Meet the Kims, the Cleverest Homeschool Family in Britain

Pictured from left to right: Ella, Ariel, Juliana, Elias, Clara (Image: Kim Family)

The Kim family—consisting of parents Sung In Kim and Kyounghwa Jung and their children Juliana, Clara, Ella, Elias, and Ariel—were profiled as “possibly the cleverest family in the UK” in The Times and Daily Mail, based on the chidren’s early academic acceleration and exceptional exam results.

Meet the Kims

Juliana (24) has a Master of Research (MRes) in Bioengineering from Imperial College London and is currently a PhD student in bioengineering at Imperial College London.
Clara (22) is currently a graduate student at University College London. She has a Master’s Degree in Machine Learning and Big Data in Physical Sciences from Imperial College London, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Medical Sciences from UCL.
Ella (20) is a third year BSc Management Science Student at University College London.
Elias (14) sat for his GCSEs at the young age of 10, earning top grades in all 8 subjects, and received an unconditional offer to Imperial College London at age 13, regardless of his A Level results. He still chose to prove himself by acing five A-levels: math, advanced math, chemistry, physics, and biology. He is currently enrolled in the biomedical engineering program at Imperial College London, one of the most demanding courses at one of the world’s top institutions, and is considering becoming a doctor when he is older.
Ariel (11) is passionate about biology and chess. She has already achieved top GCSE grades in math, chemistry, and physics, years ahead of her peers, and hopes to study math at Oxford.

Family Background

The Kims, originally from South Korea, attribute a lot of their success to their Asian heritage and the high expectations of their parents. Clara said, “Asians generally do have a harder work ethic, so that’s definitely one thing, but more importantly I think the parents have to nurture the kids in the right way, because since we were young our mum gave us this habit [to] study.”

Their father, Sung In Kim, is an aerospace engineer and university lecturer, and their mother, Kyounghwa Jung, a former math teacher, manages the household. She still speaks little English, so Korean is the main language at home.

The father’s career required the family to relocate several times. They moved from South Korea to Montreal, Canada, then to Belfast in Northern Ireland, before finally settling at Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, England.

The Kim siblings have all followed accelerated paths through school. Elias’s gifts were noticed early. Teachers in Belfast, where he was at primary school, suggested he skip a year after realizing his reading and math were well ahead of his classmates. But even in Year 3, he found the lessons too easy. The youngest, Ariel, likewise said she always finished her schoolwork first and had to wait for her classmates to catch up.

The turning point came during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when Elias was in Year 4 and Ariel in Year 1. The two older sisters, Juliana and Clara, both studying at university, began homeschooling their younger siblings using South Korean textbooks alongside British curriculum—turning a global crisis into an academic springboard.

Elias and Ariel spent the next five years learning at home, a mix of homeschooling from their older sisters, who live at home and commute to college, and teaching themselves. Elias would combine a few hours of learning with downtime and playing games, while Ariel preferred to structure her day more like a normal school schedule.

“It’s quite relaxed, there are no time restrictions,” said Clara. “The playful environment helps them to learn very well.” Clara said that while her younger siblings are “really good” at studying, they also have other talents – Ariel likes to draw and Elias plays the piano. “Both of them are very multi-talented,” she added.

NewGenTutor

The Kims are now hoping to share their approach in an effort to try and help other children achieve better academic outcomes. The three eldest sisters have launched a tutoring business, NewGenTutor, offering online classes in math and science at £55 an hour, as well as package deals.

“Are you searching for the perfect tuition and resources provider to elevate your child’s academic journey? Look no further! Our mission is to empower students of all ages, from primary to university level, with the tools they need to succeed. Check out our website for more details or contact us to book a session.”