Fit before prestige
Independent school admissions consultancy
Parents looking for a school placement consultant in London rarely start with league tables. They start with a child. We know the schools in and beyond London well, and our job is to find the one that will recognise your child’s abilities and stretch them properly. We support families at every transition point, including 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+ and 16+, and we advise on mid-year relocations in the UK and overseas, boarding decisions across the country, and emergency moves after exclusion.
When families need London prep school placement advice, we weigh the child’s personality and confidence alongside academic readiness and the practical reality of the school run. For London senior school placement in the GCSE years and beyond, we work to long-term academic ambitions as well as the immediate admissions requirements. As a private school admissions consultant, we know what schools represented by the Independent Schools Council expect of applicants. We combine that knowledge with detailed research into each school and the academic preparation a child needs to secure a place.
Our school placement process
You will be supported by some of the UK’s leading school consultants, including former heads, senior registrars and education specialists, who take the time to understand your child’s academic profile, personality and goals.
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Initial consultation
We begin with a detailed consultation to understand your child’s academic background, personality and interests. We look at how they are performing in their current school, the reasons behind the move, and the wider priorities of the family. This conversation shapes everything that follows, including immediate placement, future planning and academic preparation.
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Academic assessment and preparation
Most students undertake an academic assessment so we can identify strengths and the areas where tuition would help. We also prepare children for the assessments schools set, including ISEB pre-tests, Common Entrance and UKiset, each of which demands a different skill set. Some children need preparation before they apply. Others are ready to proceed, and we tailor the process accordingly.
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Schools shortlist
Once we have reviewed assessments, reports and context, we build a personalised list of recommended schools. We weigh academic fit, pastoral care, the strengths and weaknesses of each school, boarding culture and travel logistics, and we take ISI inspection findings into account. We discuss each option with you in detail, refine the shortlist together, and move forward only once the fit feels right.
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Reports and introductions
We prepare a full profile of each school so you can see exactly what is on offer and decide on the facts. We then contact schools individually and submit a detailed Lionheart report for each application. Admissions teams trust these reports to present a complete and accurate picture of the student. At this stage we can also manage introductions and arrange visits.
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School visits and application support
Where timelines allow, we arrange school visits and adjust the shortlist based on your impressions, with a full debrief after every open day. We then support the application itself, managing dates, preparing your child for interviews and pre-tests, and overseeing tuition if it is needed.
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Continuous access to Lionheart
We remain your main point of contact throughout, coordinating communication with schools and guiding you through offers and decisions, so the process stays calm and fully supported right through to confirmed placement.
Hear From Our Consultants
"I've spent much of my career in schools helping parents work out what will be the right next school for their child - it's a tough thing to go through on your own."
Charlotte F. UK Independent Schools Specialist
Hear From Our Consultants
"We're very used to working alongside the school and the family, tweaking things so that a child gets into the school that they always deserved to go to in the first place."
Rupert Syme Chairman & Co-Founder
Frequently asked questions
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What does a school placement consultant do?
A Lionheart school placement consultant advises parents on where to apply, building a realistic shortlist that accounts for academic demands, pastoral support and the practical fit with your family. The service also covers open day and school visit coordination, interview preparation and entrance testing.
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When should we engage a school placement consultant?
School placement advice works best in the year before a child is due to move schools, which gives us time to prepare a strategic list of options. Moves usually cluster around transition ages such as 11+ and 13+, so most parents come to us in Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6.
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Can you help if we are applying last-minute or mid-year?
Yes. A placement does not always mean a September start, and we support time-sensitive moves throughout the year. Families come to us because of relocation, school refusal, permanent exclusion, bullying or anxiety, and we can assemble a shortlist quickly when timelines are tight.
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Do you only work with London schools?
No. Many of our clients are London based, but we work across the UK, including boarding schools, selective day schools and international curricula. We also handle international school placements worldwide.
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Do you place pupils into boarding and international schools?
Yes. Our consultants cover independent school admissions for both full and weekly boarding, and we help families find the right international school. We listen to the family’s concerns and to the child’s own view, then research against that. For international placements we provide curriculum mapping, language considerations, school reports and private school visits across time zones.
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What happens if our child is not quite ready to apply?
In some cases we recommend academic support before the application begins. That might mean tuition in English, Maths or verbal and non-verbal reasoning, coaching for entrance assessments, interview confidence work, or simply time. We will tell you clearly what is needed.
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What makes Lionheart different from other school consultants?
Our team does not rely on rankings or glossy brochures. We invest time in understanding your child’s needs, then match them with schools where they will genuinely thrive. Our reports, relationships and ongoing support give families and schools real confidence in the fit.
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Do you guarantee a place at our target school?
No consultant can guarantee an offer. What we can do is make sure the school is genuinely the right fit and that your child is properly prepared for entrance. We put more than three decades of experience in the sector behind every application.
Make an enquiry
Discover how our consultancy can help you choose the best school for your child.
