Top 3 reasons why myself and my clients are happy to spend thousands of pounds on the academic success of our children.

Is academic success really that important for the futures of our children?

100% yes it is.

Academic success is so important to myself and my clients.

Here are the Top 3 reasons why myself and my clients are happy to spend thousands of pounds on our children's academic success.

Reason 1

Adults who are academically successful and far more likely to have more employment opportunities than those with less education. Academically successful adults are more likely to have a higher earning potential than those who are less academically successful.

Reason 2

Academically successful adults are more likely to be more active citizens in our society and be generally happier and healthier.

Reason 3

Academically successful adults have a higher self-esteem, lower levels of depression and anxiety and are less likely to abuse alcohol and engage in substance abuse.

With the advancements in technology and the fast moving pace in which our society is moving, as parents we must ensure that our children achieve academic success. Being 100% involved in your child’s education is going to have thousands of benefits to yourself and to your child. Academic success can also lead to more positive behaviour and better social interaction.

Children who become masters of their reading and mathematics are more likely to go onto earn more money than those who do not achieve mastery in these areas. This will open the doors to them to higher levels of earning and to further opportunities for their futures.

Some secondary effects of academic success are:

Better organisational skills

Better time management skills

Higher levels of motivation

Higher levels of concetration

Given the rapid advancement of the world that we are living in, let’s ensure that out children are ready to enter the world that they will be entering with the highest level of academic success.

Is there such a thing as a school which is highly academic and at the same time very nurturing?

I’ve been getting this question a lot in my Additional Consultations with parents applying to schools for their children.

As a mother myself, I know how important it is to make the ‘right’ decision when it comes to my child’s education.

Take away that pressure from yourself by knowing that there is no ‘right’ decision. There is merely a decision.

The majority of the parents that I speak to want the highest quality education for their children as a priority. At the same time they want a school that is highly nurturing.

These are the two most important factors when it comes to choosing the ‘right’ education for their children.

Highest quality education

Nurturing environment

With a myriad of schools out there to choose from, some of my clients feel completely overwhelmed when choosing their schools to apply to.

Many of my clients look at exit results to see the results the schools have achieved (11+, GCSA, A levels etc). They also look at the Universities children who have attended these schools have gone onto.

Of course, this is important especially if you want your child to be highly academic. However, don’t just look at the results. Don’t just look at the Ofsted report.

Actually go the schools. And don’t go just once. Go a few times. The only way to know if the schools are ‘right’ for your child is to see days in action at the schools. You will get a feel for the school. You will get to see what the calibre of students are like that go to these schools already.

What one person thinks of the school might be very different than what someone else thinks of the school. Disregard anyone else’s opinion. The only opinion that matters is yours.

‘Highly academic schools that are nurturing’ is a very subjective phrase.

There are also far too many variables to consider such as the teacher/ teachers your child will have. The types of children that will be in their class. The leadership in place at the time.

‘Nurturing’ means different things to different people. What is nurturing to me might not be nurturing to you.

Your child can be ‘highly academic’ at any school. I firmly believe this. I believe the education they receive at home is just as important as the education that they will receive at school.

So please don’t fixate on this. Choose 6-7 schools to apply to and then when you have all of the offers in your hand, you decide what you believe is ‘right’ for your child.

Oh and one more thing.

Don’t be scared to pivot. If for any reason it isn’t ‘right’ for your child, be ready to try again somewhere else. Nothing has gone wrong.

My honest thoughts about NLCS Round 2 (7+)

This year we have been busy preparing 3 girls for their 7+ at NLCS.

I always advise my clients to begin preparing for NLCS from the Autumn term of the Reception Year.

2 of our students started from September of their Reception year and they have made it through Round 1. Our other student started in Year 1 and she has also passed the first round.

The biggest difference though is that the two girls who started from Reception have had a much longer time preparing for the second round. I will of course publish our results once I have them.

With only 7-10 places on offer at 7+, competition will be fierce.

So don’t for one second think that because your daughter passed Round 1 that she will automatically pass Round 2. That is simply not how it works.

Of course, passing Round 1 is a HUGE achievement and your daughter has worked exceptionally hard to be able to pass the first round! In order to pass the first round, your daughter will have scored in line with the percentage pass mark expected by NLCS.

Where they scored will be important.

Here is a very simple example.

Let’s say the pass mark is 80%.

If your daughter just scored 80% and another girl scored 90%, the girl who scored 90% will be far more likely to pass the second round (depending on how she does of course!)

If your daughter scored 80%, she will need to score very highly in the second round.

My honest opinion is that NLCS have called back more girls than usual after the first round.

The second round will be a ‘day at school’.

Because of this, many parents think that they do not need to prepare for the second round.

This is 100% not the case.

You need thorough preparation for the second round. The second round should have been prepared in conjunction to the first round preparation that you did.

I am offering Curriculum Coaching to the first 3 parents who contact me today. I cannot offer any more than this.

If your daughter is sitting Round 2 at NLCS next week, I wish her tremendous success.

3 ways to prepare for 7+ Round 2 without getting overwhelmed.

There is a lot of confusion around the Round 2 process amongst many parents that I speak to on a daily basis.

The lack of understanding about the Round 2 process leads to results that parents do not want.

The last thing anyone wants is for their child to have passed Round 1 and then go into their Round 2 Assessment completely unprepared.

Imagine working so hard to then send your child unprepared into their second Round. It makes no sense.

To me.

Many parents I speak to are preparing their children for multiple schools for their 7+ and they have so many unanswered questions…

How is this school different to that school?

What will my child be asked?

What shall I do to prepare them?

How much should we be doing?

How do I know if I’m doing the ‘right’ thing?

All of these questions can lead parents to becoming totally and utterly overwhelmed.

Don’t do this.

You need a clear and calm strategy. That’s all.

One more thing before I give you the 3 ways.

Just because your child has passed Round 1, absolutely does not mean that they will pass round 2.

Just be super clear about that and manage your expectations!

3 ways to prepare for 7+ Round 2 without getting overwhelmed.

1. Know what the school is expecting of your child.

If you don’t know this, how on earth can you prepare them?

2. Make sure your child knows what is expected of them.

If they don’t know this, how will they show the school what they are looking for?

3. Start preparing as soon as you start preparing for the first round.

Don’t wait until your child has passed their first round.

The 7+ Assessments need 2 years of focused, bespoke tuition by a teacher who has actual experience with the schools that you are applying to. I recommend my clients start preparing from Reception - Autumn 1.

Join our Waiting List today (January/February 2025 start)

3 harsh truths about the Merchant Taylors' 3+ Assessment.

Results for Merchant Taylors’ Prep School are out.

There is a lot of disappointment.

This school is HARD to get into at any stage (3+, 4+, 7+)

There are many reasons for this and I am going to share a few of them here with you. If you do want to discuss further, please book an Additional Consultation with me.

If this is a dream school for you, I highly recommend that you get in touch with me at least one year before the Assessment and commit to meeting with me weekly for the full year. For some of you, this will mean that your son will only be just over one year of age. Of course, I do not expect a one year old to have 30 minutes of weekly tuition with me. But I do expect you to meet with me weekly and receive coaching about what exactly you should be doing every day to support your son.

If you truly desire to send your son to Merchant Taylors’ Prep School, take it seriously and prepare them appropriately for the Assessment.

Here are 3 harsh truths for you.

1. Not understanding the expectations at MTs’ for the 3+

‘It’s just a ‘playdate’ - Absolutely not!

‘My child is only 2, I can’t prepare them’ - Of course you can. The other parents whose children passed 100% prepared them - trust me.

‘My son will just go in and play’ - NO!

2. Overestimating what your son is actually able to do.

No disrespect at all, I also think my son is amazing. But I know for a fact that he would not have passed the MTs’ 3+ (He would have been 2 years and 4 months had I sat him). What you think your son can do and what he will actually do in the MTs’ 3+ are 2 different things!

Parents have said to me ‘You don’t need to do puzzles/lego/play doh, he can do that already!’ Please don’t be so arrogant. Come down off that high horse and be humble to learning from someone who has been doing this for over 15 years.

3. Not understanding the statistics.

I’ve heard different numbers but in my opinion over 100 boys applied to MTs’ for their 3+ Assessment. 32 offers were made. MTs’ say that 18 boys were placed on the reserve list but I believe at least 32 boys were placed there. None of the boys that I heard of were offered a place after having been on the reserve list.

4+ is even harder with only 7-8 places available.

So if you are serious about preparing for Merchant Taylors’ 3+, join our Waiting List today!

How do I know which school is 'right' for my child?

I get this question about 100 times in one month from parents who contact me.

As a parent, the one thing that we all have in common is that we want the best for our precious children. Many of my clients invest hundreds of thousands of pounds on their children’s education. Spending money on their child’s learning is something they happily do each and every month because they know that they are investing into the person that they love most in this world.

When I spend money on my son, I want to make sure that it is the ‘best’ investment for him. I want to make sure that he is getting the most out of the learning he is receiving. I also love to spend money on my son’s development and learning. There are no limits. I will do everything in my power to ensure that he has the best of the best when it comes to his education.

But this mindset and way of thinking presents itself with a myriad of problems.

We will never know what is ‘right’ for our child.

Until we have tried it of course.

Perhaps you have a dream school in mind for your child and perhaps they actually pass their Assessment and are offered a place at your dream school. Only after this point can we have a proper conversation about whether or not the school is ‘right’ for your child. Before that point, we are merely speculating.

What is ‘right’ for one child, will be completely ‘wrong’ for another.

You will not ‘know’ which school is ‘right’ for your child.

You will have your options in terms of your child’s education and you must of course plan and prepare well for them.

Then all you can do is try. Don’t just assume that all will go dreamily. At the same time, don’t just assume that it will all go badly. Try and if you need to pivot and go in a different direction, don’t be afraid to try again.

Nothing has gone wrong.

I love that my clients want the absolute best for their children.

It’s why I do what I do. I also want the absolute best for each and every one of my students.

Whatever that may be for them.

3 signs your child is READY for their 4+ Assessment.

Many of you have already been very busy with the 4+ Assessments so far this year. Some of you have had amazing success and some of you haven’t. Incredible success in the 4+ Assessment comes from thorough preparation. By thorough, I mean consistent daily practise of all of the key skills that will be assessed in your child’s 4+ Assessment. The 4+ Assessment at each individual school will be different so it is not enough to just ‘prepare’ your child generically and expect that they will go in and be successful at each individual school. It does not work that way.

I’ve spoken to many of you who tell me that your child is ‘ready’ but when I meet them or when you tell me more about their skills and abilities, it is clear to me that they are not.

If you have never experienced this process, it will be very challenging for you to know what being ‘ready’ even looks like. I have been doing this for over 15 years. I know exactly what it looks like. I have experienced actual 4+ Assessments - as in I have been invited to observe 4+ Assessments at top Inner London schools. I have seen exactly what these top schools are looking for.

Here are the 3 signs your child is READY for their 4+ Assessments. If your child isn’t, you still have one months to get them ready. The time to start is now. My 4+ Assessment Accelerator Course will be a great place to start.

1. Your child can follow instructions (95% of the time)

Yes, this is the expectation. And if your child doesn’t do what they are asked to do in the Assessment, they will not pass it.

2. Your child is confident speaking to teachers and other children.

You can be shy and still demonstrate confidence - try not to get this confused.

3. Your child can listen well and respond to questions.

It really is very simple.

Can your child do those three things?

If they can’t, you still have some work to do!

I am at capacity for 2025 entry but I am still offering Curriculum Coaching to new clients.

The #1 secret to sending your child into their 4+ Assessment successfully.

This is the most overlooked part of the 4+ Assessment. Yet it is the most important part of the 4+ Assessment.

How your child goes into their 4+ Assessment will crucial.

I’ve never heard anyone saying to me that their child went in crying and passed. Never. And if you have heard of someone whose child went in crying and passed - then they are the exception.

If your child goes in crying, upset or doesn’t want to leave your side, they will not pass.

Who will the school be more likely to choose?

The child who was crying and didn’t want to go in or the child who said bye bye beautifully to their mummy or daddy and waltzed in happily? It’s obvious.

The #secret to sending your child into their 4+ Assessment successfully is to talk to them about it.

A lot.

Not just for a few days before the Assessment but for months and months and months before the Assessment.

Even though you might think your child isn’t paying attention to you, they are absorbing what you are saying. The more your talk about it. they more they might start to ask you questions about the Assessment. This is great! Your child must know exactly what will happen on the day of their Assessment.

And it is up to you to ensure that they know exactly what will happen.

At the ages of 3 and 4, your child will not know what an Assessment is so don’t use this word. Tell them that they are going to a beautiful school, tell them they will meet new teachers, tell them that they will meet new children. And then tell them exactly what they will do and exactly what your expectations of them are.

This is the #1 secret to sending your child into their 4+ Assessment successfully.

Be completely open and honest with them.

Do not tell them it’s a play date. It isn’t.

Preparing for the 4+ for 2026 entry? Join our Waiting List today. The £50 will go towards your Registration fee when you receive the first invoice for your chosen package.

The 4+ Assessment is like a Ballet.

Yesterday I went to the Royal Opera House to watch Maddaddam. It was exceptional.

As I was watching this masterpiece I started thinking about my dear clients and my beautiful students who are currently going through their 4+ Assessments. As I was watching the ballet, I started to think about how much the 4+ is like a ballet.

The 4+ Assessment is a performance. The 4+ Assessment is a beautiful performance and the show your child puts on will determine how successful they will be.

The dancers on the stage were so incredibly talented and as I was watching them I imagined how many hours/ days/ weeks/ months they had been practising together for this performance. It was obvious that they had been practising for months and months and months. Meeting every single day to practise and perfect every single turn, plie and lift. No way were they able to do that with just a few days/weeks practise. The performance that they gave was 100% something that they had been rehearsing every single tedious day for a very… long… time. That’s when I started having visions of my little students who meet with me every single week for 12-15 months. My little students who wake up every morning and do some practise. Just like those incredible dancers.

You don’t have any sort of success overnight. It takes time, resilience and dedication.

Then there was the part where one of the ballerinas didn’t land ever so perfectly and I could see the look of despair in her eyes. It wasn’t what she wanted. Those dancers on that stage are there to give the performance of their lives. And any little error will be noticed by someone. Just like the 4+. An error could cost my students their chance of passing their 4+ Assessments. For example - not following the instruction or refusing to do something that they were asked to do.

Think on the 4+ Assessment like a ballet. You want your child to be successful then they need to show up every single day for a very… long … time and not just for a few months before their Assessment. They need to show up and give the performance of their lifetime. Not just show up and do what is expected.

Are you sick and tired of not understanding the 4+ Assessment process?

The biggest problem with 4+ Assessment preparation is the huge lack of understanding around the actual 4+ Assessment process.

Because most parents don’t fully understand what is involved, they cannot prepare their children to be 100% ready to go in and have the highest chances of passing their 4+ Assessments.

This is definitely not your fault.

I can the 4+ Assessments ‘The Secret Society’.

Schools are secretive about it, other parents who have already been through the process are secretive about it, teachers are secretive about it and even children who complete these Assessments are secretive about it!

So let’s go back to basics.

What is the 4+ Assessment?

Your child will sit their 4+ Assessment at the age of 3 or 4 to be in with the chance of going to a top Independent School. 4+ Assessments will be different at each and every school but in general they will be assessing the following:

Cognition

Communication

Practical Skills

There will be a variety of activities such as identifying shapes, counting, phonics, following instructions, listening to a story, problem solving, team work and independence.

What is the purpose of a 4+ Assessment?

The main purpose of a 4+ Assessment is for the Assessors to observe your child to know if they want your child to come to their school!

These top Independent schools will literally have their choice of who they want to come to their school!

What is even being observed?

Social skills

Emotional maturity

Independence

Ability to work well as a team

Schools want to know if your child will be able to socialise well within their school setting, how able they are to adapt to a new and unfamiliar environment and just how ready your child is for formal education.

So this is a very simplistic explanation of the 4+ Assessment process.

You don’t need to over complicate it but you do need to understand it. If you don’t understand it, you won’t be able to prepare your child for it.

Start preparing with at least 9-12 months of time before the Assessment. This is needed because of the vast curriculum that needs to be covered.

Bool your FREE 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today.

2 things you must stop doing today if you want your toddler to become an independent writer.

Parents often tell me this…

‘My child refuses to write!’

and parents often ask me this…

‘How do I get them to write?’

You don’t ‘get’ a child to write. So get that out of your head for starters!

Here’s what you should be asking me…

‘How do I help to create a love for writing?’

That question I can spend hours answering!

When I worked full time in primary schools, this was something that I had to work very hard to get rid of in my classrooms. This ‘enforced writing’ time. Especially in the earlier years (Reception- Years 2). Some children just don’t want to write for whatever reason they have and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m sure that there are many things that you don’t like to do too!

Yet we continue to ‘force’ our children to write and then we wonder why some children don’t want to write?

If you want your child to become an independent writer, here are two things you must stop doing today.

1.Telling them to do it.

My son is 28 months old. To this day, I have never told him to write. Not once. Every morning, I leave paper out for him. I leave colouring pencils/felts out for him. But I don’t tell him to write. If he gravitates towards that activity - that’s great! He’s always asking me for pencil and paper. He calls pencils ‘papers’! Perhaps because he sees me writing all the time and he copies everything I do, perhaps he sees that I myself love writing and am writing at various points in the day. Perhaps this is why he loves to write.

It is a problem if you keep telling your child to write because if they don’t want to do it and you tell them to do it, they will associate it with something negative. And once it becomes negative - that’s it - Game over.

We want writing to always be associated as something very positive. Very relaxed and calm. This is not what I’ve seen on many occasions in my nearly 20 years as an educator.

2. Telling them that what they have written is not good enough.

Don’t do this.

If you are trying to encourage your child to become an independent writer, just let them write. What they do is good enough. Don’t tell them otherwise. If you do want to comment on something, be specific. Eg. I love your letter o but let’s try forming it the other way.

You want your child to become an independent writer then avoid these two things to have the greatest chance for success!

3 mistakes over 90% of parents make that cost them their 4+ dream schools for their children.

As we are preparing more and more children for their 4+ Assessments, unfortunately we are noticing more and more mistakes.

Mistakes that sadly are costing parents their choice of schools to send their children to at 4+.

Top Mistake #1

Assuming that the 4+ Assessments will be straight forward.

‘My husband/wife just doesn’t believe that it will be as hard as you say it will be!’

‘He/she is only 3/4!’

‘What do you mean that we have to prepare for a playdate Assessment?’

I hear things like this all…the.. time.

Now, the huge problem with this mistake is that if you have it in your head that the 4+ Assessments will be straight forward, you won’t take the process seriously and therefore your child most likely will not have the best chances to have the best possible results.

I have Zoom meetings with parents every day who simply do not believe me. They don’t believe me when I tell them all of the things that their children need to know in order to pass their Assessments.

Why would I lie? I am here to serve and support my clients.

Top Mistake #2

Leaving it to the last minute.

So many parents contact me 2-3 months before the Assessments.

These are the most stressed out clients that I have.

They are stressed out because they have left it too late and not because of any other reason.

The curriculum is far too vast to leave only 2-3 months of preparation time. Start with 9-12 months minimum of time before the 4+ Assessments and take it seriously.

Top Mistake #3

Leaving it to others to prepare their children.

‘My child goes to a top Montessori Nursery.’

‘My child’s nursery/pre-prep is preparing them.’

No.

Do not leave it to others to prepare your child. Your child needs bespoke 1:1 learning in order to have any chance of passing a 4+ Assessment. I worked for 3 years in a Top Pre-prep in Hampstead. I know what I’m talking about.

My son goes to nursery. Ok, it’s not a fancy pre-prep, nor is it a Montessori. I view his nursery as a lovely addition to the learning he does with us (his family). I certainly don’t leave it solely to them to teach my son. They have other children to take care of and not only mine. Remember this.

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and empower yourself with knowing everything you need to know to have the highest chances for success in your child’s 4+ Assessments.

Books your child should read when preparing for their 4+ Assessments.

If you are currently preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments, chances are you are doing A LOT of reading. As you should be.

Reading is a very important part of 4+ Assessment success. We read with our students each and every week in our lessons.

Reading doesn’t mean just staring at words on a page. Reading means analysing pictures, answering questions and becoming fully immersed in the story.

Most of our students really look forward to reading with us in our lessons. We do too!

If you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments, here are the books that they should be reading.

• Fiction

Popular story time books such as:

What the Ladybird Heard

The Tiger Who came to tea

Aliens Love Underpants

Elmer

• Rhyming stories

There’s a mouse in my house

Hairy McLary

Octopants

Duck in a Truck

• Diverse and Inclusive books

Spreading my wings

New Baby

Eyes that speak to the stars

Astrogirl

• Fairytales and Traditional Stories

Jack and the Beanstalk

Little Red Riding Hood

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Little Pigs

• Non Fiction Books

Tree: Seasons come. seasons go

If Winter comes, tell in I’m not here

To Carnival: A celebration in St Lucia

I love Chinese New Year

Read books that spark your child’s interests above all. We want to develop a love for reading that will go way beyond any 4+ Assessment. We are definitely not forcing our children to read … ever!

Children should be delighted to pick up new books and read. Read a variety of genres in preparation for the 4+ Assessment and above all enjoy reading books to your precious little loves. Show them how much you love reading. Children model what they see!

How to support your child to develop their gross and fine motor skills.

All children develop at their own rate when it comes to their gross and fine motor skills. There is not such thing as one child doing better than another. All children are different. Do not compare them.

This is what I hear and it infuriates me…

‘So and so’s daughter is only 2 and she’s doing 48 piece puzzles by herself!’

First of all - good for her.

Second of all - do you know that to really be true?

And finally - who cares?

Not me. And neither should you

My son was doing two piece puzzles up until yesterday. He is 28 months old. Today he mastered an 8 piece puzzle and managed to complete it all by himself. I tell you this because it really doesn’t bother me that many of my own students who are the same age or slightly younger than my son are completing 12 piece puzzles with ease.

Gross motor skills are simply larger movements that use the bodies larger muscles eg. running and jumping.

Fine motor skills are simply smaller movements that use the hands, fingers, wrists, ankles, feet, and toes.

This explains it very well if you’d like some bed time reading!

The best way to support your child with developing their gross and fine motor skills is by providing them with endless opportunities to be able to practise daily. If you want to support your child with their gross and fine motor skills you will want to provide them with activities that will allow them to develop them. Eg. Materials that they can hold, squeeze, grip, throw, poke. Putting pegs on a washing line, applying buttons to pieces of paper and opportunities to touch sand and water will all support your child with developing their gross and fine motor skills.

Fine and gross motor skills are very important because they are the fundamentals for holding pencils and paintbrushes and for developing literacy skills when your child is older.

When I see children who lack gross and fine motor skills (unless they have a condition or course), I know it is because they haven’t been exposed to enough opportunities to be able to develop them to the level needed. No judgement at all. I know I could do way more with my son in terms of both gross and fine motor skills development. I don’t have a sand or water tray but he has this at nursery. I don’t do much painting with him and I’ve not started button work with him yet.

That’s ok, I will soon. This blog is not meant to be judgemental in any way. Rather an informative body of information should you want to ensure that you are doing everything possible to support your child with developing their gross and fine motor skills.

Timothy - A 4+ True Story

My student’s name has been changed to protect his privacy and so has his father’s name.

George contacted me in early October 2023. He was desperate to send his son to Habs boys. He told me that he had gone there and therefore was alumni. Surely that counted for something.

It does not.

When I asked him why he had left it to the last minute, he told me that as a family they had many other important things to deal with that year. They had moved home, his wife was expecting their second baby and he didn’t believe his son needed that much help. It was not a priority. Until now.

I told George that two months was not enough to prepare for Habs boys. I had been preparing my other boys for Habs since January of that same year.

He insisted that we get started and so we did.

Timothy was clearly a bright boy. However, he struggled with his social skills. He didn’t answer my questions with the detail needed and often he refused to answer my questions. His father quickly became deeply frustrated and told me that he knew that his son could do way more than he was showing.

This is irrelevant. It really doesn’t matter what you think your child can and cannot do. What matters is what they are able to show in the 4+ Assessment. George took it all very personally.

This is the biggest problem with starting late. You are going to be far more stressed out than had you started with a full year of time to prepare. Your stress will filter through to your child. Children absorb our emotions like a sponge. Your child will not do well under pressure. They are three at this point! No one wants a three year old to be stressed out, worried or anxious.

But if you’re feeling this way, how do you think that your child will be feeling?

Timothy did not pass his 4+ Assessment at Habs Boys (Round 1). His father was very surprised. I was not.

I know exactly what it takes to pass both rounds at this school. This is why we always have exceptional results every single year.

However, we do not perform miracles. So if you choose to start late, that’s on you and that’s your responsibility.

Timothy has been preparing for his 7+ since August 2024 and he will be applying to Habs for the 7+ Assessment. He is thriving and doing very well. George is a lot calmer and now has a deeper understanding of the Assessment process. He has chosen to put his energy into what he has control over.

I have no doubt that Timothy will get into his dream school at 7+.

Preparing for the 4+ for 2026 entry? Join our Waiting List today (your payment will go towards your Registration fee).

Secure your place with us and guarantee Assessment success!

Sara - A 4+ True story

My student’s name has been changed to protect her privacy and so has her mother’s name.

Her mother has given me permission to share her daughter’s story in the hope that it will help other parents to understand the 4+ Assessment process better.

I love that more and more parents are wanting to support each other through this process rather than the secretive nature that has been prevalent in this society that we live in. It’s not dog eat dog and it shouldn’t be. These children are 3 or 4 years old when they sit their 4+ Assessments. We should all be out to help each other.

After all, how we choose to educate out children is one of the most important decisions we will ever make for ourselves and for our precious children.

Myself and my team take it very seriously.

Sara

Sara’s mother Jessica contacted me in mid September 2024. I was having a coffee in Central London waiting for my partner to arrive to go for a Spa day! Jessica told me all about Sara with excitement and happiness. Then her mood changed. She told me that she had a 4+ Assessment at a Top London School in one month’s time. She also informed me that she was preparing for two very prestigious London schools and the Assessments for these schools were in December and January respectively. ‘Can you help us?’ She pleased.

I told her that the answer to this question would be based on hundreds of factors such as - where her daughter was right now academically, emotionally and behaviourally. After having met her daughter at her Sample lesson, I told her the truth. Her daughter would not be ready for the Assessment in October unless she was willing to increase the frequency of tuition.

Her mother chose to have one lesson a week with me. We met weekly for one month.

She did not pass her 4+ Assessment at this school.

Jessica was devastated when she got the results and she called me. Receiving that rejection was something she could not have prepared for. Seeing your precious child’s name on that letter or email and being told that the school you desired would not accept them is hard.

Now we have one month left to her next 4+ Assessments and her daughter is not ready.

My other students who have been preparing for the schools Sara is trying for started with me in January 2024. There is a huge difference in terms of their academic abilities, in terms of their ability to answer questions and in terms of the skills that they have developed over the process of these last 9-12 months together.

Starting 9-12 months before your child’s 4+ Assessment will be a game changer for you.

Jessica often tells me that she wishes that she had found me sooner. The truth is that she could have found me sooner if she had started looking for 4+ support sooner.

Learn from this story and start preparing today for your child’s 4+ Assessments.

Join our Waiting List today. The fee will go towards your Registration fee when you receive your invoice for your first package.

The three 4+ Assessment mistakes that stand out the most to me.

2024 has been a very busy year for all of us here at Creative Minds Tutors.

It’s been the year that we have supported the most parents in the History of Creative Minds Tutors. I moved everything online nearly 3 years ago but I have been supporting children to prepare for their Assessments for over 15 years.

Here are the THREE mistakes that stand out the most to me. Avoid these mistakes at all cost if you want to have any sort of chance at being successful in the 4+ Assessments in 2026..

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE

1. Starting late

I have always recommended 9-12 months of 4+ Assessment preparation to have the highest chances for 4+ Assessment success.

Starting late is a huge problem.

Starting late has meant more intensive tuition for my students. Instead of just seeing us once a week, some of our students are seeing us up to four times a week. This is because there is too much to cover. The curriculum is far too vast to start late.

So please don’t start late.

We have already started preparing children for 2026 entry.

Join our Waiting List today (the fee goes towards your Registration fee when we start our first package)

THE SECOND BIGGEST MISTAKE

2. Underestimating the complexity of the 4+ Assessments.

Thinking that the assessments will be ‘easy’ and ‘what can they even ask a 3 year old to do anyway’. You are very wrong if these are your thoughts.

The 4+ Assessments are far from easy and they can ask your child to do thousands of different things!

THE THIRD BIGGEST MISTAKE

3. Not knowing how to prepare their children properly.

Finding resources online won’t cut it.

Going to see a teacher who doesn’t know the schools won’t cut it.

Not being consistent (as in doing a little every single day for 12 months minimum) won’t cut it.

You want serious success - then take this process seriously.

Myself and my team take it very seriously. We are deeply invested in ensuring our clients are successful. This is how we go on to get valuable referrals from them and this is also how we continue to have credibility as a company.

We have ALWAYS had incredible success.

We are here to support you every step of the way too.

Preparing for 2026 entry. NOW is the time to consider getting started. Our places are already filling up fast for January/February start.

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

Will your 3 year old pass the 'following instructions' part of their 4+ Assessment?

My child would not.

I’ve not yet put him in the position to do so.

But if you want your child to pass their 4+ Assessment then you must provide thousands of opportunities throughout their Assessment preparation to follow instructions.

I speak to many parents who just seem to think that this will come naturally to their child. That they will just send their child to a 4+ Assessment and their child will do what they are told.

Absolutely not and this is a very unreasonable expectation to have of your child.

Other parents tell me this…

‘They follow instructions perfectly at their nursery!’

Yeh, so does my son.

So what?

It is irrelevant.

My son knows, likes and trusts the teachers at his own nursery. If I were to send him into a 4+ Assessment, he would not know, like and trust the teachers he will meet. Why would he? They would be completely new people to him.

So please don’t even take into consideration your child’s nursery.

It’s up to YOU to prepare your child to be able to go into any 4+ Assessment and follow the instructions.

If they don’t - they will not pass.

This is what we do here at Creative Minds Tutors. We know what these top schools are looking for and we provide this insight to our clients.

Through our FREE 15 minute Assessment Consultation Discovery calls, you can get an incredible insight into exactly what is needed for your child to be able to go into any 4+ Assessment and follow the given instructions and actually have a chance of passing their 4+ Assessments!

Can your 2/3 year old concentrate for 60-90 minutes?

Now this is a complex question.

Many of my clients get deeply frustrated by this. They want their child to sit and focus for longer periods of time (whatever that means to them). They feel annoyed that in our lessons, their child is not as focused as they think they should be (whatever this means to them)

Hold up!

Your child is 2 and you expect them to be able to sit still and focus for 60-90 minutes?

That’s quite a huge expectations is it not?

This is why I think in person tuition can sometimes be a detriment to 4+ Assessment preparation. With the teacher physically there with your child, your child will be much more able to maintain longer periods of focus and concentration. However, this is not what will happen in the 4+ Assessment. Your child will not have a teacher to themselves for the whole time (unless it’s a 1:1 assessment) and even then it isn’t comparable because your child does not know this person.

The reality is this.

If you want your child to pass their 4+ Assessments at top inner and outer London schools, they MUST concentrate for the duration of the Assessment. And you MUST prepare them to the best of your ability to be able to go in and do that.

That’s what we do with out students each and every week. We also provide our clients with tips and strategies to use with their children during the week to support them with their concentration.

It is the compound effect of doing things daily and consistently that will lead to the best results with your child’s concentration in their 4+ Assessments.

Book your FREE 15 minutes Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and let’s get your child’s Assessment preparation going!

Is your child engaged and truly focused?

Not all children are and that’s okay.

I can say with confidence that my son (who is nearly two and a half) can be very engaged in certain activities but completely disengaged in others. This would be a problem if I decide to send him to a 4+ Assessment next year. It would be a problem because he would stand out to the assessors when compared to other children who are beautifully engaged at all times.

If your child is sitting their 4+ Assessment this year or in the years to come, you MUST ensure that they are engaged in ALL of the activities that they do and not just the ones they like!

This is a skill. One that we have perfected over the last 15 years.

The biggest frustrations my clients have is that they think their child isn’t as engaged and focused as they ought to be.

As parents, we all have these visions of what this should look like and most of the times we are very wrong.

Here is my vision.

My son walks into the room as though floating on air and smiles at me. He goes to each a every single activity that I have planned and prepared for him and sits down quietly. He engages for long periods of time with each activity and answers all of my questions with confidence and clarity.

Here is the reality.

My son walks into the room and tells me to get him some milk. He smiles at me but then he tells me ‘not this book, that book!’. He doesn’t go to any of the activities that I have planned for him but runs to his scooter and yells ‘scooter!’. He gets on his scooter and scoots around the flat. I ask him to sit down with his puzzle and he yells at me to move out of his way!

This is why most parents become deeply frustrated and start to panic and think that their child will never be ready for their 4+ Assessment.

Obviously, if my son did this in a real Assessment, he would not pass.

That’s obvious isn’t it?

But that’s the way he is - right now. Can we work on his focus? Absolutely.

That’s up to me and not up to him. He is 2!

Join our Waiting List today (£50 will go towards your Registration fee when we begin your first package) and prepare your child to the best of your abilities to be able to go in to any 4+ Assessment and show true engagement and focus.

We will support you every step of the way.