Having an in person teacher who doesn't have experience with the schools you are applying to will not lead to success.

Having an in person teacher who doesn't have experience with the schools you are applying to will not lead to success.

There I’ve said it.

I was an in person tutor with no experience with these top schools when I first starting tutoring. We all have to start somewhere of course.

But ultimately if you want to be successful in your child’s 4+ Assessments, you must work with a teacher who is very experienced with the schools that you are applying to.

A lot of parents don’t fully understand the value of everything that we offer here at Creative Minds Tutors. They don’t understand the value of our online lessons, until they see it in action that is.

Parents always comment on how amazing we are with their children. How engaged their children are in the lessons. How much progress their children make in the lessons.

I now speak to hundreds of parents each month and some parents tell me that they would prefer in person tuition because their child is so young. I don’t understand this but I respect their wishes of course. We are all free to do what we want to do.

However, what I have found is that the majority of these parents are then not successful at getting their children into their schools of choice. And most of them come back to me for 7+ and even 11+ Assessment preparation.

An in person tutor with real and actual experience with the 4+ Assessments at the schools that you are applying to and that can be found within your local area is going to be very hard to find. So what tends to happen?

Parents reach out to their local tutoring agency (if there is one!) and that agency sends over a teacher who is EYFS qualified but more often than not has no experience with the schools that they are applying to.

How is this better than working with a teacher who fully understands the schools that you are applying to? Who fully understands exactly what the schools that you are applying to are actually looking for? How is this better than working with a teacher who knows historically what has come up in the Assessments at the schools that you would like to send your child to?

Parents cannot answer these questions when I ask them. They just tell me that ‘in person is best’

If it is, great! But this is not what I have found personally!

You want to work with a teacher who knows the schools that you are applying to exceptionally well. That should be your number one priority when choosing who to work with in preparation for your child’s 4+ Assessments.

2 reasons it's better to get your child in at 4+ than 7+

If you plan to send your child to a certain school then it’s always best to try to prepare them to be successful in their 4+ Assessments.

I speak to many parents who tell me this:

‘They are not ready at the age of 2/3/4 so it’s better for us to wait for the 7+.’

I completely disagree.

Here are the 2 MAIN reasons it’s better at 4+ than 7+

1. With just one year of Assessment preparation your child can be very successful in their 4+ Assessment (of course this is dependant on what they’ve done with you up until this point). With the 7+ Assessments, they will usually need 2 and a half years.

My most successful students who I prepare for the 4+ Assessments at all top inner and outer London schools are those who have at least 1 year of consistent 4+ Assessment preparation (as in they meet me weekly and they complete all of their home learning tasks and maintain regular communication with me throughout the weeks)

With the 7+ Assessments, my most successful students are those who start with me in the Autumn term of their Reception year. There is a lot to cover.

One year of Assessment preparation typically costs £3000. Two and a half years of Assessment preparation typically costs £7500.

Much better to go all in and get your child in at 4+ !

2. There are a lot more places available at 4+ compared to 7+.

Let’s take one top school as an example.

NLCS has 40 places available at 4+ compared to 8-10 places available at 7+!

I have tremendous success with NLCS at both 4+ and 7+ but just to illustrate how much more competitive it is at 7+.

Who will NOT be successful in the 4+ Assessments in 2024/2025?

I’ve been doing this for over 15 years now.

I know exactly who will be very successful and who will not.

You will be very successful if you have taken the process seriously.

You will be very successful if you understand how difficult the process is,

You will be very successful if you prepare your child each and every day in the lead up to their 4+ Assessments.

You will not be very successful if you have not taken the process seriously - if you say things like…

‘They’re just 2/3/4!’

‘My child is amazing!’

‘They will just go in and play!’

You will not be very successful if you don’t understand how difficult the process is. If you don’t realise that for every one place, there might be 10-20 applicants depending on the school you are applying to!

You will not be very successful if you’ve not spent some time each and every day preparing your child - leaving it to the last minute or doing a few things here and there will not cut it.

So don’t expect miracles if you haven’t taken the process seriously and your child is sitting their Assessment in the next few months.

If you are ready to take their learning to the next level and ensure that they will go into any 4+ Assessment and show their truest potentials to the schools that you desire to send them to then book your Sample lesson today!

I can still help you if you are ready to take Massive Action in the next 1-3 months. We don’t have long left but I promise you that your child will be in a different place if you commit to the process and go all in with their Assessment preparations.

Knowing the 4+ Assessment Curriculum at the schools you are applying to...

Knowing the 4+ Assessment Curriculum at the schools you are applying to will empower you to actually know HOW to prepare your child to go in and thrive.

There is so much confusion around 4+ Assessment preparation.

When I first speak to parents who contact me regarding the 4+ Assessment preparations they usually fall into two categories.

1. They are fully aware of how challenging the 4+ Assessments will be and are willing to go all in to support their children to be very, very successful not only in their Assessments but well into their futures.

2. They are not fully aware of how challenging the 4+ Assessments will be and underestimate what is actually involved. They might doubt my work and not fully understand the importance of covering everything that I ask them to cover with their child.

The 4+ Assessments will be challenging.

The 4+ Assessments will involve at least one full year of Assessment preparation (2 is better!)

The 4+ Assessments will challenge your child.

The 4+ Assessments will not be easy to pass.

The 4+ Assessments are highly competitive with as many as 500 children applying for very few places.

You have to know the curriculum being assessed. Otherwise how else will you prepare your child to be able to go in and pass?

For the rest of this month I am offering my exceptional Curriculum Coaching Sample Week for only £30 (half price!)

If you are ready to go all in and ensure that your child has the capacity to go into any Assessment and actually pass, book your Sample Week today! Your Curriculum Coaching Sample Week will then start immediately after I receive a few bit of information from you about your child and the schools that they are sitting Assessments at.

Let’s go! Let’s take Massive Action and achieve incredible results in the 4+ Assessments in 2024/2025!

3 ways online tuition can be superior to in person tuition.

3 reasons why online lessons can be superior to in person lessons for the 4+ Assessments.

 A few parents who contact me are fixated with this idea that in person tuition is better than online tuition. I disagree. Not just because it is what I do but because I know with certainty that it is not superior to what I offer to my clients.

Here are 3 reasons why online lessons can be superior to in person lessons.

1.     You may be very limited to the area that you currently live in.

 There will be a limited number of teachers who prepare for the 4+ Assessments in your area. This means that you will need to go with whoever you find that actually offers 4+ Assessment preparation. The teachers that you do find who offer 4+ Assessment preparation may not actually have any experience with the schools that you are applying to. So just because they can physically come into your home doesn’t mean that what they offer you will be any better than what you would receive online with teachers who have real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to.

Not taking anything away from these teachers do(I was one of them myself for years and years!) But at the end of the day if you are sitting your child for the 4+ Assessments then you will want the best of the best. And the best of the best is someone with real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to. Someone who can actually answer your questions when you ask them about what actually came up in the Assessment at that school previously.

2.     You don’t need to waste time travelling anywhere.

Rather than wasting 2 hours of travel time actually getting to the in person tuition, use all of that extra time to actually prepare your child using the resources that we provide for you.

3.     You will cover a far more robust curriculum with a teacher who has real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to compared to with someone who is just early years qualified. Again, taking nothing away from these teachers (I was one of them myself!) but if you want to make sure that you have covered absolutely everything that needs to be covered than you 100% need to be working with a teacher who actually knows the schools that you are sending your child into sit their Assessments at.

If you are going through the 4+ Assessment preparation process, make sure that you choose the best of the best.

Book your Sample lesson today.

What is P4C and how is it assessed in the 4+ Assessments?

P4C stands for Philosophy for Children and it is a big part of the 4+ Assessments at all schools.

P4C is enquiry based learning which simply means that children develop the ability to ask deeper questions based on the topic that they are exploring. It allows children the opportunity to explore their ideas and to not just accept an idea as a fact but rather develop the ability to question and offer their own opinions. P4C helps children to see that their ideas are valued and listened to and that what they say truly matters. It also helps them to see that the opinions of others are also valuable and helps them to develop the skills to be able to listen to the opinions of others too.

Through P4C children learn that they are not always right and that it’s ok not to be. It gives them the confidence to question what they are told and learn through having a deeper discussion about life and the world around them.

How will it be assessed in the 4+ Assessments?

It can be assessed in a variety of ways but here’s one to help you to understand better.

A stimulus will be chosen. For example let’s say a picture of a child crying. As a group or 1:1 (depending on the school) your child will be asked to ask a question about the stimulus.

Your child will need to come up with a question. Eg. Why is the child crying? How can someone help the child? I wonder why the child is so upset?

A discussion will then be held as a group or 1:1 to try to answer the question. Your child will give their own point of view but also listen to the points of views of others (if in a group) or the points of views of the assessor (if 1:1)

What is the point of P4C?

It supports students to think before they speak and to give a variety of reasons for what they have to say. It supports children to be respectful of others and their own personal points of views and to not always think that they are right. It also helps children to not be afraid to give their own points of views. It encourages children to generate lots of different ideas and supports children to become better listeners.

How can you support your child to be ready for this in their 4+ Assessments?

It’s really simple.

Pick a stimulus a day and have discussions about it!

Encourage your child to be inquisitive and make up their own questions. Keep a bank of all of the questions that they have come up with and over time you will have a whole page full of all of their questions that they have come up with.

Encourage your child to answer a variety of questions too. If your child is unsure, model to them how you would answer the same question.

We prepare all of our students to be ready for the P4C component of their 4+ Assessments. Need further support? Book your Sample Lesson today!

What you need is expert guidance from a teacher who knows each school that you are applying to.

I would say 50% of parents that I speak to fully understand what I offer. Fully understand the value in what I offer to all of my clients. Fully understand that for only £60 a week, they have 24/7 access to me for anything that they need in terms of their child’s education. Fully understand the amount of success that all of my students have had in these last 15 years!

The other 50% don’t fully understand what I offer. And it’s up to me to help them to fully understand. Otherwise I will continue to have parents call me each and every year after the 4+ Assessments and tell that their child was unsuccessful. Tell me about the horrible experience that they had. Tell me all the negative aspects of 4+ Assessment preparation.

My clients do not experience this. It has never happened to me. Not in 15 years.

I’m not a magician and not all children will get into all of the schools that they are applying to. No one can ever guarantee that your child will pass their 4+ Assessments. No one. That is ultimately up to your child.

But I do feel the need to shout from the rooftops how much success my clients have actually had over these last 15 years!

They have had tremendous success.

Their children have been successful at gaining entry to at least one school of choice. Most children are successful to way more than this! Most children are successful to their top school of choice!

Hear me when I say this.

You do not need a teacher to come physically into your home and have a cup of tea and a biscuit with you.

What you do need is this.

You need EXPERT guidance from a teacher who knows each and every school that you are applying to well. As in knows exactly what they will be expecting from your child. And then YOU need to take MASSIVE ACTION with your teacher and take your child’s learning to the next level. Watch with admiration as they learn to read, as they become masters in the maths curriculum, as they answer questions with ease, as they focus and concentrate in ways you’ve never seen before and as they start to write joyfully.

This is what we offer.

So when parents ask me ‘What is your hourly rate?’ that’s when I know I have work to do. I do not have an hourly rate. My clients have 24/7 access to me!

The value I offer to all of my clients is something that I am incredibly proud of.

I am at capacity for 2025 entry students but if you’d like help with supporting your child with their 4+ Assessments you have 2 options.

1. Book a lesson with a Senior Tutor.

2. Book your Curriculum Coaching Sample Week.

Get started today and take your child’s learning to the next level.

Know that you've done EVERYTHING in your power to prepare for the 4+ Assessments.

What we offer to our clients is far more than just one or two lessons per week.

Our clients can contact us at anytime and they will always receive an answer to their questions.

My personal clients contact me daily to ask me about things like:

Writing- How their child should be holding their pencil or tips for improving how they are writing their names.

Reading - They types of questions that they should be asking their children and tips about reading lists.

Maths - They type of maths their children will be asked to do in their 4+ Assessments.

The relationships I build with all of my clients is something that I am very proud of.

What sets my students apart from other students is that they know exactly what to expect from each Assessment that they will be attending.

They know exactly how to go in to each Assessment and be very successful.

It is very rare to be able to find a teacher who not only has over 15 years of experience teaching children for their 4+ Assessments but also knows what each and every single schools is looking for in their 4+ Assessments because she has prepared children for every single inner and outer London School over the last 15 years!

What I want my clients to know is that they have done EVERYTHING in their power to prepare their children to the highest of standards for their 4+ Assessments. To know that their children can go into any 4+ Assessment and complete everything incredibly well. To know exactly what the expectations are.

What I want my clients to know is that their children will actually go in and pass most of their 4+ Assessments because they have been prepared to the highest standard and because they have done everything in their power to prepare them to go in and be incredibly successful.

What does it mean to create your own 'Simple Summer Reset Plan' ?

Clarity

Lazer Focus

Awareness

Here’s what it has meant to my clients who have attended the Summer Reset Workshop.

‘It has allowed to to focus and be completely aware about what exactly needs to be covered in terms of curriculum.’

‘It is an extensive document which is very clear and simple to use.’

‘I now have the clarity and awareness that I was lacking before having it!’

If you attend my August Summer Reset Workshop, you will receive your very own tailor made 13 week Summer Reset Guide. I created this workshop initially for the month of June (hence the 13 weeks). However, it will still work perfectly well for August.

When you attend my Workshop, you will be allocated a 30 minute time slot. During that time, you will have plenty of time to ask me all of your questions about the schools that you are applying to and have all of your questions answered. Whilst you ask your questions, I will be busy creating your Summer Reset Guide which will be bespoke to the schools that your child will be applying to.

You also have 30 days of access to me in which you can contact me at any time to ask me anything you like! Incredible for only £59!

An very valuable resource I would say!

So don’t miss out and secure your place today. I have 6 places available and if you sign up before the 10th of August you will receive 3 incredible bonuses worth £300!

If you're preparing for the 4+ Assessments (2025 Entry) you will love my Summer Reset Workshop.

Here’s what some of my clients have told me about the Summer Assessment Reset Workshop.

‘So valuable!’

‘You have so much knowledge and it is clear to see that all you want is to help us parents to be successful!’

‘I was so confused before coming to the Reset Workshop, now I understand exactly what I need to do to help my child to actually go in and pass their 4+ Assessments!’

‘I love that you are just so honest.’

This August will be the FINAL 4+ Assessment Reset Workshop. September through December my one and only focus will be preparing my students for their Assessments!

It’s always my favourite time of year! My clients don’t feel the same and this is why they love working with me!

The Summer Reset Workshop will be the breath of fresh air that you need to help you to clearly understand everything that you need to understand about your child’s 4+ Assessments.

I make 4+ Assessment preparation fun, enjoyable and easy.

So if you are feeling lost, confused and anxious about your child’s 4+ Assessments, sign up today for only £59. You will leave the Reset feeling calm, supported and refreshed!

Book by the 10th of August to receive £300 worth of amazing FREE BONUSES!

3 ways to teach early writing that do not involve pencil and paper.

There are two types of students when it comes to early writing.

They either love it or they hate it.

My son is two years old and he is obsessed with writing. He calls pens ‘papers’ and is asking me throughout the day for ‘papers’. So I have no problem getting him to write. He tells me when he wants to write and we do it daily.

With my own 3+ and 4+ students it’s the same. Some love it and some don’t. Some will do it with enthusiasm and energy and others will not want to do it at all. Some get upset about it and walk away and some ask me to write numbers and letters.

Wherever your child is, there are ways to support them to build a love for writing that will help them to actually want to pick up the pen or pencil in their 4+ Assessments.

For most of the 4+ Assessments, your child will be observed writing so they must be able to go in and be able to write. And they must be able to write to a very high standard (correct letter formation and a decent size)

Here are 3 ways to teach early writing that do not involve pencil and paper.

1. Water tray writing

Fill a water tray with water and add lots and lots of bubbles. Add some lovely glitter to make it even more visually appealing! Ask your child to use their finger to form letters and numbers. Once they like this, ask them to pick up and pen and ‘write’ in the water.

2. Sand tray writing

As above but use sand.

3. Use a write board

You know how children love to write on walls? Well, now they can!

No more destroying your beautifully painted walls! When I used to do in person tuition, I used to always bring this with me and write on my client’s walls with their children!

Fun!

If after using these three methods, your child still doesn’t want to write, get in touch with me, I will be very surprised and happy to help you!

Do the opposite of what 70% of parents will do this summer!

If you are preparing for an Assessment for 2025 entry (any Assessment) let me tell you what 70% of parents will be doing this summer.

70% of parents will be taking a break.

I’m sure that you can guess what the remaining 30% will be doing

Now, hear me when I say that there is nothing wrong with taking a break. I am a firm believer in rest and relaxation. However, if your child is sitting an Assessment for 2025 entry, now is not the time for this.

Rest and relax but in a structured way.

Incorporate learning around your rest and relaxation.

Many of my clients up the intensity and frequency of their tuition over the summer months. Many of my clients are seeing me 2x/3/x/4x and even daily over the summer break. These are the students who will have the BEST results in their Assessments.

It makes no sense to me when clients come back to me after 2- 3 months of summer break and tell me this…

‘I don’t get it, it’s like they’ve gone backwards!’

What don’t you get?

Your child hasn’t opened a book for 3 months. Seems very logical to me.

Don’t undo months and months of hard work by taking the whole summer break away from learning.

What message are you sending your child if you do this?

That you don’t learn when you are relaxing and resting!

This is not the message I want to give to my students.

Will you be part of the 30%?

I hope so.

Introvert or Extrovert in the 4+ Assessments?

Why it just does not matter.

Many parents that I speak to on a daily basis fixate on this topic of their child either being an introvert or an extrovert.

Being an extrovert will not give a child the advantage over a child who is an introvert.

It’s helpful, sure.

But by no means will a school choose a child to come to their school purely on the basis of them being an extrovert.

It is far more complex than that.

These schools have a long list of criteria that your child needs to meet and being able to talk and answer questions is just one out of hundreds of things that they will be assessing.

The only downside of being a little more introverted at the ages of 3 and 4 is that your child might be that little bit more reluctant to answer the assessors’ questions.

However, if your child is more on the introvert side, fear not. They can still be incredibly successful.

I’ve worked with many children throughout the years who have been very able to articulate themselves, answer questions in great detail and have the confidence to go into their 4+ Assessments and talk to anyone who crossed their paths but there have been times that perhaps they did not know how to share. How to follow instructions. How to listen to the opinions of others. These are just a few examples for you.

I’ve also worked with many children who have been just as able to articulate themselves but perhaps were a little more shy or reluctant to speak to new and unfamiliar people who have been successful because together with the work done with me to support their ability to answer any question in their 4+ Assessments, they were also able to do many other things well. Eg. follow instructions, listen to others well and share kindly.

With only 2-6 months remaining until the 4+ Assessments, now is your time to get started!

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

Why you must tell your child exactly what to expect on the day of their 4+

Many parents tell me that they did not tell their child exactly what to expect on the day of their 4+ Assessments and those same parents tell me that they regret doing this.

Many parents tell me that their child won’t understand anyway or that it’s best they don’t know exactly what is happening or that they don’t want to worry them. I disagree with all of this.

Your child does fully understand what is going on.

Your child will fully know is happening on the day of their Assessment

They may or may not worry regardless of whether you tell them or not.

You must tell your child exactly what to expect in their 4+ Assessments if you would like them to actually pass their 4+ Assessments. Here is why…

1. They will be clear about the expectations.

By telling your child exactly what to expect, they will be clear about what is expected from them.

Telling them things like -

‘You will be collected by a teacher who works at the school and taken to a room/hall to take part in several different activities.’

‘You will follow their instructions and do exactly what they ask you to do.’

‘ You will be kind and polite to all adults and children in the room.’

‘You will share and take turns.’

etc.

2. They will be far less likely to not do what you don’t want them to do.

If you don’t tell your child exactly what to expect then don’t be surprised if they do go in and treat it like a ‘playdate’.

3. They will be 10x more confident

By knowing exactly what to expect your child will go in with 10x more confidence than if they didn’t know exactly what to expect.

Tell your child exactly what to expect on the day of the 4+ Assessments and if you don’t know what they will be expected to do, speak with someone who does.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

What everyone should know about comparing 4+ Assessments.

It’s a waste of time.

Waste your time actually preparing your child.

These are the questions I hear ALL THE TIME…

How does school x Assessment compare to school y Assessment?

I’ve heard that school x test phonics differently to school y?

Is the Assessment easier at school x than school y?

These are just not useful questions.

These schools know exactly what they are doing. And they will never keep the Assessments the same year after year anyway. So just because something was the way it was last year absolutely does not mean that it will be that way again this year.

I know what these Assessments at each of these school have been like HISTORICALLY (the last 15 years)

And I certainly do prepare my students specifically for the schools that they are applying to.

My main priority is to prepare them to the highest possible standard.

When planning my lessons, I don’t ever ask myself if phonics will be easier at school x than school y. Do you know why?

Because it is irrelevant.

Instead, I prepare my students to go into each and every one of their Assessments equipped with the phonics knowledge needed in order to pass their 4+ Assessments at each of the schools that they sit Assessment at.

Who cares if they test phonics differently at different schools?

What I care about is that my students know their phonics so that if they are asked their phonics, they know how to answer the questions.

‘Easier’ or ‘harder’ is so subjective. What I think is easy, you might think is hard!

Don’t waste time comparing Assessments at different schools.

Waste time actually preparing your child each and every day so that they can go into each of their Assessments and actually pass.

3 ways to fail the resilience part of the 4+ Assessments

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will be expected to demonstrate how they handle things when they are hard for them. They will need to show resilience. It is important that you teach your child how to be resilient in their 4+ Assessments. How to demonstrate this at all times in their 4+ Assessments.

I thought it would be helpful to share with you three real life examples of students who did not pass their 4+ Assessments because they were not able to show the Assessors how they handle things when they are hard for them (of course they may have failed on other aspects too)

Joan

A happy, confident and calm girl, Joan went into her 4+ Assessment at a Top North London girls’ school filled with excitement. Joan was a very bright 3 year old girl and had mastered many aspects of 4+ Assessment preparation. The one thing she struggled with was to deal with things when they were ‘hard’ for her. In our lessons, generally she would walk away when she didn’t know how to do something. We also did one in person Mock Assessment and she did exactly the same thing. If something was too ‘hard’ for her, she would simply walk away. In this particular Assessment she was asked to complete a puzzle and she couldn’t find one of the pieces. She three several puzzle pieces on the floor and then walked off to a different activity. She did not pass this Assessment.

Ricky

He was one of the youngest in my cohort of students last year. August born, he was nearly a year younger than some of my other students. Although he was younger, Ricky had mastered many of the skills needed to be incredibly successful in all of his 4+ Assessments. Ricky had developed a habit of giving the wrong answers on purpose when he would find things ‘hard’. As in, rather than ask for help, he would just do it wrong purposely. Eg. We would play a game in which he would have to find the missing numbers on the number line. If he didn’t know the answer, he would just give me a random number. We worked through many strategies to support him with this and things definitely improved. In one of his Assessments at a Top South London School, Ricky was asked to reverse a toy car out of a car park maze. He gave it a go but then got stuck. He told the Assessors ‘I give up!’ and he walked away from the activity. He was not successful at this school.

Sara

A sweet, kind girl, Sara worked very hard to prepare for her 4+ Assessments. She did however have a tendency to give up quickly on the tasks that she deemed too ‘hard’. She could sit and colour in for hours for example but if she was given a lego task where she would have to build something specific, she would often get frustrated and ask her mother to help her or to finish it for her. In her 4+ Assessment at a top Central London School, she was asked to place 8 beads onto a string in a particular order. Unable to figure out the pattern, Sara told the Assessor to finish it for her. She handed the Assessor the string and went off to do something else. She was not successful at this school.

NOT answering questions in the 4+ Assessments will lead to your child NOT passing their Assessments.

I hear these comments as though they are reasons why a child might not answer questions in their 4+ Assessments. It really doesn’t matter. Your child MUST answer the questions they are asked and they MUST answer them well in order to be successful. It is as simple as that.

Here is what I hear all the time from parents that I speak to daily.

‘My child is shy…’

So what?

Your child can still answer questions even if they are shy. They just need the correct support and guidance in the lead up to their Assessments.

‘My child doesn’t like talking to new people…’

So what?

Unless your child knows the Assessors, the people that they will be meeting at the Assessments will be new people to them. Your child can still answer questions even if they don’t like talking to new people. They just need the correct support and guidance in the lead up to their Assessments.

‘My child is an introvert…’

So what?

These schools are not looking for extroverts. They are looking for children that will thrive at their schools. Introverts are welcome too! Your child can still answer questions even though they are introverts. They just need the correct support and guidance in the lead up to their Assessments.

‘My child will not answer questions in their Assessments.…’

Then don’t send them to an Assessment.

Simple.

Prepare. And prepare well!

What we offer is the best there is out there. I know that I can help your child to be successful to as many schools as possible in their 4+ Assessments so that YOU have the choice of where YOU would like to send your child.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

3 ways to mess up teaching early writing

Whether you believe that your child will be asked to write in their 4+ Assessments or not, you must prepare them to be able to go into their Assessments and write.

To go in and write with accuracy and precision.

Teaching early writing does not mean doing writing with your child once every blue moon. It means teaching it daily and consistently. It means blocking out time in your diary to sit with your child and do writing with them.

At the very minimum, you will teach your child numbers 1-10 (formed correctly), all letters of the alphabet and to write their name.

I’ve seen early writing taught beautifully and I’ve seen it taught very badly.

Here are 3 ways to mess up teaching early writing and I would avoid these at all costs if you want your child to be successful in the writing part of their 4+ Assessment.

1. Telling your child that what they have done is wrong.

At the ages of 2 and 3, they can never do it ‘wrong’. So don’t tell them that they have done it wrong. Praise them and be specific. Eg. I love that you have drawn the circle to look like the number 8 or I love that straight line for the number 4.

2. Not blocking out small pockets of time each day to teach writing.

Writing once a week will not cut it if you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments.

Do it daily even for just 1-2 minutes and be consistent with this. Add it to your diary if you need to.

3. Leaving it to the last minute.

Preparing your child for the writing part of their 4+ Assessments 2 months before the Assessment is not good enough. Leave plenty of time for this. Each child is different and unique. Some children will master this quickly and others will take longer.

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How to support your child to boost their curiosity for learning in less than 5 minutes a day.

Curiosity for learning is not taught.

Curiosity for learning is innate.

All children have a curiosity for learning.

If they are not showing it to you, then that curiosity for learning needs to be sparked. Needs to be ignited.

Think about it like a bonfire. Perhaps you struggle to get the fire started, but once you do- watch those flames!

Curiosity for learning is not something that you teach.

It is something you help to spark within your child.

In their 4+ Assessments, curiosity for learning will be observed.

Here is how you can boost your child’s curiosity for learning in less than 5 minutes a day.

1. Pick a topic - Anything your like (that interests your child to begin with) This could be anything from animals, trains, the sea, countries, clothes etc.

2. Discuss that topic with your child (questioning)

3. Watch videos about the topic with your child.

4. Do learning about that topic with your child.

Let me go through how I go through these steps with my own child (currently 2 years old)

1. Topic - Sea animals

2. Questioning…

Name three sea animals…

Where to they live?

What do you like about them?

3. On YouTube I choose a video about sea animals and I watch it with my son. As we watch it, I ask him lots of questions.

4. I find resources or create my own to do with my son. Eg. Draw a jelly fish or create a home for the fish.

I can do all of the above in less than 5 minutes!

I usually stick to the same topic for 7 days and then choose another topic.

My son is very curious and always want to know more.

I believe all children have a curiosity for learning which just needs to be sparked! Opportunities need to be give to them to develop their curiosity for learning and as your child gets older, they can choose their own topics.

I love doing all of the above because it really doesn’t take me more than 5 minutes a day but the results are extraordinary.

Active brains need active bodies.

Exercise improves blood flow to the brain.

More blood flow may increase the flow of nutrients to the brain, and, in turn, improve cognition.

Exercise can also influence cognition indirectly, by improving general well-being, notes Daniel Sanabria Lucena, a neuroscientist at the University of Granada.

Exercise can also boost memory and thinking indirectly by improving mood and sleep, and by reducing stress and anxiety.

I don’t pay too much attention to what the NHS say but they do say that toddlers (aged 1-2) should be physically active every day for at least 180 minutes (3 hours). The more the better. This should be spread throughout the day, including playing outdoors.

Look at that again.

180 minutes.

Children aged 3-4 should also be active for 180 minutes a day!

The 180 minutes reduces drastically to 60 minutes for children aged 5-18. I completely disagree.

Why on earth should it reduce so much?

Children must be more active than this.

Over the last 15 years I have noticed a huge link between my students who are super successful in their assessments and the amount of activities that they do throughout the day. My students who take part in a variety of sports every day, go for long walks with their parents, skip, roller skate, roller blade, go ice skating, swim, play cricket, play golf or do gymnastics.

I have always been on a mission to get our children moving more.

When I worked full time in schools (private and state), I started to pay close attention to how much I was sitting down each day and I did not like it. I started to pay attention to how long my students sat down each day and I didn’t like it. That’s why I introduced The Daily Mile at my last school (in Wembley) and every single day we would get out on the field and walk for 2 miles (at a minimum). My students loved it. We all started feeling better and results definitely improved. As much as possible, I would take learning outside. We would just take our books and go and sit out in the field and do our learning out there.

Active brains need active bodies.

Pay attention to how much movement your child is getting each day (pay attention to yours too!) Perhaps it will surprise you.

Get moving.