2024 Results- Further Information

What you’ve all been waiting for!

Our exceptional 4+ and 7+ Assessment Results!

These are the results from our students who had at least 9 months of Assessment preparation.

They do not indicate the schools that our students will be attending but the schools that they were successful at passing and being offered a place at.

It is not ‘easy’ to pass the 4+ Assessments. It takes, time, effort and perseverance and we are so proud of our results.

If you are preparing for 2025 entry, book your Sample Lessons Today. Remember that our pricing increases at the end of this week! To secure your lessons at our current rate for the duration of your time with us, book your Sample Lesson before Friday 9th February 2024.

Creating a lifelong love for learning that goes beyond any Assessment.

That’s what we do.

View our incredible results here.

The 8 fundamentals needed to be successful in the 4+ Assessments

I speak to a lot of parents every single day. Parents who are thinking of preparing their child for their 4+ Assessment or have already started the process of preparing their child for their 4+ Assessments.

Many parents incorrectly believe that all that is needed to be successful in the 4+ Assessments is to be strong academically. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Being academically able is only a very small part of the pie. 1/8 of the pie to be precise.

In my opinion these are the 8 fundamentals that your child will need in order to be successful in their 4+ Assessments. A good mixture of all of these will guarantee success in any 4+ Assessments.

Here are the 8 fundamentals (in no particular order)

Behaviour - Your child will need to demonstrate exceptional behaviour. Their behaviour will need to be in line with the behavioural expectations of the school/s. In terms of behaviour, your child will be expected to be kind, caring, polite, patient and willing. Without a very high standard of behaviour, your child will never be successful in their 4+ Assessments.

Here is an example. A student was asked to complete a puzzle with another student and to help each other out. That student grabbed the puzzle from the Assessor and said, ‘ No, I will do it alone!’ They were not successful.

Academics - Academically, your child will need to be very strong. They will need to be above national expectations for their age. They will need to be able to answer most questions correctly in their 4+ Assessments. If your child is unable to answer most questions, they will not be successful in their 4+ Assessments. Each school will have their own criteria and your child will need to meet that criteria academically.

Perseverance - Most schools at 4+ will want to see your child show an ability to persevere. To be given a task to do and try their best to complete it.

Here is an example. A student was asked to complete a puzzle and she couldn’t fit together two of the pieces. She threw one of the pieces towards the door. She was not successful.

Resilience- These top schools will also want to see resilience. To be able to try even though the task is more challenging.

Here is an example. A student was asked to create a tower using lego and the instruction was that the tower had to look like the one that they had created. The student completed a few pieces and then couldn’t work out how to slot two of the pieces together in the way that the teacher had done it. He got frustrated and kicked the tower. He was not successful.

Confidence- Demonstrating confidence is a very important fundamental of 4+ Assessment success. Please don’t confuse confidence with being loud. This is not the case at all. I have taught hundreds of more introverted students who were quiet but had lots of confidence.

Here is an example. A student was asked a question about the sky in the image that she was shown. She looked at the assessor and froze. She didn’t answer the question. When she did answer questions, she answered using only one word answers. She was not successful.

Concentration - Concentrating for the duration of the assessment/s is a big ask at this age. Some of the Assessments this year were 90 minutes long! Your child will be expected to concentrate for big chunks of time.

Here is an example. A student was listening to a story being read to the group and began looking around and got distracted by the display of stars on the wall. He then began fidgeting and when the teacher asked him a question, he could'n’t answer it. He was not successful.

Compliance - Doing what is asked and following instructions perfectly is definitely expected of your child in their 4+ Assessments. Not doing what they are asked to do will mean that your child will not be successful in their 4+ Assessment/s.

Here is an example. A child was asked to go and line up and instead he ran to the other side of the room and lay on the floor. He was not successful.

Focus - Your child will be expected to focus and concentrate for the duration of their Assessment. Some Assessments are longer than others so please make sure that you prepare your child for this.

Here is an example. A child was completing a cutting task. He got distracted and looked towards another table of children who were completing a different task. He did not complete his cutting task and what he did complete wasn’t accurate and precise. He was not successful.

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Our children must be prepared in the right way to have the highest chances for success in their 4+ Assessments.

Our children must be prepared in the right way to have the highest chances for success in their 4+ Assessments.

Hundreds of parents choose a tutor based on the fact that they can come to their home and teach their child face to face.

Personally, if I was preparing my son for his 4+ Assessment/s, I would want to choose the teacher with the best knowledge of each school, the teacher with the best understanding of each school and the teacher with the best results at the schools that I would be applying to.

Those would be the criteria that I would be basing my decisions on. Definitely not just based on the fact that the teacher could come physically into my home.

Our lessons are exclusively online and our results speak for themselves (I will be publishing them this week for 2023-2024). We have had incredible success year after year after year.

Online is 100% as effective as in person if not more so in my opinion.

Prepare your child in the right way and have the highest chances for success in your child’s 4+ Assessments. We will be there for you every step of the way. Guiding you and supporting you and your child throughout the whole process.

It’s not an easy process at all and if you haven’t been through it, you definitely won’t know what to expect. You need someone by your side who a. knows the schools you are applying to very well and b. has had incredible success with the schools that you are applying to.

You definitely don’t want to choose a teacher just on the basis that they can come into your home. That can be one of the factors but definitely not the only one. Here are some others to consider.

Do they know the schools that you are applying to?

Do they know what the schools are looking for?

Do they know why children were unsuccessful at gaining entry this year?

Do they have a proven track record of results for at least 5 years?

I will be publishing our 2023-2024 Results by the end of this week so watch this space.

Whoever you choose to prepare your child, please make sure that you choose the best teacher for your child!

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

The MAIN REASON why are these schools are 'upping their game'?

I can tell you with my hand on my heart that these schools are becoming harder and harder to get into.

10 years ago it was far easier to get children into these schools at 4+ than it is now.

So what exactly has changed?

Many things.

But the main reason is that there are more and more applications to these top schools.

So if you know how competitive these school are, please do prepare for them. They have upped their game. They are not just looking for the brightest children so you are definitely not just preparing your child academically. There are many other aspects to the Assessment/s that you will need to prepare for.

Need further support? Book your Sample Lesson Today!

4+ Assessment Behavioural expectations

There are hundreds of behavioural expectations. Here are seven of them for you to ponder on.

1. Be compliant

2. Follow instructions

3. Share well with others

4. Show excellent team working skills

5. Speak with confidence and clarity

6. Show maturity

Let’s go through each of these in a little more detail.

1. Be compliant

To me, being compliant means doing what you are asked to do without complaining about it.

Being compliant in a 4+ Assessment looks like this.

Your child is asked to do something.

They do what they are asked to do.

SIMPLE.

This is what the Assessors do not want to see?

Your child is asked to do something.

They do not do what they are asked to do.

Your child is asked to do something.

They do something else.

Your child is asked to do something.

They tell the Assessor, ‘No!’

If your child does either of these, they will most likely not be successful in their 4+ Assessment/s.

2. Follow instructions

To me following instructions means listening really well to what you are told and doing exactly that. Following instructions in a 4+ Assessment looks like:

Being given an instruction and following it exactly.

For example- ‘I would like you build a tower using 6 blocks and only using green and blue blocks. A child who knows how to follow instructions will do exactly that. A child who ha not been taught how to follow instructions or who is not as good at following instructions might use more/less than 6 blocks and use other colours rather than the ones instructed to use.

A child who cannot follow instructions in a 4+ Assessment will most likely not be successful.

3. Share well with others

In their 4+ Assessments, children will observed sharing well (or not!) with others.

It will be an expectation that your child know how to share with others. They will be observed sharing. Again, I think that this is a skill that needs to be taught and practised. Your child also needs to know that it will be an expectation for them to share with others.

I spoke to a parent who told me that in their 4+ Assessment, their child snatched a piece of lego from another child and told him that is was his.

He was not successful at passing that 4+ Assessment.

4. Show excellent team working skills

In their 4+ Assessment/s your child will be observed in relation to how they work as a team. Good team working skills mean being an excellent leader in a team but also being able to listen to and include others.

I spoke to a parent before who told me that his child took the lead when asked to complete a puzzle with three other children but refused to include others and wouldn’t let the other children have a turn with the puzzle. He was not successful. There needs to be a good balance of both being a leader and being a great listener and including all of the other children within the team,

5. Speak with confidence and clarity

In their 4+ Assessment, it will be an expectation that your child speaks with confidence and clarity. In our 4+ Assessment lessons, we spend a lot of time working on Speaking and Listening. Our students answer lots of questions and different levels of questions. Because of this consistent practise, when they go to their Assessment, they are often excellent at speaking confidently and with clarity.

Some parents confuse speaking with confidence as being loud. I disagree. You can be a very quiet person and still be able to speak with confidence.

Children who are often unsuccessful in Round 1 of the 4+ Assessments are children who are unable to speak with confidence and clarity. Perhaps they do no answer questions or are reluctant to answer them, perhaps they mumble when they speak, perhaps they haven’t yet developed their speech. This all needs to be worked on in the lead up to the 4+ Assessments.

6. Show maturity

You might think, ‘But my child is 3!’

Yes.

I’ve worked with many three year olds who demonstrate traits of maturity. They are polite, they are calm, they give eye contact when they are talking to you and they ask you questions too.

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I will prepare my child in the same way for each school (4+) Please don't do this!

I have spoken to several parents this week who have called me to ask me about 4+ Assessment preparation. A few of these parents have been surprised that we prepare for each school in a different way. Some even told me, ‘I will just prepare them in the same way for each school.’

I’m definitely not here to correct anyone and of course, feel free to prepare your child as you wish.

I am here to share my own experience, having done this for over 14 years! I can definitely tell you that you will not be preparing your child in the same way for each school. And if you do, I can probably guess that your child will not be successful. At least not to all of their target schools anyway.

How can I be so sure?

Because I have seen it year after year after year.

You need to know how to prepare your child for each school and if you don’t know, you need to seek the help of a professional who does.

The teacher who you choose to help you with the 4+ Assessment process must know each individual school very well. They need to know what happens at each round, whether it will be 1:1 or group, what sorts of activities will be done and what the expectations of your child will be.

A big factor this year as to whether a child was successful or not in their 4+ Assessment was relating to behavioural expectations. Some parents that I spoke to did not prepare for this aspect.

A child needs to be taught how they need to behave in these assessments. They will not just know.

Each child will have their own criteria in terms of behavioural expectations and you must be aware of these so that you can prepare your child accordingly.

For example, one school expects students to:

1. Be compliant

2. Follow instructions

3. Share well with others

4. Show excellent team working skills

5. Speak with confidence and clarity

6. Show maturity

If his assessment, one student (not mine) did not follow instructions and when asked to go to the writing table simply turned to the teacher and said ‘No!’ I am building a tower.’

He was not successful.

Another student (not mine) was asked to line up and rather than lining up, he ran to the other side of the room.

He was not successful.

These little things must be prepared for and need to have just as much importance placed on them as the academic side of preparing for the 4+ Assessments.

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You don't need to prepare for the 4+! 3 reasons why you should NOT listen to this advice.

1. All of the clients who stopped tuition with me because the schools told them ‘not to tutor’ were unsuccessful at gaining a place at their top school of choice. I’m talking about this year.

When a client tells me that they have been told not to tutor by the school they visited for the Open Day, it doesn’t surprise me in the least. I hear it year, after year, after year! This is what schools will tell you so be prepared to hear it. Please don’t ask me why? There are far more important questions to ask. I can’t actually tell you why.

By the way you will also hear this advice from well meaning family and friends. Be prepared for it and don’t get side tracked. Be laser focused on the task at hand - getting your child in to your top school of choice for them at 4+.

When parents tell me that they want to stop tuition because they have been ‘told’ they don’t need to prepare their child, it makes me sad. Not because they are stopping but I am sad for my student. I wouldn’t want my son (he’s 18 months now) to go into one of these Assessments unprepared!

2. Hundreds of children are applying for very few places. If your child isn’t prepared, please do tell me how they will pass their Assessments?

If there are hundreds of children applying for very few places, who do you think will be successful?

Will it be the child who knows how to answer questions or the child who doesn’t? This is a skill that needs to be taught!

Will it be the child who knows how to write their name or the child who doesn’t? This is a skill that needs to be taught!

Will it be the child who knows how to hold their pencil or the one who doesn’t?

I could go on and on and on but I think you get the picture!

3. Applying to even sit Assessments at these Top schools costs a lot of money, why risk being unsuccessful when you can go all in and ensure that they are as ready as they can be to really shine!

If you prepare your child for 6 months with Creative Minds Tutors for their 4+ Assessments, you are investing £1,250. If you prepare them for 9 months, you are investing £1,850. I think that’s an investment worth spending to ensure the best possible chances of success for your child.

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The 4+ Secret Society Unwrapped - 3 Reasons you should attend my Masterclass!

Let’s unwrap the 4 plus Secret Society and have a true and deep understanding about what EXACTLY the 4 plus is actually about.

There is so much inaccurate information out there and if you believe everything that you read, you will most likely NOT have the success that you want to have in the 4 plus Assessments.

As the 4+ Assessments come to an end for my 2024 entry Cohort of students, I am now reflecting and analysing my data. I want to share this all with you!

Isn’t it better to ask all of your questions now rather than after the 4+ Assessments?

So here are 3 Reasons that you should attend this incredible Masterclass:

1. You will gain HONEST insights about the 4+ Assessments based on what has happened for my current cohort.

2. You will have the opportunity to your questions and have them answered HONESTLY.

3. You will leave empowered by knowing exactly what to expect from the 4+ Assessments.

There is far too much secrecy around the 4+ Assessments. It leaves my clients feeling unsure and unsettled. If this is how you feel, fear not! We are here to support you every step of the way with your 4+ Assessment preparations. We guarantee that your child will go into any Assessment with confidence and the ability to answer any question that they are asked.

To attend the Masterclass this Friday 26th January @8pm, click here. If you can’t attend, no problem! You will receive the replay straight after the Masterclass. If you have any questions that haven’t been answered, you can email them to office@creativemindstutors.com and have them answered immediately!

In my opinion it is harder to PASS at Round 1 (4+) - Here is why...

At Round 1 most schools will be looking at your child’s behavioural characteristics and these are a little bit more challenging to prepare for (and also not completely within our control!)

I am completely in control with regards to how much my student will learn, what they learn and how much they retain. I know with 100% certainty that my student will be able to write their name with accuracy and precision, I know that they will be able to cut neatly and colour within the lines. It is completely out of my control how my student will behave on the day of their Assessment. Yes, I can teach them behavioural expectations and practise these but whether or not they actually demonstrate these on the day will be exclusively up to my student.

Each school will have their own criteria regarding what exactly they are looking for in their students behaviourally.

For example, at one particular school they are looking for children who follow instructions (perfectly!), children who are compliant, children who show amazing listening and children who can answer questions really well.

So even thought your child might be exceptional academically, most of this will not be Assessed until Round 2. So please do prepare for both aspects of the 4+ Assessments! Focus equally on both but ensure your do prepare for Round 1.

Having witnessed Round 1 Assessments several times, I can tell you that what is Assessed is mostly relating to the behaviour of the child. Let me give you an example.

At one Assessment, I had a child who was clearly academically strong but after ten minutes, he stopped following the instructions completely. I asked him to go over to the puzzle activity and he simply looked at me and said, ‘No!’. He proceeded to go over the the cars activity instead. When I asked him to join me at the cutting table, he looked at me, smiled and ran the opposite direction. He did not meet the criteria to pass the Round 1 Assessment.

Tell your children what is expected of them. How else will they know!

If you’re looking for the highest quality tuition from the best teachers who have years of experience with our youngest learners and exceptional results, book your Sample Lesson today.

How do you know what to prepare for at Round 2? (4+)

Just like Round 1, round 2 will be very different at each individual school. You will need to prepare for each school differently.

For example, some schools have 1:1 Assessments at Round 1 whereas at other schools it will still be a group Assessments. At some schools there will be smaller groups of children and at other schools there will be larger groups of children. At some schools there will be 3-4 adults in the room wheras in other schools there will just be one or two. At some schools, the expectations will be a lot more academic whereas at other schools they won’t be. So, why is is important to know what to prepare for at Round 2?

It is so important.

If your child doesn’t know what to expect, it can become quite overwhelming for them. Imagine going somewhere completely new and unfamiliar to you and having 4 adults in a small room watching you as you play, asking you to read words and to write numbers? Overwhelming.

But if you know to expect it, you will most likely feel more relaxed and at ease. You probably still will not like it but at least you are aware of about what to expect.

Imagine going somewhere new and unfamiliar and going into a room with one adult that you have never met and having that adult ask you questions for 30-45 minutes? How would that feel to a child who is only three years old? I don’t imagine it to be a very positive feeling do you?

At least if they know what to expect, it is far more likely that they will go in at the very least a little more calm and relaxed.

Three year olds are very intuitive. They understand what is going on around them so well. Talk to your three year old and explain to them exactly what they should expect when they go to their Round 2 Assessment.

And if you don’t know, work with incredible teachers who do.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

The Reading and Writing Expectations in the 4+ Assessments.

The reading and writing expectations will be very different at each different school that you will be applying to. Certain schools will expect that your child will be able to read 3 letter words with ease and that your child will be able to write 3 letter words with accuracy. They will expect your child to have correct letter formation for all of the letters that they observe them writing and they will expect them to be able to read a 3 letter words by segmenting and then blending it (ie. They can sound it out before reading it)

Most likely your child will be asked to write their name at most schools that they will attend Assessment at. Please note that not all schools will ask your child to write their name. Some schools will be completely ‘play based’. I will talk about how I interpret these two little words in another blog!

Reading

When you begin tuition with us, we will initially learn all of the phonemes (single sounds). Once your child is confident with all of their phase 2 and phase 3 phonemes, we move onto digraphs (2 letters that make one sound eg. sh) We will only ever move onto digraphs if you child knows all of their phonemes really well. You will see your child become so confident with their single sounds that before you know it, they will begin reading 2-3 letter words. It is inevitable.

Alongside learning their phonics, your child will do reading in each lesson. Reading could be listening to a story, analysing a story, answering questions about a story or sounding out individual words within a story. Exposing your child to so many different books will enable them to go into their 4+ Assessments and know exactly what is expected of them when it comes to reading.

Writing

When you begin tuition with us, we will immediately begin an intensive programme of writing (depending on your chosen schools). We will begin by writing numbers. Writing numbers takes time. It can take between 3-6 months before your child can accurately write numbers with correct formation. So we practise writing numbers at every single lesson. You will also receive weekly home learning where you will have the opportunity to practise writing numbers with your child. Children can regress when in comes to writing, please don’t worry about this. It is perfectly ok. Just keep practising. We will then move onto writing letters of the alphabet.

At some schools, your child will be asked to write 3 letter words and therefore it will be an expectation that they write each individual letters with correct letter formation. Pencil grip is also something that we practise. Some schools will expect your child to have ‘correct’ pencil grip. Some children learn this quicker than others. Some children enjoy writing immediately and others simply do not. None of it is a problem. Each child is different and unique.

Take your time with pencil grip and never ever make it a ‘problem’ is your child is not ‘able’ to hold their pencil correctly. Show them, practise it and if they don’t want to just move on and come back to it another day.

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2025 entry? Download your Ultimate Guide to 4+ Assessment Success and be fully prepared.

Why are certain schools more challenging than others to get into at 4+?

Some parents that I speak to are often very surprised when their child is not successful to their first school of choice. They don’t realise how incredibly hard some of these schools are to get into. I don’t blame them for not knowing, how would they? Perhaps this is their first time embarking on this journey, perhaps they’ve not had any experience with the 4+ Assessments, perhaps they just assumed that their child would go to the Assessment and be successful. Unfortunately, it DOES NOT work this way.

So here are just a few reasons why certain schools are more challenging to get into than others at 4+…

1. They are incredibly over subscribed. I heard of one particular school at 4+ having more than 500 children attend at Round 1.

   With so many applicant for such a small amount of places, you can clearly see how challenging it will be to get into certain schools.

2. Some schools have fewer places available than others.

   I have heard of certain schools at 3+ for example that only have 8 places!

3. Some schools have incredibly high academic and behavioural expectations.

   This is why I always talk about knowing your schools and knowing them very well. Let me give you an example. I spoke to a parent the other day who was preparing her child for a top London boys’ school at 4+. She had taught him how to count and recognise numbers to 10 but in his Assessment he was asked to count backwards from 20. She had not gone up to 20 with him. Had she known the school’s academic expectations, she would of course have gone up to 20. In terms of behavioural expectations, most of these top schools will have incredibly high expectations when it comes to the behaviour of their students. They will each have their own criteria but they will definitely be looking for children who can listen well, who can follow instructions, who are kind and caring and who can focus and concentrate for certain time durations.

   So when I speak to parents who are incredibly shocked that their child hasn’t got into their top school of choice, I completely understand their frustrations. After all, they have worked so hard to give their child the highest possible chances for success. I get it! But the most important thing to manage is your expectations. Expect your child to go in and give it their all and if they are successful, it is the cherry on top. Please don’t go in with the expectation that they will get in. It takes a lot more than just showing up to the Assessments to pass. It takes time, it takes patience and it takes lots and lots of practice.

   Are you preparing for the 4+ for 2025 entry? Book your Sample Lesson Today

My personal opinion about Round 1 at a Top London Girl School (4+)

Here is my honest opinion about a Top London Girls’s School at Round 1.

It was so clear that this school was looking for a girl who is confident. A girl who exuded confidence. A girl who could answer questions with confidence.

Previously at this school even girls who were a little more timid would be successful at Round 1. I personally didn’t find this to be the case this year.

Girls who were academically very gifted but who perhaps were a little more on the quieter side, were no successful at Round 1.

I of course this think that this is a huge shame. But it’s not my school and it’s not my choice.

So if you are preparing for the Top Girls Schools at 4+, please prepare (lots and lots) for confidence. I have created a Drama Club just for this! If you would like to join, it is only £20 per week and you will see incredible progress in terms of your child’s confidence.

How do you know what these schools are looking for at 3+/4+?

How do you know what these schools are looking for at Round 1? 

Years and years of experience. Over 14 years! 

Years and years of hearing feedback from my clients. 

Years and years of seeing the children who make it through the First Rounds and those that don't. 

Years and years of knowing what these schools are looking for in the students that pass. 

Each school is different. Please don't think that you will be preparing for each school in the same way. You won't. 

Our bespoke tuition is tailored to each school and all of our lessons are carefully planned and tailored towards each school that your child will be sitting their Assessment at. 

Download your Ultimate Guide to 4+ Assessment Preparation. 

Children who passed the Round 1 in their 4+ Assessments were children who...

1. Could focus on a specific task for 3-5 minutes

In Round 1 of the 4+ Assessments, your child will be expected to complete a variety of tasks. Usually, there will be different tables set up with activities. In most Assessments, your child will be invited to go and take part in the different activities and they will be observed by the EYFS team. It will be an expectation that your child will be able to focus on the task for a period of time. Each school will have their own criteria. However, as a benchmark, I would say that 3-5 minutes is a good timeframe to aim for. You want to aim for your child to be able to focus and concentrate on s particular activity for 3-5 minutes and then move onto the next one. In our lessons, we break up the focus into blocks of 3-5 minutes. For example, we might do phonics for 5 minutes and then move onto maths. We might to reading for 5 minutes and then move onto cutting. This is done intentionally to give our students practise and to know how long we expect them to concentrate for. Some students are able to do this very well and others need more practise.

2. Were able to show concentration and interest in different tasks

In the 4+ Assessments, your child will be observed engaging in a variety of different tasks. They will need to be able to show concentration and interest in the task/s that they are engaging in. A child who wouldn’t have passed their Round 1 Assessment would have been a child who perhaps didn’t show interest in a task and who didn’t engage in a way which would have demonstrated focus and concentration. For example, if your child is asked to do a puzzle, the assessors will be observing how they do the puzzle, do they focus on the edges first, do they look at the picture to help to guide them with where to place the puzzle pieces, do they try to place the pieces together and then try to manipulate them in a different way. Do they give up quickly or do they persevere? A child who for example gets frustrated with the activity wouldn’t do as well as a child who continues to try.

3. Were able to show a genuine interest in the tasks provided to them.

Genuine interest means truly wanting to engage in the task/s. Children who do not show genuine interest might only choose to engage in tasks that they like. When faced with tasks that they perhaps don’t like or aren’t as good at, they make either refuse to do it or simply say no. This will not be good in a Round 1 Assessment. For example, if your child is asked to do some cutting, a child who shows a genuine interest in this activity will be one who sits down calmly and really tries their best to ensure that their cutting is of the highest quality and precision. A child who is less interested in cutting, might sit down and quickly do the task so that they can move on to something they enjoy more. Rushed cutting will not be good in a 4+ Assessment.

Download the Ultimate Guide to 4+ Assessment Success today!

Teach sounds before you teach the Alphabet

When I start working with students who have been taught the alphabet, it is far harder to teach them phonics.

The letter name is different to the letter sound. This is why it can become so confusing if a child has been taught the alphabet first. Please don’t panic if you’ve done it this way. Just go back to teaching them the sounds. It will take a little longer and that’s ok.

My son is now 18 months and I am teaching him his phase 2 phonics. I use Anima phonics which is my favourite phonics programme (I do not get paid for recommending them, I just like them a lot!) I am fully ware that he will be exposed to the alphabet in his every day life and that is ok. He goes to nursery part time and he spends a lot of time with family members. But when he is with me, we learn the pure sound of the letters only.

I promise you that it will make it far easier to teach your child to read if they associate letters with sounds.

Only once my students are confident with the letter sounds do I then teach them the letter names.

What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.

This happens every year after the 4+ Assessments

And this year is no different!

Each year after the 4+ Assessments, two things happen.

1. I hear from parents who had contacted me before the 4+ Assessments and chose to work with someone else and were not successful in the 4+ Assessments. They contact me because they now need to get started working on the 7+ Assessments.

2. I hear from parents who didn’t contact me before the 4+ Assessments but they also need help with preparing for the 7+ Assessments.

This is how I like to see it. If I were preparing my son for one of these top schools, I would 100% choose to prepare him for the 4+ and really GO ALL IN. Why you ask?

It is much easier to get our children in to these top schools at 4+ than it is at 7+ and 11+. With the correct preparation for at least a period of 9 months, you can support your chid to be successful in their 4+ Assessments. More spaces (usually!) are available at 4+ compared to 7+ and 11+. Some schools take more children in at 3+ (eg Merchant Taylors) so it is important that you know your schools! If you are preparing for the 3+, it’s the same thing really. Go ALL IN at least 9 months - 1 year before their Assessments.

It is far less stressful to get them in at 4+ than at 7+ and 11+. Maybe not for the parents but it is definitely far less stressful for the children. At 4+, your child will either be 3 or 4. They most likely won’t even know that it is an assessment. They will go in and thoroughly enjoy themselves. With the correct preparation, they will be able to answer everything that is asked and answer it well and be successful. At 7+ and 11+, the children are a lot older and are fully aware of what is going on.

So, if you find yourself in this position after the 4+ Assessments are over, book your Sample Lesson and let’s get started straight away with 7+ Assessment preparation. Well maybe give your child a little break and then get started! ;)

What do they even expect from a 3 year old?

I spoke to a very cross parent yesterday.

He was cross because his child hadn’t been successful to any of the 4+ Assessments (so far) and he was very confused.

He had been preparing his son for his 4+ Assessments from the day he turned 2.

His son didn’t have any formal tuition.

When we spoke yesterday, we were exploring options for the 7+ Assessments which is the next step is a child is unsuccessful in the 4+.

Deeply frustrated, he asked me this questions… “What do they even expect from a 3 year old?”

I think it’s the wrong question. A better question would be, “What does my child have to do in order to be successful?”

Do you feel the difference between these two questions?

The first one is filled with despair and completely out of our control and the second one is completely within our control.

We know exactly what a student needs to do and show in order to be successful. It is what we do every single day.

Let’s answer this question:

“What does my child have to do in order to be successful?”

Each school looks for different things so this is the first important point to mention and why I always say that you MUST know your schools very well and if you don’t, speak to someone who does and who has experience with the school/schools that you are applying to.

The schools at 4+ are looking for children who can:

1. Answer questions well (full sentences and with confidence and clarity)

2. Be academically able - be strong in the EYFS maths and english curriculum

3. Show logic and analytical skills

4. Follow instructions

5. Interact with others well (children and adults)

If your child can do all of the above, you have an excellent chance of being successful.

I like to see the above as puzzle pieces. If one piece is missing, it is likely that your child won’t be successful. If your child holds all of these puzzle pieces, he or she is highly likely to be successful.

Preparing for 2025 entry?

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What will my child be expected to do in their Round 1 Assessments? (4+)

First of all, it is not a play date so please don’t tell your child that it is. It’s not. Your child will be expected to do the following in their Round 1 Assessments...

Answer questions with clarity and confidence.

Your child will be asked questions by the teachers who are assessing. These top schools are looking for children who can answer questions clearly and with confidence. They are looking for a high level of vocabulary and for accuracy in their use of tenses.

Follow instructions

Your child will be expected to follow instructions. Let me give you an example.

I spoke to a parent (not one of our clients) who told me that in of their daughter’s 4+ Assessments, she was asked to draw a butterfly. She told the teacher, ‘No, I will draw a dog’ and she did. She did not pass her 4+ Assessment at this school. Another child was asked to line up and he ran into the middle of the room instead. He was not successful in his 4+ Assessment.

Following instructions is key and it is something that we work on in each and every one of our lessons. It is something that I encourage my clients to work on daily with my students.

Complete a variety of tasks with enthusiasm and focus.

These top schools are looking for children with a thirst for learning more and with a desire to learn. ‘Teachability’ is a word that is thrown around a lot when talking about the 4+. How easy your child is to teach basically!

Remember that these top schools have their pick of who they want to attend their school! Hundreds of children will apply for very few places. You want your child to of course be themselves but they must also show what these schools are looking for.

It’s as simple as that!

Is it true that Round 1 will be the same at each school at 4+? Absolutely not.

Of course there will be similarities in Round 1 Assessments but there will also be subtle differences. It’s very important to understand these differences and prepare strategically for each school that you are applying to at 4+.

I spoke to a parent yesterday who told me, ‘But surely they just do the same things in these Assessments?’

Well no, not really.

Yes, your child will most likely do a puzzle, play with some lego and do some drawing but this is very important to remember. What each school looks for in their prospective new students will be different. One particular school is looking for confidence, another school is looking for HOW children answer questions, another school is looking for students who can follow instructions well. Other schools look for a combination of all three of these. Some schools are more academically selective than others.

So if you are preparing for the 4+ for 2025 entry, please make sure that you are preparing for EACH individual school that your child will be sitting Assessment at. If you are not sure, speak to someone who is and who has over 14 years of experience preparing students for their 4+ Assessments with incredible results.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.