Sumner Consulting
Invest in education.
We are a boutique London-based firm specialising
in education and early career consulting
Our offering
Schools
We provide personalized support and guidance for parents and students seeking to find and apply to the best British boarding schools.
Universities
We guide you through the UCAS application form - helping you choose your degree and prepare the personal statement.
Early careers
We outline the graduate job application process, highlight key deadlines, prepare for aptitude tests and run interview practice.
Consultants, not agents
An educational consultant is an independent professional who provides expert advice and guidance to families and students seeking to make informed decisions about their education. At Sumner Consulting, we have extensive knowledge and experience in the education industry - we help students identify and achieve their academic goals.
On the other hand, an agent typically works on behalf of educational institutions or other organizations and is often compensated by them. While they may provide similar services, their primary responsibility is to promote the interests of the educational institutions, rather than the students.
Sumner Consulting advisory team
At Sumner Consulting, we recognise that your family’s educational journey is deeply personal and demands the highest level of discretion. We do not offer generic packages; instead, we provide a bespoke experience tailored to the unique aspirations and character of each student.
Our service operates as an end-to-end academic concierge, managing every nuance of the educational lifecycle. Central to this support is our dedicated team of subject-specialist tutors, who provide elite, one-to-one academic enrichment. These scholars ensure that our students do not merely meet requirements but achieve true mastery of their subjects.
From the initial strategic profiling and school selection to the complexities of relocation and intensive long-term mentorship, we handle every intricacy so that you can focus on your child’s growth. This is more than consultancy—it is a dedicated partnership built on trust, precision, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Dr Andrew Nicoll (FRSB, FLS, FRSM, FRSA)
Educational Consultant and Tutor
Dr Nicoll completed his DPhil (PhD) at Oxford University with Sir Colin Blakemore FRS and then worked as a research fellow in neuroscience at Brown University (USA). Subsequently as a lecturer in Physiology at Bristol University, he was involved in the implementation of systems-based medical education in addition to his teaching and research.
Now in secondary education, Dr Nicoll has taught Biology for at A-level and IB. As the Head of Careers in three independent schools, he has overseen applications to medical schools in the UK and university courses in other countries for over 20 years. He was an examiner with Cambridge Assessment for the old BMAT and has served as an adviser for ‘My Big Career’. Dr Nicoll is also a long-serving lecturer and meeting Chair on the 'Schools' Programme' at the Royal Society of Medicine.
Dr Luis Murillo
Educational Consultant and Tutor
Dr Murillo studied Greek, Latin, German, and Philosophy at Trinity College, University of Toronto. He was awarded an M.A. in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He taught Human Anatomy and Neuroanatomy in Fribourg and Lausanne. He was named Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at the American College of Switzerland and is currently Professor of Psychology at McDaniel’s College. He has published three books and an article with Oxford University Press.
He has been an IB teacher, workshop leader, and college counsellor in the UK, Ukraine, and China, where he has published numerous articles and interviews with the Shanghai Daily Press. His students regularly get university offers from Oxbridge as well as top Russell Group universities.
Parvin Badalbayli
Educational Consultant and Tutor
Parvin consults students on university selection and graduate job applications. Her students have received offers from many of the leading universities in the world (Cambridge, LSE, UCL and other Russell Group universities ), as well as the UK’s most prestigious employers (Barclays, Goldman Sachs and JPM).
Parvin studied the IB curriculum at Oakham School and went on to study BSc in Mathematics and Economics at the University of Nottingham. She began her career working for Deloitte and later Barclays Bank. Parvin applies the experience gained in hiring practices and candidate requirements as an education consultant to help her students secure top graduate roles with UK employers.
Daniel Matthews
Educational Consultant and Tutor
Daniel is an experienced educational leader and qualified teacher with nearly 20 years’ experience in education. He is an A-Level Economics examiner, currently working as an Assistant Head (Academic) and Subject Leader for Economics in an independent boarding school. He supports families with academic pathways and university preparation.
He holds a BSc in Economics, an LLM focusing on competition policy, a PGCE, NPQSL and NPQML. Before entering education, Daniel worked in Financial Services across commercial and retail lending and risk analysis. Daniel teaches and tutors Economics across GCSE, A Level and IB. Students he has taught and mentored have progressed to leading universities including Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and Princeton. His approach combines academic rigour with highly personalised guidance, helping students build confidence, achieve strong outcomes and make well-informed decisions about their future.
Marin Metsel
Educational Consultant and Tutor
Marin is an experienced tutor and mentor with a background in Economics and Mathematics. He has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Durham University as well as an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Warwick University. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral studies at Cambridge University. After working in Private Banking and Infrastructure Project Management, Marin decided to enter the teaching and tech industry, co-founding start-ups and working as a tutor, as well as holding Head of Department roles at St John’s College, Cardiff and Stoke College, Cambridgeshire.
In addition to teaching A-Level and IB Mathematics and Economics, Marin has helped students with applications to university. He specialises in applications to London Universities and Oxbridge applications for Mathematics and Economics related subjects. Marin’s pupils achieve the highest grades and regularly get into LSE, Imperial and Russell Group universities.
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What our clients say
Sumner Consulting helped us find the perfect boarding school for both our kids. Our consultant, Parvin, provided us with a list of suitable options, accompanied us on schools visits, helped us ask the right questions and gave the peace of mind.
My son was struggling with math. Marin from Sumner Consulting helped him through the final year of middle school and prepared him to confidently start the IB Higher Level Maths course.
I recommend Sumner Consulting if your child is aiming to get into the best UK universities on their first attempt. The team guided us through the entire process, helping us prepare for interviews and get a place at Cambridge to study Economics.