3 Ways to MESS UP Highgate 4+ Assessment Preparation.

Highgate is one of the schools that offer the hardest 4+ Assessments in my personal opinion.

The First round of Assessments for Highgate will take place early to mid November (4th -15th November).

If your child passes the first round, they will be called back to the second round which will take place early to mid January (7th - 16th January).

Here are 3 ways I’ve seen hundreds of parents mess up 4+ Assessment preparation at this school.

1) Assume that 60 places is a lot of places.

It’s not.

Given that hundreds and hundreds of children will be assessed for entry to this school, 60 places is a very small number.

Some parents that I speak to feel more relaxed because there are 60 places ad therefore usually and historically have started preparing for the Highgate 4+ Assessment later and later.

Do not do this!

2) Underestimate the complexity of the curriculum covered at Highgate in the 4+ Assessments.

Never ever assume that the 4+ Assessments will be the same at each school that you have applied to. They will not be.

Many parents that I have spoken to historically (as in over the last 15 years) have used words like ‘rigorous’, ‘hard’ and ‘over whelming’ when describing the 4+ Assessment at this school. Prepare well so that you don’t need to feel this way!

3) Not prepare their children well enough.

What I mean by this is not preparing their child to be able to go into Highgate and do everything that they are asked to do to the highest possible standard.

You want your child to be offered a place at Highgate at 4+?

Prepare them well and take the process seriously.

If not, you will most likely be contacting me or another tutoring company for 7+ Assessment prep which is far harder and complex and there are far fewer places available and you need twice the amount of prep in order to even have a chance to be successful.

Preparing for Highgate for 2026 entry? Join our Waiting List Today. Once purchased, you will be contacted to secure your time and day for weekly tuition from January 2025.

Preparing for Highgate for 2025 entry? Book your Sample lesson with a Senior Tutor today. You don’t have much time but you will have a far better chance if you start now than if you do not!

Should I tell my child that they are being assessed or not (4+)?

To my brain this is like asking me, ‘Should I tell my child that they are going to the park or not?’

It makes no logical sense.

Why would you not tell your child that they are being assessed?

Ok, perhaps not using those words (a 3 year old will not know what assessed means unless you explain it to them).

Here is what tends to happen…

I speak to a parent who perhaps enquires about 4+ Assessment preparation and he or she says something along these lines…

‘My child is only 3/4, I don’t want them to be stressed out.’

‘My child is only 3/4, I don’t want them to know that they are going to an assessment.’

‘My child is only 3/4, it’s not right for them to be assessed.’

I say to them something along these lines…

Your child should not be stressed out at the age of 3/4. I don’t understand why you don’t want them to know that they are going to an assessment when that is just merely a fact. It is right that they are being assessed because that is what YOU have chosen for them.

Usually, I am met with disbelief and the parent continues with his or her strategy of NOT telling the child that they are being assessed.

So what tends to happen on the day of the assessment?

The child goes in and ‘messes around’, doesn’t following instructions, doesn’t listen to the story being read to them, doesn’t focus and pay attention. Then the parent phones me and tells me that their child did not pass (in most instances). And they are surprised about it.

MAKES

NO

SENSE.

They set their child up to fail.

FACT.

They told them - ‘You are going on a play date.’

Hmm.

Ok, what does your child do an a play date?

PLAY.

That is not what an assessment is about and if that is what you think, you are very misinformed and mistaken.

So yes. Please tell you child they are being assessed and tell them EXACTLY what they should expect on the day.

And if you don’t do this, don’t be surprised at the outcome.

Let’s take this process seriously if we want to have serious success.

Forest (2025 Entry) 4+ Assessment Report

I’ve never done this before but as so many of you want to know our success rates and results, I am going to be very transparent and I will be writing a report for each school that we prepare our students for at 4+.

We will begin with Forest.

The results came out yesterday.

There have been a full spectrum of emotions. Anger, despair, joy, happiness, sadness and gratitude.

This report is based on the results of our students who had nearly 10 months of Assessment preparation. This is because I recommend 12 months of Assessment preparation at this school. Last year none of our students started a full year before. This year, I am thrilled to say that several parents have already started preparing their children with us for Forest (2026 entry).

1. Percentage of students who were offered a place at Forest (2025 Entry)

100% - Myself and my team prepared 6 children for their 4+ Assessment at Forest (those who had consistent weekly tuition for 10 months). All of these children were successful yesterday when they received their results!

All of our students who had CONSISTENT weekly tuition passed their Assessment at Forest.

2. Number of students who have been Waitlisted

2

I will update the report once places have been finalised. I strongly believe that these students will be offered a place at Forest.

3. Three key reasons for success at Forest

• Consistent weekly tuition

• Regular communication between parents and teacher during the week between the lessons

• Consistent daily activity - Children completing all of the home learning sent each week

4. Three key reasons for failure at Forest

• Inconsistent weekly tuition (stopping and starting)

• Not completing the home learning tasks each week

• Not being ‘ready’ for the Assessment. Eg. Not answering the questions asked or not completing the tasks to the standard expected at this school.

Congratulations to all of our amazing students who have been incredibly successful. This is not an easy assessment to pass at all. We are all so incredibly proud of you all!

This is why your Kensington Prep Assessment preparation may NOT be working.

The Ken Prep 4 plus Assessment is one we have been preparing for for years and years.

We have over 15 years of experience preparing girls to be extremely successful at this school.

So you’ve applied to Kensington Prep and you’ve been to visit it. You’ve decided this is the school for your daughter. Perhaps you’ve prepared her a little bit. Perhaps you’ve been unsure about how to prepare her. Perhaps you’ve spoken to a few parents who have provided you with snippets of information about the Assessment (I would avoid listening to what other parents tell you about the assessment!).

Now the Assessment is approaching and you are feeling more and more anxious about it. I don’t blame you.

This is a VERY challenging school to get into.

Without the correct preparation, it will be virtually impossible to pass the 4+ Assessment at this school.

The Ken Prep 4+ Assessment is 60 minutes long. Your daughter will need stamina and focus to be able to last the full 60 minutes! We prepare all our girls to be able to go into Ken Prep and focus to the best of their abilities. Your daughter will be observed with a small group of girls by the Assessors at Ken Prep (these are usually members of the SLT or teachers within the school).

Being successful at Ken prep means preparing your daughter to be able to go in and answer questions well, focus, show confidence and independence, be able to interact well with children and adults and have the stamina to complete the full 60 minute assessment and complete it well!

Kensington Prep write that they are looking for girls ‘who are alert and curious with an enthusiasm to learn.’

Alert

Curious

Enthusiasm for learning

This is EXACTLY what they will be observing.

If you are NOT preparing specifically for these three things then it is very likely that your 4+ Assessment preparation may NOT be working.

When we prepare our girls for their 4+ at Ken Prep, we focus specifically on these three main aspects. That is why we have the success that we have at Ken Prep!

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

Everything you need to know about preparing your child to be successful in the Glendower 4+ Assessment

Glendower is a very popular school that we prepare our students for at 4+.

We have tremendous success at the school and the reason for this is that we know exactly what the school are looking for in their prospective new students.

Over the years, we have had children pass this assessment and we have seen children not pass this assessment.

Usually, the girls who do not pass this Assessment are the girls that:

1. Started tuition less than 3 months before their Assessment at Glendower

2. Did not have the confidence to go into the Assessment

3. Were not ready for the activities that they were asked to complete.

The Glendower 4+ Assessment involves being assessed in very small groups of 6 girls. Four adults will be observing. Glendower are looking for:

Social maturity

Readiness to learn

Cooperation

Flexibility

A ‘can do’ approach to learning

Excellent language and vocabulary

Strong mathematical skills

letter recognition

Ability to follow instructions

40 places are offered for entry to 4+ at Glendower. Hundreds and hundreds of girls will have applied to sit Assessment at this school.

Is your daughter going to be able to demonstrate all of the skills listed above?

If show doesn’t, she will not pass her 4+ Assessment at this school.

Simple.

Ensure she is ready by working with us. Our team of expert teachers will support you every step of the way. With us, you don’t just get one lesson a week. You get one lesson a week and ongoing communication with your teacher. Your teacher will be available to you 24/7. No one else offers this!

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

Independence of thought or being told what to think.

When I turned 18 (nearly 22 years ago!), I had no idea what I wanted.

I remember the day as though it were yesterday. I remember it so vividly. I remember that I was in my room and my mum came in and asked me what I wanted to do with my life.

I had no idea.

No one had ever truly asked me that question before. Perhaps on a superficial level but not on a deep level of actually knowing what I wanted to do with my life.

I remember as a student, being told that I was wrong. The problem was that at times I thought I was right! But I was still told that I was wrong. And I listened. I always wanted to be a good little girl.

That’s why when I became a teacher and an educator, I decided that I would never tell my students what to think. Ever. I would never tell them that they were wrong if they had an opinion. I would never tell them that they should be ashamed or afraid to get things wrong. In fact, I did the opposite.

Even when my students are ‘wrong’, I challenge them to explain to me how they got that answer. If they get things ‘wrong’, I tell them to be proud that they got it ‘wrong’ and then go and figure out how to get it ‘right’. I don’t want fearful students in my classes. I don’t want my students to be afraid to make mistakes. I have worked in so many classrooms where my students would be heart - broken if they scored below a certain percentage in their exams or if they didn’t know the answer to a question. It took me months to get rid of this belief system that they had to be right all the time.

It is so limiting.

I never tell my students what to think. I encourage them to develop their own processes from a very young age.

I have a student that I’ve taught since she was 6. She is now 11. I am so proud of the young lady that she has become. She is not afraid to be wrong. She used to be. She is not worried to get things wrong. She tells me that she will figure it out. I am so proud that I was a small part of supporting her to be able to be proud of her mistakes and to take risks, to get things wrong and to try again. What an amazing future she has in front of her.

I know that when she is 18 and her mother asks her what she wants to do, that she will either know or that she won’t be afraid to admit that she doesn’t and be brave enough to go and figure it out!

I am proud to be a very small part of helping her to be the brave, strong, tenacious and fearless woman that she is becoming.

Parents and teachers, please stop telling children that they are wrong. Please encourage our children to not be afraid to be wrong. Encourage them to get things wrong rather than always strive to get things right.

Spoon feeding V Using their own hands.

Having worked at several top pre-preps in Central London and at state schools/academies all across London for nearly 15 years, I have observed many styles of teaching. I worked as SLT at several of the schools I taught at and I had to observe teachers teaching their students.

There are two distinct teaching styles in my opinion.

The first one is what I call ‘Spoon Feeding’. The second one is what I call ‘Allowing children to use their own hands.’

In the society that we are currently living in, it is vital that we teach our children to be able to ‘use their own hands.’

What I mean by this is having their own independence of thought. Having the opportunity to problem solve without heavy guidance and being able to make mistakes without freezing and thinking that something has gone terribly wrong.

I observed one lesson in a year two classroom in which the teacher was teaching writing (I was English Head at this school). She spent the whole lesson modelling the writing to the children and the children essentially copied her writing. Some of the more advanced writers were able to change some of the words but the majority of the children ended up having identical pieces of writing. The writing was excellent. But here is the problem.

It was HER writing.

She spoon fed the children. What had they actually learnt?

They had learnt how to copy words off a screen.

Their books looked beautiful and neat but it wasn’t their writing.

When I asked a group of children to write a sentence independently for their introduction describing their character, they could not do this.

One of them said to me, ‘Miss, what shall I write?’ Another one said to me, ‘Is this right?’

Oh dear.

Another lesson I observed, the teacher had set up tables with visual stimuli such as objects, jewels and story books and she simply asked the children to hold the objects and describe them using their own words. She then provided the children with envelopes that contained three adjectives and asked them to put the adjectives into their sentences.

Their books didn’t look as good as the other teacher’s books but it was THEIR OWN work.

Do you see the difference?

When should you start preparing for the Guildford High 4+ Assessment?

I’ve now spoken to all of my clients who have sat their daughters for their 4+ Assessment at GHS.

The 4+ Assessment at this school was challenging. I of course will not be revealing much about it in this blog but I wanted to say one thing.

If you are preparing your daughter for GHS next year (2026 entry), you should be looking to start now.

12 months will be the sweet spot when preparing for Guildford High School.

There is far too much to cover. The Assessment is far too challenging. Expectations are high and the school is very over-subscribed.

Book your Sample Lesson with a Senior Tutor today.

5 reasons you shouldn't listen to the advice to 'not tutor your child!'

With OpenDays currently in full swing, I know that many of you will be hearing this famous phrase…

‘We strongly recommend you don’t tutor your child in preparation for their 4+ Assessment!’

I worked in a very popular Central London pre-prep and we used to tell parents the same (knowing full well, each and every one of them tutored their children!)

I know many of you really look up to these schools and respect what they tell you. However, I strongly recommend you don’t listen to this advice and here are 5 reasons why.

1. 85% of students will have been carefully prepared.

2. These top schools are incredibly over subscribed. Think that applications will be in the high hundreds with very few spaces available.

3. If you don’t prepare your child, how on earth do you expect them to do everything that they will be asked to do in their 4+ Assessment?

4. Most of my clients who have followed this advice in the past, have not been successful at passing the 4+ Assessments.

5. Most of my clients who didn’t prepare their children for their 4+ Assessments, are now preparing with us for their 7+ or 11+ Assessments (or anything in between!)

The schools will tell you that they know which child has been tutored and which child hasn’t been tutored. I would ask them this question. ‘How can you tell?’

I don’t think any one has ever asked them!

If they give you an answer, let me know what they say! I’d love to know!

How can you tell a child has been tutored? And why would it go against them?

I’ve been teaching my son since he was 1. Would it go against him in a 4+ Assessment if he was able to answer all of the questions and do all of the tasks that he was asked to do?

I doubt it very much!

A curiosity for learning and a confidence that shines. What it takes to pass NLCS at 4+

I’ve written several very informative blogs about NLCS at 4+ so I won’t be repeating myself. To read these, simply search for NLCS in my Blogs!

I speak to many parents who are often surprised that their daughter did not pass her 4+ Assessment at NLCS.

If NLCS is the school of your dreams for your daughter, then you really need to go all in when preparing her for her 4+ Assessment at this school. After all, with only 8-10 places available at 7+, your next chance will be at 11+!

This is why I struggle to understand parents who come to me with less than 3-4 months left to prepare their daughter, have done hardly any prep and then tell me that they are surprised when their daughter doesn’t get a place.

If I had a daughter and I wanted her to go to NLCS, I would have started preparing her from 1 year of age!

This is school is so overly subscribed at 4+. With numbers in the very high hundreds (perhaps even over 1000) and with only 40 places available, you can see why it is so challenging to be offered a place at 4+.

After 15 years preparing my girls for this school, this is what I’ve learnt.

My girls who are successful are my girls who have a curiosity for learning and a confidence that shines. They are curious about everything, They want to know more about everything, They ask questions about everything. They want to answer my questions. They want more, more more! They have a confidence that shines. They can be timid but they exude confidence. They know what they want and they know they will get it!

This is the type of girl NLCS is looking for.

And you can prepare for this! 100% you can.

You have a very rare opportunity to work with me at this point. I have 2 new spaces that have just opened up!

Book your Sample Lesson today.

My 2 secrets to passing the 4+ Assessment at Ken Prep

Myself and my team have prepared hundreds of girls to be very successful at Kensington prep over the last 15 years.

We’ve also prepared a few girls who have not been successful at gaining entry to Kensington Prep.

We know exactly how to prepare our girls to go into Ken Prep and PASS their 4+ Assessment.

The girls who we have prepared who did not pass the Ken Prep Assessment have always been the girls who didn’t start early enough. Girls who have one or two lessons here and there. Girls who started two months before the assessment. This is not enough time. And I tell my clients as much. I tell them this not to discourage them but because I know it to be the truth. And sadly, I am usually right.

On their Website, Ken Prep go on about what a lovely, cozy assessment it will be and that although they are an academic school that their 4+ Assessment will not be so. They write, ‘We observe how they interact, explore and explain what they are doing.’

I believe that this is extremely accurate but also very misleading to parents who perhaps have never been through the process of the 4+ Assessments.

Some parents will read this and just think that their daughter will go in and have a fun time, play a few games and be offered a place. This is not the case… At all. In fact, hundreds of girls will be unsuccessful at gaining a place at Kensington Prep.

Ken Prep then go on to write, ‘Offers are based on an assessment of your daughter’s academic potential, ability and attitude.’

Again, very accurate. And exactly what they are looking for.

Academic potential can be prepared for.

Academic ability can be prepared for.

Attitude for learning can be prepared for.

They then say, ‘We are looking for girls – no matter what their personality, introvert or extrovert – who are alert and curious with an enthusiasm to learn.’

Again spot on!

Here are my 2 secrets for PASSING this Assessment.

1. Start early - At the very minimum 9 months before the Assessment. I recommend 12 months of Assessment preparation for Kensington Prep.

2. Prepare your daughter to be able to go in and answer questions with confidence. I’ve supported girls who are very shy to be successful at Ken prep. It’s not about being shy or not shy. It’s about being able to answer all questions with confidence and clarity.

If you are preparing your daughter for Kensington Prep School, book your Sample Lesson today.

How to prepare for the JAGS 4+ Assessment with confidence.

James Allen’s Girls’ School

A rigorous and highly competitive 4+ Assessment.

With only 36 places on offer and hundreds and hundreds of applicants, it is important to prepare thoroughly for JAGS (as with all other schools at 4+)

In order to prepare for the JAGS assessment with confidence, you firstly need to know exactly what they are looking for in their successful candidates.

JAGS want to see how your daughter will get on as part of a classroom setting. Therefore when you are preparing for the 4+ Assessment at JAGS you will want to be working on things like social skills, independence, team working skills, listening skills, maintaining eye contact with adults when they speak to her and interacting with confidence with both adults and children. Of course, you still need to work on all areas of the EYFS curriculum.

The JAGS website give absolutely nothing away about the 4+ Assessment. We have been preparing many girls for assessment at this school and we know exactly what the school is looking for in their prospective new students!

Prepare with confidence by ensuring that your daughter goes in with confidence and ready to answer any question that she is asked!

Book your Sample Lesson today!

The complexities of the Highgate 4+ Assessment

Hundreds and hundreds of children will have applied for the Highgate 4+ Assessment (2025 entry).

This school is so popular that they have a Ballot system in place. Most parents that I speak to are not aware of this until I tell them! Most parents I speak to are very surprised when their child isn’t even offered the chance to come to the first round at Highgate.

I’ve written several blogs about Highgate at 4+ so search for them!

Siblings and children of staff will all be invited to the first round. All other children will be chosen by ballot. Therefore, applying to this school does not guarantee that your child will even be assessed!

After the first round 180 children will be invited to Round 2!

So to pass the first round will be VERY challenging!

If your child is able to pass the first round, they have a 1:3 chance of being successful at Round 2! Round 2 is tough. It is ‘play based’ but your child’s ability to play is not what is being assessed, let’s be very clear about this.

Round 2 has been described by my clients as ‘rigorous!’.

My students have told me that they were ‘exhausted’ after the second round and that it was ‘hard’!

Highgate talk about ‘learning readiness’ and that this is what is assessed in the first round. Basically how ready your child is to actually come to their school and learn!

Parents often ask me how Highgate assesses ‘learning readiness’?

It will be very obvious to the assessors which children are ready to come to their school. And this is what they will be assessing in the 4+ Assessment.

Sending your child to Highgate for their 4+ Assessment is a very complex process. One that you 100% need support with. Myself and my team of expert teachers will support you every step of the way. All of my clients have that slight edge over other clients because myself and my team have real and actual experience with Highgate. We have supported hundreds of students to have tremendous success at this school for over 15 years!

Book your Sample lesson today!

Think what you want about the UCS 'Playdate Assessment' BUT if you want to be successful, listen to me!

1. It is NOT a ‘playdate’.

I won’t go on about this as I’ve spoken about it several times in my blogs. Simply search for ‘UCS’.

What is a ‘play date’ to you?

Is a play date being in a large group with hundreds of other boys?

Is a play date being observed by several adults in the room?

Is a play date being asked lots and lots of questions?

Is a play date being asked to do activities and then being watched as you do them?

If your answer is ‘Yes!’ to any of those questions, then sure it is a playdate!

2. This term catches parents out because they don’t take it seriously enough.

How many times have I heard parents say to me, ‘It’s just a play date!’ and ‘They’ve told us not to prepare!’ and ‘Why stress, he’s only 3!’

Take the UCS 4+ Assessment very seriously or you will not be successful. It is as simple as that.

This is such an over subscribed school at 4+. There may be hundreds and hundreds of applicants for only 32 places available. Remember that!

3. The fact that UCS still say that ‘no preparation is required’ after all these years of parents not preparing their sons and not being successful is intriguing to me.

Parents will ask me why UCS say this.

It’s intriguing to me but it is also irrelevant.

Who cares why they say this?

Many people say many things. Does it mean you need to believe them?

Believe what you want.

Or believe me when I tell you that after 15 years of preparing my boys to be VERY successful at this school, that you absolutely must prepare for UCS and you must prepare very well.

You have ONLY 3 months left to prepare.

Book your Sample lesson with a Senior Tutor today.

2 things you should NEVER do if you are preparing your child for City Junior School at 7+

We have been preparing children for the City Junior School 7+ Assessment for over 14 years!

We have had tremendous success.

We know exactly what this school is looking for and we know exactly how to prepare our students to go into their Assessments at City and pass both rounds with ease, calm and confidence!

So if your child is preparing for City, you will definitely want to read on!

The first stage of assessments will be held on Friday 29 November 2024. Children will sit papers in mathematics, reading comprehension and creative writing.

The first stage is very challenging to pass and your child needs to be at a very high level and scoring between 85% and 90% across the board in maths, comprehension and writing.

If your child passes the first round, they are invited to the second round which will be between Thursday 9 to Thursday 16 January 2025. This will be a group task and a 1:1 interview.

Passing round two is even harder than round 1.

If you are preparing for City (boys or girls), here are two things you should NEVER do.

1. Do not send your child to Round 1 if your child has not written at least 10 stories that have been edited at least once or twice. Don’t expect your child to pass the Creative Writing component of the 7+ Assessment (Round 1) if they’ve not at least done this as a bare minimum.

2. Work with a teacher just because they specialise in 7+ Assessment preparation. The teacher your work with must have had success at City. This is imperative because the teacher you work with needs to know what is expected at City.

If you are preparing for City (boys or girls) for 2026 entry, join our waiting list today (for lessons with our Company Director, Maria Mazarese

If you are preparing for City (boys or girls) for 2025 entry, book your Sample lesson with a Senior Tutor today.

5 ways I will change your perspective about 4+ Assessment preparation

These are 5 common beliefs that I encounter when I first start working with clients who are preparing their children for their 4+ Assessments. I am going to share these 5 common beliefs with you because I am sure that you hold one of these beliefs too. No judgement at all. If you’ve never been through this process before, it’s not your fault.

I’ve been through this process every single year for the last 15 years. I’ve been through this process for the last 15 years because I have been preparing my students to be very successful in their 4+ Assessments for the last 15 years.

I speak from my experience. I speak with the hope of helping hundreds of parents to have the same successes that my clients have had.

I know how important it is to choose the best education for our children. I take none of this lightly. I am passionate about supporting each and every one of my clients to have tremendous success. After all their success is my success!

Here are the 5 common beliefs that my clients have when I first start working with them.

1. The 4+ Assessments will be easy.

Now, the word ‘easy’ means different things to all of us. But essentially what they believe is that their child will go in, play a few games, show how amazing they are and be offered a place.

NO!

It’s a whole process. Each school is different in terms of their expectations and believe me, the 4+ Assessments are far from ‘easy’.

2. The schools will know who has been tutored and it will go against my clild.

If your tutor has prepared your child to the highest of standards as we prepare our students, how on earth will the school know that your child has been tutored? Remember - this is a competition. Out of hundreds and hundreds of applicants, your child needs to show something extraordinary to actually pass and be offered a place.

3. My other child goes there so I don’t need to prepare.

Absolutely not.

Most schools do not have a sibling policy in place and even if they say they do - they don’t. One school that has a very strong sibling policy is Chigwell. In order to pass their 4+ Assessment your child will need to do exceptionally well in the assessment/s regardless of the fact that they have a sibling who already attends the school.

4. I went to the school so my child will have more chance of being successful.

Wrong!

That’s great that you went to that school! But this has zero to do with your child being offered a place on that basis. If they are offered a place, please don’t for one second think it’s because of you having gone to that school too!

5. I don’t need to prepare my child.

Ok, good luck with that! I don’t have anything else to say about that one.

Take the process seriously if you want to have serious success.

Join my Waiting List today for January/February 2025.

Book your Sample lesson with a Senior Tutor today.

Top 3 tips to make teaching puzzle skills easier.

I see a lot of frustration when it comes to teaching puzzle skills.

My clients don’t understand why their son or daughter can’t slot the pieces together.

Parents that I speak to compare what their child can do to what another child they know can do and I hear things like, ‘JoJo next door can do 24 piece puzzles and my son can’t even do a 4 piece puzzle yet!’ and ‘My niece has been doing puzzles since she was one and my daughter has no interest in doing a puzzle!’

First of all, I am not a fan of comparing one child to another. It’s not helpful and it’s detrimental to the child if they hear themselves being compared. Second of all, why do we have to put timeframes on everything?

Perhaps your child will be more interested in puzzles in a few months time rather than right now. Perhaps they are more interested in lego right now. Perhaps they are more interested in running around outside right now.

Here are my 3 top tips to make puzzle skills easier.

1. If you really want your child to be able to do puzzles from a young age, expose them to puzzles early on.

As in from as early as one year of age.

2. Start off with age appropriate puzzles.

Wooden peg puzzles are the ones we started out with when Joshua was one year old.

He was not a fan and it took him a few months to even show interest in picking up on of the peg pieces.

Then you need to be systematic with it. Move onto 2 piece puzzles, then 4 and then 6 etc.

3. Trust in the process.

Do even just a few minutes of puzzles every single day. Even if you just sit and do it yourself so that your child is watching you do it. Don’t get frustrated when they can’t do it/don’t want to do it. Allow them the time and space they need to develop the skills to be able to do it. Joshua is still not enthralled with puzzles. He always asks me to help him. And he is still developing the skills to be able to pick up one piece and slot it into the other piece. I still do puzzles with him every single day.

Parents always ask me this question…

“How many pieces will they be asked to complete in their Assessment?’

It’s irrelevant and not important.

It could be a 6 piece/12 piece/24 piece puzzle. It does not matter. What will be observed will be HOW your child completes the puzzle. Which strategies they use to complete the puzzle. HOW they complete the puzzle independently or as part of a group.

We support our students to become masters of completing puzzles so that they can go into any 4+ Assessment and complete any puzzle placed in front of them!

Sitting your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry?

Join our February Waiting List today!

The TRUTH about NLCS at 7+

It surprises me how many parents that I talk to who actually don’t know how many girls are offered a place in Year 3 at this school.

It surprises me how many parents I talk to who think that they can start preparing their daughter for their 7+ Assessment at NLCS a few months before the assessment.

Many (many!) girls will apply to this school to sit their 7+ Assessments. As in hundreds and hundreds. There are 7-10 places available.

A parent told me this the other day, ‘I’ve heard it’s easier to get in at 7+ than at 11+!’

Well, you’d be wrong about that (and that’s exactly what I told her). At 11+ there are 60 places available so not sure how they worked this one out!

Some girls will be applying for the first time, Many girls will be applying after not having been successful to this school at 4+.

In order to pass round one, your daughter will need to demonstrate academic excellence in their assessments. Your daughter will be scoring at least 85% in her assessments in order to pass the first round.

NLCS will then call back the girls who scored the highest in their assessments to the second round. This will be very tough to pass and you need to work with a teacher who can guide you with what exactly the school is looking for in this round. The second round is a day at school.

Because it is a ‘day at school’ many parents tell me that they didn’t prepare for this at all.

Don’t do this.

Prepare for round 2 as well as you prepared for round 1.

And if you don’t know how to, work with someone who does!

Book your Sample Lesson today.

2 things parents preparing for the 7+ at South Hampstead must never do.

South Hampstead is another popular school that we prepare our girls for at 7+. We have exceptional success at this school year after year. However, if you are preparing your daughter for this school at 7+, you must be aware that it is very hard to get into.

First of all, there are only 24 place at 7+.

Hundreds and hundreds of girls will be applying to sit assessment at South Hampstead.

Here’s what you need to know in 3 bullet points.

• Apply by 2/10/24

• Attend taster session on 1/10/24

• Round 1 is 11/10/24 and Round 2 is in January.

Here are 2 things you must never do if your daughter is sitting her 7+ Assessment at South Hampstead:

1. Assume that just because they have passed the first round, that they will simply pass the second round.

Absolutely not.

In order to pass the 1st round, your daughter will need to demonstrate exceptional academic excellence. She will be at the very minimum at mastery level (Year 2 curriculum) and she will have scored in the high 80% range in her 7+ Assessments (all round).

Round 2 is a group activity and interview. There are still academic aspects in the second round but here they are looking at your daughter’s character too.

We prepare our girls thoroughly for both rounds.

2. Neglect preparing for the second round until they have heard about the first round.

This is far too late!

One of my clients last year told me this…

‘Don’t bother preparing her for her second round until we know for sure that she will pass the first round.’

I told her not to do this. She disagreed.

Her daughter passed the first round and she only had three lessons with me to prepare for the second round. She did not pass.

What a shame to work so hard preparing for the first round, only to neglect the second round.

3 signs your child is NOT ready to sit the Latymer 7+ Assessment (2025 entry)

The past 2 weeks, I have spoken to several parents who want myself and my team to prepare their children for the 7+ Assessments at Latymer for 2025 entry. There are only 4 months left until the 1st round at this school. The second round is a couple of weeks after the first round. This is not enough time to prepare calmly.

Latymer has very high expectations at 7+ and preparation needs to happen at least one year before the 7+ Assessments. This is not to say that your child won’t be successful if you start now. Just expect it to be far more intense than if you started 9 months ago!

Here are three signs that yous child is NOT ready to sit their 7+ Assessment in January 2025.

1. Your child is not writing stories with three clear paragraphs, linked to the title and filled with descriptive language. At the time of writing this blog (September 2024), writing doesn’t yet have to be perfect but it would be helpful if your child already knows what is needed within their story so that the skills needed to master story writing can be developed in the next 4 months.

2. Your child is not scoring at least 80% across the board in their english and maths assessments.

3. Their maths is not at mastery level/greater depth (for the year 2 curriculum). I am talking about all of the year 2 curriculum and not just the Autumn term!

We have prepared hundreds of children to be very successful at this school. If you are preparing for Latymer (2025 or 2026 entry) book your Sample Lesson today!