Independent education can feel like another world.
For a long time, independent schools felt completely inaccessible to me. Then I began working within education and independent schools, became deeply involved in school governance and, eventually, became a boarding-school parent myself.
Somewhere along the way, the mysterious world of preps, boarding houses, exeats, admissions, scholarships and school visits stopped being mysterious.
That experience became the starting point for McFry Education Consultancy.
Why I started McFry
Choosing a school is an enormous decision. Yet parents are often expected to make it while navigating prospectuses, open days, admissions processes, scholarships, boarding options and a bewildering amount of well-intentioned advice.
I realised there was room for something simpler: knowledgeable, independent advice from someone who understands schools, but also understands what it feels like to be the parent making the decision.
McFry exists to help families make sense of their options, ask the right questions and find somewhere their child can genuinely thrive.
There is no single “best school”.
There is a right school for your child.
Experience from both sides of the school gate
My experience of education is broad. I’ve worked within both state and independent schools, spent eight years in school governance, including four years as Chair of Governors while also serving as a Multi-Academy Trust Director and now work professionally advising school and academy governing boards.
I’ve also worked closely with senior leaders in an independent preparatory school, with experience spanning admissions, recruitment, HR, compliance and the day-to-day workings of school life.
But my perspective isn’t only professional.
As a parent, I’ve navigated additional educational needs, school moves, scholarships, boarding, the admissions process and the particular challenges faced by Armed Forces families. I know that choosing a school isn’t simply about league tables, facilities or an impressive prospectus. It’s about understanding the child in front of you and finding the environment in which they are most likely to flourish.
That combination of professional knowledge and lived experience shapes the way I work with every family.
Independent & Boarding Schools
Professional experience within independent schools, alongside first-hand experience as a boarding-school parent.
Additional Educational Needs
First-hand experience navigating education and school choices when a child needs something different.
School Governance
Governor, Chair of Governors, Multi-Academy Trust Director and Governance Professional.
Armed Forces Families
Practical understanding of mobility, continuity of education, boarding and the CEA system.
I understand the parent side, too.
Being a parent changes the way you see schools.
I know what it feels like to walk around an open day wondering whether you are asking the right questions, to weigh up opportunities against what your child actually needs, and ultimately to trust a school with someone enormously precious to you.
As a military family, we have also had to think carefully about continuity of education through postings and moves. That journey eventually led us to boarding education and all the decisions that come with it: when the time is right, what kind of school will suit your child, how family life will work around it and whether the reality lives up to the prospectus.
Experiencing the process from the parent side changed the way I look at schools.
It taught me how much sits behind every school decision: the practical considerations, certainly, but also the hopes, worries and instincts that don't appear on an application form.
That's why I start with the child, not a list of schools. I want to understand who they are, what makes them tick and what they need from their education before we begin thinking about where they might go.
Let’s talk about your child.
You don’t need to have a shortlist, know exactly what you’re looking for or even be certain that independent education is the right route. We can start with a conversation about your child, your circumstances and what matters to your family.