THORNTON BY CHELSEA
Manifesting Educational Success
London’s Leading Independent & Grammar School Expert
Now Preparing for 2025 Exams
Entrance Exams
Private School Season: November 2025 - January 2026
Grammar School Season: September - October 2025
GCSE & A-LEVEL Exams
Exam Season: May - June 2025
We are currently accepting new families to work with us in preparation for exams this year, offering elite tuition stategies, curriculums designed for private & grammar schools, as well as state secondary exams. In working with new families, we offer consistent management and guidance with a leading expert who will help you navigate and understand the process to ensure your child exeeds expectations and discovers their true potential. In the intial steps, we offer a highly professional and extensive assessment and review of new student and the family’s circumstances and long-term goals, offering tailored, adaptive stratergies that seek to make the most out of quality preparation for any exam. Our knowledge and expertise is available to the families we work with at all times, and over many years of supporting those from both British and international backgrounds in understanding their target schools, admission procedures, or unique exam process, we have been able to instil confidence and alleviate stress, allowing students and parents to acheive their educational goals.
Leading Independent School Specialist in Chelsea
Founded by Charlie Thornton, a leading expert in the private & grammar school sector with over fourteen years of experience helping families navigate the competitive landscape of London’s top day schools, as well as offering the highest level of support avaialble for the UK’s best boarding schools, and British schools overseas.
With exclusive insights and a proven track record of securing placements at top institutions, we can help manage academic preparation; offering in-depth consultation on schools, access to a network of specialist tutors, as well as professional assessments and much more.
We work with families all over London, primarily working with families based in Kensington and Chelsea, as well as north and south west London. With a proven track record and an extensive list of highly positive referrals, we can gurantee success every year as we see our families gain entrance into top academic schools from Tier 1 institutions such s St. Paul’s and Latymer Upper School, to other private schools all over London, as well as gtop grammar schools such as Henrietta Barnett and Tiffin.
Academic Support
Group Classes
Join our expert-led group classes, designed for students to thrive within social learning environments and reach their potential. We run small, specialised classes for 11+ preparation that follows a carefully crafted curriculum that seeks to develop fundamental and advanced skills required for entrance exams in an engaging teaching experience run in-person in Chelsea. We also offer focused online groups targeting specific elements of GCSE exams including exam technique in maths, as well as analysis and essay writing in English.
1:1 Tutition
Experience personalised learning with our 1:1 tuition, available in-person and online. All of our specialist tutors arre highly experienced and carefully vetted and trained, with many holding First-Class Masters or Bachelors degrees from prestigous universities, as well as working with former teachers from many of the schools your child may be applying to. We carefully assess each individual case and ensure we pair the right individual to the unique requirements of each student, helping your child excel and achieve their goals whether that be securing a place at a school or achieving the grades they so desire.
Discover the Talent, Be the Mentor
Our specialty lies in guiding academic individuals, aged 4-18, through personalised mentorship that helps them exceed expectations and reach their full potential. We understand that every student holds unique talents and gifts that often go unnoticed in school, and we specialise in closely observing and assessing a student’s cognitive makeup, as we believe it is crucial to first understand a student’s mind before we are fit to mentor them, but also to continue to observe and adapt as they progress in their academic jounrey.
Our team of expert tutors and educational specialists is dedicated to providing tailored support, with each plan crafted to match your child’s unique needs and cognitive profile. Whether managing small groups or delivering bespoke home-school curricula, we ensure every aspect of your child’s education is meticulously designed for maximum benefit. We have a particular expertise in preparaing students for entrance exams for London’s private & grammar schools at 11+, as well as entrance exams at 7+, 8+, 13+ and 16+.
We also offer invaluable guidance to international families, helping them navigate the UK’s independent school system and entrance exams, ensuring a smooth transition and identifying schools that best support their child’s development and cultural integration.
EXPERT ADVICE & INSIGHT
School and Educational Advisory
Understanding the private school sector can certainly feel like moving through a minefiled, and we are here to share over a decade’s worth of experience navigating the nuanced features, expectations and cohorts beloning to each school, as well asc offer exclusive insights into how these schools work and the unique benefits they offer. We can also offer expert consultation on the various admissions procedures, processes and required preparation for the best schools on the country. We can also offer high level support and guidance on the grammar school system, universities, international schools, and educational development in general.
Professional Management
Whether you work with us in a 1:1 or group learning framework, throughout the eniterty of a student’s academic journey leading into exams, we offer inclusive management and guidance on the overall preparation that remains adaptive and flexible to ensure the child’s needs are being met at all times. This encompasses both providing professionally crafted curriculums, teaching support, and home study guidance whether that be in anticipation for entrance exams or GCSEs or A Levels. Premium management are also avaialble including support with applications and additional educational reviews.
Assessments & Mock Exams
When working with a new family, we typcially recommend a professional initial assessment that offers a deep dive into a student’s academic, cognitive, personal skills and potential in order to understand the unique needs of each child and, in turn, craft a tailored educational strategy that works for them. We also offer various mock exam formats, both in venue and privately, concerning entrance exams as well as state secondary exams.
14 Years Experience Helping Students Realise Their Potential and Find Their Dream School
“While exam preparation is important, students are ultimately preparing for life at school, or are developing skills that will be used for life, and so, we believe that a greater emphasis should be on developing yourself as an overall scholar and intellectual as opposed to an ‘exam machine’. Ultimately, we can assure everyone we work with that unlocking your potential, and guiding you to reach it is our primary focus.”
Contact Us
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We look forward to hearing from you.