NLCS 4+ Round 1 and 2- Let's take a deep dive into the 4+ Assessments at this popular school.

So you are thinking of applying to North London Collegiate for your daughter’s 4+ Assessments.

This, by far has been the hardest school for girls to get into.

Even our most brightest, highly academically gifted girls.

So let’s have a look at each round at this school and gain a better understanding about why it is so hard to pass for the 4+ Assessments.

Many parents go into the Assessment at this school very naively.

They don’t know how hard it is to pass the 4+ Assessments at this school.

Of course, it isn’t their fault if it’s their first experience with this school.

This is what the school’s website tells us about Round 1:

Play activities testing school readiness which lasts about an hour.  Children are grouped by age and there are about 12-16 children per group. Activities usually include pre-school tasks such as colouring, cutting and sticking.

So what exactly is school readiness?

School readiness is exactly what the two words tell you. How ready your child is for school.

They will be Assessing at least 20 different things and looking to see if your daughter can do things such as:

Listen well

Follow instructions

Complete tasks with enthusiasm

Show excellent focus and concentration

These are just a few.

The Assessors will be observing the girls and simply choosing the girls who are able to demonstrate these traits. If your daughter is unable to show these, they will not pass the first round at NLCS.

So the first round is a group activity. Your daughter will be with a big group of girls (up to 16) and she will take part in a variety of different eyfs activities in a classroom most likely.

This is what the school’s website tells us about Round 2:

A smaller group are recalled for the second round, which includes a group activity followed by one to one puzzles and games with a member of our teaching staff.

We are looking for children with a curiosity for learning and the confidence to have a go at something they haven’t seen before. They need to be able to listen to and follow simple instructions as part of a group or one to one with an adult.

In the second round your daughter will be in a smaller group (5-6 girls) and the Assessment will then become 1:1. Don’t be surprised if there will be a group of Assessors in the room with the girls. If they are not prepared for this, it could be overwhelming for them so do prepare them.

What does curiosity for learning mean?

So I think this is the most important part of the Round 2 Assessment at NLCS and perhaps where certain girls didn’t quite show what they needed to show in order to pass the Assessment.

A curiosity for learning can be taught.

It can be practised.

It can be refined.

Encouraging your daughter to be curious. To ask more questions and to want to know more is 100% something that you can practise with your daughter.

That's what we do in our lessons. And especially if our students are preparing for NLCS.

So if you are preparing for NLCS at 4+. Be prepared. It’s not easy to get into. But with the right preparation, you will definitely increase your chances for success.

Book your Sample Lesson today. Last few places remaining to work with our Company Director Maria Mazarese for 2025 Entry.

My honest opinion about open days (4+ Assessment preparation)

Attending an open day will seem like a very important part of the 4+ Assessment preparation process. And it is.

Having done this for over 14 years, I now know exactly what to expect from my current clients and from parents who are looking around for the best teacher to support their child with their 4+ Assessment preparations.

I know what I will hear from my own clients after they’ve attended an open day at one or more of the schools that they are applying to. And I know exactly what they will tell me.

So let me help you with this.

If you are attending an open day, you have most likely applied to the school/s and have received an invite to attend. Some happen earlier in the year and some later (it will depend when you apply!)

You will most likely have a tour of the school and see the ‘school in action’ and then you will most likely have a talk with the Head Teacher where he or she will give you more information about their school and about the 4+ Assessment process at their school.

Here are just a few things that you may be told which I would not believe.

‘It will be an informal Assessment’

Trust me, it won’t be.

‘Tell your child it will be like a play date.’

Please do not do this.

‘You do not need to prepare for the Assessments’

Utter nonsense.

‘Your child will just come in and play with other children’

No they won’t.

‘We do not agree with tutoring’

What does that even mean?

‘We can tell if a child has been tutored’

No they can’t. Unless a child has been tutored in a way that they just memorise everything. That is not how we teach our students.

I’ve had parents stop tuition with me after having attended open days and it breaks my heart. In 90% of cases where this happens, their child has not been successful. Not because I am amazing at what I do but because they simply were not prepared for their Assessments. The 10% who did make it were exceptionally academically gifted. And most of that 10% only got into one school out of the 6/7 they had applied to.

So attend each Open Day because it is very important that you see the school. It is very important that you love the school. But please do be cautious with regards to what the schools will tell you.

Don’t sabotage your chances for success.

Ask questions if you have them, remember that YOU are sending your child to THEIR school. And YOU want to make sure that it is the right fit for you and for your child.

Need further support with 4+ Assessment preparation? Book your Sample Lesson Today.

You want your child to pass their 4+ Assessments at top London schools but you don't want to "Stress them out!"

First of all if a three year old is getting stressed out about their learning, something is going very wrong. A three year old must always love learning. In fact a student of any age must always love learning.

I’ve spoken to several parents this week who have told me that they don’t want to start 4+ Assessment preparation because they don’t want to ‘stress their child out!’ then in the same breath they tell me that they will start around August, September time. Hear me when I tell you that this will be far more stressful for them.

They will have so much more to catch up on by then.

Starting now gives them a lovely, calm steady pace in which to prepare for their 4+ Assessments.

The people who mostly get stressed out is the parents.

If you prepare your child in a calm, nurturing and effective way, there is no reason for them to get ‘stressed out’. In fact, I’ve never had a student be ‘stressed out’ in any of my lessons.

And if it were to ever happen, if I were to ever see a glimpse of resistance or refusal to learning, it would immediately be a discussion with my clients to discuss what we can do in order to make things better,

At the end of the day, 4+ Assessment preparation is tough. It is challenging. It takes work. It takes effort. It takes determination. It takes the ability to make mistakes and try something new.

If you do want your child to pass their 4+ Assessments then it will truly all be worth it.

We do not just prepare our students for their 4+ Assessments we prepare them for a lifelong journey of learning. Of wanting to learn. Of wanting more challenge.

Need more support with 4+ Assessment preparation? Book your Sample Lesson today.

The main reason boys were unsuccessful to Habs boys' in the 7+ after Round 2

First of all, it is very important to remember that hundreds of boys will apply to this school to sit their 7+ Assessments. With this in mind, it is also important to note that there are only 18 places available.

So out of these hundreds of boys that apply, 18 will pass their 7+ Assessment at Haberdashers’ boys’.

So if your son passes, this is truly exceptional.

It certainly means that they are academically excellent and advanced and it also means that they are able to communicate and articulate themselves very well.

All boys who apply are invited to Round 1 to sit papers in Maths, English and Reasoning. If you want in depth information about Round 1, please book your Sample Lesson.

Boys who are successful at Round 1 will be invited to Round 2 which takes place in January.

In order to pass at Round 1, you want to be aiming at 85% in all of the practise papers that your son completes as they prepare for their Assessments.

So here it is. The main reason boys were unsuccessful to Habs boys’ in the 7+ after Round 2.

Is is very simple.

They were not prepared for what was asked in this Round.

I of course will not reveal too much here. But what came up was a surprise and most parents that I spoke to after the fact, told me that they simply had not prepared for this.

My students did. Not because I know what will come up but because I prepare for all eventualities (as best I can!)

This is why I truly believe that the highest quality of tuition is such an amazing investment in ensuring the highest possible chances for success when it comes to passing the 7+.

If you’re going to invest your time, effort and energy anyway, you might as well do it in a way that maximises your chances for success.

If you are preparing for Habs Boys’ 7+ in 2025, now is the perfect time to begin tuition.

I will prepare a bespoke plan of action for your son that will take his learning and understanding to the next level. See them begin to really thrive at school and demand more challenge!

The 4 puzzle pieces that MUST fit together in order for your child to PASS their + Assessments

I like to see the 4+ Assessments like a 4 piece puzzle.

All of the 4 pieces MUST slot together beautifully.

If they do, then your child will succeed and will highly likely pass their 4+ Assessments.

If they don’t come together beautifully then it is highly unlikely that your child will pass their 4+ Assessments.

Here are the 4 puzzle pieces for you. Slot them together to guarantee success!

1. A desire to learn - This can’t be taught or tutored. This is innate. It comes from within. If can however be encouraged and developed through tuition.

2. A thirst for challenge - Your child actually wanting to be challenged. Loving those challenges. Wanting more and more of it. This comes with practise and exposing your child to new and challenging things daily.

3. A hunger to communicate - You child needs to love to speak to others and actually want to communicate with people that they’ve never met before.

4. A strong sense of resilience - This is the toughest piece in my opinion. Developing a sense of resilience at the age of 2 and 3 is definitely a skill.

Which puzzle piece do you think will be the hardest on to prepare for?

How do you stop a child from refusing to do something?

This question made me giggle. I have to be honest!

I was asked this question the other day by a potential new client.

First of all, you don’t ‘stop a child’ from refusing to do something. If they refuse, that is their choice.

You can provide them with strategies to support them to actually want to do something. Now that is different isn’t it?

Let me give you some real life examples from my own clients.

Client 1

I gave my child a 12 piece puzzle and she looked at me and said, “No, I’m not doing it!”

At the stage of year where we are currently, this is not a problem. It will become a problem let’s say around August/ September.

At the end of the day, your child will need to go into their Assessment/s and do what they are told! Sorry to put it so bluntly. So if they say ‘No!’ in the Assessment, they will definitely not pass.

If your child tells you that they don’t want to do a puzzle, first of all ask them ‘Why?’

They may have a reason.

Perhaps they perceive it to be too hard for them.

Perhaps they want to do something else.

Perhaps they simply are not in the mood for a puzzle.

What I see too often is the child saying no and the parent getting frustrated about it. Not helpful.

Ask why and listen to your child’s answer.

Tell them that it isn’t a problem and try again later. You might find they say “Yes!”

Client 2

My child refuses to write. She just doesn’t want to even hold her pencil.

Again, at this point in the year, this isn’t a problem. It will be a problem if they are still refusing to do it around August/September time. In some Assessments at 4+, your child will need to write and they will need to write well in order to pass!

If your child currently does not want to write, please don’t make it a problem.

It needs to come from your child.

They need to want to write.

Model it to them. Show them how much YOU love writing.

Provide other writing opportunities for them that don’t involve holding a pencil.

‘Writing’ with their finger in sand/water.

‘Writing’ on your back.

‘Writing’ on the wall/glass.

For more incredible strategies from a professional who knows each school and what they are expecting, book your Sample lesson today.

All of our students who have had at least 9 months of 4+ Assessment prep were successful to at least 4 schools of choice.

Don’t underestimate the importance of starting early. Students who are successful in the 4+ are usually those who get into multiple schools of choice. And then there are those who get into none of their schools of choice.

I honestly believe that starting early is a game changer in 4+ Assessment success.

With so much to cover why would you start any later than this?

Do we prepare students who start later than this and have success?

Absolutely!

But these are the exception.

Don’t risk it!

You are reading this blog because you want your child to go to a top school. Prepare them and prepare them properly for it. Give yourself the gift of 9 months of preparation time. You will never regret it. It is an investment into your peace of mind. It is an investment into your child’s learning. It is an investment into your child’s understanding. It in an investment into knowing that you’ve done everything possible to prepare your child for their future.

Book your Sample lesson today.

What you want is for your child to be successful in their 4+ Assessments

What you want is for your child to be successful in their 4+ Assessments.

What should matter above all else is that the person that you will work for is truly rooting for you. That their ultimate goal is for your child to be successful to as many schools at possible.

What you want is for your child to go into their Assessments happily, confidently and calmly.

What you want is for them to know what to expect. To know exactly what they need to do in order to be successful.

What you need is to cover all bases. To ensure that your child is confident with their phonics, that your child can blend (if they need to be able to do this in their Assessment), that they have a strong mathematical knowledge and have covered all areas in depth that need to be covered, that they can hold their pencil well and write numbers and letters of the alphabet, that they can answer questions clearly and with detail.

These are just a few things that your child needs to be able to do in their 4+ Assessments.

We will guide you every step of the way. Our Home Learning Support Packages are the most thorough on the market (in my opinion!)

Book your Sample Lesson today.

"I barely survived the 4+ Assessments" - A true story

I spoke to a potential new client the other day who was asking me for further information about the 7+. He said something that really struck me.

He said - “You know, I do wish I had found you sooner, I barely survived the 4+ Assessments.”

I asked him what he meant.

He told me that he had no idea what it would involve. He told me that it was like sending his child into the wolves’ den. “There was no way he would come out of there in one piece!”

Those were his exact words to me.

He felt deeply frustrated by the whole process,

“Why do these schools tell parents not to prepare their children? It is complete and utter nonsense!”

He told me that compared to the other children in the Assessment (at a top boys’ school), his son really stood out. First of all he was nervous and went in upset. Second of all, he didn’t want to engage in conversation with the assessors and finally he didn’t want to do certain activities.

This is why I speak very openly and honestly about the 4+ Assessments. I want all parents to be prepared. To send their children in prepared. To have the best possible chances for success.

What I want is for parents to thrive and not ‘barely survive’.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

Thriving or Surviving the 4+ Assessments. Real life stories.

Surviving the 4+ Assessments or thriving in the 4+ Assessments?

I hear so many different stories everyday.

 And they all come down to these two concepts.

 1.     Parents who experienced great success in the 4+ Assessments and truly thrived.

2.     Parents who struggled in the 4+ Assessments and experienced great difficultly.

 Let me give you some examples for both of these concepts.

 1.     Parents who experienced great success in the 4+ Assessments and truly thrived. I have changed students/clients names for privacy and confidentiality.

 Sam

 Sam began tuition with me when he was 2 years and 6 months. July born, his parents were concerned that he was too ‘young’ and that he would never ‘catch up’ to his peers who were ‘much further along than him’. These were the stories that his parents told me and I would always tell them the same this – none of this was true.

Yes, Sam might be nearly a whole year younger than some of his peers in the 4+ Assessment but this definitely didn’t mean that he would be ‘behind’.

 His parents sat him for the following schools (in order or preference)

 Habs

Merchant Taylors

The Hall

UCS

Highgate

Manor Lodge

Lockinver

Sam received nearly a full year of tuition and for the most part was consistent at joining me each week for his 30 minute lesson. Each week, he received bespoke home learning targeting specifically what he would encounter in the Assessments at the schools his parents had applied to.

 Sam struggled with writing up until 2 months before the Assessments. Keep in mind that from the list above, some assessments happened a lot earlier than others (October v January)

 We persevered and before his Assessments he became obsessed with writing (to our delight!)

 Sam was successful at being offered a place at Habs, The Hall, UCS, Manor Lodge and Lockinver. His parents have decided to send him to Habs. We had the best call ever a few weeks ago. The ‘I don’t know which school to choose call!’

2.     Parents who struggled in the 4+ Assessments and experienced great difficultly.

 Tobias

 Tobias started tuition with one of our Senior Tutors in July of the year he was sitting his Assessments. His mother wanted him to get into either Highgate or UCS and decided to start preparing him for the 4+ Assessments. She told me that she started late because she had been ‘preparing him herself.’ Tobias was one of our youngest students (August born).

He lacked focus and concentration and wouldn’t engage for more than 2 minutes at a time. Had he started earlier, this wouldn’t have been an issue. It was an issue because we had too much to cover and we didn’t have enough time to cover it.

 I also advised his mother that two schools is not enough and that she really should choose at least another four schools. With a lot of persuasion,  his mother chose a back up school (a non selective school)

 Tobias also was unable to hold his pencil and he was very reluctant to write. Both UCS and Highgate require students to write in one way or another in their 4+ Assessments.

He improved a lot on his cutting and he was strong with his mathematical skills. Unfortunately, without the writing ability, I told his mother that it was unlikely that he would pass. Without the focus, it was unlikely that he would pass. Without being able to colour in with accuracy and precision, it was unlikely that he would pass. He did not pass Highgate or UCS at 4+.

I know the calibre of students that both UCS and Highgate are looking for and I will always be very honest with all of my clients. After all, this is a huge investment for my clients. It is an investment in terms of money and in terms of time.

Tobias did gain entry to the non-selective school that his mother was advised to apply to and will be trying again at 7+.

So, do you want to thrive in the 4+ Assessments or do you want to thrive?

 I know the one I would choose.

 Book your Sample Lesson today.

Do you want your child to thrive in the 4+ Assessments?

Here is what thriving in the 4+ Assessments look like.

Parent

Calm

Relaxed

Serene

Prepared

Organised

Informed

Child

Confident

Ready

Prepared

Reading

Writing

Knowledgeable

Polite

Attentive

Focused

I could of course add many more but these are the main ones that you and your child will need in order to thrive in the 4+ Assessments.

We prepare our students specifically for the schools they are sitting Assessment at. No two lesson plans will ever be the same. No generic tuition. Only the highest quality, bespoke tuition. Your child will be prepared for each school that they will be sitting Assessment at.

All of our tutors have over 10 years of experience actually preparing children for these top schools. We know exactly what they are looking for and we will guide you to have incredible success and to actually thrive throughout the process,

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Is your child resistant when it comes to completing certain tasks? It's not a problem!

I hear this repeatedly from my clients.

My child doesn’t want to do:

writing

reading

phonics

puzzles

lego

My child won’t:

Answer questions

complete their home learning

hold their pencil

follow my instructions

None of this is a problem and let me tell you why.

My students who are currently preparing for their 4+ Assessments are between the ages of 2.5 and 3. Let’s not forget this. These students are still very young. If they don’t want to do something, it’s just not a problem. They decide. Always go with their flow. Your child doesn’t want to hold a pencil - no problem. You hold it and show them how you do it and how much you love to hold a pencil. Your child doesn’t want to read a book with you - no problem. You continue to read it anyway. Your child will be observing your learning behaviours and with their own time, they will naturally want to try to do what you are doing.

A child being resistant towards a problem is never a problem to me. What is a problem, is making a big deal about it, reacting in a negative way about it and telling them that there is something wrong with them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them!

In my lessons, when one of my students doesn’t want to do something - let’s say for example, count the objects on the screen. I move on immediately to another task. I usually come back to the task that they were resistant towards doing and most often, they will complete it.

Let your child take the lead with their learning. Give them the opportunity to decide what they want to do. I guarantee, the results will follow. Be consistent with it and keep going.

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2025 entry? Book your Sample Lesson today.

What you want is for your child to go into their 4+ Assessment CALMLY and CONFIDENTLY.

I’ve been talking to a lot of parents today about 4+ Assessment preparation. What I’m noticing is that a lot of the parents that I talk to seem to focus a lot on the academic aspect of the 4+ Assessments which of course is very important. However, it is by no means the most important part of 4+ Assessment preparation.

In my opinion, the most important part of 4+ Assessment preparation is going into the Assessment calmly and confidently.

If your child doesn’t go into their Assessment/s calmly, they are unlikely to be successful.

If your child doesn’t show confidence in their Assessment/s, they are unlikely to be successful.

Let me give you some examples by sharing some real life stories that happened this year in the 4+ Assessments.

CALM

To me going into the Assessment calmly means walking in happily. I imagine a child just soaring into the room as though they are walking on clouds and into something that they actually want to do. They actually want to be in that room.

Not being calm means going into the Assessment crying, screaming, not letting go of mum or dad (or whoever has dropped your child off). Not actually wanting to be in the room and doing anything within their power to leave the room indicates to me that a child is not calm.

Please don’t be surprised… these things do happen.

This year, many of my clients told me that they saw children crying and screaming and refusing to go with the assessors into their Assessments. Many of my clients told me that they heard from their friends that they were called to come and collect their children because they wouldn’t calm down.

CONFIDENCE

Having confidence has nothing to do with being shy or not. You can be shy and still have confidence. You can be loud and have very little confidence.

To me, going into the Assessment/s with confidence means being able to communicate well with adults and with children. Confidence was another very important aspect of 4+ Assessment success. Children who were not able to articulate themselves with confidence were not successful. Children who were unable to answer questions with confidence were not successful. Children who didn’t interact well with other children were not successful.

So yes, prepare for the academic aspects of the 4+ Assessments but please don’t neglect these two very important parts of 4+ Assessment success.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

If your child is unsuccessful in the 4+ Assessments, what are your options?

If you choose tuition with us it is highly unlikely that this will happen. It never has happened.

Children who have at least 9 months of tuition (4+), 12 months tuition (7+) and 24 month tuition (11+) have been successful at gaining entry to at least one school of choice. When I say ‘at least’ what I mean is ‘at a minimum’. The majority of our students are successful at gaining entry to 3 or more schools of choice in all of the Assessments that we provide support with.

We advise all of our clients to choose at least 6 schools (all Assessments) 7 schools is optimum.

Less than this I wouldn’t advise.

However, if your child is unsuccessful in their 4+ Assessments, here are your options.

1. Choose a great pre- prep school that will support you with your preparations for the 7+ Assessments. If you need further support with this, please email me (office@creativemindstutors.com). I would always recommend you continue with tuition even if you do choose this option.

2. Continue with weekly tuition to support you with your preparations for the 7+ Assessments (the best time to begin is January of the year that your child is in Reception)

3. Choose a great state school and prepare your child for the 7+ Assessments with tuition.

4. Choose a great state school and prepare your child for the 11+ Assessments with tuition (the best time to start is January of the year that your child is in Year 3)

5. Apply to Grammar schools at 11+ and prepare with tuition.

So, as you can see you have plenty of options!

Need further support? Book your Sample lesson today.

Why online tuition is the best option for you

Do you want your child to be successful in their 4+/7+/11+ Assessments?

If you’re reading this blog then the answer is of course - yes!

Do you know how stressful it can be to not have the correct support when preparing for the 4+/7+/11+ Assessments?

Perhaps you do not. Perhaps this is your first time going on this journey and you have no idea what to expect.

Do you want the BEST teacher to support your with this success?

If you are choosing to invest your money into tuition, then the answer is of course - yes!

Do you think that in person tuition is somehow ‘better’ than online tuition?

Tell me this then. Why am I hearing from so many parents who chose in person tuition over online tuition who were preparing for the 4+, who have now contacted us to help them to prepare for the 7+?

Why does this happen year after year after year?

Perhaps you have this idea in your head about what tuition looks like.

Your teacher shows up at your door and you greet her/him.

Your teacher sits at a table with your child and they spend an hour together.

You somehow think that this is better than logging into a lesson on Zoom.

Let me tell you why this is absolutely not the case.

Online tuition is the best option for you because you get access to the best teachers for the job.

The teachers who have actual experience with the schools that you are applying to.

The teachers with over 14 years of experience preparing children for their entrance examinations.

It really shouldn’t be your main criteria for choosing your teacher to support you with Assessment preparation.

After all, it is one of the biggest decisions of your life (and your child’s!) Where they go to school, will help to shape their entire lives.

And if you’re reading this blog, I know that this is very important to you.

See our incredible 2024 results here!

Book your Sample Lesson today.

It's all about you!

We continue to have tremendous success because of our client’s successes.

That’s why it’s all about you.

If your child isn’t successful, we won’t be successful.

One of my client’s told me that she felt I was really rooting for her. And her son was successful to 4 out of the 6 schools that she applied to. Even though we are no longer having lessons together, she continues to have ongoing contact to me. I am now supporting her with making her decision as to where he will go. What a privileged position to be in.

Your life will be better because you will never have to face this journey alone. We will be with you every step of the way. Whenever you feel lost or confused, you will know that you can come to us.

I’ve been having our end of lessons evaluation calls with our clients who have completed their Assessment preparations. I wanted to share some of their comments with you. I’ve changed their names and their children’s names.

Sarah

What you provided us with were more than just lessons. Having worked with several other tuition companies before finding you, I can tell you that what you offer is very different. With other companies Sam would just have her lessons once a week and that was it. With you Sam would have her lessons but I always knew that you would be there for me if I needed you. This is the biggest difference between what you offer and what others offer. That ongoing communication was fundamental to our success. If I every felt worried or vulnerable, you were always there for me whether on text or on the phone.

John

When we first started lessons with you, we were dubious. Could online really work? We had a few wobbles as you can remember. After all Shrivas was only 2 and a half when he started with you. There were times we wanted to stop and just not do the 4+ but you always assured us that things would improve. And they did. We are so grateful that we persevered and trusted your process. Your ability to introduce such tricky concepts to a two/three year old was something that really stood out. The way you engaged him. Shrivas would often ask when he would see you next. In fact, just the other day, he asked me if Maria was on holiday? And if he could see you again!

Clara

I can’t believe that we got into our top school of choice. I just can’t believe it. I am over the mood. Delighted! The fact that we have 5 schools to choose from is incredible! Of course Joan did so well but without you we wouldn’t be in this position. No way! Without a shadow of a doubt, you helped our little Joan to go into each and every Assessment with calm and confidence. With the desire to show them how much she knows! We are thrilled with the results.

You get so much value out of our Home Learning Support Packages. It is absolutely not just one lesson once a week. It is so much more than that. It is that ongoing communication between teacher and client that sets us apart from anything else available on the market. You can access your teacher at any time you need them. The home learning you get each week is bespoke to your child and to what they are working on that week. Our aftercare support after your lessons have completed is all included with each package.

Book your Sample Lesson today!

Your deepest desires

I’ve spoken to so many parents this week and the main theme in our conversations is this.

‘I want my child to go to x school’

There is a deep desire for their children to be successful in a particular school or schools that the parents have their hearts set upon them going to.

And this is exactly what we do.

We support our clients every step of the way to have tremendous success in supporting their children to be successful in their Assessments.

We know that your deepest desire is for your child to gain entry into your schools of choice.

Your deepest desire is to have options.

We also know how challenging it is for children to be successful in their Assessments.

However, with over 14 years of experience preparing children for all top inner and outer London schools, we are here to support you every step of the way.

All of our clients who had at least 9-12 months of Assessment preparation (4+ ) were successful at gaining entry to at least 3 schools of choice.

All of our clients who had at least 12 - 18 months of Assessment preparation (7+) were successful at gaining entry to at least 4 schools of choice.

All of our clients who had at least 2 years of Assessment preparation (11+) were successful at gaining entry to at least 3 schools of their choice.

We are deeply invested into all of our children. After all, we become more successful the more successful they are!

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The 7 plus Assessment Audit- mastering Maths, Comprehension, Composition and Reasoning.

In this blog, I would like you to audit what your child does and doesn’t know… yet! It is important to do this audit frequently throughout the year to ensure that your child stays on track.

Once you have established the schools that you will be applying to for the 7+ Assessments, you can then begin the audit. This is of course a generic audit. However, when I work with my clients, the audit will be specific to each school that they are applying to (remember that all assessments will be different!)

Ensure your child knows their number bonds to 10.

Seems simple. But this one is often overlooked. Your child needs to have a strong understanding and knowledge of the their number bonds to 10 in order to become masters of the maths curriculum. If your child doesn’t know (and understand!) that 2+7 = 9 how will they know what 20+ 70 is? or 200 + 700?

Spend quite a bit of time teaching your child their number bonds to 10. Complete different activities to embed this knowledge and understanding. Have fun with it! I love to play ping pong with my students. We both pretend to be holding a ping pong bat and we ping each other a number and then we pong each other the answer. This is a great game because we play together and my student can also ask me. In this way the pressure isn’t all on them and they can learn from me and my answers too. Sometimes, I will purposely get it wrong and they love correcting me!

Ensure that your child knows a variety of addition and subtractions strategies

When I first start working with children preparing them for their 7+ Assessments, they are usually 4 or 5 (In Reception or Year 1). Usually, they will know two strategies for addition and subtraction - the column method and using their fingers. Whilst these are great, they are so many other strategies that they can use. Here are just a few of them.

• Bonds to 10/20/30/50/100/1000

• Fact families

• Using bar models

• Related facts eg. 7+2=20 so 70+20 =

• Using part whole models

• Using the number line to add and subtract

• Add and subtract numbers crossing the tens barrier

• Calculating missing digits

  
  Let’s look at at one of these in detail:

• Using the number line to add and subtract

When I work with my students, early on I teach them the empty numberline strategy. They simply use their ruler to draw a line on their page. We then input the relevant numbers in order to work out the calculation. Eg. Let’s say we are working out 43 - 27 = ?

I ask them to write 27 on the left hand side of their numberline and I will teach them to count up. We count up to the nearest ten (30) and then count up to 43. I then teach them to add up the jumps and this will give them the answer.

What would most children do here?

Without knowing this strategy, most children would count back in ones from 43. Not effective or efficient.

Ensure your child is confident with the most challenging part of Comprehension in the 7 plus Assessments.

In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of comprehension in the 7+ Assessments is the vocabulary. After all if your child doesn’t understand at least 80% of the words in the text, how will they be able to answer the questions? Notice that I didn’t say that your child needs to know 80% of the words. Rather they need to understand them. They need to be able to infer their meaning given the context of the sentence. We work on this together in our lessons and in the Home Learning tasks that I set my students. The comprehension texts in the 7+ Assessments will be challenging. In order to score 80%-85% (which is what your child will need to score to be successful!) they must develop this skill.

Check out our FREE 7+ Comprehension papers to see the level of difficulty that I’m talking about.

Comprehension in the 7+ Assessments has evolved over the years.

First of all, it has become more challenging. The level of the texts provided is more and more challenging each year. Secondly, the types of genres used in unpredictable. We used to be able to guess that it would most likely be a fiction comprehension but this isn’t always the case. Classics have also been used previously. Newspaper reports have been used. Playscripts have been used.

Always ensure that you cover ALL genres of writing when preparing your child for the comprehension aspect of the 7+ Assessments.

3 types of questions that your child will be asked in the 7 plus assessments

What do you think questions

These are challenging because your child needs to show exceptional understanding of the text in order to be able to answer these types of questions. My students often find these questions challenging because the answers are not specifically in the text and they need to give their own opinions. This is a skill that needs to be worked on, practised and perfected.

Predict what will happen next questions

Prediction questions are often challenging because sometimes my students do not give me answers relevant to the text that they have read. So even though they are predicting, it must be specific and in the context of what they have just read.

Summarise the text/part of the text questions

Summarising is something we love to do! Initially it is very challenging especially if my student has never been exposed to summarising but once they get the hang of it, it’s great! Some of my students think that summarising mean extracting different bits of the text and just copying it. This is not what summarising is. What summarising is is showing that they have truly understood the text by being able to extract the most important points and putting them into their own words. Summarising is giving a brief explanation of the main points of the text.

Some schools in their 7+ Assessments will have two comprehensions. This is why it is so important to know your schools very well. Stamina will be very important.

In order to be effective and efficient at calculating their sums, your child will need to know a variety of strategies for addition and subtraction. They need to know and understand the different strategies that can be used to solve a variety of calculations.

If you would like a bespoke audit created specifically for your child and relevant to each Assessment that they will be sitting, book your Sample Lesson Today.

Being confident doesn't mean being loud.

As a child I used to think that being confident meant being loud. I was a very timid girl but I always felt a sense of confidence within myself. I just used to think that I was not confident and that I would never be confident because I wasn’t the ‘loud one’, the ‘centre of attention’, the one ‘leading the crowd’. Now I realise that it was all nonsense.

As an adult, I am still a quieter person but I am also a very confident person.

I see people around me now who are very loud but not confident people.

So when clients tell me the following:

‘I’ve heard that children need to show confidence in their 4+ Assessments and my child is shy’

or

‘My child is so quiet, they will not be noticed’

or

‘My child will not answer questions with confidence because they are too quiet’

I tell them this:

A child can be quiet and eve shy and still demonstrate confidence.

Here is the definition of the word ‘confident’ -

Feeling or showing confidence in oneself or one's abilities or qualities.

Confidence to me is showing your abilities in a way that feels good to you.

If it feels good to you to be loud - great.

If it feels good to you to be quieter - great.

No where in the definition of the word ‘confident’ does it mention the word loud.

So, if your child is quieter, perhaps more introverted, perhaps more cautious in new environments, perhaps takes a little longer to warm to new and unfamiliar people to them, you can still teach them how to be confident in their Assessments. How to show confidence in their Assessments.

We work on this together in our lessons.

And our students have demonstrated incredible confidence this year. It is evident in our results!

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Will a school know if my child has been tutored?

Schools will tell you this -

‘Don’t get your child tutored’

‘We do not want children that are tutored’

‘We will be able to tell if a child has been tutored’

‘There’s no need to have your child tutored’

Parents will often ask me this - ‘If I get my child tutored and the schools find out, will it go against them?’

This question fascinates me.

I’ve heard it thousands of time.

I just think of all the questions to ask me about 4+ Assessment preparation, why is this the most common?

As a parent, you will be embarking on a new journey (unless you’ve experienced it with an older child). As a parent, you will not know what to expect.

So let me tell you this. Your child WILL need to be prepared for their 4+ Assessment. Whether you receive formal tutoring or not. Whether you call it tutoring or not. If you are preparing your child yourself, you are, in essence, tutoring them!

Tutoring to me means preparing. Preparing a child to go in an be able to show their truest potential and show the schools exactly what they are looking for.

So let’s look again at what these schools will tell you.

‘Don’t get your child tutored’

Out of the hundreds of children applying to the same school that you will be applying to, how many of them will be tutored? Let me tell you - All of them!

‘We do not want children that are tutored’

Out of the hundred of children who apply for the same schools you will be applying to, who do you think the Assessors will choose? A child who can answer their question or a child who can’t. Let me tell you - A child who can!

‘We will be able to tell if a child has been tutored’

Ok, this is an interesting one. Having witnessed several 4+ Assessments, I can tell you that it can be obvious if a child has been tutored. If a child has been told what to say, it will be obvious. If a child has memorised more complex things and cannot answer the more simple questions, it will be obvious. This is not how we prepare our children for their 4+ Assessments.

‘There’s no need to have your child tutored’

So many parents fall for this one! And they don’t prepare their child for their Assessments. Let me tell you this - It just isn’t a good idea to do this!

If you are going to prepare your child, prepare them with the best teachers available. We will support you every step of the way.

Book your Sample Lesson today.