In Conversation with Richard Northey, Managing Director at The Education Consultancy
Richard Northey established The Education Consultancy in 2011, offering clients a bespoke, personalised service helping families navigate the complexities of the British and international school systems whilst also identifying the best school that perfectly aligns with each family and their requirements.
I wanted to offer a more bespoke education consultancy. I had previously worked for a company which was very much in the corporate market, but I felt that with my background in private banking, a consultancy more attuned to that market, whereby you could offer clients more time and attention, would be beneficial. People gravitate towards relationships and a more personal service, which is where I saw a gap in the market.
My company works with expecting parents up to eighteen-year-olds, or, as I like to say, embryo to eighteen. In London, there are certain schools which families need to register with on the day of birth, thus speaking with me as early as possible is always beneficial. Some nurseries do accept applications during pregnancy. In the UK, we like queuing, and applying to schools and nurseries follows the same format. I always believe in preparation and the benefit of making an informed decision; the combination of which helps families to ensure they make the best education decisions for their children.
I have seen a change of nationalities over the past few years. Of course, we used to have many UHNW Russian families moving to London, but they have been replaced with the influx of Indian families, along with Americans. The British education system is seen as the gold standard, with it proving to be a significant draw for families relocating to the UK. Following China’s banning of for-profit tutoring, along with Chinese nationals no longer being able to attend international schools, there has been an increase in demand for UK prep schools, with families moving with younger children in order to prepare them for potential entry to top British day and boarding schools. One boarding school mentioned that they could fill their places many times over with Chinese pupils, but they are keen to maintain a strong British cohort, with an additional international offering.
During Covid there was a move to the countryside, with families seeking space in a larger home with a garden, but, more recently, within the London property market schools have reported families moving back into London. The draw of London with its restaurants, museums, theatres, and parks, continues to be a draw to British and international families. For any parent, to have a school close to home and a commute which isn’t too long, so that they can see their children in the morning and evening, if an important part of their work/life balance.
Many clients are keen to rent for a year or so, but then look to buy in the area. This enables them to understand where other families in the school live, see which roads are quieter, or bide their time to find the property of choice. For international families, the school can form a significant part of their social life, and ensuring their move to the UK proves to be a success for both parents and children. Within the London property market, Hampstead and St. John’s Wood offers a good selection of fee-paying schools, as well as some of the more central areas, such as Knightsbridge, Kensington, and Notting Hill. Further out, Kew, Wimbledon and Dulwich are worthwhile considering. For fee-paying schools, some of the areas which have been gentrified over the past decade or two tend to offer fewer, if any, options, which is why I tend to steer families away from Islington, Woolwich, or Canary Wharf.
A short commute to their school and place of work is always helpful, which is why it can be a consideration to find your school prior to finding your property. Of course, the two do go hand-in-hand, therefore, to consult with a London property consultant at the same time as investigating school options is always beneficial, so as to ensure that the type of property is available within a family’s budget in the area. Overseas parents may not be familiar with many residential areas and the nuances of the London property market, thus they may have existing friends who live in a particular location which may draw them to that area.
I believe it will be the countryside prep schools which will suffer the most, as families will consider the educational lifetime of a child and believe that fourteen years of fees following the tax jump may be too much to stomach. They are more likely to invest in their child’s education at the senior level, where they can benefit from the sports, music, art and drama facilities which fee-paying schools offer, along with smaller class sizes and more individualised attention, which can assist in achieving higher grades. Labour’s figures suggest 3-7% of pupils may drop out of fee-paying schools overnight, but I expect it to be significantly higher, particularly at the younger ages, with it being closer to 15 or 20%. This will mean the closure of many schools and a crisis in the state system, which has an obligation to provide places to this exodus of pupils from private schools. Grammar schools, which are selective state schools at the senior level, will become much more popular, with house prices in areas where grammar schools exist, increasing by substantial amounts in the short term as families plan for their child’s future. There is a reasonable chance that the proposed tax increase could end up costing the country money.
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