Temoignages
We are delighted with the support we received from Magus Education. I started researching secondary schools when we decided to relocate from the US to the UK and quickly became overwhelmed. We were far outside of the normal process, with no idea how to assess schools from a distance or how to navigate the state school systems. Alessandra helped us understand the system and identify a short list of suitable schools. She also explained the pros and cons of state schools, faith-based schools, academies and private schools, which was extremely helpful.
One of our children has some special educational needs, and she helped us integrate that in our search strategy and connected us with subject matter experts for specialist advice and support. I don’t think we would have seriously considered private schools without her advice.
We found one that seemed like a very good fit for our family, however, and Alessandra coached us through the application, assessment and interview processes, and both of our daughters were accepted to the school of our choice. I am very happy with where things stand and feel like everything is falling into place for a smooth and positive transition to this next stage in our family’s life together. That is very much thanks to the help that Magus Education provided us and I am so grateful.
Tracy, July 2020
We are very happy with the services provided by Alessandra and the Magus Education team. We initially attended the British Education System workshop which gave us an excellent overview. Following the workshop, we had individual consultations with tailored insights into the the schooling options matching our family’s profile in different neighbourhoods which were extremely helpful and crucial for us to make an informed decision of the area of London to relocate into. Choosing the right school for your kid is a huge decision and we feel like we are much better equipped now. Thanks for all your support so far. It is highly appreciated!
Giovanna & Stefano, June 2020
Our family moved to London from Israel in September 2019. Without researching much, we enrolled our children (6 & 4 years old) to a school near our home. After giving them and us a few months to settle, in January we decided to look for a different educational setting that would suit us and our children better. After multiple searches on the internet and visiting numerous schools, we realized that we had no chance of describing the right framework for our children and decided to approach Magus Education.
We came to the meeting with Karin concerned that we may end up in the same place we started and perhaps even more confused, but ended up having a wonderful and focused meeting, concluding it with two preferred options that suited our needs.
Karin helped introduce us to the schools and also register our children for 9/2020, and she had a great part in getting them a place in the school we applied for.
Thank you very much Karin.
Simone & Gilad Tal, April 2020
We have had several consultations with Karin and her colleagues at Magus Education over the years. These sessions have been immensely valuable in navigating our way through the daunting world of the British education system to begin with (which we weren’t familiar with, having moved to London from overseas), to understanding how to identify nursery, primary and senior schools that we should be considering for our daughter, to selecting a nursery for her to attend and eventually selecting a primary school for her to start in reception year.
Throughout this journey I have felt that I had competent professional help at hand, and more importantly, a friendly and caring ear. In our sessions with Karin, she has always focused on understanding our priorities, values and concerns as parents and tailored advice to our situation, rather than just doling out cookie-cutter advice based on popular “wisdom”. She is able to guide parents effectively in looking beyond exam results and exit destinations and making a holistic assessment in identifying schools that are the best fit for them and their child.
I have called on Karin’s help several times over the years and her advice and insights have been vital in helping us with our decision-making regarding schools for our daughter. Her warm personality, intellect and integrity make her a pleasure to work with, and I now view her as a trusted confidante. I would highly recommend her and Magus Education to any family seeking help on any aspect of the British Education system.
Kanika, mother of a girl, March 2020
Alessandra is a voice of calm and reason in amongst a sea of total confusion within the London education landscape. She is so extremely knowledgeable about everything regarding education and schools. She is considered, structured and intelligent in her approach. My husband and I both work full time and we found it very difficult to find the time to really research multiple schools and navigate the system of school applications. I felt that Alessandra very quickly understood exactly what we wanted in a school for our daughter even though we found that difficult to work out ourselves! In the end , we applied for schools requiring the 4+ assessment. Alessandra continued to support us through this process and was really able to provide such pragmatic advice and guidance when it came to choosing the best school for our child once the offers were released. I cannot thank her enough, she really did deliver true clarity throughout the whole process and I truly believe that my daughter is starting at exactly the right school for her. We are delighted. I have since recommended Alessandra to many of my friends and neighbours.
Emma & Will, February 2020
We contacted Alessandra to better understand the UK school system and to find the best school for our daughter. She is very knowledgeable and drafted a customized selection of schools according to our needs and preferences, taking into account not only the aspirations for our daughter, but also the logistics of our London life.
She mapped out a clear strategy of school applications, visits and assessments to ensure our daughter a placement in one of the top girls schools in West London.
Alessandra has guided us in a professional and supportive manner all the way through the relocation process, nursery selection, assessment preparation and school interaction. The sessions she organized for us with her colleagues were very useful and we had the feeling to be supported by a great team.
Our daughter got an offer by our first choice school and we believe Alessandra and the team played a key role in achieving this. We are satisfied with the excellent and tailored service received.
Federica & Luca, parents of a girl, February 2020
We were very happy to work with Alessandra & Magus. Unlike most education consultants in the market, she was very open to discussing the right option for us not limiting the search to private schools, but also state schools. Her knowledge of the options for London is very good and we would be happy to work with her again.
Manek, father of a boy and a girl, September 2019
Many thanks Alessandra for all the great tips you gave us today, it was clear that you had done a very thorough research on our needs and what the Putney area offers. We have a solid plan ahead now and insight on things one should look for – we were previously oblivious to most of the points you made us understand!
We will start with the actions directly! Thanks for communicating the next steps to us so clearly.
Christos & Magda, June 2019
We reached out to Magus Education after not getting into any of our six selections for reception. As we are new to the UK, we were completely stumped by the UK educational system. Alessandra was wonderful in explaining the education system, the pros and cons of state versus public schools, and nuances of various local schools. We really appreciated that she explained why we might choose state versus public schools as expats. We feel much more settled in navigating waitlists and have been accepted into a school we are happy with our son attending, thanks to Alessandra’s advice. Our only regret is that we didn’t discover Magus sooner!
Amy, May 2019
We moved to the UK 2 years ago and our daughter, now 7 years old and in Year 2, has been attending state school so far. We didn’t apply for private school in the first place since her English wasn’t perfect and we didn’t want to put extra stress on her. After we had feedback from her teacher about her progress, we were convinced that she would be ready to take assessment tests.
All of a sudden we started looking for private schools for a Year 3 start. Choosing and applying to a private school was a very complex process for us. When I was feeling confused I came across Karin. It sounds like mission impossible since was too late (March) and mostly schools had already completed their applications and exams in January. Her knowledge helped a lot to understand the process and with her guidance we made our applications. She also provided a personal reference for us and the magic happened! My daughter was given offers by 3 great schools including her first choice. I am really appreciative; we couldn’t have made it without Karin.
Burce, mother of a girl, March 2019
It was a really eye-opening experience seeing Karin as an educational consultant. She effectively listened to us and advised us on schools that were absolutely in line with our educational ethos and aims rather than just pushing us towards the most famous ones. She was very honest and open about the little details that so often make a difference on whether you are likely to feel comfortable in a particular school environment or not, regardless of its reputation. She actually went one step further and offered to introduce us to the headteachers of the schools we were most interested in, which was a really nice touch that made the whole process a lot easier and nicer. I would thoroughly recommend her services to anyone going through the process of choosing a school for their children.
Ana F, mother of a boy, March 2018
We were very satisfied with the information provided during the 11+ workshop by the consultants from Magus Education. Alessandra, Jennifer and Karin gave us an overall understanding of the English education system and the different school application processes.
In addition, it was useful to learn about how to start looking for schools suitable for our children in terms of their individual capabilities and personalities, and consider strategies to support them in a possible transition from a State primary to a private secondary.
Thank you for all your insider knowledge!
Cecilia & Erik, parents of a boy and twin girls, February 2019
Both me and my husband were impressed with level of practical knowledge that Karin provided during the workshop. Plus she really customized the class to our situation and had answers to all the questions that we had. Would highly recommend the class.
I & A, parents of a baby boy, March 2018
Our family moved to London in the summer of 2017 with 3 children, all within different age groups, thus forcing us to quickly find nursery, primary and secondary schools before the start of the academic year in September. Moreover, our children required intensive English language courses, and these were ideally selected by Alessandra and her team within our residing area.
The team have helped us to find ideal schools for each child, while taking into account our children’s interests and abilities. Having moved with an idea of attending an international school, we were wisely advised to consider traditional British education and have not regretted this.
What makes this team Outstanding is their level of involvement and communication, both by phone and email. The consultants give excellent advise on variety of schools, applications specifics and interviewing tips.
Raushan, mother of three, autumn 2017
Alessandra has successfully deployed her analytical skills to the independent school industry, identifying the long term trends likely to affect children’s education plans. Factors such as children’s aptitude to the vast diversity of academic environments and their families’ priorities, aspirations and background are all taken into consideration. In her holistic approach, Alessandra digs deeper than the surface: she is able to identify the right school for your child, advising parents to choose beyond what is sought-after by the masses. She strives to achieve not only what is popular, but what is right and desirable for your child.
Giada, mother of two
We were close to the due date and instead of labour anxiety we were more stressed out about school applications! We had a chat to Aude about the British school system, the merits of private vs. state education and specific school options – it was absolutely great advice. Aude used the 90 minutes to give a thorough, well-documented, insightful, balanced and honest account on all the topics we wanted to cover. It was a pleasure speaking to her; we felt both more confident and more inspired to do further research and explore options. Highly recommended!
Alexandra & Vasili, parents expecting their first child
Amazing talk yesterday from Emily and Karin on the British School System. Very thorough review from nurseries to primary to secondary schools, both private and public, co-ed and mixed as well as very sound advice on tutoring (on what is hype and what is really worth paying for).
Anya, mother of two, October 2015
We moved to London from France with a young baby last year and had no idea where to start with schools. Aude played a crucial role in helping us understand how the system worked here and how to select schools that would suit our needs and philosophy. She saved us many hours of research and provided nuanced and up-to-date advice in a warm and thoughtful manner. Highly recommended to all parents having to make school decisions.
Julia, mother of one girl
We had lived abroad for many years when we were suddenly faced with the challenge of finding school places for both our girls. We found the diversity of options in London extremely confusing, but Karin really took the time to understand what we wanted for the kids before deftly guiding us through the options.
Adam & Anica, parents of two girls, June 2015
We recently met with Emily to discuss our daughter’s schooling. Our daughter, aged 9, is doing fine in her school, but isn’t stimulated enough. We are keen to find a school where she will flourish and feel at home, and yet be nurtured and stretched to reach her full potential.
As a couple that has recently divorced, this could have been an awkward discussion, but Emily immediately made us feel at ease. Her knowledge, warmth and ability to fully understand our needs made for a great session. Emily knows the schools in and around Oxford where we live like the back of her hand. She was able to give us the exact details and guidance for what we needed, and we have since visited several schools upon her recommendation. As a result of those visits, our daughter has fallen in love with one of them and wants to do everything she can in order to gain a spot there.
We can’t recommend Emily and Magus Education enough! While we hope that our daughter gets accepted at her first choice school and that she will stay there, should we need to move elsewhere, we know exactly who to help us with that process. Thank you!
Anna & George, parents of one girl, June 2015