Why is FOCUS important in the 4+ Assessments.

The 4+ Assessments can range from anywhere from between 30 minutes to 90 minutes!

That’s a long time for any 3 or 4 year old to have to maintain focus for!

Focus is an expectation in the 4+ Assessment. Your child will be expected to FOCUS.

So it seems to me that you should place a huge amount of importance on teaching your child to be able to focus in their 4+ Assessments.

Do not just expect your child to go in and focus if you’d not taught them how to do this.

They WILL NOT.

If your child does not demonstrate high levels of focus in their 4+ Assessments, they will not pass their 4+ Assessments.

With hundreds and hundreds of children applying to your dream school, the school will have their choice of who they want to actually come to their school. Who will they choose? The child who focuses or the child who doesn’t?

The answer is obvious.

So what does focus look like in a 4+ Assessment?

Having witnessed several 4+ Assessments in action, let me tell you some ways that as assessor will observe focus…

• A child can engage for periods of time (allocated by them) on an activity.

• A child can listen attentively to a story being read to them and therefore be able to respond appropriately.

• A child is keen and eager to raise their hand and answer any question asked of them

All of the above are ways that your child will need to demonstrate focus. There are many others!

By working with our team of expert teachers, we will ensure that your child has the highest possible chances of going into any Assessment and demonstrating focus.

Join our Waiting List today (this will go towards your Registration fee) Once you have joined the waiting list, email over your list of preferred days and times and our Company Director will confirm with you immediately which day/time works beginning from January/February 2025.

Why I’ve changed my mind about reading strategies since I had my own child.

Before I had my own child, I used to recommend that my clients read a variety of books every single day in preparation for the 4+ Assessment.

Now Joshua is 28 months and I have changed my mind about this strategy.

I speak to many parents every single week and we often discuss reading. Reading is a priority to many parents that I speak to. They want their child to be reading before their 4+ Assessments. This is 100% achievable with my programme.

All of our students who have the recommended 9-12 months of 4+ Assessment preparation can read before going into their 4+ Assessments (blend 3 letter words). This sets them up for tremendous success with their learning.

I spoke to one parent a few weeks ago who told me that she sends her child to a weekly reading class. It’s a popular reading class attended by hundreds of children. She was told that her son must ‘read’ 10 books a day. I don’t think this is necessary or even helpful to be honest with you.

First of all, all children are different and unique. So what works for one child might not work for another. The best strategy is the one that works for YOUR CHILD.

Whilst I do strongly believe that we need to provide our children with a variety (however many you want) of books each day- as in laid out in front of them and not hidden away in drawers, I do not believe that it is in any way helpful or beneficial for your child to ‘read’ all of them.

Here is what I’ve noticed with my own son.

Each morning, I lay out a selection of books for him. He doesn’t currently have a book shelf but I will be getting one for him soon. He will always gravitate towards his favourite books and choose those ones. So what ends up happening is that we focus on one or two books every day.

I still get so much out of those two books. I can still ask him different questions about those books every day and the more we look at those books, the more we notice about them. The more we find out. We can go deeper and deeper into the books.

I am very much led by him when it comes to his ‘reading’. I do offer other books but if he says no, I don’t force it. I want him to love reading and not to feel forced to do it.

I also read chapter books to Joshua and we have started without first one and he often chooses to listen to that one before his naps or bed time. This is the one I’m currently reading to him.

Which reading strategies do you use with your child?

2 truths you'd prefer not to know about the 7+

I’ve been having visions of a bear hiding in his cave.

This is how it seems some of you like to approach 7+ Assessment preparation.

Some of you don’t seem very open to hearing the truth about the 7+ and would rather stay comfortably in your cave. Well, I’m going to be very honest with you and if you don’t like it, that’s ok.

Truth 1

The 7+ is hard

Perhaps your ‘well meaning’ neighbour/family member/best friend told you that their child got into their school of choice with no prep at all. First of all, I highly doubt that and second of all they are the exception and not the rule. Perhaps their child was already at a very high academic capacity. Perhaps their child was already at mastery level and perhaps their child already had the skills that they needed to go in and actually be able to pass. This is not how is happens in most cases. The 7+ is hard. The assessment is hard. Covering all of the content needed to be covered is hard. Ensuring your child is at the level that they need to be before sitting the Assessments is hard.

So come out of that cave and into the wild. If you want your child to pass their 7+ Assessments and actually have a chance of passing, you must prepare them thoroughly.

My recommendation is starting from the Autumn term of their Reception year.

This is where we have had the most success as a company.

Book your FREE 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and find out exactly what is needed to be very successful in all of your schools of choice. Our Company Director has over 15 years preparing for all top inner and outer London schools for the 7+.

Truth 2

The 7+ is very complex to prepare for.

It is complex if you’ve never done it before.

For us it is very easy.

We know EXACTLY how to prepare each and every one of our students to go into any 7+ Assessment and have the highest possible chances of passing.

This is because we ensure that our students are at mastery level in the curriculum that they need to master for the 7+ at the schools that they are applying to.

Because we have so much experience with each individual school, we know exactly what is expected.

That is why all of our children(100%) who have the recommended 2 years of prep time before their 7+ Assessments are offered a place to at least 1 of their target schools. Many times are students are offered places at ALL of their target schools (HINT: This is amazing!)

Book your FREE 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and find out exactly what is needed to be very successful in all of your schools of choice.

We would be delighted to support you to have the success that you desire to have at the schools that you desire to send your child to.

What the quality of a story for the 7+ should look like...

I wrote this model a few months ago for one of my students. He was having a bit of a block with his writing and I knew that I had to find something that would engage him and fascinate him. Something that would get him wanting to read more. Something that would motivate him to write his own story.

My student was fascinated with ships and often brought along toy ships to our lessons. He would spend time telling me all about the ships. So I decided to write a story entitled ‘The Shipwreck’.

Well, he loved it! I had never seen him so enthralled and interested in a story. He read it with such enthusiasm and wrote his own story using my model as a guide. After 2 drafts, his story was perfect!

I am going to share with you my model of this story, in the hopes that it will support someone else to support their child with their story writing.

Of course, you do not want your child to copy the model. A copied story will be an immediate fail in the 7+. You want them to use it as inspiration. You want them to use it to support them to write their own story.

So here it is! I hope you enjoy it and I hope your child does too!

The Shipwreck 

Written by Maria Mazarese (Creative Minds Tutors Director) 

Walking along the tranquil shore, Tom was astounded by what lay in front of his eyes. A clever and inquisitive boy, Tom had always had an interest in ships. Big ships, small ships, old ships or new ships. He was completely fascinated with them. Happily, Tom walked along the peaceful shore as he did every morning on his way to school. He lived on the small island of Travi. Beautiful palm trees surrounded the island and the sea was mostly always calm. The other day, his father had taken him on a fishing excursion and Tom had been on the lookout for ships. Unfortunately, he hadn’t spotted one but he had caught a gigantic fish! As he continued on his way, he noticed something that he had never seen before. Feeling confused, he noticed that the sea wasn’t calm at all. Crashing against the shore aggressively, the waves seemed angry today. In the distance, he noticed that there was a broken ship. “Could this be?” whispered Tom to himself. “Is that a shipwreck?” 

Approaching the ship cautiously, he saw that it was broken in two and it looked very old. It seemed as though it had been under the sea for over one hundred years. Taking out his camera, Tom began taking photos of the ancient ship. Old and abandoned, Tom went even closer, curious to see more. Peering inside one of the broken windows, Tom observed that some items had been preserved. A table with one leg missing and two small, patterned tea cups that were leaning delicately on the rusty floor. Broken chandeliers that must have crashed to the floor brought a shiver to Tom’s shoulders and he shuddered. Wondering about what had happened, Tom was determined to find out how long this ship had been abandoned for and what exactly had occurred. 

Feeling sad and worried, Tom decided to return home. Filled with sorrow for what he had just seen, he proceeded to tell his mother and father that he had finally seen a shipwreck. Asking questions about which ship it might have been, Tom’s father told him that there had never in over 200 years been a shipwreck on the tranquil island of Trevi. Begging his father to come with him, Tom was determined to show him that what he had seen was real. Quickly, they dashed out of the front door and headed towards the shore. Noticing that the waves were calm and peaceful again, Tom rubbed his eyes and couldn’t believe that the ship was no longer there. Rubbing Tom gently on the back, his father told him not to worry and that perhaps he had imagined it. Returning home, Tom was still determined to discover the mystery of the shipwreck… 

To be continued …

Beliefs that will not lead to 7+ success

I’m speaking to more and more of you every single day. Many of you book my FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and some of you join me in my 30 minute consultations.

Of course, I have very strong thoughts and belief about the 7+.

The parents who I work the best with are the ones who are aligned with my vision. The ones who are aligned with my thoughts and beliefs. Only then, am I able to achieve the results we both desire to achieve. Which ultimately is for my students to be offered a place at their school/s of choice.

Here are some of my own personal beliefs when it comes to 7+ Assessment preparation…

If we go all in, success will be inevitable.

Let’s work hard and cover all of the curriculum to the greatest of depths.

The time to start is now.

Here are some beliefs that I have heard in the last few weeks that simply will not lead to 7+ Assessment success…

Let’s do what we can, what will be will be.

We don’t have much time left so there is no point.

Let’s start later/closer to the Assessment/when my child is older.

Let’s look at each one of these beliefs and understand why they will not lead to 7+ Assessment success.

Let’s do what we can, what will be will be.

How does it make you feel when you say this? It makes me feel like you can’t be bothered and most likely that’s how your child will feel to. I’ll tell you what will be- what will be is that your child will not have the opportunity to pass.

We don’t have much time left so there is no point.

How does this belief make you feel? It makes me feel defeated - like what’s the point?

There is a point. These Assessments are important. Sending your child to the best school for them is important. Having the best possible education is important. Take it seriously.

Let’s start later/closer to the Assessment/when my child is older.

There’s always going to be a ‘better time’ and that time is now. Start right now. Don’t wait.

Book your FREE 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and find out exactly what is needed in order to pass the Assessments at the school/s you are targeting.

The secret to successful 7+ Time Management

Time management is a skill that your 6 year old must master in order to be successful in their 7+ Assessments. Time management is a skill that is taught. It is a skill that needs to be practised. It is a skill that requires patience.

Time managements doesn’t even come naturally to most adults that I know, why would you expect it to come naturally to your 6 year old?

If your child goes to school, they will most likely practise time management. Most likely they will be given a certain time to complete a certain task and this is great. This means that they are practising their time management skills.

However, this is not enough.

In the 7+ Assessment your child will be given a specific amount of time to complete a large body of work. There will be x amount of questions to complete in let’s say 60 minutes.

To guarantee time management success in your child’s 7+ Assessment, your child needs to practise a lot. As in every day. Your child needs to complete papers in timed conditions and they need to be able to observe the time and plan their time meticulously. Your child needs to develop the skill of being able to do this independently and not with you telling them how much time they have left. This will not be happening in their 7+ Assessments.

Parents that I speak to after the 7+ Assessments are often surprised that their child did not complete their entire paper or left huge chunks out. When I ask them how their child was at managing their time, they often tell me that they didn’t practise that.

So what do you expect then?

The secret to successful time management in the 7+ Assessment is to practise daily. Put a timer up from YouTube (if it doesn’t distract!) or simply give your child a watch (digital or analogue) and invite them to practise checking how long they have left. Start with smaller time increments and build up to larger time frames.

A lot is expected in the 7+ and time management is most certainly a skill that must be mastered in order to have any sort of success.

Preparing for 2026 entry?

Join our Waiting List today!

Once you sign up, our Company Director will be in touch immediately to allocate your weekly day and time starting from January/February 2025.

3 ways to guarantee failure in the writing part of the 7+ Assessments

Not all schools at 7+ will assess story writing but most will.

Check the criteria at the schools you are applying to or speak to someone experienced with your schools and if there is story writing to prepare for, prepare for it and prepare for it thoroughly.

Not all schools will assess story writing in Round 1 but most will.

A very popular boys’ school last year put the story writing task into their second round and this threw off A LOT of students who were not expecting to have a pencil and paper task.

Having done this for over 15 years, I have seen what works exceptionally well and I’ve seen what doesn’t work in the slightest.

What works is simple. What works is investing a big chunk of time and energy into getting super strong at writing stories (in a variety of genres and not just non-fiction!)

What doesn’t work is simple. What doesn’t work is leaving it to the last minute and having 1-2 months to prepare for this part of the 7+ Assessments.

Don’t do it please!

Here are the 3 ways to guarantee failure in the writing part of the 7+ Assessments.

1. Not have at least 8 months of story writing practise.

We don’t know what type of question will come up and we don’t know which genre will come up. But we do know how to write stories to the quality and standard expected in these Assessments. Having at least 8 months of practise will ensure that your child will be able to go in and answer any story writing question.

2. The story not being written to reflect the title.

So many children go off tangent when writing a story. They cannot do this in their 7+ Assessments.

3. The story not having great handwriting, great spelling and incredible descriptive language.

Forget about it.

Avoid these 3 and you will be golden.

Take story writing seriously and prepare for it to the highest possible standard.

We are masters in writing stories here at Creative Minds Tutors. It’s what we have done very well for more than 15 years.

Join our Waiting List Today.

'My child refuses to write!' and what some parents make this mean.

I speak to a lot of parents every single week. What I hear a lot is general complaints about what their children cannot do.

Every single child in this world will have things that they love to do and things that they don’t love to do. Just like us!

Why does it have to be a problem?

It only becomes a problem if we make it into a problem.

If your child ‘refuses to write’, it will of course be a problem if they are going to a 4+ Assessment and they certainly do need to be able to write (in most 4+ Assessments). But what happens when we get super stressed out about it and our child absorbs that stress?

Yep, you guessed it!

They will ‘refuse to write’ even more!

For the majority of parents reading this, it will most likely be important to you that your child is able to write.

This is a beautiful thing.

However, do keep in mind that not all children will like writing. Not all children will like holding a pen/pencil. Not all children will want to learn how to write and correctly form the letters of the alphabet and not all children will want to learn how to correctly write their numbers.

All fundamental components needed in order to pass most 4+ Assessments.

So if your child ‘refuses to write’ are you making it mean that there is something wrong with them?

This is what some parents I speak to make it mean.

There is nothing wrong with them.

It simply is not something that interests them… right now!

It will be up to YOU to make it interesting for THEM.

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will be asked to write (most likely!)

If you would like support with teaching your child to write, book your Sample lesson today.

Top 3 tips to make teaching cutting easier.

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will highly likely be asked to cut something.

We don’t know what that something will be so it is important that we expose them to as many different cutting opportunities as possible.

If your are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments or just want to teach your child how to cut, here are 3 top tips for you.

1.Start early.

Do not leave cutting until 1 month before your child’s 4+ Assessment. This will not cut it! (get it!)

I started with my son from the age of 18 months. Well, actually he was with me whilst I was teaching one of my students cutting and he grabbed the scissors and started opening and closing them by copying what I was doing.

2. Don’t panic!

When my son first grabbed the sharp scissors that I was using, my first instinct was to grab them off him. Don’t do this! You will make your child feel anxious and nervous around scissors. Set the boundaries and the rules first. Tell your child exactly how you expect them to handle the scissors and absolutely NEVER leave them unattended. They are dangerous but not if you are right there with your child. Always be calm and have a sense of fun around cutting. It is fun. It is also quite therapeutic!

3. Don’t start with ‘trainer scissors’.

Not necessary and some are also deeply frustrating for my little students because they are so blunt that they cannot even cut through the paper!

We recommend specific scissors to our clients - they are they ones their children will actually most likely to be asked to use in their Assessments.

Those are the ones you should be using!

If you choose to work with us, we will send you the link to order these!

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2026 Entry?

Our pricing will be increasing from tomorrow. To reserve your place at our current rates for the duration of your time with us, reserve your child’s place on our Waiting List today!

The link between nature and 4+ Assessment Success!

Have you heard of nature based learning (NLB)?

In my personal opinion, this is is by far the best learning approach for our youngest students (in fact for students of all ages!)

As a child, I didn’t spend enough time in nature.We went on holiday once a year to Sicily and it was by far the highlight of my year. My father was half Sicilian and I adored going to Sicily (I still do). I remember these 6 weeks being the happiest of my life. I felt free. I adored going to the beaches and walking along the cliffs. Putting my feet deep into the sand and swimming in the warm mediterranean sea. Looking at the beautiful sunsets and sunrises. Nature has always fascinated me.

Living in the UK, we are also surrounded by beautiful nature but are we taking full advantage of all of the beauty that we have around us?

If you are, great!

If you’re not, I invite you to reflect of how your child can get more ‘nature time’.

I will be making an effort to take my child to different parks and to be in nature a lot more throughout the day.

We do go to the park every single day. We have a beautiful park near when were currently live which is always very peaceful. I’ve always noticed that he is enthralled by the nature that surrounds him. He is obsessed with cats, dogs, squirrels and birds. He hugs the trees and gives them a kiss! He is loves the moon - a lot. At night time we search for the moon who is ‘hiding from us!’

If you’re child is sitting their 4+ Assessment anytime soon, I have seen a strong link between nature and 4+ Assessment success. As in, my students who spend a lot of time in nature are often the ones who have incredible success. Instil a sense of wonder within your child, spark their curiosity and just watch as their little faces light up when they are out in nature.

Joshua is very lucky that we go on holiday at least 4 times a year. ‘Holiday’ is a word he uses at least 10x a day.

There’s a reason for that.

Prepare your child to be a play doh pro with these 3 simple steps.

These 3 steps are simple. They are not easy!

They take time, effort, dedication and consistency.

I speak to hundreds of parents each month and some parents seem to roll their eyes at me when I tell them that I prepare my students to be able to ‘play doh’ in their 4+ Assessments.

They can roll their eyes all they want. I’ve done this for over 15 years. I know exactly how to prepare my students to go into any Assessment and shine if they are asked to complete a play doh activity.

If your child is asked to completed a play doh activity, you will want them to be in the best possible position to actually create what they are asked to create and to create it in a way that will allow them to pass this part of the Assessment!

It is 100% not just the case of going in, handling some play doh, playing with some tools and that’s it. Absolutely not.

Here are the 3 simple steps for you to get started on with your own child.

1. Start young.

As in from as early as you think is safe for your child not to put a piece of play doh in their mouth and swallow it! I’ll let you be the judge of that. I started with my son from 12 months of age. Of course, he was always supervised. I would provide him with a few colours of play doh and just sit with him. He would touch and squeeze the play doh and he adored how it felt in his little hands. I believe that starting play doh so early is one of the reasons that my son has such amazing gross and fine motor skills.

If you haven’t started young, no worries - just start today!

2. Provide your child with new and fresh play doh when needed.

Old play doh is not inspiring at all!

3. Model to your child how to create what you have asked them to create.

Sit next to them, have the picture of what you’d like them to create in front of you both and make it together.

Play doh is beautiful bonding time for myself and my son. He actually likes to sit and do it independently most of the times. Occasionally, he will ask me to join him. Recently, he loved his pizza play doh oven which came with amazing accessories. He loved making his pizza with his pizza doh and toppings and then putting it in the pizza box and giving it to me!

Play doh provides tonnes of opportunities for questioning too!

We love it.

Do you?

In their 4+ Assessment, it is highly likely that your child will face a play doh activity. They could be asked to create something or it could be themed (eg. create something that we found in the story you listened to), they could be asked to use the play doh tools or they could simply be given a selection of play doh and freely choose what they would like to make.

Prepare them and prepare them well for this part of the Assessment. And if it doesn’t come up, who cares? You will have created amazing memories with your child and provided them with so many opportunities for play, growth, strength and just pure fun!

Preparing for your child’s 4+ Assessments? Join our Waiting List Today!

3 reasons you MUST attend my Webinar this Saturday @5pm (2/11/24)

In order to PASS the 4+ Assessments at your Target schools, you MUST understand the process of the 4+ Assessments at the school/s that you are targeting.

In my opinion, there are 3 Pillars of 4+ Assessment Success and if you are able to master these, your child will have no problem passing any 4+ Assessment.

In this incredible Webinar, I will share with you what I think the 4 Pillars of 4+ Assessment are.

Preparation

Personality

Perseverance

I will go into a lot of detail about all three of these and I will answer any questions that you might have about your child and the likelihood of them passing their 4+ Assessments.

I can tell straight away whether or not a child has any chance of passing a 4+ Assessment and I am always very honest with all of my clients.

In this Webinar, we will discuss:

In this Webinar, Maria will discuss:

1. The THREE pillars of 4+ Assessment Success

2. How to prepare for your target schools specifically

3. Common reasons for children not passing the 4+ Assessments at your Target schools and how to avoid this from happening to your child.

The biggest problem that I am seeing as I talk to more and more of you each and every day, is that there is a huge misunderstanding about the 4+ Assessment process.

Empower yourself (and your child!) by understanding the process and being in the position to go into any 4+ Assessment and being offered a place.

Education is very important to me. High quality education is even more important to me. I know how important this decision is for you. Choosing the best school for your child and choosing the best education for your child is one of the most important decisions that you will ever make.

Make the decision to invest your time and energy into coming to this Webinar and ensure success by knowing exactly what to expect in each of the Assessments that your child will be going to.

This Webinar is FREE but is worth thousands of pounds! I have 7 places remaining.

Attend to:

1. Know exactly what to expect in your child’s 4+ Assessments.

2. Understand the reasons why children were unsuccessful in previous years to your target schools

3. Know how to prepare your child to go in and pass any 4+ Assessme

Join today!

What is the Group Assessment at St Paul's all about (7+)?

Having prepared hundreds of boys for St Paul’s personally for over 15 years, let me tell you that this is a very hard school to be offered a place at.

If you have your heart set on sending your son to St. Paul’s you will have wanted to have started preparing him from birth.

Yes, that’s what I think!

If your son does well enough in the Written Assessment (round 1), he will be invited back to the Group Assessment (Round 2).

As long as your son achieves the percentage pass mark at Round 1, he will pass and be invited back. If he doesn’t achieve the pass mark, he won’t be.

Simple.

The Group Assessment is a half day Assessment. Your son will be in a group of about 10 boys and will take part in lessons (maths and english lessons specifically). There will also be a group problem solving task. Whilst your son is having his Assessment, parents will meet with the Head.

Parents tell me that you cannot prepare for the second round and this is just not true.

I have been preparing my boys to be incredibly successful in their Round 2 Assessment at St. Paul’s for many years.

In order to pass round 2, your son will need to:

• Show that they are genuinely curious about the world around them.

• Show that they are hungry to learn more and more.

• Show excellent listening.

• Be respectful and kind.

• Answer questions with confidence.

• Show independence.

• Show excellent team working skills.

• Be genuine. They will see right through any sort of rote learning or memorization.

If you want to prepare your son for his Assessment at St Pauls, start from at least the Autumn Term in which they begin Reception. We will no longer be working with parents starting later than this for St Paul’s.

There is no point.

It will also be assumed that you will have been working with your child prior to beginning formal tuition. It will be assumed that your child can already read by this point (we have our own criteria for assessing this).

Preparing for St Paul’s? Join our Waiting List Today.

All you need to know about the 7+ at Westminster Under.

There are only 22 places available at 7+.

Yes, that’s right!

Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds will apply to Westminster!

WUS are looking ‘for potential in the boys and for boys who have natural ability and will therefore thrive here.’

Careful with how you interpret this sentence…

‘Our challenge is to find that potential, rather than simply select intensely-tutored boys, and whose natural ability will grow with the challenges a Westminster education provides.’

Most parents will read this and not tutor their children.

Don’t do this.

Your child still needs to achieve the pass mark to actually pass the Assessment!

WUS actually write that they do not want boys who have been tutored.

All boys will be ‘tutored’ for this assessment, whether you want to believe that or not. To me the word ‘tutored’ just means ‘taught’. You can of course teach or tutor your own son but please understand that each and every boy who will pass Round 1 will have been ‘tutored’ or taught and they will have achieved the very high percentage needed to pass the first round at WUS.

Maths Assessment- They expect that your child will be at master level in the Year 2 curriculum. In my experience of this school, assessment questions go way beyond the Year 2 curriculum.

Writing - It will be expected that your son will be able to write in any genre he is asked to write in.

Reading - Your son will have excellent comprehension skills and have a very high vocabulary.

Reasoning - Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning will be assessed.

50 boys (out of the hundreds and hundreds) will be invited back fro round 2. Out of these 50, 22 will be offered a place.

This will be a 50 minute classroom activity and interview. WUS are looking for boys with a ‘spark’ and a ‘passion’.

This is a wonderful school and one that we have prepared our students to be very successful at for over 15 years.

Take Assessment preparation very seriously if you plan to sit your son for his 7+ Assessment at WUS in 2026.

Join our Waiting List today.

Manor Lodge 4+ Assessment Report 2024

We finally received all of our results yesterday from Manor Lodge.

Some of our clients are delighted and thrilled and others are shocked and quite frankly devastated.

I am not shocked.

I know how hard it is to pass the 4+ Assessment at this school.

Myself and my team have personally been preparing our youngest students for Manor Lodge for many, many years.

Of course, I am sad for my clients and I am sad for the parents that I spoke to yesterday who were so distraught when they got their results. But I am definitely not surprised.

Our results for Manor Lodge show exactly why your must start with at least 12 months of preparation before sending your child to their Manor Lodge 4+ Assessment.

We prepared 4 students for Manor Lodge (for 2025 entry).

Both students who started with us at least 12 months ago passed and were offered a firm place at Manor Lodge.

One of our students started in September (one month ago). She did not pass.

The other student did not have consistent and weekly tuition. He also did not pass.

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

100% - As our results are of students who had at least 12 months of consistent, weekly tuition this means.

Both of our students who had CONSISTENT weekly tuition passed their Assessment at Manor Lodge.

2. Number of students who have not been offered a place.

2 (either didn’t have enough tuition or didn’t have consistent tuition)

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!

To those of you who were not successful, don’t let this get you down. Focus and move on. You have other Assessments to worry about now. You don’t want negative energy as your child will pick up on that. Take a few days to grieve if you need to, then brush yourself off and have faith in the process. If you work hard and take it seriously, you will be successful.

Our pricing will be increasing and our services will be changing from 1st November 2024. To secure our current rates, book your Sample lesson with a Senior Teacher today or Join our Waiting List to work with our Company Director from January/February 2025.

3 signs your child IS ready for the Latymer 7+ Assessment.

A popular school that we prepare children to be very successful at.

Latymer is a speciality of ours.

We know the school exceptionally well and what they are looking for.

We know because we have prepared children who have passed this 7+ Assessment (hundreds of them!) and we have prepared children who have not passed this 7+ Assessment. Generally, those who did not pass were those who didn’t have enough Assessment preparation (I have always recommended at least 12 months for 7+ Assessment prep at any top Inner or Outer London school)

Here are the 3 signs your child IS ready to sit their Latymer 7+ Assessment.

1. Your child is scoring 80-85% consistently in their comprehension papers.

Comprehension needs to be strong.

Vocabulary needs to be strong.

Spelling needs to be strong.

Use of punctuation needs to be strong.

Your child will be able to express their own opinions clearly and concisely and will have developed the skills of summarising, evaluating and predicting.

2. Your child has written at least 5 stories to the ‘Latymer standard’.

If you don’t know what the ‘Latymer standard’ is, I will publish a story for you later this week so you can see! If you need help with this, I have one place remaining in my story writing workshop which is next week.

3. Your child is scoring 80-85% consistently in their maths paper.

It is expected that your child is working at greater depth in the Year 2 maths curriculum.

Maths must be strong (the whole of the Year 2 Curriculum!)

IS your child ready for the Latymer 7+ Assessment?

Our expert team of 7+ teachers will ensure that they go into the Latymer Assessment with the highest possible chances of being successful.

Book your 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and have all of your questions answered once and for all.

3 reasons why the 7+ at St Paul's is so hard to pass

I have personally prepared hundreds of boys for St Paul’s over the last 15 years (previously Colet Court).

I have seen what works and I have seen what doesn’t.

Here are 3 reasons why 7+ at St Paul’s is so hard to pass.

1.Starting too late.

You can absolutely be successful starting later but your son will need to study a lot more intensively than if they were to have started at least 12 months before the Assessment (which is what I advise)

If your son starts too late, it is going to be very hard to cover all of the curriculum at greater depths (which is the level expected at this school!)

St Paul’s write, ‘It is hoped that boys who apply are working at a Greater Depth standard within the Year 2 curriculum.’

This is not just the Autumn term curriculum. This is the whole of the Year 2 curriculum. So basically, your son will need to be at a year 3 standard at a minimum to even be in with a chance of passing the first round.

2. Not understanding the Assessment process well enough.

So much is expected of the boys in this Assessment. If you don’t understand the Assessment process well enough, how will you ever prepare your son to be able to pass?

3. Not being able to achieve the pass mark percentage.

When I prepare my boys for St Pauls (7+), I am aiming for 80- 85% in all papers. There is a reason for this!

It is very simple really.

If your son doesn’t achieve the the threshold percentage for passing the St Paul’s 7+ Assessment, they won’t be able to pass the first round.

Here’s a bonus reason for you.

Not preparing correctly for the interview.

We have personally prepared hundreds of boys for both rounds at this school.

We have had tremendous success at St Paul’s.

We would be delighted to support you to have the same.

Book your Complimentary 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery Call with our Company Director, Maria Mazarese to discuss your child's upcoming Assessments and how to best prepare for them.

Is it even possible to prepare for a 3+ Assessment?

This question really confuses me.

October is a big month for us here at Creative Minds Tutors as many of our students will be sitting their 3+ Assessments.

Yes, we teach children that are 2 years old.

Why is that so shocking to some of you?

My son is 27 months old. I’ve been teaching his since he was born.

Do you know how many calls I have had in the last 15 years from parents who are distraught that their child has not passed their 3+ Assessment to their dream school? Do you know how many of those parents sent their child to their Assessment without any formal prep?

Most.

Of course, it is upsetting for me when I speak to parents who are upset.

But it is so avoidable.

You must prepare your child for a 3+ Assessment.

My client asked me yesterday, ‘What are they even looking for from a two year old?’

Great question.

A very easy question for me to answer. But many of my clients or potential new clients do not know how to answer this question.

How can they ever have the success they want then?

As a mother or a father, none of us would be thrilled to receive a letter from our dream school telling us that our child has not passed their 3+.

So if you are preparing your child for the 3+ in the upcoming years.

Prepare them and prepare them well. Each school will have their pick of who they want to attend their school. They are so over subscribed. I know exactly what each school is looking for and I support my clients to go in to each Assessment and have the highest chances of passing each and every one.

It is possible to prepare for a 3+ Assessment. I will show you how.

Join the Waiting List for 2026 entry today.

If I only had 3 months left to prepare my son for the 4+ at UCS, here are 3 things I would do.

With only 32 places on offer and with this being one of the most popular boys’ schools in London, you will want to prepare thoroughly for this 4+ Assessment.

Perhaps you’ve had other things going on in your life and before you know it, we are already nearly in November! You realise you’ve not done enough to prepare your son for his UCS 4+ Assessment.

Fear not!

We have the best 4+ Assessment preparation for UCS. Our very small team of teachers have prepared hundreds of boys to be very successful at this school for over 15 years!

If I only had 3 month to prepare my son for the UCS 4+ Assessment and I wanted to ensure that my son went in as well prepared as possible, here are 3 things that I would do.

1.Book 3 months of Intensive tuition

Ok so it will be less than three months of tuition at this point of writing this blog but we want to get 3 months of intensive learning completed before the 4+ Assessment at UCS. I would suggest two Bronze packages per month for the next 3 months.

2. Educate myself

I would want to know exactly what to expect from the UCS 4+ Assessment. The only way to do this is to speak to someone who actually know.

3. Ensure my son can do the following 5 things to the highest of standards:

-Write his name

- Write numbers 1-10

- Write all letters of the alphabet

-Know all of his phonics (single sounds)

- Be able to do all EYFS activities with accuracy and precision (eg. lego, puzzles, cutting etc)

Many parents assume that their son will just go to the 4+ Assessment, show his brilliance and pass.

All parents think their children are brilliant.

Let that sink in.

Take the Assessment process seriously and prepare seriously and well. If not, prepare to fail.

Our pricing will be increasing from the end of October. To secure our current rate, book your Sample lesson today.

2 things you should never do if you are preparing your daughter for the 4+ Assessment at SHHS.

If you are preparing for South Hampstead at 4+ as many of my clients currently are, here are 2 things that you should NEVER do.

1. Pay attention to what is written in the Admissions Policy.

Just don’t.

Here are some statements you should not pay attention to.

‘No special preparation is necessary as no formal knowledge is expected.’

Preparation is 100% needed for South Hampstead at 4+.

I’m not sure what they mean by ‘formal’ knowledge. But I know with 100% certainty that knowledge is expected!

2. Have less than 10 months of Assessment preparation at this school.

The first Round at South Hampstead this year is in early November (so in a few weeks as per the date of writing this Blog). I’m receiving so many enquiries now from parents who would like us to support their child with their Assessment prep for South Hampstead at 4+.

It’s too late.

We of course help. all parents who come to us for help but it is far too late. Unless your child is at the standard that they need to be, there is only so much you can do with 3 weeks.

It is my hope that if you are reading this Blog, you will take the 4+ Assessment process seriously and prepare your child to the highest quality.

If not, I really do not see the point in sending a 3/4 year old into an Assessment (which is definitely NOT a playdate)