Learnings and takeaways from Heads & Tales Live 2027
October saw our Heads & Tales podcast hit the road, with two live evenings for parents taking place in Bangkok and Seoul. Co-founder Walter Kerr hosted both, bringing three of the UK's best-known schools together on one stage in each city.
In Bangkok we were joined by Jo Duncan, Headmistress of Wycombe Abbey, James Lyon Taylor, Director of Admissions at Marlborough College, and Jon Newton, Deputy Head of Eton College. A few days later in Seoul, Jon and James were back alongside Tara Reeve, Director of Admissions at Downe House.
In both cities, boys' boarding, girls' boarding and a co-ed school came together in one conversation. For those who couldn't be there on the night, we've written a short summary of the main learnings: top tips, exclusive information and unusual insights.
The interview: authenticity over impressiveness
All panelists unanimously agreed that their schools are above all looking for authenticity rather than a polished performance. At Eton, Jon says, the best preparation is getting your son used to talking with adults other than his parents, for example when guests come to the house. The questions posed are straightforward: what are you learning, and what do you enjoy outside lessons? Here, enthusiasm and a genuine response matter far more than a perfect answer.
For an interview at Marlborough, every applicant does a piece of creative writing and talks about it. On assessment day candidates are shown a picture and write about it in any form they like, whether a story or even a poem. The writing isn't marked; as James put it, "we won't be putting red pen over it". Instead the housemaster uses it as the starting point for the interview and a way to understand how your child's mind works.
What becomes apparent across the three schools, as Walter summed up, is that their approach to assessing children is "so human, so genuine, so authentic".
It's about much more than the test
Every Eton interview includes the same question: "Why do you want to come to Eton?" Jon was clear that a genuine, honest answer to "why us" is arguably the most important indicator in the whole admissions process.
He surprised the audience even more when revealing that Eton regularly turns away candidates who finish in the top ten in the Eton List test, simply because they are not the right fit for the school. A strong score opens the door, but is never considered in isolation.
The takeaway for parents here: think hard about why the school suits your child, and help them feel it genuinely and put it into their own words.
Phones and screens
A question asked time and time again was how these schools approach phone and screen usage. At Downe House, girls in their first three years have no smartphone, only a basic phone that is locked away for most of the day. They speak to their families on Teams, which they are allowed to do as much as they like. Limits loosen step by step as they get older, and Tara's tip was that a limit works best when the idea comes from the girl herself.
At Eton, every boy has a school-controlled iPad, but many lessons still use exercise books and a pen, because exams are handwritten. The school network is locked down to match the phone policy.
Unusual traditions
This question was a real chance for parents to get an insight into school life beyond the prospectuses and open days: what is your school's most unusual tradition?
At Eton, it is the Wall Game, played twice a year. It was devised by boys centuries ago and is played alongside a wall. One goal is a door and the other was a tree, which died about 30 years ago and has since regrown. Hundreds come to watch, nobody understands the rules, and Jon couldn't recall a goal being scored in the last ten years.
At Marlborough, James recalled how all 200 Year 9 pupils line up together for a photo on the Mound, a 4,500-year-old hill on the school site, as they begin their time at the school. Five years later, their time at the school comes to a close in the very same way.
At Downe House, it is Happy Day, a tradition of the last 20 to 30 years. The sixth form runs it, and the whole school dresses up, with a different theme for each year group (a Harry Potter day, a Disney day). It is timed to lift spirits during exams, with sweets thrown into classrooms.
One piece of advice from each school
Walter closed by asking each panelist for the single thing they would want every parent to hear. Each answer is about one school, but the advice works for any application, and it's advice we firmly stand behind.
Jon, Eton College: Visit in person to get a real sense of the school. Eton has no front gates, so you'll know you have arrived when you see the chapel.
James, Marlborough College: Look with fresh eyes. "Education has to be an experience, not a transaction you jump through to get to the next stage."
Tara, Downe House: There are many right answers, and siblings can go to different schools. Try not to listen to everyone else, because what suits one child may not suit another.
What’s next
Heads & Tales Live heads to New York next, on 16 November, where our co-founder Henry Faber will be joined by four heads from leading US and UK schools: Choate Rosemary Hall, Eton College, Horace Mann and Wellington College.
Looking further ahead, the 2027 series will be our biggest yet, taking Heads & Tales Live to even more destinations around the world. We will share the full line-up of cities and panels soon, so keep an eye on the newsletter.
