How it started
Company founder Barbara Glasmacher tells her personal story, from being a committed mother seeking the best education for her daughters to becoming a pioneer in German-British school consultancy. Her vision and dedication have paved the way for hundreds of families and made Glasmacher what it is today.
Starting point
After spending several years in the USA, I returned to Germany with my family and realised that the German school system had changed considerably. I was surprised to learn that it was possible to complete the Abitur without compulsory mathematics or German exams.
I had received a well-rounded education at a humanistic grammar school in Düsseldorf, where mathematics, German and Latin were compulsory subjects for the Abitur, and I have benefited from this throughout my life. As I wanted to provide my four daughters with a well-rounded education, I enrolled them at the Munich International School, in the hope of at least offering them a first-class education in the global language of English.
The decision in favour of the British school system
I soon realised, however, that the academic standard was more in line with the American system, which I felt was not ideal. So I decided to send my daughters to an English school after they finished middle school. The search for the right school began.
One must not forget: there was no internet back then! I scoured school guides in the school library and interviewed English parents who had attended ‘public schools’ themselves. The traditional elite schools such as Eton and Harrow were out of the question; they were strictly boys’ or girls’ schools. I was looking for co-educational schools with a challenging academic programme, ideally offering Latin.
Discovering Sevenoaks
During the Easter holidays, I travelled through southern England with my eldest daughter Nikola (who was 14 at the time) and visited school-like establishments such as Stowe School. In Sevenoaks, I noticed a group of children in school uniforms. Out of curiosity, I consulted the school guide and could hardly believe what I was reading: this 15th-century school offered not only A-Levels but also the International Baccalaureate (IB)! I had just reviewed the IB as a board member of the Munich International School. At that time, the IB was only available in the UK at St Clare’s in Oxford.
I rang the bell at the school gate on the impulse of the moment. Whilst I was being shown around the school, Nikola sat a test with great success, and she was spontaneously offered a place as the first German girl at the school.
That was in 1982, and to this day Sevenoaks remains one of the top schools on our clients’ wish lists.
From personal experience to a profession
After returning home, I held a lecture at the Munich International School. Many parents asked me for advice, especially as Nikola was sending very positive reports from Sevenoaks.
As the enquiries increased, a friend offered me a room in her office in Schwabing. I set up ‘Barbara Glasmacher International School Consultancy’. In the first year, I placed 17 pupils, most of them at Sevenoaks.
The Step towards the own Business
An established boarding school consultancy took notice and offered me a position as a freelance consultant.
As Sevenoaks could no longer accommodate as many German-speaking pupils, I needed more partner schools. John Guyatt, my daughters’ teacher and later the registrar, introduced me to colleagues. The range of schools grew steadily, with further IB schools such as Malvern and Rossall joining the list. I was able to persuade several schools to introduce the IB programme (including Haileybury, Felsted, Oakham, Gresham’s and St Leonards).
By the early 1990s, I was already placing 300 to 400 pupils in schools in England and took the plunge into self-employment.
A fresh start with a vision
On 1 January 1997, I moved into a small office as an entrepreneur and hired Elke Böck, a former client. We were soon joined by Robin, a psychology student, whilst Nikola handled the finances from her home office and Theresa, in her first year after graduating, took care of internal processes and procedures. We ended the first year with 120 placements.
Growth and Consolidation
Time management was a challenge: trips to visit schools in the UK, consultancy weekends in Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Frankfurt. But our growing success was clear to see. We moved into our own office on Agnesstraße in Schwabing and hired further staff, including Ursula Hilger, Annette Wagner, Monika Domokos and Andrea Stichtmann, all of whom have already celebrated their 20th anniversary with us.
The next generation
About 20 years ago, my youngest daughter Theresa asked if she could officially join the business. After a few years at an environmental consultancy in Berlin, she wanted to return to Bavaria. She was more than welcome!
Theresa organised the move to a larger office on Herzogstraße and gradually took on responsibility for all aspects of the firm, from digitalisation to consultancy and maintaining our network with the schools.
The secret of our success
Parents often asked me: “Surely you’re a psychologist!” No, I completed a mixed degree programme now known as PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics). But I was friends with a psychologist specialising in vocational aptitude tests, whom I could consult for advice in difficult cases.
Parents also noticed that some schools dispensed with difficult tests because we had provided them with such detailed information. Word of this quality spread.
Handing over the reins
On my 80th birthday, which in 2021 also coincided with the 25th anniversary of the independent company, I said goodbye to my daily presence at Herzogstraße and to my staff. The company was in the very best hands of my daughter Theresa. And when, in 2024, my daughter Virginia also joined Theresa in the management team, I was able to embrace this new phase of life with peace of mind.
I’m delighted when people continue to ask me for advice. When people at the firm asked for ‘Mrs Glasmacher’, they initially had to specify: ‘Senior or Junior?’ Nowadays, it’s always Junior, sometimes with best regards to Mum. But I’m quite happy with that and can enjoy my twelve grandchildren (all of whom, of course, attended British schools) and my peaceful life in the countryside.