The UK's Leading British Boarding School Consultants – Over 20 Years' Expertise Guiding Families Worldwide
Founded in 2011 by a consultant working exclusively in British private education since 2004, we are specialists in elite British boarding school entry. We guide international high-net-worth families globally, as well as UK-based families and British expat families overseas, through every stage of the admissions process. From curating a bespoke strategy and school shortlist, to academic evaluation, targeted tutoring, ISEB Common Pre-Test invigilation, interview confidence-building, and managing offers through to acceptance, our services guide parents at every step.
About The Independent Education Consultants
The Independent Education Consultants (TIEC) is a UK-based education consultancy specialising in British boarding schools. The company was founded in 2011 by a consultant who has been advising families on British private education since 2004, bringing more than 20 years of first-hand experience to every client relationship.
We are specialists in full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi-boarding placements across the UK's most prestigious schools. Our team supports families through every stage of the admissions process, including academic evaluation, targeted tutoring, registration and invigilation of the ISEB Common Pre-Test (we are registered as invigilators, which is particularly valuable for families overseas whose current school is not itself ISEB-registered), school-specific entry assessments and interview preparation, through building confidence with verbal communication and critical thinking skills.
We also advise relocating families on leading British private day schools. For families exploring guardianship, or boarding schools in the USA or Switzerland, as well as universities, we work closely with trusted partner consultancies.
We are accredited by the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) and are an approved agent of the British Boarding Schools' Network (BBSN). Our registered office is in Oxford, and our consultants work with families from locations across the UK, with British expat families based overseas, and with internationally based families in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
How We Help Families Navigate British Boarding School Admissions
Elite British Boarding School Entry
We specialise in placements at the UK's most selective boarding schools. Our service begins with a detailed academic evaluation of your child, followed by a curated shortlist of schools matched to their academic profile, interests, personality and the family's values. We advise on full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi-boarding, and guide families through prep school, 11+, 13+ and Sixth Form entry routes. Recent offers secured for our clients include Radley, Winchester College, Harrow, Charterhouse, Marlborough College, Cheltenham Ladies' College and Millfield, among many others.
Tutor Management, Mentoring, ISEB Common Pre-Test Invigilation & Preparation
Following our academic assessment, we coordinate targeted tutoring in the lead-up to top school pre-test and assessments, matching each child to a tutor whose style genuinely suits them. Your child knowing what to expect on test days reduces anxiety and stress, allowing them to present the best version of themselves on test days.
We are registered as invigilators for the ISEB Common Pre-Test. This matters most to families based outside the UK whose child's current school is not itself registered with ISEB to administer the pre-test since without an invigilator, these children cannot sit the test. We handle the registration, invigilate the test itself, and manage school communications for busy client families.
Interview Confidence-Building & Mentoring
Competitive British boarding schools look for children who are curious, well-read and genuinely interesting to talk to. Our mentoring helps pupils learn to think independently and critically, articulate their views, and approach interviews with confidence. Our clients tell us these are educational qualities that enhance their child’s school achievements and serve them long after the offers arrive.
Application Management
We manage the full boarding school application timeline for each family: registration deadlines, school-specific assessments, reference coordination, school visits, offer acceptance and contingency planning. Families, especially those overseas navigating time zones, value having a single point of contact: an admissions expert who holds the entire process together across all their school applications.
Day School Guidance for Relocating Families
Families relocating to the UK often need day school places alongside, or instead of, boarding. Because our consultants work from home across the country, we have first-hand knowledge of leading British private day schools nationwide. Most relocating families prioritise proximity to UK-based relatives and an easy commute to London, Heathrow or Gatwick. Hence, we most often advise on day schools in Greater London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. For families moving out of London in search of countryside and fresh air, we also cover the Cotswolds, the Surrey Hills and Rutland. Our knowledge of schools also extends to Scotland.
Trusted Partner Services
For families seeking guardianship services or advice on boarding schools in the USA or Switzerland, we refer to established partner consultancies we know and trust. We also refer for university admissions guidance.
Families We Work With
Around one third of our clients are UK-based families seeking the right British boarding school for their child. Another third are British expat families living overseas who are either planning their child's UK boarding education or returning to Britain. The final third of our private clients are internationally based high-net-worth families in the USA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East who wish to access the British boarding school system, either at age 13 or age 16 for Sixth Form.
Introducing the New Tool That Makes Getting Started Simple.
Imagine your child walking through the gates of Eton College, Harrow School, Cheltenham Ladies College or Winchester College on their first day as a pupil. For many of the world's most ambitious families, this is not merely a dream; it is a carefully planned destination. Yet for every family that secures a coveted place at one of Britain's great boarding schools, there is another that simply ran out of time.
Why Families Choose
The Independent Education Consultants
British boarding school specialists
Unlike general education consultancies, our focus is specifically on British boarding schools which are full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi-boarding. This depth of focus means we know the schools, the admissions teams and the nuances of each school's culture in detail. Based in the UK, and with experts located countrywide, we visit more than 70 schools annually, so our knowledge is up-to-date, and our school relationships are strong.
Over 20 years' expertise
Founded in 2011 by a consultant who has worked in British private education since 2004. Over two decades of first-hand experience sits behind every recommendation.
Genuinely independent
Our advice is not driven by business relationships with schools. We charge parents fees for our consultancy advice so we can remain independent, impartial and hence maintain your child's best interests at the heart of our service.
A nationwide team which visits schools year-round
Our consultants work from home across the UK rather than from a single office. This means we have first-hand, countrywide knowledge of boarding and day schools from London and the Home Counties to the Cotswolds, the Surrey Hills and Rutland. When not advising clients, the team are out visiting schools and meeting admissions staff, so our advice reflects current, on-the-ground reality rather than league tables. Our Founder, Catherine, travels the country year-round visiting schools in Doris, our Land Rover Defender. You can watch Catherine's in-car interviews with headteachers and admissions staff from leading British boarding schools on our Parent Hub.
Child-first philosophy
We help children to think for themselves, read widely and develop genuine intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. Confident, interesting conversationalists perform best at interview and then thrive once they arrive at school.
Registered invigilators for the ISEB Common Pre-Test
A significant practical advantage for families living overseas whose current school is not itself ISEB-registered. Without a registered invigilator, the ISEB Common Pre-Test cannot be taken and for many international families, we are the solution.
Recent Offers Secured for Our Families
Our clients have recently received offers from a wide spread of the UK's leading boarding schools, including:
Radley
Winchester College
Harrow
Cheltenham Ladies' College
Queenswood
Charterhouse
Bryanston
Marlborough College
Millfield
Repton
Stowe
St Edward's Oxford
Hurtwood House
Clayesmore
Cranleigh
Bede's
This breadth of schools reflects our approach: rather than steering every child towards the same handful of brand names, we match each child to the school that genuinely suits them academically, personally and culturally.
What Our Clients Say
Meet Our Founder
Catherine Stoker
Founder and Lead Consultant
Catherine has been advising families on British private education since 2004 and founded The Independent Education Consultants in 2011. She began her career as a teacher and housemistress in independent boarding schools, before joining the board of a leading London education consultancy as Managing Director. She has since guided many hundreds of families who are UK-based, British expat and internationally based, steering them through the British boarding school strategy, choice and admissions process.
Catherine's particular expertise lies in boarding prep and senior school entry, interview and ISEB pre-test preparation, and mentoring children through goal setting. She is known for putting the child first, and for treating every family's decision as an individual one that is shaped by the child's talents and personality, not by league tables.
"You are the first person who has given me the impression that you are advising parents for the good of the child and not for maximum financial gain as a business."
(a journalist who had just interviewed eight education consultants for a feature article)
Catherine’s values and ethos sit at the heart of everything we do as an education consultancy team.
Questions Parents Ask Us Most
What is the difference between full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi-boarding?
Full boarding means your child lives at school throughout term, typically returning home only for exeats and holidays. Weekly boarding means your child boards Monday to Friday and returns home at weekends. Flexi-boarding allows your child to board on selected nights each week, combining the benefits of boarding with more time at home. We advise on all three and help families decide which model genuinely suits their child.
What is the ISEB Common Pre-Test and how do you help?
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online assessment used by many of the UK's leading senior boarding schools to help determine entry at 11+ and 13+. It covers English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
We are registered as invigilators for the ISEB Common Pre-Test. This is particularly valuable for families living outside the UK whose child's current school is not itself registered with ISEB. In that situation, without a registered invigilator, the child simply cannot sit the test. We handle the registration and invigilation on your behalf and coordinate targeted tutoring, monitoring progress in the months before the test.
When should we start preparing for elite British boarding school entry?
For 13+ entry to the most selective boarding schools, we typically recommend beginning three to four years in advance, often when your child is age eight or nine. For 11+ and Sixth Form entry, eighteen months to two years of lead time is advisable. Overseas families usually need additional time to factor in school visits, the ISEB pre-test, and practicalities such as guardianship. We also help families with late, last-minute or unexpected applications to schools. It’s never too late to ask for our help.
Which are the best British boarding schools?
The "best" school depends entirely on the child. Academically, the UK's most selective boarding schools include Eton, Winchester College, Harrow, Charterhouse, Brighton College, Tonbridge, Rugby School, The King's School Canterbury and St Swithun's. Schools which are celebrated for balancing academic excellence with strong sport, arts and pastoral care include Marlborough College, Radley, Stowe, Repton, Bryanston and Cheltenham Ladies' College. Specialist schools such as Millfield (sport) and Hurtwood House (arts and performing arts) offer distinctive strengths. Our recent client offers span this full range. Our priority as education consultants is to identify which schools genuinely suit your child, rather than simply those with the strongest brand recognition.
How do you prepare children for boarding school interviews?
We mentor children to think independently, read widely and speak confidently about their interests. The most competitive British boarding schools look for pupils who are genuinely curious and interesting to talk to and are not rehearsed. Our mentoring sessions build the habits of mind that serve children both at interview, and once they arrive at school. Progress and confidence reflect almost immediately in their progress at their current school.
Can you advise me on short-term boarding school experiences or summer courses?
Yes. Summer courses are a key part of our work with our private client families as we build a child’s confidence for their top school entry tests and interviews as well as preparing them to join a British school. Academic summer courses are an excellent way to supplement tutoring, nurture talents, and an opportunity to meet new friends from around the world. Likewise, short term stays of one term or one year are an excellent way to experience British education where budget or family circumstances do not allow for long-term study in a UK boarding school.
Do you work with families based overseas?
Yes. Approximately two-thirds of our clients are based outside the UK. They are either British expat families or internationally based families in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. We work by WhatsApp, video call and in person, across every time zone, in a bespoke way that suits each private client family.
Which regions do you cover for day school advice?
We advise on leading British private day schools across the UK. Relocating families most often ask us about Greater London and the surrounding Home Counties of Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. This is usually because these areas combine strong day schools with easy commutes to London, Heathrow and Gatwick. For families seeking countryside settings, we also advise on day schools in the Cotswolds, the Surrey Hills and Rutland. Because our consultants work from home across the UK, rather than from a single office, we can offer genuinely nationwide private school coverage.
Do you advise on guardianship, US boarding schools or Swiss boarding schools?
We no longer advise directly on these areas, but we work closely with established and trusted partner consultancies who specialise in guardianship services and in boarding schools in the USA and Switzerland. We are happy to refer families to a trusted partner. We also refer for university admissions guidance.
Are you independent of the schools?
Yes. Our fees are paid by the families we work with, which means our recommendations are driven entirely by what is right for your child.
How are you accredited?
We are accredited by the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) and are an approved agent of the British Boarding Schools' Network (BBSN). We are also registered as invigilators for the ISEB Common Pre-Test.
What are your consultancy fees?
Our consultancy fees reflect the bespoke, time-intensive, child-focussed nature of our work with each family. We offer a complimentary initial consultation, during which we get to know each family and child, before explaining how we help including our fee structure. Fees are charged directly to families so we can offer advice which is independent, includes all UK schools as relevant, and hence is not motivated by business relationships with schools.
What's the difference between an independent consultant and an agent working on a school commission basis?
Many education agencies receive commissions from schools when a child is placed, meaning their advice is often shaped by the schools from which they receive a commission. As an independent consultancy, the schools we recommend are shaped only by getting to know each child and family and then curating the best working school list, tailored for them. Many elite British schools do not pay commission to agencies, so this sets us apart, in that working with us leads to consideration of all schools across the UK, as relevant for each child and family.
Insights from Our Team
Our consultants regularly publish guidance for parents on every aspect of British boarding school admissions. These can be found in the Parent Hub of the website
Contact our team
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