3 ways to mess up 4+ Assessment preparation

Preparing for the 4+ Assessment is a stressful process for parents.

Your child is the most important little human to you. You are emotionally involved. No parent ever wants to receive that letter or email saying that their child hasn’t been successful.

Every single parent wants to receive a letter or email saying that their child HAS passed their Assessment.

This is what we do.

We support children all across the country to receive as many yes’s as possible. We provide parents with options. They get to decide the school that is right for their child. This is a very privileged place to be in.

If you are currently preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments, avoid these three things and your child will have incredible success (as long as you prepare them correctly of course!)

1. Starting ‘late’

I say ‘late’ because every child is different. Starting 6 months before the Assessment may be ‘late’ for one child and perfect for another,

But to keep things simple, if you are getting started now (July 2024) for 2025 entry, you are 100% late. Let’s not sugarcoat this one. Unless you have been preparing your child yourself over these last 6-12 months, if you are just getting started now, it is far too late. However, it’s still better than starting in September, so just get started. Don’t overthink it, just go. You may need more intensive lessons than someone who started 6 months ago, it doesn’t matter, just please get started. Don’t do what some of my clients do - Get started in September (1-3 months before the 4+ Assessments at their target schools). You will not be as successful as you think you might be if you do this. I get it, we all want to ‘save money’ but believe me, in the long run you are not saving money!

2. Choosing the wrong teacher.

Many parents that I speak to want a teacher who will come physically into their home. This is of no importance whatsoever. You need a teacher who knows the schools and who knows them well. The teacher you work with has to know what these schools that you are sending your child to are looking for. Being an EYFS teacher is not enough. This is irrelevent in the grand scheme of things. I was an EYFS teacher for 3 years before I really specialised in 4+ Assessment preparation. Before I went to each of these schools myself, before I had my own data regarding how my own students did in their Assessments, before I truly knew what each of these schools were looking for. If the teacher you’re working with tells you that they just need to cover the EYFS curriculum - they are wrong!

3. Stopping when you don’t see ‘progress’ being made.

Some of my own clients stop tuition too soon. They give up too soon. They don’t see the progress that they expect their child should have made and they just stop. Progress is not linear. Progress is not comparable. Some children just take longer than others. Some children make leaps and bounds of progress in a short amount of time, others work at their own pace. I see this frequently too. Parents stopping tuition and then coming back three months later. Big mistake. Don’t do this.

Hope you found this helpful and I hope you have incredible success in your child’s 4+ Assessment.

One space only remaining to work with me. Once I’m full, my doors will close for 2025 entry.

Why Role plays will 10X your child's vocabulary.

I do a lot of role plays with my students who are preparing for their 4+ Assessments.

Why?

Because it boosts their vocabulary to a level that surprises even me!

When children are having fun, they will simply learn 10x more than if they are not having fun.

Learning, in my opinion must always be fun. Regardless of how old your child is.

When learning starts to become tedious, boring and mundane, your child will simply not absorb what they are being taught.

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will role play.

Whether it will be a dress up station, a train set, a tea party, a picnic or a dolls house, they will be asked to take part in a role play. It might be as a group or it might be 1:1 with the Assessor/s.

Let’s take a tea party as an example.

In my lessons, I ask my students to bring a tea party set (well I ask their parents to of course!) and they come to my lesson with their tea set, their tea cups, their cutlery and their tea party foods and tea bags. You can immediately see the excitement in their eyes. Their eyes darting around the table in front of them looking at what to pick up first!

I ask them to just have a play with the set and I observe them. Their parents interact with them and it is always a delight. Then comes the questioning.

This is where the magic happens.

So much language is developed in these 10 minutes of role playing. So much vocabulary is boosted.

I will hear language and vocabulary like…

‘I am pouring the tea.’

‘The tea pot is boiling hot.’

‘I need to be careful not to burn my fingers.’

‘The tea is delicious.’

‘I am stirring the tea with my spoon.’

‘I have a spoon and a knife as my cutlery.’

So much vocabulary!

And my students don’t even realise that we are boosting vocabulary, they are just having lots and lots of fun!

Answering the types of questions that I ask however, if vital to 4+ Assessment success. Because if your child if not able to answer questions well, they will not pass their 4+ Assessments. If they are not able to use verbs and adjectives within their answers, they will not pass their 4+ Assessments. If they are not able to extend their answers, they will not pass their 4+ Assessments.

So prepare them for this aspect of the 4+ Assessment and prepare them well.

I will provide a BONUS resource to the first 5 people who reply ‘Questioning’ to this blog by emailing office@creativemindstutors.com.

You will receive this BONUS within 24 hours’ of replying.

Final place to work with me for 4+ Assessment preparation for 2025 Entry. Once this space is filled, my doors will close to work with me personally. Book today!

The ONLY thing that you have to do to be successful in the 4+ Assessments.

The ONLY thing you have to do in order to be successful in the 4+ Assessments. 

Work with a teacher who KNOWS the schools. As in has had REAL success with these schools. It's so easy to make up data. By asking two simple questions, I quickly know if data has been made up or not. 

I'll share these two questions with you at the end of this blog.

10 parents who said that they didn't want to work with me three months ago because I am online have now come back to me asking for online tuition. Why? 

Because their children are not making the progress they should have made in the last three months. 

I always say this and I will continue to say this. It really doesn't matter if someone can come physically into your home. What matters is how qualified they are to actually provide you with REAL success in the 4+ Assessments. 

Trust me, this is hard to find. 

So when you find it, hold on tight and get going! 

3-6 months until the 4+ Assessments. You still have time to get started. 

One final place remaining to work with me for 4+ Assessment preparation. By next week, my doors will be closing as I will be at capacity. I work with a small number of students which is why I have the success that I have. 

Here are the two questions you MUST ask before choosing the teacher to work with your child to prepare them for their 4+ Assessments.

1. What is your success rate at x school?

   This is very easily made up so please make sure that this is legitimate and honest.

2. Can you show me testimonials?

   As above.

An in depth look at the Haberdashers' Boys' School 4+ Assessment

There have always been mixed opinions about the 4+ Assessments at this very popular boys’ school in Borehamwood. I have personally prepared hundreds of boys to sit Assessment at this school at 4+, 7+, 11+ and occasional places. I have had incredible success. As in many of my students have been offered a place at this school.

In this blog, I am going to focus on the 4+.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to sitting Assessment at this school.

1. There is no need for much preparation as it is only a ‘play based Assessment’ and

2. Rigorous preparation is needed because of the over subscription to this school at 4+.

I agree with opinion 2.

Please don’t be naive and believe that you can send your son to sit his 4+ Assessment here with little or no preparation and expect him to be successful. Sorry it that’s harsh, but that’s what I firmly believe.

I have a two year old son and never in my wildest dreams would I sit him to be assessed at Habs’ Boys’ School without at least 9 months of formal preparation.

Having sent hundreds of boys to this school over the last nearly 15 years, I know exactly what this school is looking for. Therefore, I know exactly how to prepare my boys to go in and thrive in their 4+ Assessment at this school.

Round 1 at Habs’ Boys’ School is a ‘Play based Assessment’. When some parents read this, they immediately think that their son will go in and ‘play’.

Absolutely not.

And if you think that, you are wrong.

Why do do the Habs’ Boys’ School teachers want to see your child ‘playing’?

So many parents over the years have said to me, ‘Why prepare him? He is just going to go in and play?’ Do you think these parents were successful in getting their son in at 4+? I’ll let you answer that one!

There is a lot of information about the first round on the schools’ website but the most important sentence to look at is this one - They will take part in a range of individual and small group activities.

So even in the first round, your child will be assessed individually for some of the Assessment.

Round 1 at this school is far from easy. Yes, your child will be ‘playing’ but so much will be being observed whilst they are ‘playing’. To give you a few example of things that are observed, here you go!

How they listen to other children

How they listen to adults

How they respond

How they answer questions

How they follow instructions

How they solve problems

There are hundreds of other early years components being observed.

Your son will be grouped with peers of similar age group but this 100% doesn’t mean that if your child is summer born, that he will be assessed differently to someone who is Autumn/Winter born.

Round 2 is a 1:1 Assessment. This round is far more formal. My students last year went in and were observed by 2-3 members of staff. Very overwhelming, I think you would agree!

My students were thoroughly prepared to be able to handle this and to be able to go in and show them exactly what they were looking for. Round two is a 60 minute 1:1 Assessment.

Prepare your son for it. Prepare him well and if you need help doing it, get in touch.

One place remaining to work with me personally for 2025 entry. Book your Sample Lesson today.

The number one way to support your child to talk to new and unfamiliar people.

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will have to talk to people that they have never met before in their lives. At the ages of 3 and 4, this can definitely be scary. If your child is not prepared appropriately for this, they will 100% not be successful. If your child is not able to communicate with the Assessors they will not be successful. If your child is not able to answer their questions, they will not be successful.

So you can see why being able to talk to new and unfamiliar people is so important when preparing for the 4+ Assessments.

Here is the number one way to support your child with this.

It’s probably something that you are not expecting.

Here it is.

TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT IT.

Set a time in your calendar every single day to sit with your child and talk to them about this.

Even if it’s just for 2 minutes every day.

Let me give you an example. Names have been changed.

Joanna was mummy to 3 year old Iris. Iris was preparing for her 4+ Assessments at NLCS and Habs girls and 4 other schools. Iris is a bright girl but she refused to talk to me for the first 2 months of tuition. Her parents were determined to continue with me and we did. I taught her every week for 2 months and she would show up to the lesson and listen to my every word. When I asked her questions, she refused to answer me. Iris would just look at me with her bright brown eyes! I told her to whisper the answer to her mummy and so she would. Joanna would then tell me her answers. And we continued like this for the full two months. Luckily Joanna had started early with me (9 months before Iris’s 4+ Assessments) and we had plenty of time to work on this together. After those two months, Iris finally opened up to me and I started to hear her beautiful voice. It was like a dream come true to both me and her mother!

However, in her 4+ Assessments, Iris would not have 2 months to open up to the Assessors! She would need to speak to them and answer their questions.

Joanna was so upset. Iris refused to talk to strangers.

So I encouraged her to do this one thing.

TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT IT.

Every day, she sat with Iris and asked her ‘Why?’

‘Why do you not want to talk to these people?’

It took about 2 weeks before Iris started opening up about it with her mother.

Eventually she did.

She told her mummy, ‘I just don’t like it mama. I don’t know them. Why should I talk to them?’

When her mummy explained to her that she should try to answer them and that it wouldn’t be so scary, we started to see a shift.

It took 3 months before Iris started talking to new and unfamiliar people. Of course, she was still on the more reserved side but she did start speaking to them.

I encouraged Iris to try many things to help her with this and they worked. It took time but they worked.

She passed Habs Girls 4+ and will be going there this Year (September 2024!)

So just ask your child. Every day. Talk to them. Explain to them WHY they should try to talk to new and unfamiliar people. Be patient with it and trust in the process.

There is nothing wrong with your child.

One final place remaining to work with me for 2025 entry. Book your Sample Lesson today!

Should I tell my child that they are going on a 'playdate'?

Please don’t!

I mean it’s your child and you can do what you like!

But what message are you sending if you tell your child that they are going on a ‘playdate’?

What does ‘playdate’ mean to your child?

Perhaps it means, ‘go and have fun!’

Perhaps it means, ‘go and play with your friends!’

Perhaps it means whatever it means to your child.

Does it mean, ‘You are going into a room with adults watching your every move and observing how you behave, interact with others, listen and perform?’

I highly doubt it.

So why would you tell them this?

‘But the school wrote in their invite that it will be a playdate!’

So what?

Do you listen to every single thing that you are told?

Please don’t.

It is not a playdate.

I’ve just received an invite for my child to attend an ‘informal’ assessment and that he will just ‘be observed playing and interacting with other children’.

Nonsense.

It will not be ‘informal’.

He will be watched by three members of staff!

He will be ‘observed’ and he will be asked questions. I will be preparing him for this 3+ Assessment. I highly recommend that you do the same.

Is 'value for money' always best when preparing your child for their Assessments?

I like to see this as a long road.

You have a long road in front of you.

If you are planning on going down the independent schools route, you have several toll booths on this road.

You have the 3+, then the 4+, the 7+, the 8+ and then the 11+ or 13+.

You may have some additional tolls should you apply for occasional places.

Working with the right person means stopping at fewer toll booths.

Let’s use Habs Girls as an example.

I teach a lot of girls who want to go to this school.

If she is successful at her 4+ Assessments, the road will get much shorter for her. That’s it she is in!

If she isn’t successful, her journey along the road continues. She has to do the 7+ which she will need to start preparing for from the time she is in Reception. If she is successful, she has journeyed along the road for a bit longer.

If she isn’t successful, she has to prepare for the 11+. Now the road becomes A LOT longer and we are on this road together from Year 3 all the way to Year 6.

Choosing a tutor who provides you with ‘value for money’ therefore is always best.

I’m not talking about the cheapest.

I’m talking about the tutor who can actually support your daughter to get in at 4+.

To shorten the road for you. I’ve seen this so many times.

Parents say to me that my lessons are ‘too expensive’. Believe me, it is far more expensive to ‘save money’, not be successful and then have to prepare for another 2-4 years!

‘Value for money’ to me means that you find a teacher than can actually help you to be successful to the school that you want your child to go to. That is true ‘value for money’.

How I read an Assessment invite Versus how you might read it

Yesterday one of my clients sent me the Assessment invite to one of the schools that her son will be sitting Assessment at.

I’m going to go through it sentence by sentence with the hope of being able to help you to understand how I would read it compared to how you might read it.

The assessment procedure will take about 1 hour. Children of a similar age are invited to attend in small groups and will be encouraged to participate in some simple play-based activities

How you might read this- My child will go in and play.

How I read this - Your child will NOT go in and play.

(Your child will) undertake some basic maths and letter work and listen to a story about which they will be asked some questions. They will be seen by the Head of Pre-Prep and three other experienced Pre-Prep teachers.

How you might read this - It will be simple maths and my child might need to know some of their letters. My child will just listen to a story and answer questions.

How I read this - Your child needs to be able to count to 20, recognise numbers to 10, write numbers to 10, know their shapes, be able to use mathematical terminology with confidence, be able to focus for longer periods of time in order to complete a maths task. In the reading task, your child will need to be able to show skills of focus and concentration, be able to listen attentively to the teacher in order to be able to correctly answer their questions and be able to listen to the answers of others just in case they are asked to follow on from what they have said. Your child will need to know their phase 2 and phase 3 phonics to a very high standard.

Be very careful how you read the invites to the Assessments. This particular school has a rigorous 4+ Assessment. That is not how it sounds in the invite. Please don’t ask me why the schools downplay the Assessments, I cannot answer that for you. But what I would be asking instead is this…

How can I ensure that my child is prepared to the highest possible standard to be able to go in a thrive?

That is a question I can answer for you!

Last remaining place to work with me for 4+ Assessment preparation (2025 entry), after this I will only be accepting Curriculum Coaching for my 4+ students. I also have three exceptional 4+ teachers available for new students. Book your Sample Lesson today!

It breaks my heart when parents ask me this question.

Where is my child compared to x?

As an educator, I have heard this question thousands of times, maybe tens of thousands of times!

My answer is always the same.

I do not compare children.

When I worked full time as a primary school teacher, the worst time of year for me was Assessment Week. This was always towards the end of the school year and we would all sit down in a room surrounded by our students’ books and post it notes. We would then have to group the children into abilities. We would look at how they scored in their End of year Assessments and their Assessments throughout the year and we would place them into their groups.

I remember this well as a child. Being placed in the ‘middle’ group table. It was so obvious to me. The more ‘intelligent children’ had bigger books and wrote more than me. And the ‘lower group’ had different books and they had more adults sitting with them at the table. I remember thinking, ‘I’m not smart enough’ and ‘Why is she smarter than me?’

Schools will continue to do this and I understand why they do it. I don’t like it but I understand it.

My thoughts about comparing your child to others however is this.

If you want to compare them, do it with numbers, facts and figures. Book yourself a private Assessment with a company that will give you a spreadsheet with figures. That way you can actually see how your child did and you have data to help you to support them. This is a productive way to compare your child to children in their same cohort. You don’t need to show your child, this information is for you.

What I don’t think is helpful is comparing them to other children without having any facts. Saying things like - ‘She can already blend and my child can’t’, ‘He knows his numbers to 10 and my child doesn’t’, ‘She can write her name and my child can’t even write one letter.’

It’s not helpful.

It’s detrimental to your child if they hear you say these things.

It just doesn’t lead to anything positive.

Your child is where they are. They will develop at their own rate. They are running their own race.

Set them targets and help them to set their own goals for THEMSELVES.

Why reading 5 books a a day will help your child to stand out in their 4+ Assessments

Believe me, you can clearly see the difference in terms of vocabulary when speaking to a child who reads avidly compared to one who doesn’t - At any age. This blog will be focusing on children who are currently preparing for their 4+ Assessments.

Obviously at the age of 2 and 3, you will be reading to your child but your child is still ‘reading’!

When I read with my 2 year old son, there is so much vocabulary being developed each and every time. By reading a variety of books each day, he is exposed to hundreds of new words. I have been reading to him since birth. However, only recently have I started reading him 5 books a day at the very minimum. Sometimes, we read even more than this!

Your child will stand out in their 4+ Assessments for two reasons:

1. Their vocabulary will be far more developed than a child who hasn’t been read to much or at all.

2. They will be a lot more used to having a story read to them compared to a child who is not used to sitting down and listening to a full story.

It took a long time but my child can now sit and listen to a full story. Some stories are longer than others of course and some stories we will read in two or even three sittings. But for the most part, he listens to a full story all the way to the end.

He has developed the skill of being able to sit still, keep focused, listen attentively, answer my questions and ask his own questions.

Your child will definitely stand out in their 4+ Assessments if they read five books a day.

So let’s get reading!

Teach your child phonics like an expert with these 3 easy steps.

Are you struggling to teach your child phonics?

You are not alone.

Teaching phonics is a skill.

Teaching phonics takes patience.

Teaching phonics needs trust in the process.

Teaching phonics happens at very different timescales for individual children.

Here are 3 easy steps to teach phonics like an expert!

1. Choose a phonics scheme

Don’t overthink this.

Just choose one. It really does not matter which one you choose. One isn’t better than the other.

As a company we use Anima Phonics. But there are other great phonics schemes such as RWI, Jolly Phonics and Little Wandle which are also great choices.

2. Make a plan

Get a notebook dedicated to your teaching of phonics and make a plan.

Have a clear timeframe.

Let me give you a simple example.

Give yourself 6 months.

In those 6 months, you want your child to know their phase 2 and phase 3 phonics (single sounds). So create a timetable and write down the sounds that you will teach each week. Remember that you should not move on until your child knows the sound that you are teaching. As in they can tell you with confidence and independently the sound.

3. Assess and evaluate

At the end of each week, I would like you to assess and evaluate how each week went for your child. Ask yourself these 4 questions:

What did my child do well?

What didn’t go well?

What will I do differently tomorrow?

How is my child showing progress?

If you need further support with teaching phonics, Curriculum Coaching will be perfect for you. Join my incredible programme today to receive expert guidance and focused learning tailored specifically for your child and the phonics that they are learning.

Why starting 4+ Assessment preparation early matters (Hint: 3 months is not early!)

I spoke to a parent today who wants her daughter to sit Assessment at NLCS and HABS. She told me, ‘Don’t worry, I have plenty of time as I’m starting from tomorrow to prepare her.’ She is very, very wrong!

This is NOT enough time.

First round @ NLCS is in the beginning on January so that means 6 months from today.

First round @ HABS girls is mid December so about 5 months from today.

6 months of preparation is okay, I guess. But it will be rushed and it will also depend at what stage of learning your daughter is currently at.

You need to consider that your daughter will need to know her phonics, be able to count to 20, be able to write numbers to 10, write her name, write letters of the alphabet and be able to answer questions to a very high standard. These are just a few things that she needs to be able to do.

Starting early matters. By starting early you are giving yourself and your child the opportunity to really prepare properly and well for the 4+ Assessments. Especially if you are considering top schools like Habs and NLCS.

Having prepared hundreds of girls for these schools, I can tell you that the Assessments are not easy. Some parents I speak to tell me ‘I’m not worried, she’s only 3’, ‘I know my daughter is bright already’ and ‘How hard can it be?’

I’m not here to contradict anyone’s belief system. By all means believe what you want. What I am here to do is share my own experience and help to support as many parents as possible to have the success that they desire to have at all of their target schools.

9 months - 12 months is optimum. I have some clients who do 18 months of preparation with me. This is even better. I can say with confidence that all of my clients with 9 months - 18 months of preparation time will be successful to most of their schools of choices, if not all of their schools of choices.

I have one final place for 4+ Assessment preparation with me (for 2025 entry).

If you want your child to have the highest chances for success in all of their 4+ Assessments, book your Sample Lesson Today!

Two things you must never do when teaching phonics to your child.

I hope that you are really enjoying the process of teaching phonics to your child. I personally think that an excellent understanding of phonics is very important when it comes to your child learning how to read. I see it with my older students who do not have a solid foundation when it comes to their phonics knowledge. We have to spend so much time going back and learning phonics and if they knew them already we would be able to simply move on to other things. Not knowing their phonics definitely holds children back in terms of their ability to read.

Here are the two things that you must never do when teaching phonics to your child.

1. Not teaching them the pure sound.

And please don’t be surprised if this is taught incorrectly at your child’s nursery, pre - school or school. Always check. Please do not just assume that it is being taught correctly.

Your child must say the pure sound. They must not be adding the ‘e’ or ‘u’ sound at the end of it. Eg. When learning phonics ‘p’ your child must say the pure sound and not ‘p u’

Think about it. When they come to blend, it will be virtually impossible for them to do it. Eg. When reading pig. If they are not saying the pure sound, how will they ever be able to sound out this word.

2. Not teaching the sounds consistently.

Learning phonics once a week is not going to cut it. If you want to be successful in teaching your child their phonics, you must do it daily and consistently. Even if just for a few seconds everyday. I do understand that this is challenging. We all live busy lives but we can all find a few seconds in our calendar to pull out a sound and ask our child if they remember what it is.

Teaching phonics once a week will not lead to the results that you are looking for.

That’s why my programme is so successful, My clients receive learning to do with their children each and every day in between my lessons. They don’t just see me once a week and then forget about me. Actually, they have access to me 24/7. No other tuition programme provides this!

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

The one thing you must stop doing to be successful with teaching phonics.

The one thing you must stop doing to be successful with teaching phonics. 

Many of my clients are currently teaching phonics to their children. 

It is a very important part of 4+ Assessment preparation for most schools. 

I love teaching phonics. Some of my clients don't love it as much as me! 

Here is what you must stop doing if you want to be successful with teaching phonics. 

I sometimes catch myself doing this with my own son! 

What you must stop doing is thinking that your child is just 'not getting it'. 

Here is what I mean. 

You teach your child a new sound and they refuse to say it. They look at it and then they look at you. They shrug and tell you that they don't know it. 

Here is what most parents do. They believe that they don't know it and they just move on to something else. 

Don't do this. 

Show them the sound you are working on. Ask them if they know the sound? If they do - great! If they don't, you tell them the sound and ask them to repeat it. Keep repeating it over and over. Focus on that one sound for the day. Even just for a minute here and there. While you have lunch, while your child has their bath etc. Show them pictures beginning with that sound. 

Don't move on to a new sound until they know the sound that you are working on. 

It may take a few days, it may take a few weeks, it may take longer. This is why it is vital to start early. If you know your child's Assessment is a year away, give yourself that full year to prepare them and prepare them well! 

I have only one more space available for 4+ Assessment preparation. After this has been filled, my doors will close (for 2025 entry) and I will only be offering Curriculum Coaching with myself. Book your Sample Lesson Today!

'We do NOT want children to be prepared BUT we expect them to do everything that we ask them to do...'

We all think that our children are the brightest, most charismatic and most amazing things in this World.

Why would a school not want out children at their schools?

We don’t question when these top schools tell us that we must not prepare our children for their Assessments.

And I strongly believe that this is wrong.

In the last 15 years preparing children for their 4+ Assessments at all top inner and outer London schools, I’ve had hundreds of parents stopping their tuition with either myself or one of my teachers because they went to an Open Day and were told to absolutely not prepare their child for their 4+ Assessment. Of course, that is up to them and I always respect their choices. Who am I to tell them that they should continue?

The saddest thing though, is that NONE of the parents who have stopped tuition with me have then gone onto be successful.

What does this tell you?

To me, it tells me that children 100% need to be prepared.

They must be prepared.

So regardless of what you are told, prepare your child.

However you choose to do it, prepare your child.

Do it yourself.

Hire a teacher.

But prepare them. And prepare them well.

Tell me this.

How else will your child be able to…

Say all of the phonics sounds they are asked to say?

Answer questions in detail?

Count to 20?

Write numbers to 10?

Blend words?

These are just a few. I could go on and on and on.

My child is now 2. He is amazing. I know any school would be LUCKY to have him.

But I will still prepare him thoroughly for any Assessment that I send him to. And you absolutely must too.

Don’t be one of the hundreds of parents who will call me after the fact and tell me how much they regret not having started. And having to face the ordeal of the 7+. 7+ is far harder than 4+ let me tell you. Then you have to wait until 11+ and that is pretty much your last chance unless the school does 13+ or you are successful at gaining an occasional place (even harder at these top schools!)

I know it’s a big investment. But it’s 100% worth it.

95% of my clients continue working with me even after the Assessments are over. What does this tell you?

They see the value in what I offer.

They see the progress their children make.

They know that I am making a different in their lives and the lives of their children.

This is why I do what I do.

One space remaining to work with me for 4+ Assessment preparation (2025 Entry). After this, my doors will close for 1:1 tuition and I will only be offering Curriculum Coaching.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Be very sceptical if a Top London School tells you that they will not test reading and writing.

I have been attending Open days myself these last few weeks!

My son will be going into Reception very soon (2026 entry!)

Let’s just say that I have seen a lot of eye rolling and tutting due to some of my questions!

It doesn’t bother me. I’m not there to please anyone. I’m there to get the information I need to make sure that my child has the best chances for success at all the schools that I decide he will be sitting Assessment at.

I have prepared children for their 4+ Assessments for over 14 years but this is MY first time going through the process of actually looking for the best school for my precious boy.

Do you know what fascinates me the most?

How most parents just nod along and accept everything that they hear as factual.

I am the complete opposite. I question everything. And so should you!

I’m not saying that your shouldn’t believe anything that you are told. That’s a bit extreme. But I would caution you to not believe every single thing that you are told.

I spoke to 3 of my clients today who told me that they were told this.

‘Do not prepare your child for reading and writing because we will not be assessing this.’

As reading and writing are two very important parts of the EYFS, my question would have immediately have been why?

Why would they not assess reading and writing?

I would have LOVED to have heard their answer.

A top academic school not assessing reading and writing?

Does that make sense?

So what will most parents do who are sending their children to Assessment at this school?

They will neglect these two fundamental aspects of learning.

My clients and I will not.

You do what you think is best for you and your child.

I have only one space remaining for 4+ tuition (2025 entry) After that my doors will close and you will only have the option of Curriculum Coaching with me.

Book your School Choices Free Consultation Today.

How my FREE School Choices Consultation can help you to have the highest chances for success.

Here is what some of my clients have told me about the School Choices Consultation.

‘It is so valuable because I learnt so many things that I did not know before.’

‘I was so naive about the whole process and I am so grateful to you and your honesty’

‘I can’t believe the expectations that these schools have and now I know exactly what I need to do in order to prepare my child.’

Knowing exactly how to prepare your child for their Assessments is fundamental.

You could be spending hours and hours each week simply preparing incorrectly.

I cannot tell you how many parents I have spoken to who have told me how much money, time and effort they have wasted doing the wrong things. One of my clients was telling me just yesterday how she prepared so incorrectly for her older child’s 4+ Assessment. She is now preparing her youngest child with me. We are preparing him to go to Habs Boys. I have a wealth of experience with this school. Read my reviews here.

In the School Choices Consultation we will discuss:

• Your choice of schools.

• Expectations at each school and how to start preparing your child.

• How we can work together to achieve the best results for your child.

If you see the incredible value in what I offer to all of my clients, you will be invited to work with me. If you just want to have a chat and make sure you are on the right track, that’s of course fine too.

My mission is to support all children to have the highest chances for success in any Assessment.

After all, the highest quality education is so important. And our children deserve the best.

Book your FREE School Choices Consultation today!

I look forward to talking with you.

'Your child will be grouped with peers of a similar age'. What most parents take this to mean...

And why you should not make it mean this!

Most parents believe that because their child will be grouped according to their age group that their Assessments will be different.

This is rarely the case.

I do not prepare my younger students any differently to how I prepare my older students.

That should tell you all that you need to know.

I have never in my 14 years doing this, heard a single parent tell me that their child’s Assessment was different to another child’s Assessment.

So regardless of your child’s age, prepare them to the highest of standards so that they can go in and have the highest possible chances for success in all of their 4+ Assessments.

Unsure you are on the right track?

Book your Free School Choices Consultation with me.

The only way to know if your child is ready to be left alone at their 4+ Assessments.

There is only one way to know.

To know for sure.

And the only way is this.

The way you know if your child is ready to be left alone at their 4+ Assessments is if your child consistently goes somewhere new and unfamiliar happily and calmly.

Not just every now and then. Once in a blue moon.

It must be consistent.

It must be frequent.

Going to nursery doesn’t count. Nursery is familiar to them.

Here is what counts:

Going to a new club.

Going to a new day care (eg. creche)

Taking your child to a variety of new clubs in the next few months is going to help them to get used to being left alone in new and unfamiliar environments to them.

Once they are comfortable in the clubs, choose a new one.

Do this consistently for the next 3-6 months and if your child can go in calmly, happily, look you in the eye and say goodbye without shedding a tear, I can pretty much guarantee you that they will go into their 4+ Assessments very happily.

If your child goes into their 4+ Assessments crying and upset, they will not pass.

Therefore this is the most important aspect of 4+ Assessment preparation.

I support all of my clients with this.

And I would love to support you too.

1 space only remaining to work with me for 4+ Assessment preparation.

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

Is your child really assessed differently because they are younger?

No!

Many of you won’t like what I have to say.

And that’s ok.

I’d rather be honest with you than tell you something that simply is not true.

Many parents I speak to believe that because their child is summer born that they will be assessed differently to their Autumn born peers.

Let’s not get this confused.

Children are grouped into age groups (at most 4+ Assessments) but please don’t take this to mean that they will be assessed differently to their peers who are older than them.

I’ve never spoken to one single parent who has ever told me that their child was assessed differently compared to another child.

The Assessments will not be different for your child just because they are summer born.

Why would they be?

Prepare your child in the exact same way as a child who is nearly a year older than them will be prepared.

If you don’t, it is highly likely that they will not be ready for their 4+ Assessments and it is very likely that they will not pass.

Last few places remaining to work with me.

Book your Sample Lesson today.