We sat down with Crimson Education’s founder and CEO, Jamie Beaton, to talk about ambition, curriculum standards, and the mindset required to build world-leading outcomes from New Zealand. Founded in 2013, Crimson Education has grown into one of the world’s largest education companies, helping students gain admission to leading universities such as Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford. Through personalised tutoring, mentoring, and academic coaching, Crimson bridges the gap between local schooling and global opportunity - challenging how New Zealand prepares its young people to compete on the world stage.
Is NZ Education Failing? Where the system falls short
Jamie believes New Zealand’s education system is losing its edge – not because of a lack of talent, but because the standards have slipped. He argues that we’ve drifted from a culture that once valued hard work and innovation toward one that prioritises comfort and pass rates over excellence. The result is a generation of students who are often capable but under-challenged by a system that rewards effort over achievement.
His critique of NCEA is clear: too many internal assessments, grading that’s ambiguous and easily gamed, and a structure that fails to match global benchmarks. Jamie points to systems in New South Wales and Victoria, where externally assessed exams and percentile scaling drive higher standards and stronger academic cultures.
For families wondering if New Zealand’s education model is still setting students up for success, Jamie’s message is simple – lift expectations, measure performance objectively, and bring ambition back into the classroom.
The Rise of Crimson Education - how it went global
The Rise of Crimson Education began when Jamie, inspired by a Kiwi who’d made it to Yale, applied broadly and was admitted to top US/UK universities. While waiting to start at Harvard, he helped local students navigate overseas admissions – first as a favour, then as a paid service as demand surged.
A landmark success story – a student from Hamilton Boys’ High – proved the model: with intensive guidance (around 20 tutors across two and a half years), he rose to dux, head boy, multiple top-in-the-world subject results, and offers from the Ivy League and Stanford. That case led to more students, more data, and a scalable system.
Crimson raised capital (beginning with a cold email to Julian Robertson’s team and later Tiger Global) and expanded from college guidance into a broader ecosystem: online and physical schools (including Crimson Global Academy and a Takapuna school for gifted students), tuition academies, an IB platform, and select acquisitions (including NumberWorks). The rule Jamie applies to every new product or acquisition: only build or buy if it can be best in the world (or first/second in its category), and ensure it interlocks with Crimson’s core mission – much like Disney’s flywheel of mutually reinforcing divisions.
That’s the heart of The Rise of Crimson Education: technology-enabled delivery, marketplace dynamics, data advantages on who gets in (and why), and a high-intensity coaching model – all while keeping a scrappy, underdog mindset.
Giving kids a head start (where parents can move the needle)
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Close the gap in maths and English. Jamie often sees Kiwi students ~2–3 years behind international standards. Targeted tutoring and higher expectations at home can reset the bar.
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Build an achievement culture at home. Know your child’s grades and subjects, set standards, and stay engaged.
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Find the early “win.” Recognition (a prize, a competition, a standout subject) fuels motivation and identity at school.
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Expose them widely. Instruments, languages, sports, history, science – help them discover what sticks.
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Don’t quit on academics too early. Many challenges (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD) can be managed while still pursuing excellence in at least one area.
Entrepreneurship from NZ: mindset, money, and markets
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Start scrappy; sell early. Even $1 of revenue beats zero – proof that someone will part with real money matters more than pitch decks.
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Co-founders are everything. Treat selection like a marriage – complementary skills, stamina, and ambition.
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Funding can be bold and simple. Jamie’s first million-dollar round began with a cold email and a rigorous psychological assessment; subsequent rounds scaled with traction.
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New Zealand is a great incubator. Fewer early competitors let you refine the model before entering tougher markets.
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Go global quickly when it fits. The US is often the biggest opportunity; Singapore is high-trust and business-friendly; China/Japan/Korea demand deep local expertise.
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Expect bruises. Jamie cites tough lessons: the wrong tech leadership (and a costly reset), digital-marketing hires who could sell the pitch but not the performance, and a near-acquisition in China that unravelled only thanks to a family member spotting fraud.
Key takeaways
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Is NZ education failing? Jamie sees diluted standards, too many internals, and ambiguous grading; he favours externally assessed, competitive systems.
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Culture counts. Rebuild an achievement mindset at home and aim above “doing fine at your school.”
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Crimson’s rise. From a handful of calls to a global platform spanning admissions, online/physical schools, and targeted acquisitions – always aiming to be first or second in category.
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Parents have levers. Close the maths/English gap, find early wins, and stay highly engaged.
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Entrepreneurship from NZ is viable. Incubate locally, expand globally, sell early, choose co-founders wisely, and expect hard lessons.
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AI is a double-edged sword. Secure credible assessment, then use AI to widen access to personalised tutoring and feedback.
Next steps
If you’d like to learn more, check out these other episodes below.
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Disclaimer:
The information in this article is general information only, is provided free of charge and does not constitute professional advice. We try to keep the information up to date. However, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, in relation to this article – including (without limitation) warranties as to accuracy, completeness and fitness for any particular purpose. Please seek independent advice before acting on any information in this article.
