Fully accredited by AEGIS, the Boarding School Association and British Council trained, we support parents to educate their children internationally. We are also certified Safer Recruiters so our team and hosts are all recruited in line with safeguarding guidelines.
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Lorna founded Academic Families in 2012 after a 13-year overseas career in Australia, South America and East Africa, where she raised her own children. She understands first-hand the choices international parents face. With 40+ years' business experience, Lorna leads our team to deliver a premier, personal and professional service, so every student receives the best possible advice and support for their educational success.
Under her leadership, Academic Families is recognised by the British Council, AEGIS, the Boarding Schools' Association, English UK and MHFA England. In 1993 Lorna founded an education charity in Kenya funding school fees for disadvantaged children, and in 2024 King Charles awarded her an MBE for Services to Young People.
Stuart leads our day-to-day operations, ensuring our services run consistently for students, families and partners. He brings 20+ years' experience in service delivery, operations and implementation, mainly in the education sector, and has led teams of every size, building practical systems that keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
Outside work, Stuart is a devoted father of four and brings the same calm, supportive approach to family life as he does to his role here. With more than a decade of grassroots youth sports coaching, he is passionate about helping young people build confidence, resilience and independence.
Louise introduces our services to families around the world and is the first person new parents speak to. She has spent most of her life outside the UK, in South East Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean, and her work for international travel and relocation companies has given her strong cultural intelligence and excellent international relationships.
Louise came to the UK for her own boarding school education and later chose British boarding schools for her own third-culture children, which gives her a wealth of personal and professional experience. She is a great support to our parents because she understands the dilemma of choosing the right education for each child. Louise also works with Roni to match the right schools to each student, and she supports our partner agents.
Michaela has 10 years' experience in finance and manages our month-end reporting, cashflow forecasting and debtor management. She builds clear, efficient financial systems that make information easy for the team and our families to use. Michaela moved from South Africa to the UK in 2024 with her husband and daughter, so she understands first-hand the challenges of moving countries and adapting to a new culture. Helping her daughter settle into the UK has given her real empathy for our international students as they move away from home.
Michaela has 10 years' experience in finance and manages our month-end reporting, cashflow forecasting and debtor management. She builds clear, efficient financial systems that make information easy for the team and our families to use.
Michaela moved from South Africa to the UK in 2024 with her husband and daughter, so she understands first-hand the challenges of moving countries and adapting to a new culture. Helping her daughter settle into the UK has given her real empathy for our international students as they move away from home.
Roni heads our Admissions team and brings an insider's understanding of international education. She was an international boarder at a UK school herself, and she has taught overseas for 20+ years in British-curriculum international schools, most recently as Deputy Head in Kenya. Her insight into the challenges of moving between cultures, curricula and learning styles means her team prepares students well for life at a UK school.
Roni's British Council Counsellor accreditation and her expertise in placing students at closely matched schools set them up for happiness and success. Roni is also our Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Julia makes sure every family's registration documentation is complete and correct, and she leads some of our half-term trips.
Julia worked for an international trading company, latterly as Office Manager. After raising her three children, she returned to work in a range of roles in schools, giving her a practical understanding of school life and what students need to thrive.
Sophie leads our guardianship support and is responsible for our students' safety and arrangements in the UK, with a UK-wide team of Guardianship Care Managers providing local support. Her British Council training gives her comprehensive knowledge of the UK education system and visa regulations, so our families are professionally supported at all times.
Sophie began her education in Kenya before moving to Scotland, and she has also lived in Australia. She swam competitively at national level, then taught and coached swimming for 7 years at top schools, clubs and Loughborough University. Her natural teaching skills and easy rapport with students help them grow beyond the classroom, developing their independence safely and happily. Sophie also joins our half-term trips, getting to know our students well outside school.
Originally from the Netherlands, Janneke spent 20+ years living in Asia before settling in the UK with her family. Raising her son in Sri Lanka gave her first-hand experience of international schools and the British curriculum.
Janneke manages our Trips team. Drawing on her career in the travel industry, she creates our student holiday trips and prepares their risk assessments, so every trip is safe and well organised. Her trips broaden our students' experience with unforgettable memories and fresh perspectives.
Elle holds a degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship from Edinburgh and has spent the last 3 years working with international families and visitors, arranging luxury travel and helping them make the most of their experience. She brings this same attention to detail and personal care to our students and families.
Elle is passionate about advocating for women with ADHD, and she volunteers with children's charities during the holidays, collecting Easter eggs and Christmas presents for children in need.
A former primary school teacher and tutor, Helen has worked with students of all ages and knows the different UK education systems well. She has also welcomed international students at an English language school in Edinburgh.
Combined with strong organisational skills from previous administration roles, this experience helps her work closely with school staff and our Spanish partners to give every student a smooth experience.
Ari moved to the UK almost 10 years ago from the beautiful island of Gran Canaria. She looks after our Astex and Academic Families students. Having made that move herself, she understands the excitement and challenges of adapting to a new culture and being away from home, and she enjoys helping international students feel welcomed, supported and at home during their time in the UK.
Outside work, Ari enjoys spending time with her partner and animals, and making pottery.
Emily organises our student trips and supports our internal systems, keeping everything running smoothly for students and the team. She has first-hand experience of boarding school life and has worked in schools, and her background in psychology helps her support young people as they settle into a new culture and education system with confidence.
Originally from the south of England, with close family in Italy, Emily values the mix of cultures and perspectives that international students bring. She is a steady, encouraging presence as they build their own positive experiences in the UK.
Shona has a background in psychology, education and mental health.
Having lived and studied abroad herself, Shona understands both the excitement and challenges of settling into a new country. She takes time to build strong relationships with students and families – offering a calm, friendly and reassuring presence throughout their time away from home. Her experience means she recognises how important it is for students to feel safe, listened to and genuinely supported.
Reuben supports our students in Scotland.
He has extensive experience working with international students of all ages when he worked in UK boarding schools. He's supported children from around the world and understands both the excitement and challenges that come with moving abroad for the first time.
Reuben also worked as a Tennis Coach in UK boarding schools and encourages his students to get involved in the wide range of exciting extracurriculars offered to them.
Diana is from Lleida, a historic city in western Catalonia - and speaks Catalan, Spanish and English.
Her studies have taken her to Barcelona, the Netherlands, and most recently to St Andrews, Scotland. Having studied in the UK as an international student herself, Diana understands both the excitement and the importance of strong support when living and learning abroad. She also holds a master’s in teacher training with a specialism in Spanish language and is a strong believer in the value of a cross-cultural and inclusive education.
Outside of work, Diana enjoys reading, cooking for friends and family, and singing in choirs.
Sara supports our hosts throughout the UK.
Having hosted international students for 20+ years, Sara fully understands the hosting experience and requirements, making her ideally placed to recruit, support and match our hosts with students. She is also a grandmother with her daughter living in Germany.
Sara has worked in sales and customer-facing roles across different sectors and is approachable and pragmatic. She is enthusiastic about helping students overcome any challenges and make the most of their British education.
Mari moved to the UK from Finland with a Masters degree in Economics and Business Administration. Her sons both attended UK boarding schools before studying at Bath and Cambridge universities.
Mari loves supporting international students to happily achieve their goals. She encourages them to develop their sense of humour and self worth.
Maki moved to the UK from Japan to study Business at university. Her own study abroad experience helps her understand and support our students'.
After supporting her own 3 children excel in the UK education system, she brings this knowledge to our international students in her care. She helps Japanese parents with any language issues and teaches Academic Families students how to make sushi!
After a business career in China, Lisa left Beijing in 2001 to study in the UK. Now married with a school age son, Lisa teaches secondary school Chinese. Her first-hand knowledge of both education systems enables her to support our Chinese families to understand everything you need to know about UK education and culture.
Lisa also ensures our schools understand some of the cultural backgrounds our students come from so everyone learns together!
She is a British Council Certified Counsellor.
In 2024, Academic Families acquired English Country Guardians (ECG), a highly regarded British guardianship company based in the South of England. Both organisations are united by shared values and a student-centred approach, dedicated to providing personalised and high-quality care for international students attending UK boarding schools.
ECG’s team has extensive experience supporting students applying to Oxford and Cambridge, with many staff and their children having attended these prestigious universities. If your child aspires to go to Oxbridge, they can now benefit from this specialised guidance.
Originally from Mexico, Sam is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese, giving him the skills to build on his previous marketing role with us to now develop our business in the Latin American market.
Building on his digital marketing and design experience, he continues to support our marketing team ensuring our messaging appeals to the LATAM market, although his focus is now on opening up new markets.
Marisa is the Marketing Design and Content Executive at Academic Families. She oversees our blogs, email campaigns, design work and social media, shining a light on the work Academic Families does.
Marisa earned a BA in English Literature from Smith College and an MSc in Intermediality from Edinburgh University. She has moved to the UK from the US and personally understands the challenges and opportunities of studying abroad. Her global perspective helps shape our communications so all our global families understand how we can best support them.
Get in touch and we will contact you to discuss your child's needs and explain how we can help you year-round.
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