School advice

With over 20 years of admissions experience, our schools advisor Cat Sutherland-Hawes is perfectly placed to support families with their secondary school choices.

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Schools Advisor

Cat Sutherland-Hawes

An experienced admissions professional, Cat joined Oppidan as Schools Advisor in September 2022 to advise families on school choices.   

Cat started her career in the House of Commons before moving on to work in the household of the then Prince of Wales in St James’s Palace. The daughter of teachers, she moved from public life into the education sector as Director of Admissions at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. After 14 years there, she moved to Wycombe Abbey as Director of Admissions before joining Oppidan Education.

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From the blog

Articles by Cat

Featured
Cat’s Corner: The ultimate timeline of 11+ assessment 2024/25
Families
Cat’s Corner: The ultimate timeline of 11+ assessment 2024/25
Families

Welcome to Cat’s Corner, a series that guides parents through the murky waters of school applications and the 11+ assessment.

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Families
Top 10 UK schools for bursary provision
Families
Top 10 UK schools for bursary provision
Families

Bursary provision is a good thing. Put simply, it means ability to pay fees is not the deciding factor in a child’s education and offers opportunity to all. Bursaries are means-tested on family finances – income and assets.

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Families
The power of bursaries in independent schools
Schools, Families
The power of bursaries in independent schools
Schools, Families

According to our schools advisor Cat Sutherland-Hawes, bursaries are a game changer with almost all schools now offering them.

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Schools, Families
How to get into British Schools 
Families, Schools
How to get into British Schools 
Families, Schools

Oppidan co-founder Henry Faber talks with our schools expert Catriona Sutherland-Hawes about the challenges and pitfalls of the British education system.

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Families, Schools
‘Acing Admissions’ with Cat Sutherland-Hawes
Families
‘Acing Admissions’ with Cat Sutherland-Hawes
Families

Our admissions guru Cat Sutherland-Hawes discusses the secrets to school admissions success.

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Families
How to decide the right school for your child
Families, Schools
How to decide the right school for your child
Families, Schools

It’s half-term and offers are out. Hopefully the offers your child wants have landed in the inbox and you are now faced with a decision.  You may already know what the answer is and it’s a simple, quick one.

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Families, Schools
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