Interviews and Assessments

The Mock Interview

£200.00 + VAT (online)
£300.00 + VAT (face-to-face)

With firsthand experience interviewing candidates as the Assistant Head at King’s College School, Wimbledon, and as a recognised authority on second-round admissions, we have an unrivalled advantage when it comes to preparing children for interviews and activity sessions at the most sought-after day and boarding schools.

Our expertise spans all major entry levels, from 7+ to 13+, providing students with a highly realistic interview experience that equips them with the skills and confidence needed to excel on the day.

We offer two tailored options: a comprehensive mock interview or targeted interview preparation. Each session is carefully designed to simulate real-world conditions and help your child perform at their best. Sessions last a minimum of one hour and include dedicated time for parental feedback.

book a discovery call Contact Us

The Mock Interview | 7+ 11+ 13+

£225.00 + VAT (online)
£325.00 + VAT (face-to-face)

Drawing on Edward’s firsthand experience interviewing numerous candidates as both Assistant Headmaster at King’s College Junior School, Wimbledon, and more recently through ESB Consulting, we offer unparalleled mock interviews and interview preparation for children facing second-round admissions at the UK’s most sought-after day and boarding schools.

Our preparation spans all major entry levels – 7+, 11+, and 13+ – providing candidates with a realistic and practical experience that builds authentic confidence and communication skills. Our record of success is reflected in outstanding client testimonials from families who have secured places at the most selective schools in London and across the UK.

We offer two tailored options: a comprehensive mock interview and targeted interview preparation. Each session is structured to your future school(s), simulating real-world conditions, and includes dedicated time for parental feedback. Our face-to-face and online services last a minimum of one hour and can be booked via the links below, with face-to-face sessions offered in central London only.

Book A Face-To-Face Interview Book An Online Interview

The ESB Assessment | 7+ 11+ 13+

From £500.00 + VAT (remote and online)
Fees on application (face-to-face)

Meticulously designed and delivered personally by Edward, The ESB Assessment provides families with a sophisticated, honest analysis of their child’s academic trajectory. Specifically tailored for children preparing for entry into the country’s most selective independent schools at 7+, 8+, 9+, 10+, 11+, and 13+, this diagnostic suite serves as the essential foundation for informed decision-making. By benchmarking a child’s current performance against the exacting standards of top-tier schools, we help parents identify the "best-fit" options and develop a strategic roadmap for success. All elements of The ESB Assessment can be delivered remotely and online, with in-person or hybrid options available upon request, subject to your location.

Written Assessments (1-1.5 hours):

Our age-appropriate written assessments cover the two key school admissions disciplines – English and maths – and we can provide advice on the more unique assessments, such as reasoning, listening, or dictation. Our written assessments are solely available through The ESB Assessment.

Online Assessment (1 hour):

An age-weighted, adaptive online assessment that evaluates your child’s proficiency in English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. The Online Assessment can also be booked separately as a standalone service.

Character Assessment (30 minutes):

A discussion-based questionnaire designed to evaluate your child’s character, feelings about school, emotional resilience, and exam readiness. The character assessment is solely available through The ESB Assessment.

Parental Consultation (1 hour):

A comprehensive review of your child’s performance in The ESB Assessment, including suitability for your target schools and recommendations for areas of improvement.

Book a complimentary, no-obligation discovery call to learn more about The ESB Assessment.

book a discovery call Contact Us

Online Assessment | 11+ 13+

£300.00 + VAT (assessment and feedback consultation)

Our AI-powered, adaptive online assessment is a sophisticated diagnostic tool designed for children aged 6–16, meticulously aligned with the UK National Curriculum. The assessment is completed from the comfort of your home in around one hour, with the option to split it into shorter sessions to suit your child. By utilising adaptive technology, the assessment mirrors the logic of highly selective school entrance exams, adjusting its difficulty in real-time to pinpoint a child’s academic potential.

The primary output of the assessment is a Standard Age Score (SAS), providing a rigorous benchmark of your child’s performance against peers in both the British state and independent sectors. This process evaluates core academic subjects and cognitive skills commonly assessed in competitive entry tests, providing a reliable indicator of readiness for 11+ and 13+ admissions, including exams such as the ISEB Common Pre-Test and the London 11+ Consortium. Beyond identifying immediate strengths and areas for targeted support, the assessment serves as a long-term progress-tracking tool, empowering families to make data-driven decisions regarding tutoring, exam preparation, and school selection.

Many of the UK’s most prestigious prep schools utilise similar metrics, such as CAT4 and InCAS testing, as a cornerstone of their internal academic monitoring. Our Online Assessment provides families with that same "insider" data without delay. Shortly after completion, you will receive a comprehensive quantitative report detailing your child’s profile. This is followed by a private 30-minute strategic consultation (conducted online), where we review the results in depth and discuss how the outcomes align with the specific requirements of your target schools and broader admissions goals.

Book a complimentary, no-obligation discovery call to learn more about our Online Assessment.

book a discovery call Contact Us

Testimonials

Ed has been nothing short of outstanding in preparing my son for his 7+ interviews. He demonstrated a deep understanding of the admissions process, providing invaluable insights into what each school looks for in a candidate. What stood out most was Ed’s ability to instil a sense of self-assurance in my son. By the time interview day arrived, he felt well-prepared, composed, and ready to showcase his abilities. Ed’s expertise made a remarkable difference, and I wholeheartedly recommend him to any parent navigating the competitive 7+ process. His guidance is truly second to none!
Parent of a 7+ candidate who received offers to St Paul’s Juniors, Westminster Under School, and King’s College Junior School.
Ed and his services opened up a new world of knowledge about the interview process of 7+. We were quite overwhelmed by the vast amount of questions that are circulating but Ed's structure and step by step approach offered clear guidance. Furthermore, his expertise and immense experience ensured that the "soft skill" side of the interview was considered in the same manner as standardised questions. I truly believe that we wouldn't be as successful as we have been without Ed and his fantastic input.
Parent of a 7+ candidate who received offers to St Paul’s Juniors and King’s College Junior School.
I cannot recommend Edward highly enough when it comes to interview prep for the 8+. He made my son feel totally at ease and my son thoroughly enjoyed his mock interview! We were given comprehensive feedback, and knew exactly what to work on. My son went into his interview feeling very relaxed and well prepared, and was ultimately offered a place at our chosen school. It was money very well spent, and a must for anyone whose child is going through entrance exams.
Parent of an 8+ candidate who received an offer to King’s College Junior School.
Our experience with the mock interview service was outstanding. The detailed feedback, structured approach, and realistic interview questions helped my son build confidence and refine his responses. Ed provided invaluable insights, ensuring our son was well-prepared for the real interview. I highly recommend this service to any parent navigating the 9+ process.
Parent of a 9+ candidate who received an offer to King’s College Junior School.
Ed was professional and thorough the mock interview session that my daughter had with him was pitched at just the right level of toughness to challenge her but accompanied by brilliant constructive feedback. She received multiple offers including Godolphin & Latymer – her top choice.
Parent of an 11+ candidate who received an offer to Godolphin & Latymer.
We’re so thankful for Ed’s mock interview service for our son. He tailored each session to fit the unique requirements of different schools. Ed’s gentle yet challenging approach put our boy at ease while pushing him to improve. After every session, he gave us detailed feedback, pointing out strengths and offering practical advice. Over time, we saw our son grow more confident and articulate. These practice interviews were key in preparing him for the real experiences, and we’re sure they played a significant role in his success. We couldn’t recommend Ed more highly!
Parent of an 11+ / 13+ candidate who received offers to St Paul’s School, Westminster School, and King’s College School.
Our experience with the mock interview service was outstanding. The detailed feedback, structured approach, and realistic interview questions helped my son build confidence and refine his responses. Ed provided invaluable insights, ensuring our son was well-prepared for the real interview. I highly recommend this service to any parent navigating the 11+ process.
Parent of an 11+ candidate who received offers to St Paul's School, King’s College School, Latymer Upper School, Hampton School, and Kingston Grammar School.
I was thoroughly impressed with Edward’s calm and reassuring manner as he guided my son through a mock interview. It was clear from the outset that Edward was well-prepared and knowledgeable about the schools that my son would be interviewing for, and his advice and questions were adapted accordingly. Edward took the time to explain what the interview experience and questions might be like, and I have no doubt that the time that my son spent talking to him gave him the confidence required and set him on the path to success. I would certainly not hesitate to highly recommend the service that Edward offers.
Parent of an 11+ candidate who received offers to King’s College School and Hampton School.
We are grateful for the mock interview service for our daughter’s 11+ admissions. Having completed an initial mock interview, identifying areas for in-depth research, a plan was made and implemented during the follow up sessions. Edward's work is amazing, it is a clear, well-coordinated and highly analytical process, as a result our daughter brilliantly passed the interview for her target school and all the other schools on our list.
Parent of an 11+ candidate who received offers to Putney High School, Francis Holland, Sloane Square, and Surbiton High School.
The 11+ mock interview service we had with Ed was incredibly useful and helpful in building my child’s confidence. The detailed feedback and realistic interview stance made a huge difference - my son went into the real thing feeling calm and prepared. Highly recommend! We got our top choice of school. Thank you Ed!
Parent of an 11+ candidate who received an offer to Emanuel School.
Having gone through the 13+ twice in two years with both my sons, our experience with Ed was exceptional. He was highly professional, well-organised, and provided thorough, constructive feedback. Ed’s approach helped build confidence in both my sons, ensuring they felt prepared and self-assured for their upcoming interviews. The sessions were insightful and well-executed, offering valuable guidance on interview techniques, body language, and answering questions effectively. Ed’s kind and supportive manner made a significant impact, equipping the boys with the skills they needed to succeed. We highly recommend this service.
Parent of two 13+ candidates who received offers to King’s College School, Dulwich College, Wellington College, and Wetherby School.
We used Ed to prepare my son for his interview at KCS and he was absolutely fabulous! He completely identified the weaknesses and strengths and gave detailed feedback on what could be improved. Needless to say, my son was offered a place at King’s for 13+!
Parent of a 13+ candidate who received an offer to King’s College School.
Ed was fantastic. My daughter did one overview session and two mock interviews. She received an overview of what to expect in the interview, what the schools are specifically looking for, commonly asked question and how best to answer them, areas to research prior to the interview. Also the sessions were customised to suit the schools which is great. My daughter was much more confident and knowledgeable following the sessions.
Parent of a 13+ candidate who received an offer to Cheltenham Ladies’ College.

Onboarding

At the point of contacting ESB, we will book a complementary discovery call to introduce ourselves, learn more about you and your child, and discuss our services as well as our fees and any further questions you may have about our school placement service.

Getting to know your child

If age appropriate and desired, we will arrange for your child (ages 6 and above) to complete the APT free-of-charge to give us an up-to-date indication of their academic potential and their suitability to their future schools. We will also request to see your child's latest school report (if available).

Ongoing consultations and monitoring

However you choose to prepare your child for their entrance exams, we will be on hand to meet with you and your child, or your child and their tutor to discuss and review all aspects of their ongoing school admissions preparation. This will include creating a long-term framework to plan your child’s entrance exams journey, resourcing their learning, ongoing assessment via the APT and our bespoke written school entrance exam papers, and meticulous monitoring of their progress.

Year planner

Should you require one, we will create a comprehensive year planner, outlining your prospective schools’ deadlines to register your child, when you can attend their open days and/or small group tours (where offered by the school), and your child’s likely exam and/or interview and activity day dates.

Non-examined admissions preparation

If required by your child’s future schools, we will personally prepare them for their interviews and/or activity days.

ESB’s Directory

As part of our placement service, we can direct you to our trusted affiliates:

  • The country’s leading educational psychologists and SEND assessors.
  • The best local and national property finders and buyers’ agents (purchase and/or rentals) or relocation agents (personal or corporate).
  • Outstanding online and face-to-face tutors.
  • The top nanny and household staff agencies and recruiters.
  • Specialists and experts in a wide range of fields, from lifestyle concierge services and family lawyers to private banking and wealth management.