3 signs you might be confused about the 4+ Assessment process.

You’ve decided to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. You have chosen your dream schools and you have applied/are in the process of applying.

Now what?

I speak to hundreds of parents each and every month and some of them are very confused about the 4+ Assessment process. Unless they’ve been through this process before already, this is completely normal. How else would they know what to expect? Whoever you choose to support you with your 4+ Assessment preparations, I want to make sure that you are not confused and that you are knowledgeable about exactly what will be expected from your child in their 4+ Assessments.

Only in this way will you give your child the highest chances for success when it comes to passing their 4+ Assessments.

Here are 3 signs you might be confused about the 4+ Assessment process,

1.You think the 4+ Assessments will be easy.

Well, you know - after all your child is only 2 years old. So what?

The 4+ Assessments will be far from ‘easy’. They are rigorous, thorough and will assess every area of the EYFS curriculum + anything additional that a particular school would like to assess.

Get this thought out of your mind as quickly as possible to avoid sending your child into their 4+ Assessments completely unprepared.

One mother once told me this - ‘It was like sending him into a lion’s den. He had no chance.’

2. You think that your child doesn’t need tuition.

Call it whatever you want - your child needs tuition in order to even stand a chance of passing a 4+ Assessment. Whether you prepare your child thoroughly yourself or you get the help of a professional - teach your child and teach them well.

3. You believe that there is a right and a wrong decision.

Parents often tell me that they want to make the ‘right decision’ and I always assure them that there is no such thing. Take away that pressure from yourself. You make a decision and you stick with it. You can always pivot in the future. Perhaps the school you chose isn’t the right fit for your child in the future - no worries - you pivot and you try somewhere else.

We all want the highest quality education for our children. We all want the best and brightest futures for our children.

So prepare them well for what could be one of the most important assessments of their lives.

Join us for the ‘Prepare for your dream school by Friday challenge’ and be as prepared as you possible can to get the best results possible. Registration closes Sunday 26th January 2025.

3 Societal beliefs that will negatively impact your 4+ Assessment preparation.

Social conditioning is strong.

We are all socially very conditioned (including me by the way!)

It has taken me years to get out of this heavy social conditioning loop but I see it every single day in the parents that I speak to about assessment preparation. And I also still struggle with it every day myself!

Parents that I speak to everyday are socially conditioned by their family, their friends, their ‘well meaning’ neighbours and just in general by their own upbringing. I feel nothing but love and compassion for them BUT this social conditioning could be having a very negative impact on the success of their children in their 4+ Assessments.

Allow me to explain.

Societal belief #1

Online tuition isn’t as effective as in person tuition

Interesting then how hundreds of parents call me after the 4+ Assessment results are out and tell me that their child was unsuccessful in all of their 4+ Assessments and they had in person tuition.

If in person tuition was so effective, why don’t more students pass their 4+ Assessments after having had in person tuition?

I have nothing against in person tuition by the way, I did it myself for 13 years. Just be careful when believing that online tuition is somehow inferior to it. It isn’t.

Societal belief #2

Online tuition means exposing your child to more screen time.

That’s interesting. Your family and friends will comment on this and then put a device in their own children’s hands. I do not classify learning online with my own son as screen time. It’s up to you how you think about it. And not up to anybody else.

‘What, you let your child sit in front of a screen for 30 minutes to have a lesson?’

First of all, they are not ‘sitting in front of a screen’ as 4+ lessons are very hands on and interactive and also why don’t you reply back and tell them the value of these exceptional online lessons and the fact that these online lessons will be one of the keys to unlocking the doors to one of your dream schools for your child.

Societal belief #3

You will get more value for your money with an in person teacher.

That’s interesting considering that finding an in person teacher depends on where you are geographically. Whereas you can work with the best teachers online wherever you are located.

Parents would rather have someone come physically into their home to teach their child who has no experience with the schools that they are applying to just because the teacher can set foot into their home than have teachers who have over 10 years of experience in the 4+ Assessments and have a 15 year track record of successful students gaining entry into all of the top inner and outer London schools at 4+.

I really don’t care who you choose to prepare your child. What I care about is that your child passes their 4+ Assessments.

You decide.

2 things you should must NEVER do if you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments.

So you are well on your way to preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments and you are eager and optimistic with the way it’s currently going. That’s a great place to be in.

However, if you are like most of the parents that I speak to every single day, you are most likely feeling worried and nervous. Perhaps you are not covering as much of the EYFS curriculum as you should be every single day. Perhaps your child isn’t interested in writing at the moment. Perhaps you have hundreds of other things going on in your life to be able to find the time to sit for 30 minutes every single day with your child and complete their learning tasks.

Whatever is going on for you, I’d like you to take a deep breath and grab a coffee (or a cup of tea if you prefer!)

What you MUST do is keep going. What you MUST do is trust in the process. What you MUST do is know that you are doing everything in your control to prepare your child to be very successful in their 4+ Assessments.

Here are 2 things you should NEVER do if you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments.

1.Have unrealistic expectations.

If you have the expectation that your child will sit with you for a full 30 minutes and engage fully in all of the learning tasks that you provide for them, you are wrong. Manage your expectations. Have realistic expectations. Your child is currently two or three. Most adults I know are unable to sit still and do some learning for a full 30 minutes, why do we think that we can have this expectation when it comes to our child?

Set your expectations from the start. Here is my expectation for my own son (currently 30 months). I expect that he will sit with me for at least 3 minutes at any given time that I have the intention to do some learning with him. This is the most he will sit with me before wanting to go an do something else. And that is absolutely perfect… for me and for him. Set your expectation for your child and commit to it every single day.

2. Leave your preparations to the last minute.

Most of these top, prestigious schools need 12 months of Assessment preparation so if you are looking to start now, you may already be starting later than you should be. The biggest error I see when parents prepare for the 4+ Assessments is leaving it to the last minute. It’s not their fault of course - they don’t fully understand the process…yet. 12 months is the sweet spot. Any less than this and you will struggle to get full curriculum coverage and for your child to master all of the skills that they need to master in order to pass their 4+ Assessment.

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.

How can you prepare for your dream schools in ONLY 5 days?

If you have a dream school in mind for your child, you do not want to miss this challenge!

The Challenge kicks off in exactly one week and there are 8 places remaining.

Imagine if you could...

• Have a clear and structured plan for the next 12 months that will help to keep you focused and to take massive action every single day.

• Have more time together as a family rather than wasting your time googling information about the 4+ Assessments.

• Send your child into any 4+ Assessment and know that you’ve done everything in your power to help them to pass.

In this Challenge, you will join me every single day for 5 days for 30 minutes every day (and if you can’t, no worries, you will receive the replay to watch at your own convenience).

I will tell you exactly what you need to be doing in only 5 days to ensure that you are on the right path for success with preparing for your dream school at 4+.

In this incredible challenge, I will teach you the three steps to passing the 4+ Assessments. 

• Know what each individual school is looking for in their prospective new students - each school is looking for something different and none of these schools will be assessing by the same criteria. If you do not know the criteria then how can you expect to prepare your child to be successful in their 4+ Assessment. I will share with you the exact criteria needed for your child to pass their 4+ Assessment at YOUR target schools.

• Cover the curriculum consistently and frequently - You cannot expect your child to pass their 4+ Assessments at schools like Haberdashers’, NLCS and South Hampstead if you’ve not put in the work. This is just unrealistic and an expectation that will just disappoint you. If you put in the work every single day over a long period of time, you will of course have the success that you desire to have. But in order to do this, you MUST have a clear plan of what exactly you will be doing with your child every single day (even for just 5-10 minutes) to prepare them.

• Ensure your child knows exactly what is expected of them in each Assessment - If your child doesn’t know or if they think that they are ‘just going on a playdate’ then why would you expect them to pass their 4+ Assessments?

I will help your re-focus your mind and ensure that you haver a clean plan for success in only 5 days.

Join the Challenge Today. Registration closes Friday 25th January 2025.

The UCS Round 1 4+ Assessment Report

We are still awaiting a few more results and I will update when I receive these.

These are the results we have currently received.

We prepared 5 boys for their UCS 4+ Assessment. Three boys have passed the first round.

The boys who passed started preparing 12 months before the first round. Passing the first round at UCS is not easy despite the school saying that their Assessment is a ‘playdate’ and that no preparation is needed.

3 key reasons for success at UCS

1.Boys who are able to follow instructions to a very high level.

2. Boys who have strong gross and fine motor skills.

3. Boys who are academically strong in all areas of the EYFS curriculum.

3 key reasons for failure at UCS

1. Not starting at least 12 months before the 1st round.

2. Parents believing that the Assessment will be a ‘playdate’.

3. Not demonstrating excellent focus and concentration in the first round and not showing the academic standards and capabilities needed in order to pass the 1st round.

With only 32 places available at this very over subscribed school, it isn’t a surprise to me how difficult it is to be offered a place at UCS. With hundreds and hundreds of boys applying to this school (close to 1000 I am sure!), you must prepare your son to be at a very high standard academically, physically and emotionally to stand even a small chance of being successful at UCS.

Congratulations to our boys who passed their first round. To those of you who didn’t, onto the next one. These results simply highlight the fact that it is absolutely vital to prepare well for the UCS 4+ Assessment. It is not a ‘playdate’ so please don’t get confused by this terminology. Take 12 serious months of 4+ Assessment preparation and prepare your son to the highest possible standard.

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today (only 1 place remaining to work with me)

How to choose the BEST Nursery for your child's 4+ Assessment preparation

I receive this question every single day. 

Parents who are preparing their child for their 4+ Assessments want their child to go to the 'best' nursery possible. This makes sense. After all, they want their child to be offered a place at all of their target schools. 

I hear nursery names like Montessori, Whizz Kids and Clowns. 

I'm here to tell you there is not one single nursery that will be the magical solution. 

Please just choose a nursery that your child loves, is happiest in and that he or she actually wants to go to every single day. 

You see, I've worked in several top Pre-Preps across London and none of these have been able to effectively prepare the children for their assessments alone. 

All of the children that I taught were receiving tuition. 

All of the children I taught were receiving some sort of one to one attention every single week from a tutor. 

And the parents who relied only on the Pre-Prep had far less success that those who invested in the support of a specialist 4+ Assessment teacher. 

The problem with nurseries and pre-schools is that as parents we assume that our children are getting all of the curriculum coverage that they need but the reality is that they are not. 

It is impossible for the Nursery or Pre-Prep to provide your child with the individual attention that they need to support them to pass their 4+ Assessments. They have too many other children to also think about. 

My son doesn't go to a top Nursery listed above. He goes to a Nursery in Colindale. I love it for the following reasons:

1. I adore the teachers that work at this nursery. 
2. I love that my son is eager to go there. 
3. I trust that he is well looked after and cared for. 

Do I assume that this nursery is covering all of the 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum in as much depth as I would like them to? Absolutely not. 

It is up to me to provide this curriculum for him. 

And it is up to you to do the same. 

I am delighted to have you here with me. 

Answer these questions to truly know if the Nursery your child goes to is the BEST one for them.

Does your child love going there every day?
Do you receive feedback about the 7 areas of learning and how your child is doing?
Do you think that they are helping to support your child with their 4+ Assessment preparations and why?

I will be running an incredible challenge from Monday 27th January. I am opening only 10 places for this challenge so join today!

If you don't know the 4+ expectations don't expect your child to pass.

You might think you know what is expected of your child in their 4+ Assessments but you are most likely wrong.

Unless you’ve been through the process already, you most likely do not know the expectations.

Don’t guess what these expectations might be. You have to know what these expectations are.

How else can you expect your child to pass?

Each school will have different expectations of their prospective new students.

Every single day I receive questions that demonstrate utter confusion when it comes to the 4+ Assessment preparation process.

Parents ask me if they should be doing this or they should be doing that in preparation for the 4+ Assessments.

It does not work like that.

You need consistent, focused and daily action covering all of the 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum to a very high standard to have any chance of success in the 4+ Assessments.

That’s what we do.

We support all of our clients to cover all of the 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum daily, consistently and to a very high standard.

This is why it is vital that you understand that this process needs to be started as early as possible. If you leave it to the last minute, it will be virtually impossible to cover all of these areas of the EYFS Curriculum (unless your child is already at a very high academic standard).

We know exactly what is expected at each individual school at 4+. That’s why we have the exceptional results that we have year after year after year. This year will be no different!

I have just launched a brand new challenge and it closes next week (Tuesday 21st January) and there are only 10 places available!

Prepare for your Dream Schools by Friday Challenge - Launching Today!

Is it your dream to support your child to be very successful to pass their 4+ Assessments at your schools of choice?

Imagine if you could...

• Have a clear and structured plan for the next 12 months that will help to keep you focused and to take massive action every single day. 

• Have more time together as a family rather than wasting your time googling information about the 4+ Assessments.

• Send you child into any 4+ Assessment and know that you’ve done everything in your power to help them to pass.

I want you to SAVE THE DATE:

Monday January 27th - Friday January 31st from 2-2:30 GMT because I'm hosting the...

Prepare your child for your dream schools by Friday Challenge

Spend 5 days with me so you can prepare your child to be very successful at passing any 4+ Assessment. 

There are only three steps to passing the 4+ Assessments. 

• Know what each individual school is looking for in their prospective new students. 

• Cover the curriculum consistently and frequently. 

• Ensure your child knows exactly what is expected of them in each Assessment.

During the challenge, I'll show you simple ways to make sure that your child will be ready to be successful in any 4+ Assessment in 2026 or beyond. 

Registration officially kicks off on Monday 13th January 2025. 

I will be opening only 10 places to this incredible challenge.

Stop letting tuition FAIL YOU.

January. The time of year that I receive hundreds of call from disappointed parents. I hear things like…

‘My son didn’t pass any of his assessments.’

‘We prepared for a year and she still didn’t get into the school that we wanted her to go to.’

‘I’m so angry/disappointed/confused.’

When it comes to choosing the best teacher for your child, here is the biggest problem that I see.

Parents wanting the teacher to come physically into their home.

Sure, this is great - if you can find the BEST teacher in YOUR local area who has REAL and ACTUAL experience with the schools that you are applying to. If not, to be honest with you - you are letting tuition FAIL YOU.

You see, the biggest resistance that some of our clients have before they start working with us is that they are unsure about online tuition. Over the years this resistance has weakened (as parents have seen our exceptional results year after year after year!)

I say this time and time again - it really doesn’t matter that you have a teacher coming physically into your home. What matters is that you are covering a robust, focused and bespoke curriculum created just for your child and the schools that they will be going to have an assessment at.

Listen, I have nothing but respect for all teachers and what they do. And we all have to start somewhere. After all, I started tutoring over 15 years ago. But was I as good 15 years ago as I am now - no. Of course not!

The experience I have now, is something 25 year old Maria didn’t have. Sure, she tried so hard! And she wanted nothing but the best for her students but what I know now differs highly from what I knew then!

I spoke to one of my clients yesterday who is receiving my support but has chosen to have in person tuition for now. She told me that her daughter loves having her teacher over and playing with her.

4+ Assessment preparation is NOT sitting down and ‘playing’.

If you want to spend thousands of pounds to have someone come and ‘play’ with your child, that’s up to you.

My questions to her were…

‘Does the teacher know what your target schools are looking for?’

‘Is your teacher covering all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum consistently and every day?’

‘What are you doing with your child during the week when your child isn’t with her teacher?’

Her answers showed me that although she thought she was doing her best with her child’s 4+ Assessment preparation that she didn’t quite understand the process and neither did the teacher that she was working with.

You want a teacher to come into your home - that’s up to you. Just make sure they are the best teacher to help you to have the results you want.

After all isn’t that what we all want?

Top 3 tips to make 4+ Assessment preparation easier.

You’ve decided that your child will sit their 4+ Assessments this year and you don’t know where to start.

Perhaps you are feeling completely overwhelmed with all of the information available about the 4+ Assessments.

All you want is for your child to pass their 4+ Assessments and to be offered a place at your target schools.

Here are 3 top tips to make your 4+ Assessment preparation easier.

1.Start with at least 9-12 months of preparation time.

I’m pleased my message is spreading and I’m receiving calls from parents who are preparing their children for 2027 entry! This is fantastic!

If you start with at least 9-12 month of preparation time, I promise you that you are going to have a much more pleasant experience compared to starting 3-6 months before.

2. Focus on the 7 EYFS areas of learning every day.

Here and there will not cut it. Your child needs to have perfect cutting skills, be able to draw with accuracy and precision, be able to colour in with detail, be able to write and hold their pencil ‘properly’, be able to answer questions in detail and have developed an amazing vocabulary (these are just a few!) All of this takes time, patience and consistency. Don’t just focus on the areas that they like to do. Focus on all 7!

3. Work with a teacher with real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to.

Don’t just choose a teacher because they can come into your home. You want to work with a teacher who can show you their results. A teacher who knows what each school is looking for and the criteria that they use when it comes to assessing the students (HINT - it’s not the same at every school)

You can do this alone. But why would you want to?

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.

If my clients can do it so can you!

Meet other parents who prepared their children to be very successful in their 4+ Assessments. 

When I tell people I help 2 and 3 year olds to be very successful in their 4+ Assessments, they often don’t understand.  Two year olds preparing for an exam? Don’t you think that is too young?

No I do not. 

Well, YES, they are young. But YOU have chosen to sit them for their 4+ Assessment so now it is up to YOU to ensure that they are ready to go in and pass. 

 You need a thorough and bespoke curriculum created just for your child and the schools that they are applying to. 

That’s why I thought you’d love to hear some REAL 4+ Assessment success stories. Head over to Trustpilot to read all of our incredible reviews. 

If you’ve ever wondered if YOU can have the success you want to have, you absolutely can.

As you’ll see, I’m helping parents all over the country to have incredible success in any Assessment.

Prepare your child and prepare them well.

Don't trust 90% of what you hear when it comes to the 4+

Most of my clients don’t know the truth about the 4+ Assessments until they start working with me. 

Many clients who don’t work with me end up wondering why their child was not successful in their 4+ Assessments.

Logically, we believe that it can’t be that hard for a 3 year old to pass an assessment. However, if you think this way - you are wrong. The 4+ Assessments are not easy at all. 

Many parents think that they will just take their child into an assessment and let them have a little play and then they will just be offered a place. 

It simply doesn’t work this way. 

Many parents that I speak to listen to what their neighbours, family and ‘well meaning’ friends tell them about the 4+ Assessments. Sadly, I don’t think you should trust 90% of what you hear these people telling you. 

Your emotional brain says ‘Well, Helen down the road told me that she didn’t do any assessment preparation, my child will be just fine!’ 

And by the time you end up registering for all of the 4+ Assessments, you’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of the curriculum you should have covered by this point. 

  Listen to me carefully. A parent who tells you that they didn’t prepare their child for their 4+ Assessments is lying… to… you. 

Perhaps not with the intention of doing so but they are. Perhaps not with the intention of misleading you but they are. 

I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to contact me and tell me that your child didn’t pass any of their 4+ Assessments (side note - sadly I receive hundreds of these calls every single year)

 To pass the 4+ Assessments, your child needs thorough preparation. 

Whether you prepare them yourself or whether you seek the help of an expert. You must prepare them and you must prepare them well. 

 Join Creative Minds Tutors today. For less than £10 a day, you can have more confidence around your 4+ Assessment preparations and ensure that you are doing everything in your power to support your child to have the success that you want them to have in their 4+ Assessments. 

Book your Sample Week Today!

Phonics hack - Find creative ways to support your child to learn their phonics.

I’m amazing at finding easy ways for children to learn their phonics! Each individual child will learn phonics differently and it’s up to me to find out the way that works for each of our individual students.

After 15+ years of supporting 100’s of children to gain entry into their top schools of choice, I’ve learned a few easy things you can do to make 4+ Assessment preparation easier and more effective. 

One of the most important things to remember when preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments is that every single child is different. What works for one child may not work for another child. 

It’s about finding simple, doable things that you can do every single day that will accelerate your child’s learning and take it to another level!

If your child is struggling with learning their phonics, try to do a treasure hunt one day next week. 

 Print out your phonics resources (whatever you are currently using!) and hide them around the room. Under the sofa, inside your child’s favourite toy and amongst your child’s lego!

 Then tell your child that you are going to do a treasure hunt to find the missing sounds! Make it sound as exciting as possible! Play some fun music! Have a special prize ready for your child to ‘win’ if they find all of the sounds and tell you them! If they don’t know them yet - of course help them. This is not about getting them ‘right’. This is about seeing them and saying them! The special prize doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive. It can be as simple as a new book that you’ve wrapped up or a magazine that your child loves. Anything! 

 Once you’ve completed the game, give your child lots of praise and tell them how amazing they are at learning their sounds! 

At the end of the week, see if your child can remember those sounds. 

If they can’t - no worries! Just keep playing treasure hunt! 

When it comes to learning phonics, consistency is key. 

Also, please remember that although some children will ‘get it’ straight away (good for them!) some won’t. 

It’s about finding ways to engage YOUR child so that they are exposed to seeing the phonics as much as possible (everyday even for just one minute is amazing!) 

Inside Creative Minds Tutors, you’ll get hundreds  of tricks, tips and hacks to make 4+ Assessment preparation simple. We will be there to support you every step of the way. Because we know how overwhelming 4+ Assessment preparation is. 

Join today! And don’t forget to try my phonics hack!

The perfect time to start preparing for the 4+ Assessments...

12 months before.

Do you know what “I’ll start when…” thinking is? 

 It’s what the majority of parents do when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation. And it’s the biggest sabotage of all! 

• “I’ll start when he/she is a little older.”

• “As soon as the holidays are over, we will start!”

• “It’s hard to find time to work with him/her so I’ll wait until I have more time!” (hint: this will never ever happen!)

• “I’m too busy to add one more thing to my plate, so I’ll start when things calm down.” 

This type of thinking is common with perfectionists (which most of us are by the way!).

We fool ourselves into thinking there’s a perfect time to start preparing for the 4+ Assessments.

There isn’t! Especially if you leave it too late!

The dangerous part is this…it feels GOOD and REASONABLE!  

Here’s the truth. 

There’s no perfect time coming. And you are NEVER going to be perfect in preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments. 

 We have this fantasy that a magical day is coming where life is aligned so much that WE WILL SHOW UP PERFECT. We won’t struggle, make mistakes, or have surprises. 

The problem is, this is just pure nonsense. You don’t need a perfect time to start preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments. You need a way to start preparing your child  when life isn’t perfect, when you don’t feel like doing it and when you feel so overwhelmed with life that preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments is the last thing on your mind. 

You need to be able to… 

• Handle the stress of usual everyday life things and prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. 

• Go through the holidays and prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments (I don’t take time off in the holidays for a reason!) 

• Prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments in ways that are flexible enough to flow with your busy life. 

• Prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments in minutes a day… consistently. 

That’s why the The CMT Emerald Curriculum is different than any other 4+ Assessment preparation programme out there. You will have 24/7 access to our Company Director and your teacher to answer any of your questions.  

I want your 4+ Assessment preparations to be simple and doable with clear action steps to take each and everyday. I want you to just open up your folder and pick a resource to do with your child and just do it. I don’t want you to waste a single precious second searching for resources that may not even be relevant to your child’s 4+ Assessment preparations.

Let us help you to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment no matter what life’s throwing at you. 

 Click here to book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week. There’s no better time than this moment coming. 

Why prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments alone?

What’s the worst part of preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments alone?

 Not following through with what you say you will do. 

 You worked hard all week, you’ve taken care of everything that needed to be taken care of but you’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to your child’s learning.

Every day you wake up with a myriad of life things to get on with and the learning just doesn’t happen in the way that you would like it to. 

Then you look on Instagram and start comparing yourself to other parents who seem to be ‘doing it all’ with their children (they’re not by the way!) 

All of these things are NORMAL when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation. But you don’t need to feel this way- EVER!

Think about the last time you planned and prepared a thorough curriculum for your child to follow for the week and by the end of the week you’ve barely completed half of it. 

Did you react calmly, brush it off and keep going… 

Or did you panic? Maybe you started questioning things...

“Why can’t I do what I planned to do?” 

“Why can’t I follow the plan?” 

“Why do I have so many other things to do?” 

These are actually good questions, but the problem is when you prepare your child for the 4+ Assessments alone, you don’t have anyone to help you answer them.  

And questions like this left unanswered leave you feeling hopeless, frustrated and ultimately not completing the quantity of learning that needs to be completed each and every day. 

You see, when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation consistency is key. It’s those little things that you do each and everyday that will count. It’s those little pockets of 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there that will make all of the difference to your child’s 4+ Assessment preparation. 

And imagine if you finally got the answers to questions you have so that you can just get on with it? 

A place where there is help, advice, and steps for how to overcome the normal things that happen in 4+ Assessment preparation.

Now imagine if you could ask these questions, get support, and the help you deserve day and night, 7 days a week, 24/7?

Inside Creative Minds Tutors, this place exists. It’s called The Creative Minds Tutors Emerald Curriculum and it’s where you can get any question answered or voice any fear, and you will receive the help and support that you need. 

Here are a few questions we’ve been asked recently: 

• What approach do you recommend for structuring our day?

• How do I stay on my plan when we have so many other things going on?

• Which strategies can I use to encourage my child to want to write?

• How can I help my child to learn their phonics?

• Which school is the best fit for my child?

• I really want to send my child to NLCS but I don’t think she will pass. What are they actually assessed on in the assessments?

With the 4+ Emerald Curriculum you get 24/7 email support from our Company Director Maria Mazarese. Just this feature alone is worth hundred of pounds. And guess what? It’s all included with your Emerald Curriculum Programme.

We take your child’s 4+ assessment preparation very seriously. Highly trained and skilled teachers individually answer all of your questions. 

You see, the more answers you have, the calmer you feel. And the calmer you feel, the easier 4+ Assessment preparation becomes. 

Join the Emerald Curriculum programme today and let us help you prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments in a bespoke, calm and focused way. 

Can you prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments alone?

These top schools will tell you not to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. Expect this. 

 These top schools will tell you not to tutor your child for their 4+ Assessments. Expect that they will tell you this - because they will!

Countless ‘helpful’ friends and family are telling you their opinions about the 4+ Assessments. And most of them are telling you that it is ‘ridiculous to prepare a two year old for a test!’ And you will feel that wave of doubt. It’s human nature. You will feel judged and you will feel that perhaps you are putting too much pressure on your precious little love. And it’s all just nonsense. You do you. You do what you want to do. Listen to these ‘helpful’ friends and tell them that you value their input and move on. 

You will receive so many confusing messages about the 4+ Assessments. 

You’re probably wondering, “Shouldn’t I be able to prepare my child for their 4+ Assessments on my own? Why do I need the Creative Minds Tutors Emerald Curriculum?” 

I’ll tell you the truth. You don’t NEED us. But you might WANT the support we give you.

You don’t need Creative Minds Tutors if you: 

• Are okay with knowing exactly which resources you need in all the EYFS areas of learning. 

• Feel fine about being consistent every single day with your child’s learning. 

• Sit with your child every day and complete at least 30 minutes of learning consistently.

• Want to spend hours a week researching and figuring out what you should do to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. 

• Have a great support system that knows exactly what to say in the moments your doubts and fears are their loudest. 

On the other hand… 

You might want to join Creative Minds Tutors because: 

• You want to avoid not knowing what to do with your child’s learning each and every single day. 

• Consistency is the key to passing any 4+ Assessment and our programmes will offer you this. All of our programmes are bespoke and tailored to your child’s 4+ Assessment preparations at their target schools. 

• You are tired of trying to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments alone. 

• Creative Minds Tutors  surrounds you with support from teachers who have over 15 years of experience with the 4+ Assessment process and who have all had exceptional results. 

• You want just enough structure to keep you on track but flexibility to live your life. The CMT 4+ Emerald Curriculum gives you simple steps to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments while taking the anxiety and fear out of the process. By combining my personal experience with all top inner and outer London schools  and clear, structured plans for each individual child, you’ll finally know exactly what to do to prepare your child to have the highest chances for success in any 4+ Assessment. 

 So, do you NEED  the Creative Minds Tutors Emerald Curriculum? No. 

 You also don’t need electricity, a car, or air conditioning. But aren’t you glad to have things that make life easier and more enjoyable? 

Join me and 100s of parents who are preparing their children for their 4+ Assessments with less stress and less time. 

It took me years and years to create this programme. You don’t need to waste any of your precious time. You will have everything provided for you and you will have 24/7 email support from a teacher who knows exactly what is needed to pass the 4+ Assessments at any top school. 

I can help you save a lot of time and prevent heartache in your journey to support your child to pass their 4+ Assessments.

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today!

I’ve got a limited time bonus offer for you if you book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week by the end of this week.. (Sunday 5th January midnight)

When you sign up now,  you will receive a complimentary Additional Consultation (to be used at any time) worth £120. This offer is only open to the first 5 parents who sign up and you must sign up by the end of this week.

Why 4+ Assessment preparation doesn't have to feel so overwhelming.

The first time I ever prepared a child for their 4+ Assessments, I was 25 years old (nearly 15 years ago!) 

 I was working at a popular top pre- prep school in Hampstead and I had never been immersed in this world until now. 

I remember being very concerned about how overwhelmed and stressed out the parents of my students felt. 

 I had never been through this process before and clearly I had a lot to learn. 

 Thankfully for the parents of my students, I was gifted at preparing children for their 4+ Assessments (and the 7+ assessments!)

I remember seeing the looks on their faces when they came in to see me the day that they had received the results and their child had been successful at gaining entry to their dream school. 

I knew there and then that this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to support parents all over the country to have the same levels of success. I didn’t want parents to feel overwhelmed and stressed about this process at all.

There is a Secret to passing any 4+ Assessment!

This is a secret that most parents who have already been through the process will not share with you (I don’t know why this is!) and this is a secret that these top schools will also not share with you (I also don’t know why this is!)  

 The secret is to be consistent every single day even when you don’t feel like it!

 It’s very simple isn’t it? 

Well just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

 We all have other life commitments and we all have other things going on. But the secret really is consistency. 

Every single day commit to doing at least 30 minutes of learning with your child. What a game changer that would be for your 4+ Assessment success!

Preparing your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry or beyond? Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.

Nothing has gone terribly wrong if your child resists doing what you planned for them to do.

When I started preparing children for their 4+ Assessments more than 15 years ago, there was one thing I knew for sure…

 I was going to make the process fun for both my students and for my clients.

Working as a teacher full time in a variety of state and private schools for over 12 years, I saw a huge flaw in the system when it came to preparing children for their 4+ Assessments. The learning plans were too generic. 

I mean, I could follow the plans for a little while and the plans worked for perhaps 60% of my class. But the other 40 % needed to have learning that was bespoke to them. It’s all well and good to have a plan on paper but it’s another thing to implement it and teach it to 20-30 children. 

The biggest frustration that I had as a classroom teacher was not being able to create more bespoke plans for each individual student to support them with their 4+ Assessment preparations. It was just an impossible task as I had 20-30 children to teach each and everyday. 

And here’s where the problems lie. 

Some children would want to do what I had planned to do and some children wouldn’t. And this is the same when it comes to preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments. Perhaps you planned to do a writing session and your child simply doesn’t want to pick up the pencil. Or perhaps you want them to draw a straight line and all they want to do is scribble. Perhaps you want them to make a play doh car and they want to make a play doh cupcake. Perhaps you want them to draw their family and they simply tell you ‘no’.

Nothing has gone terribly wrong if you your child resists doing what you planned for them to do. Here is what you should teach your child if you are tired of them resisting doing what you had planned for them to do. 

It may be frustrating to you but please try not to let it be. 

My son (currently 30 months) resists doing phonics or any sort of maths activity (unless it’s on a screen) but he adores writing, reading and answering questions. 

Every single child in this world is going to have learning that they love to do and learning that they either find challenging or that they do not want to do. 

The key thing to do is to be very patient. 

I see it all the time - parents losing their patience because their child doesn’t want to do what they had planned for them to do. By losing your patience your child will either lose their patience too or resist the task even more. 

 What you truly need to do is this…

 Show your child love and compassion. If they don’t want to do a task, there is a reason why. 

Stay calm and trust in the process. If your child doesn’t want to do an activity that you planned and prepared for them, ask them to tell you why. They might tell you, they might not. It really doesn’t matter. What matters to your child is that you genuinely care and that you are curious about them. 

I was rarely asked ‘why?’ as a child, And when I was asked ‘why?’, my answer was never really listened too and absorbed.

Now I ask my son ‘why'?’ all… the…time!

 Move onto a different activity and come back to that activity another time. 

Learning at any age must always be fun. If it’s not fun - something has gone terribly wrong. We want our children to always want to do their learning. 

 It’s all about finding strategies to keep calm and stay positive even when your child doesn’t want to do the learning that you planned for them. 

Do you know why most children do not pass their 4+ Assessments each and every year? 

It is because of the lack of consistency in completing learning tasks that cover all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum each and every day. 

Preparing for your child’s 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry or beyond? Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today!

How much learning should I do with my child each day? The answer might surprise you!

I speak to so many parents each and every day who tell me how stressed and frustrated they are with the 4+ Assessment process. This 100% does not have to be you. As long as you follow my advice and take focused and consistent action each and everyday, you will guarantee the success that you want your child to have in every single Assessment that you send them to.

I’ve helped thousands of parents prepare their children for their 4+ Assessments over the last 15 years . Do you know what every single one of them had in common? 

 NONE of them believed they’d have the success that they had once they finished working with me. 

 Maybe you feel the same way. Perhaps you’ve been following me for a while and the doubts are swirling inside your head like a whirlwind. 

Here’s some good news. It is normal to… 

• Doubt this programme will work. 

• Wonder if 4+ Assessment preparation is as simple as I say it can be.

• Think you’re not going to be as successful as you’d like to be in the 4+ Assessments. 

 But here’s what you should know. You are not alone. Many parents are unsure when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.  

The truth is 4+ Assessment preparation can feel like a maze that has you going round and round in circles and never really getting to the destination that you desire to get to. 

 Perhaps you think that 4+ Assessment preparation will be straight forward and that your child will do exactly what you ask them to do every single day. 

 But, that’s not REAL life. Real life is filled with… 

• Other life commitments like having to work everyday or look after your other children and your home. 

• Not knowing the resources to use to help support your child with their 4+ Assessment preparation. 

• Days and days that you will go without even opening a single learning resource. 

If you don’t do the little things that you must do every single day to have the success that you want to have, you will never be as successful as you want to be in the 4+ Assessments.

 As a very simple non negotiable, I would like you dedicate 30 minutes every single day (from today!) to your child’s learning. This doesn’t need to be done all in one go. You can plan 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch time and 10 minutes before bed for example. If you can do this consistently for the next 12 months - this alone, will be a game changer to your 4+ Assessment success.

Here’s to an incredible 2025 filled with daily and consistent learning. If you’d like my personal help, support and guidance, sign up for my incredible Emerald Curriculum Sample Week and experience for yourself what it is like to have all of the resources you need planned and prepared just for you and bespoke to the schools that your child will be sitting Assessment at.

Here is why you might not have the 4+ Assessment Success that you would like to have.

I don’t write this blog with the intention of frightening anyone or to make anyone feel like they’ve not done enough. I write this blog with the intention of explaining just how challenging these 4+ Assessments are and to help you to understand what exactly is needed in order to have tremendous success in any 4+ Assessment.

We have been preparing children to be very successful in their 4+ Assessments for over 15 years. We have seen what works and we have see what doesn’t work. Unfortunately, many parents are unwilling to put in the work that is needed in order to have the success that they desire to have at their target schools.

Many parents that I speak to admit to me that they either started too late or that they didn’t do enough practise through out the years leading up to the 4+ Assessments. Many parents simply tell me that they did not know what to expect. How would they? If they’ve never been through the process before, how would they know the challenges and the complexities of sending a 3/4 year old into an assessment.

The main reason that you might not have the 4+ success that you desire to have is lack of consistency.

Here is what I mean.

Preparing for a 4+ Assessment at a prestigious school requires at least one year of focused Assessment preparation. This doesn’t mean doing a little bit here and a little bit there. What this means is thorough and consistent assessment preparation covering all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum. What it means is taking massive action each and every day with your child to ensure that they master the curriculum. All of the curriculum.

I have a two year old and I know how easy it can be to go days without doing some learning with him. It’s so easy to make excuses - we were busy, we both were working or we just didn’t have time.

None of this will cut it when it comes to being successful in the 4+ Assessments.

First of all, you need to know exactly what your target schools are looking for in their prospective new students (hint- it’s not the same at every school) and second of all you need to practise daily and consistently in all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum.

That’s why our Emerald Curriculum will be a game changer for your Assessment preparations.

You will receive a carefully planned and curated plan to follow every single day with your child. You will have 24/7 access to our Company Director who will answer any of your questions at any time and you will prepare your child to go into any Assessment and have the highest chances for success.

And all of this starting from only £55 per week (with a Senior Teacher).

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.