Top Marks

As the world looks toward opening-up post COVID, Sarah Teasdale, Managing Director of Educatus, looks at schooling in the UK in the context of individual and corporate relocations. James Matthews investigates

What gave you the idea to start Educatus?

The idea stemmed from my own experiences. For almost 10 years I lived and worked in various countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, all whilst bringing up three daughters. Arriving in a new location and finding a good school for the girls was often a challenge. Fortunately, as well as being a parent I was a qualified teacher, so at least I knew what to look for. When I returned to the UK, I started a role in a large relocation company. With my own experience of moving my family to a new country, my background in UK schools and my knowledge of the relocation industry, Educatus was born. We now have six Consultants and Researchers helping hundreds of families each year.

Do corporate relocations often involve families arriving in the UK with school age kids?

In a normal year, over a thousand families move to the UK as part of a corporate relocation. Often, they bring their spouse and children with them. It’s our job to help them find the schools and colleges that best suit their children’s needs, whatever their ages.

Do you do work for both employers and individuals?

Absolutely, Educatus has a mix of clients. We are often asked by a corporate to assist a transitioning employee. Good employers know that if left to chance, the employees’ children may end up being unhappy in their new school, putting the whole relocation at risk. Similarly, our private clients are also keen to get their child’s schooling right.

How does your service work?

The consultant takes the stress out of the move by liaising with the family to understand what type of school best suits the children so that when the family arrive, the children can quickly move into their new educational setting. That might be a State School or a Private School (where fees are paid). In fact, we cover the spectrum from nursery education through schooling to College and University. Educatus will be the point of contact with the admissions body, assist with any testing and in arranging visits/virtual visits for the family as they head toward their new location.

How is the pandemic impacting UK schools in 2021?

Looking forward it’s pretty good news. Schools have safely re-opened and are ready to receive children once again. With the adult vaccination programme moving on at speed the government aims to end all lockdowns by the end