Parents Forum Past Events
The Parents Forum brings together the brightest thinkers from education, finance, property & law, alongside the most respected independent school leaders to help parents as they plan their child’s educational journey.
The value of assessing your child
Many London schools use rigorous academic tests to choose their pupils. This session focuses on the information that parents can gather alongside school reports that will help you to better predict how your child will perform in 11+ and 13+ entrance assessments.
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Desmond O'Connor
Educational Psychologist , Bonas MacFarlane / O'Connor Assessment
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Gemma Ackerley
Head of Customer Success, Atom Learning
INTO British Boarding | Full family relocations
At this Parents Forum webinar we meet a group of international boarders and then discuss what parents need to consider if they plan to relocate their families to the UK.
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Kelvin Tanner
Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
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Stuart Leslie
Director, Barratt London
INTO London Prep Schools
This Parent Forum provides a unique opportunity for parents living in (or moving to) London to get an overview of the capital's most sought after prep schools: Eaton Square, Knightsbridge, St Anthony's School for Boys, St Anthony's School for Girls, Falcons Prep, Cameron Vale
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Shona Colaço
Head, Knightsbridge School
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Donal Brennan
Headmaster, St Anthony’s School for Girls
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Olivia Buchanan
Headmistress, Falcons Prep Richmond
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Neill Lunnon
Head, Fulham Prep
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Bridget Saul
Headteacher, Cameron Vale School
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Trish Watt
Head , Eaton Square School
INTO British boarding | Preparing your child for boarding
What do you need to think about when moving your child into a UK boarding school? We meet teenagers from Monaco, Dubai and Hong Kong who are boarding in the UK at Lancing, Sevenoaks and Millfield, three of the UK's leading schools and then discuss how parents can practically support their child when school is a long way from home.
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Kelvin Tanner
Partner, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
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Stuart Leslie
Director, Barratt London
Town v Country - the teenage years
Would your teenager thrive better in a city or country school? Heads of five city and country schools interview their teenaged pupils to help you decide whether your child would suit a rural or urban education. There will be an extended Q&A where parents can directly question heads and pupils.
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Dr Dominic Luckett
Headmaster, Sherborne School
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Dr Mike Milner
Head of Senior School, Reddam House School
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Christopher Cockerill
Head, Senior School, Fulham School
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Lucy Elphinstone
Headmistress, Francis Holland School, Sloane Square
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Julia Hodgson
Director of Admissions, Marlborough College
Rethinking the future of Independent Education
This week an extraordinary panel of leading figures from the sector gather to discuss the prospects for British independent schools in the 21st century. This is a great opportunity to meet the heads of three of Britain’s most well-known schools – St Paul's, Winchester and Westminster, plus a former head of Harrow.
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Barnaby Lenon
Chairman, Independent Schools Council
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Dr Tim Hands
Headmaster, Winchester College
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Dr Gary Savage
Head Master, Westminster School
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Sally-Anne Huang
High Master, St Paul's School
Talking school fees
This week we look at affordability - discussing bursaries, second child discounts and school fees planning with two of the UK's leading school fee experts.
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James Alder
Director, Brewin Dolphin
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Camilla Smiley
Scholarship & Bursary Consultant, The Good Schools Guide
Preparing your child to thrive at Boarding School
Boarding schools offer a unique, life-changing, educational opportunity, but going to boarding school is a big step which can seem daunting for children and their parents. This Parent Forum looks at how to prepare your child for boarding, helping with the transition from living at home to living at school.
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Harry Cobb
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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Augusta Faulkner
Joint Head of Boarding, Dragon School
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Paul Curran
Deputy Head Pastoral, St Edmund's College & Prep School
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Liz Hutchings
Deputy Head (Pastoral) & Head of Boarding, Junior King’s School, Canterbury
INTO Central London Prep Schools
This Parent Forum provides a unique opportunity for parents living in (or moving to) London to look around nine of the capital's most sought after prep schools. In an hour we visit the schools, see them in action and gain exclusive insights. Knight Frank will then give an overview of the market for family homes in Central London.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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Eleanor Dixon
Headteacher , Falkner House (boys)
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Suzy Dixon
Head , Francis Holland Junior School
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Alison Melrose
Headmistress, Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School
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Alex Philo
Partner, Wimbledon Office, Knight Frank
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James Stenning
Head Teacher, North Bridge House Prep School
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Giles Entwisle
Headmaster , Durston House School
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Sara Williams-Ryan
Headmistress, Falcons School for Girls
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Liz Mclaughlin
Head, Falcons Pre-Preparatory School, Chiswick
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Nicola Swales
Deputy Head (Academic), Notting Hill Preparatory School
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Benedict Dunhill
Headmaster , Redcliffe School
Senior Boarding in Action
For our first Family Forum, aimed at children as well as parents, we go behind the scenes to visit six senior schools in the evening and see what modern boarding is really like. There will be plenty of opportunities for Q&A so that you and your children can get answers to all the vital questions about boarding.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
The great outdoors - learning outside the classroom
The outdoors is the ultimate enabling environment. It is full of resources for open-ended play, adventure training and learning, providing huge benefits for children. In this Parent Forum we explore the educational opportunities of outdoor learning with Gordonstoun, Camp Bonas and Liberty Woodlands School.
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Harry Cobb
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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Richard Devey
Head of Senior School, Gordonstoun
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Leanna Barrett
Head of School & Founder, Liberty Woodland School
Move or Stay Put? The Financial Implications
There's a well-worn quandary for those who swap their London home and head out of the capital, would you be better off staying put? Brewin Dolphin will model some common scenarios and answer your questions.
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David Quintrell
Director, Brewin Dolphin
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Emma Cowley
Divisional Director - Investment Management, Brewin Dolphin
INTO the Cotswolds
If you are considering a relocation to the Cotswolds, this Parent Forum is a highly efficient way to focus your search and find the school that is the right fit for your child.
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Charlie Taylor
Partner & Office Head, Bath, Knight Frank
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Kate Reynolds
Head, Royal High School Bath GDST
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Emma Taylor
Warden of the Dean Close Foundation, Dean Close School
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Matt Way
Headmaster, Stonar School
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Nick Seward
Headmaster, Kingham Hill School
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Susan McLean
Headmistress, Kitebrook Preparatory School
Choosing a school for your SEN child
Selecting the right school for a child with learning difficulties can seem an overwhelming task. From the biggest school to the smallest, to the ultra-selective to totally inclusive, all schools have a policy devoted to learning needs. So, if your child has an identified need, how do you work out which is right for them?
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Tim Martin
Head of Learning Support and PSHEE, Kingham Hill School
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Charlotte Phillips
SEN Education Consultant, Good Schools Guide
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Tanya Moran
Headteacher, Abingdon House School and College
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Koen Claeys
Headmaster, The Moat School
London Senior School Options
This Parent Forum is designed to help parents living in (or moving to) the capital deal with the extra pressures and complexities in finding a London senior school.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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Sebastian Hepher
Principal, Eaton Square Schools
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Brendan Pavey
Executive Head Teacher, North Bridge House Senior Schools
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Siobhan McGrath
Executive Principal, Southbank International School
Part 2 - struggling with home learning?
Home learning in lockdown is making many parents aware that their child is not reaching their full academic potential and might well have learning, behaviour and socialisation differences. This Parent Forum will help parents with these concerns and discuss how to understand your child’s learning style, providing strategies and tips to help.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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Fintan O'Regan
Behaviour and Learning Specialist, ADHD and Neurodiversity
Support your child's home learning - Part 1
Bonas MacFarlane has organised two Parent Forums to help parents manage and support their child through lockdown. Part 1 explores how parents can help their child to engage with learning during lockdown. Tuition and home-learning experts will offer tips, strategies and advice to help your child overcome barriers and learn something new.
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Harry Cobb
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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James Bonas
Lead Assessor, Bonas MacFarlane
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James Frome
Tutor, Bonas MacFarlane
How to Choose an Independent School
In the independent system there are hundreds of schools to look at, so how do you find the right one for your child? For this Parents Forum we are delighted to welcome Barnaby Lenon, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council, who will be answering your questions.
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Charles Bonas
Founder, Bonas MacFarlane
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Barnaby Lenon
Chairman, Independent Schools Council
INTO the Girls' Day School Trust
Join us on Tuesday morning for a brilliant overview of the UK's leading group of girls' schools. This is a unique opportunity for parents to look around ten of the Girls' Day School Trust's leading independent girls schools.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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Dr Kevin Stannard
Director of Innovation & Learning, GDST
INTO the Home Counties
Featuring Bedales, Berkhamsted, Bradfield, Haileybury, Heathfield, Sevenoaks, St George's Ascot and Shiplake, in an hour we visit these leading schools, see them in action, meet pupils, heads and admissions directors and gain exclusive insights.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
INTO the West of England
Featuring Cheltenham College, Marlborough, Millfield, Monkton Combe, Pangbourne, Queen Anne's, Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls, in an hour we visit these eight leading schools, see them in action, meet pupils, heads and admissions directors and gain exclusive insights.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
Choosing an independent school online
This session will give an overview of the best online tools and will then provide a detailed introduction to two of the most comprehensive sources of information - The Good Schools Guide and the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
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Vivien Kelly
Communications Manager, Independent Schools Inspectorate
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Melanie Sanderson
Managing Editor, Good Schools Guide
Applying to highly selective US universities
With over one million international students applying to the US for university each year, competition for places at top universities is at an all time high. This online event is designed to help British and international students who are applying to US universities.
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Jamie Boygo
Specialist US College Consultant, Bonas MacFarlane
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Paul Burgess
Director of International Admission and Global Initiatives, Tulane University
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Sayaka Smith
Assistant Director of Admissions, Tufts University
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Brendan Graham
Senior Assistant Director, Northeastern University
INTO Boarding Prep Schools
A unique opportunity for parents to look around eight of the UK's leading boarding prep schools. This is a highly efficient way to focus your search and find the school that is the right fit for your child.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
Choosing a London School
This online event, organised with the Good Schools Guide, is designed to help parents living in (or moving to) the capital deal with the extra pressures and complexities in finding a London school.
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Mike Kirby
Founder & Principal, Ashbourne College
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Magoo Giles
Founder & Principal, Knightsbridge School
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Grace Moody-Stuart
Director, The Good Schools Guide
Into UK Senior Schools
In an hour we visited six leading schools within easy reach of London, saw them in action, gained exclusive insights and gave parents the opportunity to ask questions. This was a highly efficient way to focus your search and find the school that is the right fit for your child.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
Start Planning For School Fees
Our third webinar in this series is designed to help families at the start of the education journey make sound financial plans.
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David Quintrell
Director, Brewin Dolphin
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James Alder
Director, Brewin Dolphin
How to apply to NYU
This was a unique opportunity to get your questions answered by an admissions director from one of the US universities most popular with international students.
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Charles Bonas
Founder, Bonas MacFarlane
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Lisa Mortini
International Admissions Director, New York University (NYU)
The Return to Boarding School
This online event was designed to help British and international parents prepare their children to return or start at boarding school this autumn.
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Ben Evans
Head, Windlesham House School
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Julia Harrington
Headmistress, Queen Anne's School
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Grace Moody-Stuart
Director, The Good Schools Guide
What price an education? Grandparents, Tax & Equity Release
How grandparents can best help with school fees.
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David Forsdyke
Equity Release, Knight Frank Finance
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David Quintrell
Director, Brewin Dolphin
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James Alder
Director, Brewin Dolphin
Senior School Admissions
Our distinguished panel explain how open days, school tours, interviews/assessments and registration are working under the current circumstances.
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Dr Andy Mayfield
Director of Admissions, St Paul's School
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James Dahl
Master, Wellington College
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
Reception admissions - how to keep ahead in lockdown
Schools have been closed but admissions have not stopped. This online event was designed to help parents to understand how the leading London nurseries and Pre-Prep/Prep schools are managing the admissions processes for 2020 and 2021.
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Lucinda Byron Evans
Head Teacher, Young England Kindergartens
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Sebastian Hepher
Principal, Eaton Square Schools
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
Lets Talk About School Fees...
Financial strategies to help families manage through the C-19 crisis.
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Will Petty
Director, Bonas MacFarlane
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David Quintrell
Director, Brewin Dolphin
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James Alder
Director, Brewin Dolphin
Into Switzerland
This was an online event for parents who are considering moving their family to Switzerland.
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Richard McDonald
Executive Director, Aiglon College
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Charles Bonas
Founder, Bonas MacFarlane
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Aline Dénéréaz
Partner, Transforma
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Alex Koch de Gooreynd
Partner, Knight Frank
