find a list of some of the articles and publications by Mary.
Mother Tongue Support Within The IB
Please see an article recently published in IS Magazine concerning SSST IB mother tongue programmes.
I’m Still a TCK Purist!
An short op ed about the debate about the TCK (|Third Culture Kid) label.
Education: Schooling in the UK
Published in The 2021 Expatriate’s Guide to Living in the UK
Immersing into the Local Culture
published in American in Britain Magazine, Winter 2014-15
Raising Children Abroad: Inspiring a Generation
published in American in Britain Magazine, Autumn 2021
Third Culture Kids: The Value of Transition Programmes in International Schools
published in American in Britain Magazine, Winter 2011
Raising Global Nomads: Parenting Abroad in an On-Demand World.
Book Review published in International School Magazine, 2007
Get in touch
Have any questions about what we do? Get in touch with us and we will get back to you soon.