Meet The Team

Jess Harris

Head of Education, Global  – As the Head of Education, Jess is predominantly responsible for the development of our successful consultancy programs and the expansion of our continually growing global network. She is an enthusiastic educationalist, who’s passion for excellence is apparent in every aspect of her working life. Under Jess, Quintessentially Education has successfully guided and placed hundreds of students from all around the world into prestigious educational institutions, helping children from nursery age, right up to university. Jess’ own consultancy specialism lies within the spheres of higher education, and her personal educational background saw her graduate with a First Class Honours degree. Jess has ingrained a student centred approach throughout the business, and she is passionate about helping each and every individual to reach their full potential, no matter what challenges they may face. Her energetic and confident style of leadership, combined with her unrivalled knowledge of the UK & US educational systems, means that Jess is ideally positioned to lead the forward-thinking team at Quintessentially Education.

Amelia Buckworth

Senior Educational Coordinator, UK – As the Senior Education Coordinator for Quintessentially Education, Amelia plays a significant role in both the tuition and consultancy sides of the business and is regularly the key point of contact for many of the families we work with. One of Amelia’s key specialisms is the management of private tuition placements, with her extensive experience in this area enabling her to ensure we are selecting tutors of the highest quality and that they are correctly matched to the specific needs of our clients. Within the consultancy arm, Amelia supports families with both school and university placements, in which her own personal education experience (Amelia attended Oundle School, and holds an upper second class degree from a Russell Group university) has shaped her insightful understanding of the UK education system. Amelia’s strong interpersonal and organisational skills ideally position her to offer personal support to families and students across the board, and in line with Quintessentially Education’s child-centred approach she ensures families achieve the highest level of service.

Charlotte Hansford 

Education Coordinator, UK – Charlotte is the most recent member to join the team here at Quintessentially and is involved with coordinating both our school and university advisory services for both international and UK clients. She helps support across the team with all other educational matters including both consulting and tuition.  Charlotte’s own educational background (including holding an upper second class honours in History from University of Nottingham), along with her strong administrative and organisational skills, allows her to guide clients who are less familiar with the UK educational system through offering her invaluable support and assistance.

Josephine Law

Education Coordinator, Hong Kong Josephine studied at Cardiff Metropolitan University and graduated with an upper second class degree in Psychology (BSc). She is the first port of call for all education enquiries in Hong Kong, and manages client liaisons and coordination of student programmes. Having grown up living in five different countries across the world, Josephine developed strong problem solving and organizational skills, as well as a comprehensive understanding of global education systems.

Charles Milne

Senior Education Consultant, UK

Charles has worked in education for nearly 40 years. Born in Australia, he was at school and university in Sydney before moving to Oxford for postgraduate studies in 1977. After three years as a Research Lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, and brief stints teaching at Dean Close School and Stowe, he went on to spend most of his career teaching French and English at Eton, where he was also a house master and Tutor for Admissions.

Dee Francken

Senior Education Consultant, UK

Dee has extensive experience in junior and senior school education in both the state and independent sectors. She is one of Quintessentially Education’s top consultants and can provide a unique insight when it comes to the admissions process. Dee was previously Senior Teacher at the North London Collegiate School (NLCS), one of the UK’s leading schools and the only school twice named Sunday Times Independent School of the Year. She then became the Headmistress of NLCS Junior School, giving her invaluable experience of selection and education provision across the age ranges from 4 to 18.

Rose De Pass

Early Years Consultant, UK

Rose is an Early Years specialist, holding a First Class honours degree in Early Years Education. Rose consolidated her studies by working in the prestigious Miss Daisy’s nursery in Belgravia, and has developed a strong relationship with this school and many others. It is these personal relationships with the heads of many top schools that sets Rose apart from other consultants. She continues to refine her understanding of the processes by which young children learn, and her knowledge allows her to find schools that will best suit each child. With over 10 years’ experience in private education, Rose strives to be a practical and grounding support, to help shed light on the process, and to ensure parents are making considered and informed decisions about their children’s future (especially those who are unfamiliar with the English school system). Her extensive knowledge of the early years sector has resulted in many successful applications for Quintessentially Education’s clients.

Edward Smallwood

US Consultant, based in the UK

Ed attended Harrow School before moving to the United States to study at Harvard University for his undergraduate degree. He went on to receive a Masters from New York University and his MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School. Ed is now Managing Director at A-List Education, a global consultancy specialising in the US education system, which has formed an exclusive partnership with Quintessentially Education. Ed and his team provide academic advice and school and university placement support for all ages, from kindergarten through to graduate programmes.

Dr Susanna Pinkus

SEN Specialist and UK Consultant, UK

Dr Susanna is a highly qualified and experienced education specialist with particular expertise in the field of special educational needs. Dr Susanna provides support to parents in the UK and beyond in areas such as selecting school placements, carrying out case reviews and enabling successful transitions between primary and senior school phases. She can provide ongoing support as well as individual sessions with parents concerned about aspects of their child’s learning and development. Sessions can often be provided by Skype or telephone as well as face-to-face meetings. In addition to her first degree in English and Education, Dr Susanna holds a Masters degree and doctorate in Education from the University of Cambridge. Alongside her consultancy portfolio, she works part time at one of the UK’s leading independent schools.

Sarah de Louwere

Education Consultant, China

Sarah graduated from Cambridge with a Masters degree in Education and has taught all ages from 3 to 14 in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and now Shanghai. With a specialism in Special Educational Needs she has tutored children with individual requirements. For the past 10 years, Sarah has been the Head of Lower School at a top London Prep School, whilst supporting the set up and running of successful private nurseries in the city. Sarah has supported families relocating to and from Asia and the UK, and now that she is living in China and working for an International School in Shanghai, Sarah is well placed to advise from Asia.

Christopher Roma

US Education Specialist, China

Christopher Roma attended Harvard University and graduated with an honours degree in Sociology. He went on to work in the New York City Department of Education, coordinating and running the Gifted & Talented Program, and is now an expert in SAT & ACT preparation, college applications, Harvard interviews and the competitive landscape of US college admissions. Christopher is currently Managing Director – Greater China at A-List Education, a leading global consultancy firm specialising in test prep and college advisory.

Penka Marinova

Guardian Programme Leader, UK Penka has 20 years’ experience as a guardian for children from the ages of 10 to 18 at the most prestigious boarding schools in the UK. She has looked after more than 70 children, from many countries, and her proficiency in a number of languages allows her to expertly communicate with children and parents, fostering both comfort and trust. Parents can relax in the knowledge that their child’s welfare while abroad is in safe hands.

Alicia Meinertzhagen

Education Associate, USA

Alicia graduated with a First Class honours degree in Politics and Sociology from the University of Exeter, before working as a private tutor specialising in Common Entrance and GCSE tuition while completing her Masters studies. She specialised in mathematics tuition, particularly for young children with learning difficulties. Having worked for the past year at the Quintessentially Lifestyle office in Los Angeles, Alicia now manages both Quintessentially Education and Quintessentially Estates in LA. With a strong background in education and an understanding of both the British and American systems, she is perfectly placed to assist you with whatever you need in the US market.

Caroline Cohen

Consultant Educational Psychologist 

Caroline has been a Consultant Educational Psychologist across both independent and Local Authority services since 1998, allowing the development of a clear understanding of different systems of schooling and learning approaches. She has worked solely as an independent practitioner since 2016. Caroline is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is both an Associate Fellow and Chartered Educational Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS). She has had opportunities to work with children and adults from the ages of 2 to 26 years of age, often within very multi-cultural environments. She has a proven ability to work in a multi-professional capacity and to work successfully and efficiently with children, young adults and parents alike in order to enhance learning experiences and allow pupils to demonstrate their true potential. She offers the full range of specialist psychological assessments and has a strong interest in the identification and support of students with specific learning difficulties. Caroline aims to bring immediate value and strengths whilst constantly striving to develop her current skills further.

Charlotte Faber

Education Consultant, UK 

Charlotte was Headmistress of the prestigious Garden House Girls’ School in London since 2013, where she worked since 2006.  During her time as Head, her priority was helping each and every girl on their journey towards reaching her potential, achieving excellent academic results to both London Day and boarding schools, with a focus along the way on happiness and kindness.  Charlotte is familiar with the early stages of education, and with the prep school world, especially the important transfer to secondary education at 11/13+ or, for some children, to a preparatory school at 7 or 8+.   Charlotte has been a Governor at Heathfield School, Ascot, a girl’s 11-18 boarding and day school and remains closely affiliated with IAPS through their mentoring for new heads scheme.  She is an education and regulatory advisor for other educational agencies.

Alan Lo

Senior Education Consultant, Hong Kong

Alan has spent the last decade working as a teacher in Hong Kong, with the last five as the Head of Department for Science at the American International School. Prior to that he was Head of Department for Science and Mathematics at the International College Hong Kong and Singapore International Hong Kong. Throughout these years, Alan has gained extensive experience in teaching a broad range of international curriculums, including IB Diploma (SL/HL), UK National Curriculum and IGCSE, Singapore Curriculum and the US Common Core and AP college. Hence Alan is able to provide valuable insight into both the different schools and academic pathways available in the APAC region. Previous to his time in Hong Kong, Alan gained experience teaching at a large inner city suburban school in Perth, Western Australia, where he also worked as a consultant for designing the curriculum of chemistry courses and as a Physics examination marker for State University Entrance Examinations. Alan has found his time as a teacher to be particularly rewarding, and feels passionate in continuing to guide, advise and support both students and parents in helping them on their journey to reach their full academic potential.

Andy Edwards

Senior Education Consultant, Hong Kong

After spending the last thirty years working in South East Asia, Andy is ideally positioned to provide valuable insight to parents looking for educational or relocation advice in the APAC region; particularly in Hong Kong. Prior to his time as an Education Consultant, Andy was the Secondary School Principal of Discover Bay International School Hong Kong for three years, and before that, Deputy Head for the British School in Manila and a teacher at the British International School in Jakarta, Indonesia. He also holds a Masters degree from the University of Nottingham in Education. Therefore Andy’s vast knowledge of the various international curricula including the British, Australian and the International Baccalaureate, means he is ideally positioned to advise families on all aspects of education and relocation in this territory.

Tejal Patel

Senior Education Consultant

Tejal has a career in private education spanning over 17 years with nine spent as a Director of Admissions. She has worked across a number of UK curriculum and international schools in London, including North Bridge House and the American School in London (ASL). She holds a Master’s degree in Child Development from UCL Institute of Education, alongside a Bacherlor’s Honours degree in Psychology. With over 11 years’ experience in international schools, combined with her four years as a student at Southbank and ASL, the international school’s market is Tejal’s strongest area of expertise. She is fluent in several curricula, including the UK & US education systems and International Baccalaureate, and is equally fluent in her knowledge of diverse admissions practices, including 11+/13+ entry and Common Entrance. Tejal is able to successfully consolidate her extensive curricula background with her first-hand experience in admissions departments to advise families of their schooling options in London and guide them through entrance exam/admission processes with the aim of ensuring a well-informed journey that is both supportive and seamless.

Alexandra Bradley

Early Years Consultant

Alexandra is an early years specialist with a distinguished record of delivering first-class education. Having taught in some of London’s most prestigious schools and nurseries, Alexandra’s first-hand experience is an invaluable asset to her engagement with families planning for the earliest stages of education. Alexandra was previously the inaugural Headmistress of the esteemed Miss Daisy’s Nursery, Knightsbridge, where she became well known for her supportive mentoring to parents – giving honest feedback on their child’s development, frank advice when required, and carefully considered recommendations on next educational steps. Alexandra has also previously taught as a class teacher at Pembridge Hall School, and as a teaching assistant at Faulkner House for Girls. Her own educational background includes holding a BA at the University of Durham and an IPGCE in Primary Education from the University of Buckingham. Alexandra is passionate about the importance children’s individual learning journeys; she is fully dedicated to helping parents make the right choices for their child’s developmental needs, forged in a decade of experience in early years and primary education in some of London’s top private schools.