School Placement and Advisory

The Advisory Consultation | Online

Fees on application

We offer expert consultations designed to provide immediate clarity and confidence for families navigating important decisions about their child’s education. Tailored entirely to your family’s circumstances, The Advisory Consultation delivers practical, actionable guidance informed by Edward’s extensive expertise in the UK’s top independent schools.

This online-only service consists of a single two-hour consultation, during which we provide either a carefully considered shortlist of suitable schools or targeted feedback to address your query. Our advice spans independent, state, international, and bilingual schools, with specialist insight into admissions across London, Surrey, the Home Counties, and the South West of England.

In addition to school selection, the consultation offers a dedicated forum to discuss entrance examination strategy for 7+, 11+, and 13+, support in evaluating and choosing between multiple school offers, and strategic guidance for families relocating to the UK or moving out of London.

Following the consultation, should you wish to continue working with us, your fee may be credited toward one of our more comprehensive services – The School Search or The School Placement – allowing for a seamless transition to ongoing advisory support.

Book a complimentary, no-obligation discovery call to learn more about The Advisory Consultation.

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The School Search | London & Country

Fees on application

The School Search is a strategic advisory service for families seeking to identify the most suitable schools in London, Surrey, the Home Counties, or the South West of England. Our approach focuses on understanding the “why” behind each school, ensuring every recommendation aligns with your family’s values and supports your child’s unique potential.

This service includes two 2-hour consultations, delivered either in-person (typically in London) or online. To ensure our recommendations are as informed and objective as possible, families may be encouraged to include The ESB Assessment or our Online Assessment at a discounted rate as a precursor to the search process.

During the first consultation, we explore your family’s priorities, educational ambitions, and potential school pathways. We review a curated longlist within your chosen search area – such as a relocation to London or a search within the Cotswolds. This is then refined into a shortlist of four to six schools that best reflect your aspirations, geographical ties, as well as your child’s academic strengths, character, and wider interests.

The second consultation focuses on a detailed review of your shortlisted schools, with each option discussed in depth. Families are also provided with a personalised admissions timeline to guide the next stages of the process, together with our comprehensive school summaries, which go beyond headline information to examine the defining characteristics of each school.

Upon completion, you will be fully equipped to navigate the admissions process independently, or you may choose to upgrade to The School Placement service for continued guidance and hands-on support.

Book a complimentary, no-obligation discovery call to learn more about The School Search.

book a discovery call Contact Us

The School Placement | London & Country

Fees on application

The School Placement is our best-in-class, director-led service for families seeking comprehensive, hands-on support throughout their child’s school admissions journey. Personally led by co-founder Edward, it combines strategic school selection, admissions management and ongoing guidance, tailored to each child and family to identify their “best-fit” schools and pre-schools.

The service supports families throughout the admissions process, from registering for sought-after pre-schools and schools at birth, to navigating the British education system for the first time and preparing for competitive 7+, 11+ and 13+ entry. We also support relocating families who need focused, strategic guidance to identify and target the right school options within a condensed timeframe.

For children aged six and above, where appropriate, we begin with The ESB Assessment or our Online Assessment to evaluate academic potential, character, and wider interests. We then develop a carefully considered longlist and refine this into a bespoke shortlist, typically of up to six schools and/or pre-schools, based on the child’s strengths, interests, aspirations, and the family’s preferences.

From there, we provide end-to-end admissions support, including developing and maintaining a multi-year admissions plan, managing registrations and admissions forms, advising on application strategy and key deadlines, supporting school visits, and maintaining appropriate ongoing communication with target schools and pre-schools. For children in Years 1 to 8 preparing for competitive entry, the service provides enhanced support throughout the admissions journey, including monthly mentoring, ongoing academic monitoring, and tailored interview preparation.

As the admissions process progresses, we provide strategic guidance on each school’s entrance process and requirements, including entrance examinations and interviews. We can also introduce families to trusted professional tutors and other educational specialists. Where multiple offers are received, Edward provides considered advice to help families assess their options and select the school and/or pre-school that best fits their child.

Throughout the engagement, families have direct access to Edward by email, WhatsApp, and video consultation, providing clear, responsive support from initial school selection through to the final admissions decision.

Book a complimentary, no-obligation discovery call to learn more about The School Placement.

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The School Search

Fees on application

Offered at a fixed fee, this service is ideal for families looking to identify the most suitable schools for their children within a defined location and without requiring further assistance beyond their shortlist of schools.

Following an initial consultation to discuss your family’s priorities, educational goals, and your child’s academic potential, we conduct comprehensive research into all available and achievable school options within your specified search area.

Where age-appropriate, The School Search utilises our bespoke assessments, such as The APT or The ESB Assessment, alongside a review of your child’s most recent school reports. This provides a comprehensive understanding of your child’s academic qualities, serving as a key indicator – along with your qualitative feedback – when narrowing down your list of potential schools to a final shortlist.

During the final consultation, you will receive a maximum of six to eight carefully selected school options that best match your search criteria. Each recommendation is thoughtfully chosen to align with both your aspirations and your child's academic abilities, character, and broader interests.

Once you receive our recommendations, you'll be fully equipped to navigate the admissions process on your own. However, should you require additional support, we are always available for further consultations through The Advisory Consultation. Alternatively, you can opt for an upgrade to The Bespoke Service for more personalised assistance beyond your shortlist of schools.

The Bespoke Service

Fees on application

Let us expertly plan and manage your entire school admissions journey with our best-in-class service.

This service is perfect for expectant parents in central London wishing to register their child at birth (a service we also offer), families considering schools across multiple locations, or those planning their child’s long-term educational pathway from 2 to 18. It is also suitable for international families or UK-based families unfamiliar with the British school system, as well as those facing complex admissions challenges or requiring intensive support to secure a school place at short notice.

The Bespoke Service places no limits on the number of schools we review or locations we consider – our sole focus is on identifying the best-fit schools for your child. For older children, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of their academic potential through The ESB Assessment or The APT, ensuring that our school recommendations accurately reflect their academic ability, character, and broader interests.

After narrowing down a longlist to a shortlist of 4 to 6 schools, we guide you through every step of the process until your child secures a place at their future school. Our support includes assisting with admissions forms, creating a personalised school admissions planner, maintaining ongoing communication with your shortlisted schools, and advising on both accompanied and solo school visits. We also offer guidance on competitive entrance exams, interviews, and group sessions (including tutor introductions, if needed). Additionally, we will be there to assist you in making your final decision if you are fortunate enough to receive multiple school offers.

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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.

Testimonials

Working with Ed has been an absolute game-changer for our family. As the former Assistant Head of one of London’s most prestigious schools, he brings unparalleled insight into the UK education system. His advice is not just expert, it’s deeply personalised, thoughtful, and always in our child’s best interest. He understood our goals but challenged our thinking where necessary. He guided us every step of the way, with clarity and confidence. Simply put, he’s the best money can buy in London.
An Asian-European family in Central London.
Meeting with Ed has enabled us to make major life decisions about our children’s schools and where we will live with much more confidence and clarity. He really listened to our values as a family and offered expert, idiosyncratic advice which was tailored excellently to our needs and the aspirations we have for our children. Ed is thoughtful, candid, and has invaluable insider knowledge of the British public school system. Our only regret is not having met with Ed sooner!
A British family in West London.
We are incredibly grateful to Edward for his expert counsel and guidance helping us navigate the UK education landscape. His evidence-informed, bespoke approach ensured that every recommendation was uniquely tailored to our family's needs. Edward’s deep expertise, thoughtful insights, and unwavering support made what could have been an overwhelming process both seamless and reassuring. We highly recommend his services to any family seeking clarity and confidence in their educational journey.
An American family in Central London.
Navigating the competitive London school admissions process felt daunting, but Ed’s guidance made all the difference. His deep knowledge and strategic approach ensured our son had a strong application for top schools, with carefully considered backup options at every stage. He took the time to understand our family’s priorities and provided invaluable insights that gave us confidence in our choices. Thanks to his expertise, we now have a clear and well-structured educational path ahead. We couldn’t recommend his services more highly.
An American-European family in South West London.
Ed’s extensive knowledge of the UK school system combined with his extremely strong work ethic truly sets him apart. We highly recommend Ed and it has been a pleasure working with him. Having moved from the US (and Turkey) to the UK, my husband and I found the process of acclimating ourselves with the UK school system daunting. Ed alleviated our stress and not only helped us understand the system but really got to know us and provide us with the best possible options for our son. He truly cares and takes the time to understand what your goals are and what is important to you as a family regarding education.
An American-Turkish family in South West London.
We were incredibly impressed by the expertise and personalised guidance provided by ESB Consulting. Ed helped us navigate the complex London nursery and prep school landscape with clarity, warmth, and exceptional insight. Their advice ensured we approached applications strategically and with confidence. We especially valued their responsiveness and the tailored nature of their recommendations, which made the process remarkably smooth and stress-free. We would not hesitate to recommend ESB to any family seeking outstanding educational guidance.
A European-Asian family in West London.
We spoke to Ed at the end of March last year as we were moving back to the UK in the summer and needed a school for our boys to start in the autumn. Our eldest was going into Year 7 but had missed the standard assessment period and our youngest was going into Year 4, not a standard intake year for British schools. We knew we wanted the boys to go to school in Bath but needed a lot of information quickly to help us make a decision about which school to choose. We were in Singapore so couldn’t visit the schools ourselves. We had three online consultations with Ed. These were very informative and detailed discussions, which helped us make a balanced decision about our children’s future in a short period of time.
A British family relocating from Singapore to Bath.
Ed's help was invaluable. With his support, our son was able to do online standardised tests that compared our child's scores to the scores of children across the UK, and these were much more meaningful to the admissions teams at the schools than sending report cards from a school in another jurisdiction. This opened many more doors and allowed us to visit several schools and do admissions tests to find the right fit for our son who got into one of the top schools 10 in the country for A level results plus a school with excellent pastoral care to help him to integrate and be in a supportive learning environment. We are so grateful for the support received and now we can focus on settling into London life and our own careers and ambitions knowing our kids are well looked after and on the right path for their futures.
A Canadian family relocating from Canada to London.
We reached out to Ed after I saw a recommendation online. I wanted a professional with experience to challenge and reassure me that the decisions we were planning to make for our children made sense. Ed walked me through the pros and cons of the schools I had shortlisted ahead of our move from London to Surrey, and our discussion allowed me to understand in greater depth how the paths we had chosen made sense for a variety of reasons, but also he provided alternative routes we hadn't considered. Ed's time proved invaluable very quickly and we have and will certainly continue to recommend him to anyone seeking schooling advice.
A British family relocating from South West London to Surrey.
We have referred clients to ESB Consulting on a number of occasions. Most recently, a client from Canada for who we were helping find a property was in a very tough situation with a new school year looming and no place secured for her son. Ed pulled out all the stops and quite against the odds secured a school place during the summer holidays, a time when most routes to finding a school place are closed. Our client was absolutely delighted and has sung the praises of ESB to us on a number of occasions. It is reassuring to be able to pass clients to a company where we have confidence in their abilities to give excellent advice and most importantly deliver results.
A leading Mayfair based property consultancy.