Magnus has arisen as a result of the personal experiences of its co-founders who have gone through different stages of school selection and preparation process for their own children and appreciate the importance of working with highly skilled, leading industry experts.
Its ethos is to pass the first hand knowledge and know-how to other parents by providing highly focused and attentive service. It is this personal insight and experience that we believe makes the difference between Magnus and our competitors. We commit to a personal and lasting relationship with families throughout their children’s education life.
Our high calibre advisory team empowers the parents to determine which schools offer the best education environment for the individual needs of their own children whilst fulfilling their potential.
Nursery
Expecting a baby is a very joyful experience that also requires careful planning.
The right nursery education will provide a solid foundation giving your child a better chance to access the best schools. We advise parents to start planning as early as possible to increase their chances for access to the best nurseries available.
Some schools have a ‘register by’ date, however, some schools operate a ‘first come first served’ policy even where the child will still be assessed for entry. In such cases, we advise parents to register their interest with the relevant nurseries as soon as they have learned of their pregnancy.
Our leading Nursery and Early Years specialists are able to guide you through this process. They will outline the features of an outstanding nursery and talk you through the relevant points to consider for nursery selection and placement, thus allowing you to take advantage of many of the varied early learning opportunities available.
Assessments
Academic
As a parent, you would like the best opportunity for your child, but how do you know which learning environment is best?
Each child is unique and it is crucial to find the best suited school for that child. It is necessary to select an environment that will enhance your child’s strengths and allow them to thrive, without compromising their happiness or wellbeing. By identifying your child’s current abilities and their future potential, our senior academic assessors are able to recommend the best fit schools for you and your child. The assessment process is structured to identify strengths as well as areas for development in both literacy and numeracy, where skills are analysed and measured. Literacy is assessed from pre-reading and early writing to advanced reading, comprehension and written expression. Numeracy is assessed topic by topic, covering the full curriculum.
Assessments are vital tools as they identify areas of competence, areas needing consolidation and pinpoint gaps in knowledge. They are able to make comparisons between underlying ability and levels of attainment, and can provide comparative statistics for each child, which can be used to assess where your child stands versus the national average.
Feedback from the assessment will be provided both verbally and within a detailed written report. The report will also recommend strategies, books and resources to assist parents with their children’s education, enabling them to move confidently forward. The results will also provide the foundation for our Bespoke Education Plan should you wish to take advantage of our further services. The assessments can be conducted face to face or online to suit your individual needs.
Special Needs
Magnus can provide formal assessments where concerns have been raised surrounding the academic development of a child. A detailed written report will be provided identifying the underlying areas of difficulty and appropriate recommendations for improvement will be highlighted.
School Selection Advisory
Each child is unique and it is crucial to find the best suited school for that child. It is necessary to select an environment that will enhance your child’s strengths and allow them to thrive, without compromising their happiness or wellbeing.
Magnus can create a School Selection Advisory for your child by understanding your family’s needs, your aspirations and the results of the academic assessments.
This School Selection Advisory will highlight the best fit schools for your child, the entry procedures for each school and the educational tuition required to prepare for the upcoming entrance tests. Magnus will also provide a face-to-face consultation as part of this plan to discuss the results in detail. It is vital that the plan is suitable to you and your family, and offers a realistic proposition. The consultation will be used to agree the proposition and answer any questions that you may have. Magnus prides itself in working with you and following your aspirations. Next steps will also be established in this meeting, which could include private tuition, confidence building and / or interview practice.
Entry criteria vary from school to school with much to consider; open days, registration dates, assessment dates, private or group school tours and offer management (including waitlisted places). With more than one school to consider, this ‘admin’ can add up. Magnus can provide a timeline management service and help you with these administrative requirements.
Magnus follows an efficient and proactive school advisory process that has five stages:
Interview Coaching
The Interview process is an essential part of any school selection process and it is a great opportunity for a child to be able to express themselves fully. Unfortunately, there are not enough spaces available for all the children that are interviewed, as such preparation is key.
Magnus can advise on different interview processes, execute mock interviews and provide valuable feedback to improve communication, body language and manage confidence. It is beneficial to prepare children mentally to ensure their realselves are shown and they are able to communicate freely. Our experts, all ex-headmasters and headmistresses, will cultivate confidence and coach the children, whilst encouraging each child to bring out their own individualities and shine.