Why investing in your child's education is one of the most important things you can do. Part 3

Part 3 - My University Experience 1/2

One of my clients said something which totally matches what I am going to write about today.

‘Success isn’t what is damaging, it’s the narrative around it.’

Whether done intentionally or not, as a child my narrative was that I was not good enough. That’s what I was brought up hearing. I wasn’t the ‘brightest girl in the class’, I wasn’t the ‘most gifted in anything really!’. And what I did was just never ‘good enough'.’

I didn’t get into the best secondary school. I wasn’t in the top set at school. I was too thin. I was too fat. I didn’t have enough friends. I wasn’t the ‘popular’ girl. All of these messages as a young, fragile girl growing up in a world that will chew you up and spit you out if you are not strong enough would never lead to anything positive.

I lost my father when I was 11. He died in a terrible car accident in Sicily. My mother raised us alone and I know that she did her very best. It was hard for her too. She had lost her husband and was left with 2 very young children to care for. However, I lacked that guide. And I 100% didn’t have it at school.

So when I went to University, I was literally thrown in the deep end. I remember it clearly- I had turned 18 and I had pretty much finished my A levels. And I just stood at the top of the stairs of my child hood home and balled my eyes out. I had no idea what I was going to do.

You see, my education had never taught this one fundamental.

Independence.

And now I had to go to uni? Alone? Figure things out for myself?

I wanted to go to Oxford or to Cambridge to study Italian. Well actually, I wanted to study Law but I was just told ‘no’. Although my grades were good, they were not good enough for these universities and definitely not good enough to study law. The teacher who wrote the recommendations simply refused to write me one. So guess what? I applied without her recommendation and guess what? I was rejected from both!

So despite everyone telling me that I ‘wasn’t good enough’, I applied to UCS and I got a place to study there.

However, even though it is an excellent University, I just felt completely out of place. Everyone who I saw around me was just so amazing and brilliant and I just felt like a fraud. I felt that I shouldn’t be there. As a result of this, I quit after one year and transferred to the University of Reading.

University is such a huge investment and I paid for it all myself - I got a student loan which I understood nothing about at the time! I want my son to go to university to study something that he truly loves first and foremost but also something that will actually support him to be able to enter a career pathway that is financially abundant. And I will guide him every step of the way to do this (if he wants to of course!) and I will always be by himself as he figures things out.

Because without the best quality education from the early ages all the way through to 18, don’t expect your child to just wake up and know what they want to do, to know how to be independent and make choices for themselves, to know the meaning of the words ‘grit’ and ‘fortitude’, to know how to handle failures. It doesn’t work this way.

That’s why I’m writing this 5 part series. In the hope that it will help someone to understand the power of the best quality education possible for our beautiful children. They deserve only the best of the best. And it is up to us to provide it for them.

Summer Born V Autumn Born in the 4+ Assessments

So your child is summer born and they are going to be doing their 4+ Assessment in the next 2-6 months. You breathe in a sigh of relief because the school you desperately want to send your child to has told you that your child will be grouped in terms of age. You imagine that this means that your child will be assessed differently to their winter born peers and you would be wrong about this.

Children are grouped into age groups (at most 4+ Assessments) but please don’t take this to mean that they will be assessed differently to their peers who are older than them. They won’t be.

I’ve never spoken to one single parent who has ever told me that their child was assessed differently compared to a child who is winter born. They are assessed in the exact same way.

The Assessments will not be different for your child just because they are summer born.

Why would they be?

Do you really think that these top independent schools have the time to differentiate their Assessment procedure for summer born children? No they do not.

Prepare your child in the exact same way as a child who is nearly a year older than them will be prepared.

If you don’t, it is highly likely that they will not be ready for their 4+ Assessments and it is very likely that they will not pass.

Their percentage will be adjusted to give them their final mark but only ever so slightly.

At the end of the day, if your child is unable to fulfil the criteria of the school assessing them, they will not pass - regardless of their age.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

Why investing in your child's education is one of the most important things you can do. Part 2

Part 2 - My A levels.

So my primary school experience was mediocre at best. My secondary school experience was exactly how I spoke about in in Part 1. The main point I’m trying to get across here is this…

I hear parents telling me this one sentence all the time… “She just loves her school Maria!”

The problem is that children have nothing to compare it to. Also children are children. And especially our younger children - they just don’t have the capacity yet to articulate truly what they think about their school experience.

As a young girl, I totally pretended that everything was ‘fine’ but it really wasn’t. And ultimately, I had no other options. My school was where I would stay until the age of 18 whether I liked it or not. Because I was just too young to make other choices for myself.

When I got to sixth form, I chose to do the ‘easiest’ A levels because after years of being told that I wasn’t ‘good enough’, I actually believed it.

I was a very talented dancer and I wanted to go to University to study dance. I was simply told ‘No.’ I ‘had to go and get a proper degree!’. I ‘had to do something academic.’

Door slammed.

I continued to pursue my love for dance continuing with my flamenco dancing on the side up until I was 22. I was a very talented ballet dancer but I stopped after passing my Grade 8 RAD exam.

My A levels were in Italian, Spanish, English Literature and French.

Languages were my strength. I have always spoken 5 languages (English, Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese).

I struggled with all of my A levels. I struggled with my GCSE’s too but I did exceptionally well considering the poor education I received (11 A levels grades A*-B). But I worked so hard to achieve those grades!

The reason I say that I struggled with my A levels was because there wasn’t the support in place that was needed. Italian was just natural to me and I didn’t need much help at all. I adored English Literature but the teaching was so, so bad (The English teacher actually ended up being suspended half way through the year for being intimate with one of my classmates). French and Spanish I adored too (still do!).

When it came to choosing Universities, we had one meeting each (about 10 minutes!) to discuss our ‘goals and aspirations’.

I had no clue what I wanted to do or what I wanted to be.

No one had ever bothered to ask me.

So what did I do? I chose the ‘easiest’ subject for me! I chose to study Italian literature and Spanish at University and somehow managed to work extremely hard to get into UCL.

Was this the degree I would choose again if I could go back in time? Absolutely not.

Did I enjoy this degree and was it worth all of the debt I went into to achieve it? I will discuss this in part 3.

Choosing the best secondary school or however you choose to educate your child is so important. Don’t just choose the school ‘down the road’ because it is convenient to you. Please, go and see as many schools as you can and decide as a family. Don’t rule out Grammar Schools because so and so down the road said that your child will ‘never ever get in.’ Don’t rule out private schools either - with so many bursaries around now, you can get a proportion or even all fees covered if your child is academically strong enough. Your child’s secondary school education is so important. Whatever path you choose - private school, grammar school, state school, home school or online school. Take it seriously and make sure that you invest in the best education for your child. I’m not just talking money here by the way.

Take the time, effort and energy to choose the best educational path for your child.

Why investing in your child's education is one of the most important things you can do. Part 1.

Part 1/5 - My education

Not all education is equal.

Of course we all come from different economic backgrounds and not all of us can afford to send our children to private schools.

But investing in your child’s education is one of the most important things that you can do for your child.

The best quality education can help to shape your child’s future in ways you probably can’t even imagine.

As a child, I did not have the best education possible.

I remember my primary education not being good enough. There were so many behavioural problems that I remember just being ignored for the most part. All the attention would go to the ‘naughty boys’ in my class. I remember huge chunks of time being dedicated to just resolving issues that they were having. A lot of time was wasted and what I learnt during my 6 years at this primary school was simply not good enough.

I wanted to go to Henrietta Barnet but I was told there was ‘no point trying’ and ‘you wouldn’t get in anyway’. Wow, what damaging messages to put onto a young, ambitious 10 year old girl. So I was put into a Convent school. It was awful. But I was too little to know any different. Every day I went and every day I didn’t learn much at all. The quality of teaching was low. I think I had one teacher that I liked - my Italian teacher. That was all. Again, the focus was on behaviour which only got worse as the years passed.

I remember the year 7 classes were in the basement. We would go down these long flights of stairs into an old brown door that led to the 7 year 7 classes. Each class had 30 girls. The classrooms were very small and the tables were close together. It was very claustrophobic. Because the classes were in the basement, there were obviously no windows! We would move around to our different classes obviously but no classroom should be in a basement in my opinion anyway.

Because I had nothing to compare it to and because I was a child, when I was asked the famous questions that we ask our children every single day, ‘How was your day?’, I would simply reply ‘fine’. I guess this is why I don’t accept this answer from any child I teach when I ask them this question. I always need more information.

There was a lot of bullying in my school. A lot. I was bullied and most girls were bullied. The teachers ignored the bullying. It just ‘never happened’ or ‘It just happened once so it’s not considered bullying.’ I guess this is why I have zero tolerance for bullying and why bullying was simply a no in any of my classrooms as a teacher.

I could go on but I think you get the point.

My primary and secondary education were simply not good enough and I deserved better. All children deserve better.

Not all of us are in the financial position to choose ‘better’ - I get that. But it’s about not just settling and actually doing your research. Taking your time to go and see the schools you plan to send your children to. Going on a tour of the schools and seeing if the school would be right for your child. Or perhaps looking at alternatives. Because although we’re not quite in the position to have hundreds of alternatives, we do have some. You have home schooling and you also have online schooling which can be an option.

It’s just about investing what you can and what is reasonable to you and your family.

We all choose what we want to invest in. We all choose what we spend our money on.

I will always invest in my child’s education and I know it is one of the most important things that I will ever do for him.

Don't do these 3 things if you would like your son to have a chance of passing the 7+ at St. Paul's.

Having prepared hundreds of boys for their 7+ at St. Paul’s, I know exactly what to expect. I know exactly what works and I know exactly what does not. St. Paul’s is a highly sought after school. Thousands of parents across the UK would love to send their boys to this school at 7+. In fact, many dream of sending their boys to this school at 7+.

St. Paul’s is a prestigious school with a reputation for achieving exceptional academic results. The campus is modern and includes a sports centre, swimming pool and a beautiful dining hall. You will be paying for a nearly 30k a year education for your son.

Don't do these 3 things if you would like your son to have a chance of passing the 7+ at St. Paul's.

1. Start late to prepare your son.

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

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

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

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

2. Not understanding the Assessment process well enough.

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

Most parents sadly underestimate what this assessment will be like and don’t even scratch the surface when preparing their son’s for their 7+ Assessment at this school.

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

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

It is very simple really.

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

Here’s one more thing you should not do.

Not preparing your son for the interview.

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

We have had tremendous success at St Paul’s.

Join our Waiting List for 2027 entry today or Book your Sample Lesson today.

The Secret to UCS 7+ Assessment Success

UCS is one of our most popular boys’ schools that we prepare our boys for at 7+.

This is an exceptional school and very popular amongst our clients.

It is a tough school to get into.

With the correct preparation however, you will give your son the highest possible chances for success at this school. And at passing their 7+ Assessment at UCS.

In the Autumn term your son will be invited for a Reading Assessment and will do ‘listening and discussion’ exercises. This is just to make sure that your child can read well enough in order to actually be able read the questions asked in the Assessment. Do note that the score from this Assessment will be taken into consideration. 60 boys will pass their 7+ and be admitted into 3 classes in Year 3 at UCS. Keep in mind that about 30 of these boys will be coming up from their own Pre-prep. So really there are only about 30 places available at 7+!

Registration for 2026 is now open. Visit the UCS website to register your son.

A report is requested from your son’s current school and this report will be very important.

In January the boys’ sit their Assessment which consists of:

Maths

English

Social interaction observation

Behaviour observation

The Assessment is long and stamina will be important - It is a 3 hour Assessment (including a short break)

The UCS Assessment in 2025 was as usual a challenging one. The level of questions asked was high in both Maths and English.

The secret to UCS 7+ Assessment is to cover all of the Year 2 curriculum to greater depth. You must also dip into the Year 3 curriculum in both maths and english.

Invest in the highest quality 7+ Assessment preparation available.

Join our Waiting list for 2027 entry today or book your Sample Week.

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3 ways to not pass the Highgate 7+ Assessment.

The Highgate 7+ Assessment is a very challenging Assessment.

50 children will have passed their 7+ Assessments (September 2025 entry) to join 60 children who are already in the Pre-prep. Hundreds and hundreds of parents will have received letters earlier this year telling them that their child will not be studying at Highgate from Year 3.

Registration for 2026 entry is open and if you are interested in this school, you can register for the 7+ Assessment here.

So here are 3 ways NOT to pass the Highgate 7+ Assessment. Avoid these at all costs and guarantee the highest chances for success for your child.

Way #1 to NOT pass

Not having a full 12 months of 7+ Assessment preparation tailored specifically to Highgate.

Whether you choose to teach your child yourself or you invest in the support of a specialised teacher, it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that your child has the full 12 months of Assessment prep. Historically (and I have no idea why!), parents leave this assessment to the very last minute. And it’s just not enough time! Their child will most likely not pass without the full 12 months of preparation. Take this Assessment very seriously and if you don’t, do not expect Highgate to take you seriously!

If you are currently preparing for Highgate and would like to ensure that your child is on the right track, book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

Way #2 to NOT pass

Choosing a teacher who does not have real and actual experience with getting children into Highgate at 7+.

Perhaps they choose a teacher based purely on the fact that they live near to them or perhaps they choose a teacher based on the fact that their fees were lower compared to those of others that they were researching. If you work with a teacher who doesn’t have experience with actually supporting students to pass their Assessment at Highgate, how can you expect your child to be taught the curriculum relevant to the Highgate Assessment?

Way #3 to NOT pass

Assume that because your child has passed Round 1 that they will pass Round 2.

Many parents simply stopped their lessons with us when they found out that their child passed their first round! Big mistake. Highgate call back MOST of the students from Round 1. Round 2 needs thorough and careful Assessment preparation (in conjunction with Round 1 prep and not as a standalone service!)

Don’t leave this one to the last minute please.

Preparing for Highgate for 2026 entry or beyond?

Book your Sample Lesson and Week today.

5 life lessons I will teach my son before Maths and English

Growing up, I really had to figure things out mostly on my own.

It wasn’t easy.

Do I have it all figured out now? Absolutely not. But I have figured a few things out and I will be my son’s guide every step of the way.

5 life lessons I will teach my son before Maths and English.

1. Life will always be 50/50

There will be times his life will feel amazing, filled with joy and happiness and there will be times where his life will suck and he will feel pain, sorrow and perhaps even despair. I will teach him that in both these times of pure 50/50 that everything is ok. We can work through the pain together and we can celebrate the wins together too.

2. Always be true to himself

For far too long, I lied about my truth. I lived a life wanted by someone else (someone who didn’t even know what they wanted for themselves let alone for me!) and one that I didn’t love. I pretended to love it and I was really good at pretending! I never ever want my son to do this. I always want him to take the time to learn how to reflect on things and be true to himself. Do the things he loves to do and never ever listen to what society is telling him to do.

3. Be kind and caring.

I will teach my son to be kind and caring. To listen to others- truly listen and not pretend to listen. To hold doors open for others even if they won’t notice or say thank you. To hug someone if they are crying and to truly care about why they are upset. To care for others as much as he cares about himself.

4. Know that other people’s attacks are not personal.

I’ve always taken other people’s attacks to mean there is something wrong with me. There is nothing wrong with me! I will teach my son that other people will have their own problems and issues and there will be times that they will take things out on him. I will teach him to not attach their feelings to his. I will teach him that their attacks are not personal and I will teach him how to deal with such issues.

5. Never do something that he really doesn’t want to do.

I did so many things (often for years and years) that I didn’t truly want to do. Life is far too short. And I do regret many of these things. I will teach him to work hard and to always have an end goal in mind but I will teach him that there are many ways of achieving what we want without having to do things that we truly (deep down) do not want to do.

What are 5 life lessons that you will teach your child?

Bute House Confusion

I wanted to call this blog something else but it didn’t seem appropriate.

Having prepared several girls for this assessment, I’m very well aware of what is involved. I’m very well aware of the standards expected by Bute House and I’m very well aware of the calibre of girl who is offered a place to study at Bute House.

My client sent me a mumsnet post the other day and I found it fascinating and also utterly destructive to other parents reading her experience and most likely believing what she is writing.

Obviously, you are free to believe whatever you want to believe!

This mother writes that her daughter was offered a place at Bute House (7+) and she writes about how proud she is that she ‘didn’t tutor her daughter’.

Listen up, she 100% did tutor her daughter. She taught her herself (supposedly!). So she tutored her. Why is tutoring such a dirty word? Tutoring just means teaching. They are the exactly same, identical thing. So if you are teaching your child yourself, you are tutoring them. Understand that. All this nonsense I hear from parents who tell me ‘I didn’t tutor my child.’

Yes you 100% did.

After going on about her daughter not being tutored she then goes on to speak about all of the learning her daughter did each week at home in preparation for her Bute House 7+ Assessment. So she was tutored!

She goes on to tell her readers that Bute House doesn’t do ‘formal written assessments’ and instead invite girls to a ‘day at school’. Complete and utter nonsense and very misleading to parents who will believe what she is writing! Yes, it’s a day at school. But your daughter will complete ‘formal written assessments’. Specifically a maths paper, a reading paper and a writing paper. Bute House also write that they ‘do not follow a traditional paper based format’ - not sure what they mean by this. They can masquerade it how they want. Your daughter will be completing papers in one way or another.

So yes, it will be a lovely day at school for your daughter but really no body is interested in the fact that your daughter had a ‘lovely time’. If her daughter passed, it’s because she passed each aspect of this rigorous 7+ Assessment. It’s because she met the high academic threshold, it’s because she was able to demonstrate confidence and exceptional capabilities in her 7+ Assessment.

Bute House also say not to have your daughter tutored because she will then not be able to keep up with the academic standards of the school further down the line. I think tutoring has been completely misunderstood by some. Tutored girls are the ones who will pass their 7+ Assessment at Bute House. Those who are not, will not stand a chance. At the end of the day, your daughter needs to meet a percentage point in order to pass.

Simple.

Oh and by the way, don’t let anyone tell you not to have your daughter tutored. Even if your daughter is successful at Bute House, having tuition is just a beautiful complement to that.

Preparing for Bute House for 2027 entry and beyond?

Join our Waiting List today or Book your Sample lesson and sample week.

'The UCS 4+ Assessment will not be academic' is laughable and insulting.

I had a meeting yesterday with two of my clients. I prepared their daughter for South Hampstead a year and a half ago and she was very successful in all of the schools she attended for her 4+ Assessments. My clients are now preparing their son for top schools for his 4+ Assessments.

They told me their list of schools and we had a bit of a discussion about them.

Next, they told me about UCS. And the fact that they were told that ‘The UCS 4+ Assessment will not be academic.’

They asked me for my opinion about it and here was my exact answer.

‘It is pure nonsense.’

Funny, the boys who I’ve prepared historically for over 16 years now never once mentioned that they just went into this Assessment to ‘play’.

Funny and also incredibly insulting.

And here’s why.

My clients who have been very successful at supporting their sons to pass the UCS 4+ Assessment have been the ones who have shown up every day for their sons. The ones who have put in the effort. The ones who have persevered even when things got challenging for them. The ones who taught their sons to read and write and the ones who knew exactly what UCS were looking for and were able to go all in to ensure success in their son’s 4+ Assessments.

And guess who were the clients who did not have this ultimate success?

It was the ones who believed that ridiculous sentence. Are the ones who told their sons to ‘just go in and play’. After all that’s exactly what they were told would happen!

Well, their sons didn’t pass their 4+ Assessments at UCS.

Hundreds and hundreds of boys will apply to attend their UCS 4+ Assessment (500+). With only 32 places available who do you think will be offered a place?

Do you think it will be the boy who knows how to write his name beautifully or the boy who can’t hold his pencil?

Do you think it will be the boy who can follow instructions perfectly or the boy who runs off to do the activity that he wants to do?

Do you think it will be the boy who knows his phonics or the boy who doesn’t?

I could go on…

Let’s be honest here.

It is not a play date.

It will be academic.

Prepare your son and prepare him well for the UCS 4+ Assessment.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

Staying in your comfort zone will not help you in your 4+ Assessment journey.

We are creatures of comfort.

It’s how we have been wired.

Even the ultra successful are creatures of comfort.

We want things to come easily to us, we want to avoid discomfort, we seek pleasure and we definitely don’t want to struggle with preparing our children for their 4+ Assessments.

However, hear me when I say this. Staying in your comfort zone will not help you in your 4+ Assessment journey.

Because staying in your comfort zone, most likely means that your child loves all of the learning that you are doing with them. Because staying in your comfort zone, most likely means that your child wants to do everything you place in front of them. This is not what 4+ Assessment success looks like. Quite the opposite actually.

Because if this is the case, you most likely are not challenging your child to the level that they need to be challenged in order to pass their 4+ Assessments.

4+ Assessment success looks like this.

Resistance

Struggle

Discomfort

Fun

Joy

Happiness

It is a full 50/50 spectrum of emotions.

When you provide your child with learning that they perhaps don’t like, that they perhaps don’t want to do - that’s when you will start feeling uncomfortable.

This is when most parents throw their hands up in the air and just give up.

They say things like this…

“Whatever, she’s only 3.”

“I’ll just send him in and what will be will be.”

“It won’t be as hard as people tell me it is!”

“This is ridiculous!”

“I’m so frustrated.”

I could go on.

This is not the time to throw your hands up in the air and give up. This is your time to keep going. To make friends with the discomfort. To invite it in. You will feel uncomfortable on this journey towards preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments and that’s ok.

Accept it.

Embrace it.

Know that it will all be worth it in the end.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

One precious final place to work with me personally for 2026 entry.

Encouraging Social Skills for the 4+ Assessments

Did you know that top schools don’t just look for academic ability… They also want to see children who can share, take turns, and interact confidently with others.

Many children struggle with social skills at this age especially in unfamiliar settings. In 4+ assessments they may be observed doing the following…

1. Group play & activities – Can they take turns and share toys?
2. Following adult instructions – Do they listen & respond appropriately?
3. Confidence in new situations – Are they comfortable interacting with teachers & peers that they’ve never met before?

3 simple ways to boost social confidence at home:

1. Role-Playing Games – When I taught in schools across the country, I used to love playing charades with my students! What a great confidence boosting game.

2. Playdates & Group Activities – Help your child to get comfortable socialising. Find new activities to take your child to every week. Taking them to the same activities week after week won’t cut it. They will get used to the teachers and the children that they see there every single week. You need to expose your child to new activities as much as possible. Luckily, we live in a city that offers so much for our young children. A few weeks ago I booked a brand new Gymboree art class for myself and my son to attend for example. Next week, we will be going to a family splash activity at my son’s pool that we’ve never attended before. It does take time to look for and find these activities but you must do these things if your child is going to a 4+ Assessment this year! If you work with us, we will help you to find perfect classes for your child to go to!

3. Encourage Independence – Let your child order their own snack or say "hello" to new people. This is something that I’ve done with my son from a very young age and it is such a delight to see when we go for a coffee together that he always brings the cups and saucers to the cafe owner (who he adores now!) and he does it with such confidence and with a huge smile on his face!

Social confidence helps children stand out in 4+ assessments. How do you think your child would do with this aspect of the 4+ Assessment?

Don’t just expect to take them into a 4+ Assessment and that they will demonstrate social skills. This needs to be worked on through out the year in the lead up to your child’s assessments.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Schools are 'clamping down on tutoring'!

This is the most nonsensical thing that I have heard all week. And it’s a load of rubbish. There I said it. I’m so done keeping quiet about this and playing nice. These schools don’t seem to mind saying these things so guess what I won’t mind either!

‘Clamping down on tutoring’ literally makes no sense.

First of all, it makes tutoring sound like something evil and it isn’t. Tutoring is the most beautiful gift that you can offer to your child.

Secondly, as I’ve always said, why are these schools so against tutoring?

Do they see it as some sort of threat to them?

Does it undermine what they do in some sort of way?

So when I hear from my clients or from new parents that they are worried about tutoring their children because they ‘don’t want the schools to know that their child has been tutored’, it fills me with nothing but sadness.

Because the brutal truth is this…

If you do not tutor your child, they will not pass their 4+ Assessments at top schools like Westminster, Glendower and South Hampstead.

Whether you ‘tutor’ your child yourself or you seek the help of a professional, it doesn’t matter. Sending your child with no prep to one of these independent schools is just unkind and unfair to the child. Why would you put your child in that position?

Do what you want of course. But I would never, ever do this to my 3 year old. Why would I make him feel that he can’t answer the questions that he is asked? Why would I make him feel that he can’t do the things that he is asked to do?

What do I think the issue with tutoring and these schools is?

Here it is!

I think schools like Glendower and Faulkner House want to hold onto their students for as long as possible (until the end of Year 6!). They don’t want children leaving their schools. After all, it is a business! So tutoring is a threat to them. Because the highest quality tuition will support their children to get into the likes of Westminster and St. Paul’s and it can help them get there before their 11+! They do not want children to leave!

And speaking very honestly - I tutor children from Glendower, St Paul’s and the likes of The Hall. And my clients are doing nothing wrong. What they are doing is giving their children the incredible gift of building a love for learning that goes far beyond any assessment.

So believe what you like. But if you want your child to stand any chance of passing an assessment at a top 4+ school like Highgate, The Hall, Westminster and Glendower - prepare your child and prepare them well. Take Massive Action every single day and never for one second think that you can send your child into one of these schools with zero preparation and come and tell me that they passed.

You won’t.

Trust me.

'What will come up in their 4+ Assessments?'

This is the number 1 question that Ive heard these last few months.

Parents I speak to really fixate on this question.

It’s the wrong question to fixate on.

You will never really know what will come up in your child’s 4+ Assessment. You can guess based on what has come up historically, sure. But ultimately, you won’t know what will come up.

A school will never repeat exactly what they did previously.

So why do parents really fixate on this question?

They want a sense of security that what they are doing is ‘right’. That the areas of learning that they are spending time on will actually come up.

The best sense of security for you is this..

Cover all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum consistently and frequently and provide your child with everything that they need in order to go into any 4+ Assessment and truly shine (and score the highest percentages in order to be able to pass!).

An alternative (and better) question to this one would be this…

How can I support my child to the best of my ability to be able to go into their 4+ Assessments and show the assessors exactly what they are looking for?

This question I can spend hours answering for you!

Always remember this. What will come up is not as important as how your child demonstrates the skills that they are asked to demonstrate.

What do you look for in a 7+ teacher?

So you want to send your child to a 33k per year school but you are not willing to invest £65 into a Sample lesson to find the best teacher in the world for your child?

I would ask myself some questions if I were you.

Here is your first question.

What do you look for in a 7+ teacher?

I had a meeting with a family yesterday and not once did they ask me this question…

What is your experience with preparing children for their 7+ Assessments?

This is the #1 question you should ask.

Your priority has to be how much experience this teacher has with the 7+. Because if they really don’t have experience with the 7+, how on earth will they help your child to pass their 7+ Assessment?

Here is what some of you look for in a 7+ teacher which I think is completely wrong.

1. Someone who will come physically into your home - This is so limiting because you are limited to working with only the teachers who live in your local area.

2. Affordability. When you are speaking to agencies who prepare for the 7+, you are comparing price points. You want to save money in a highly complex process which will ultimately support your child to go to a 30k+ per year school. Don’t focus on affordability and the ‘cheapest rate’. You are not here to save money. You are here to get results.

Please note that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. Some agencies charge way more than we do - doesn’t mean they get better results.

3. Success rates - This is important of course but just be aware that some results online are completely made up, fabricated and exaggerated. Ask your own questions to get the answers you need answered and really make sure that your teacher has actually supported children to pass their 7+ Assessments at your target schools.

When you are preparing for the 7+ this is what I think you should be looking for in a teacher.

1. Someone who will show up every single week (as much as possible) for your child.

2. Someone who is truly dedicated and committed to your child passing their 7+ Assessments.

3. Someone who you will form a strong relationship with.

We offer the best of the best when it comes to the 7+.

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

3 main problems with the St. Paul's 7+ Assessment

Having prepared hundreds of boys for their 7+ at St. Paul’s, I know exactly what to expect when it comes to this very popular school. St. Paul’s is a highly sought after school. Thousands of parents across the UK would love to send their boys to this school at 7+. In fact, many dream of sending their boys to this school at 7+. I don’t blame them.

St. Paul’s is a prestigious school with a reputation for achieving exceptional academic results. The campus is modern and includes a sports centre, swimming pool and a beautiful dining hall. You will be paying for a nearly 30k a year education for your son (36k from years 9-13)

Over the last 16 years, I have seen what works and I have seen what doesn’t.

Here are 3 huge problems with the St. Paul’s 7+ Assessments…

1. Starting too late.

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

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

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

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

Please hear me. I’m not saying you can’t start late. Of course you can. Just be very clear about the standards and expectations and then work towards achieving those with your son.

2. Not understanding the Assessment process well enough.

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

Most parents sadly underestimate what this assessment will be like and don’t even scratch the surface when preparing their son’s for their 7+ Assessment at this school.

You must take the time to fully understand the Assessment process. You must understand the expectation in both rounds. You must understand what it takes for a boy to pass both rounds. Then go all in to prepare your son to be able to go in and show exactly what St. Paul’s are looking for.

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

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

It is very simple really.

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

Here’s a bonus problem for you.

Not preparing correctly for the interview.

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

We have had tremendous success at St Paul’s. Many of our boys are currently studying at St. Paul’s. Not just because of what we do but as a result of their hard work and dedication, their parents’ had work and dedication and their teacher’s hard work and dedication. It is the perfect relationship and the perfect recipe that will inevitably lead to amazing results in this 7+ Assessment.

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today and let’s go all in to prepare your son to have the highest possible chances for success in their 7+ Assessment at St. Paul’s.

Changes to the St. Paul's 7+ and 8+ Assessments that you must know about.

This will be the final year of 8+ Assessment preparation for St Paul’s. 2026 entry will be the last time that boys will enter the school at 8+.

For 2027 entry, St Paul’s will now be offering a huge 70 places at 7+ rather than their usual 54. This seems appealing and attractive but it really isn’t. Far more children will now be applying fot the 7+ at St Paul’s due to the simple fact that the 8+ is now longer an option!

St Paul’s will see at least 400-500 applications for the 7+ Assessments. Parents will no longer have the option to delay sitting assessments to this school and they will have to sit their son for their 7+ if they would like them to go to this school.

The main problem I’ve seen is that this news has caught out many families because in their minds they were feeling calm and relaxed preparing for the 8+ but now have to prepare their child for the 7+. These families will be behind in terms of preparation compared to families who have already been preparing for the 7+ since before their son had even set foot in a Reception classroom.

Thankfully hundreds of parents have made the decision to start preparing their children from as early as possible for their 7+. Over the last 16 years, I have seen parents choosing the 6-12 months of prep time before the 7+ Assessments but this has now increased to 24 months before which is fantastic.

After all, even with all of these changes to the St. Paul’s 7+ and 8+ Assessments, it is vital that you remember this. Yes, you are preparing your child for their Assessments but far more importantly you are setting them up to have a love for learning that will go far beyond any 7+ or 8+ Assessment result.

Whether you start early or you are starting a little later - just always remember that this love of learning should always be at the forefront of your mind and not a letter that says your child has passed- that is just the cherry on top.

Key takeaways from this Blog:

• No more 8+ Assessments at St. Paul’s (2026 entry will be the last 8+ cohort)

• More places available at 7+ from 2027 but also far more boys will be applying.

• Creating a love for learning is far more important than any assessment result.

Preparing for St. Paul’s for 2026 entry? I will be launching an extra special course in September which will be open to only 3 very lucky boys! If you are interested in being the first to hear about it, email me (office@creativemindstutors.com)

You're so worried about 'starting too early' but then you 'start too late' to prep your child for their 4+.

Starting early is one of the easiest thing that you can do when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.

Starting early provides you with calm, focus and clarity.

Starting late provides you only with stress, rush and it shows a true lack of understanding about the 4+ Assessment process.

Don’t be so scared about ‘starting early’. Start early. As in when your child is two years old.

If you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments at top schools like Westminster, UCS and The Hall and you are starting now, ask yourself these questions…

What were you so worried about?

What was holding you back?

What makes you think that your child will have the slight edge over a child who has been working consistently for nearly 2 years preparing for their 4+ Assessment?

The reality is this.

Many parents that I speak to really want to send their child to a 30k per year school but do not want to invest £250 per month to help them to actually pass their Assessment.

If you want your child to have any sort of chance of being offered a place at any of these top London schools, you will prepare them. How you do it is up to you but know that we are currently preparing 50 children for their 4+ Assessments at top schools like Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral School, UCS, South Hampstead and Highgate (to name a few).

Our students will be thoroughly prepared and ready to go into any 4+ Assessment and show the assessors exactly what they are looking for in order to be able to pass and be offered a place.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

A message of love to all teachers.

When I was younger, I tolerated a lot. As I get older, I am becoming far less tolerant. I think it also happened since I had my son. My time is so precious to me. And when I give of my time, I expect that is is valued and respected.

I guess before having my son, I had more time to be more tolerant. Perhaps. I’m not sure. Or perhaps I just didn’t respect myself enough to have clear boundaries in place.

I know that many of you who follow me are teachers. Perhaps you tutor privately yourselves or perhaps you work in schools across the country teaching students.

Whoever you are reading this, this is a message for you.

Truly value yourself because what you do is amazing.

Truly respect yourself because you deserve to be respected.

Truly treat yourself with love and compassion because what you do is not easy.

If you’ve not been a teacher yourself, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about and that’s okay.

I remember one day when I was about 28 so clearly. I had been tutoring two little girls who both went (still go) to a top girls’ school in London. This was when I was still tutoring in person and going to my clients’ homes. I had a lesson with one of the girls at 5pm as I usually did on a Thursday evening. I had worked all day (I worked full time as a teacher) and I hadn’t even had time to have my dinner. I rushed straight to her home (25 minutes away) to teach her. When I arrived, no one opened the door and I was left waiting outside. I waited for 15 minutes. Still nothing. No answer from my client. Then the message came. My client had ‘forgotten’. And her daughter wouldn’t be home until 6:30. I remember just standing in front of her house sobbing. I was so upset. When I said that I would be paid for my time - my client simply told me ‘no’. She wouldn’t pay for a lesson that wasn’t attended.

It’s very upsetting for me to write this.

But sadly things like this happen every day to teachers. I hear it every single day.

Now, I have very clear systems in place and this happens rarely. But it does still happen.

And this is how I see it now.

It is a pure lack of respect for a teacher’s time, efforts and energy.

When you pay for a service, you are very well aware of the terms and conditions. You sign an agreement or whatever. Even if you don’t, let’s all take the time to respect the service that is being provided to us.

I pay monthly for life coaching with the most amazing coach. There have been 4 separate occasions these last 6 months working with her that I’ve not shown up. Once, I didn’t message her (I’d had an emergency with my son) and the other 3, I generally couldn’t meet her at the time arranged and I emailed her to tell her.

Guess what?

I still expect to be fully charged. She took the time out of her busy life to be there for me. She took the time to prepare her session with me. She took her energy and extraordinary talent to be there for me.

I expect to be charged. And I’m happy to be charged.

So if you are a teacher reading this, respect yourself 100% and expect the same from your clients. Love yourself fiercely. Clients will respect you and value you more if you are clear from the start.

And if there is a true emergency or whatever, that’s up to you how you handle it. But have clear boundaries in place. Because in my experience (over 16 years) most of these emergencies are rarely even real.

A winning morning routine for 7+ Assessment success!

The way your child starts their morning can make a huge difference in their focus, confidence, and performance. A rushed, chaotic start? Expect frustration and poor concentration. A structured, calm routine? That’s where success begins.

Pay attention to how your child starts their morning.

Here’s how I remember my mornings as a child.

They were usually very rushed as we didn’t wake up early enough to get the things done that we needed to get done. I remember breakfast being rushed and I remember hearing ‘We are going to be late!’ a lot! Then we would rush in the car for the school drop offs. I remember lots of traffic and lots of stress. Definitely not a good environment for calm, focus and clarity. I would spend at least one hour in the car every morning as my mum would drop my brother off to his school on the other side of town compared to mine and then drop me off.

How a child starts their morning is everything when it comes to how the rest of their day will go.

I see this all the time—parents tell me their child struggles to focus in lessons or they get overwhelmed with 7+ Assessment preparation. But when I ask about their morning routine, the problem becomes clear.

A strong morning routine sets the tone for productive, calm and effective learning. Here are 3 simple routines that make a huge difference:

1. Mindful Mornings: Instead of screens, start the day with 5 minutes of deep breathing or stretching. This helps children wake up calm and focused. I love to just sit and hold my son (currently nearly 3 and hug him close for as long as he wants) I ask him about how he slept and if he had any dreams. Then I ask him to tell me how he is feeling. Finally, I tell him what the day will look like. I really look forward to these 5 minutes of connection with him. If he does ask me for a screen first thing (which does happen), I gently tell him that we don’t have screens as soon as we wake up and give him several options of other things that he can do.

2. Brain Warm-Ups: A quick verbal reasoning game or mental maths challenge over breakfast gets their brain switched on for learning. Over breakfast is the best time for us to get ten minutes of learning completed. Usually it is on a screen and I’m okay with this. We usually read a story whilst we have our breakfast so lots of opportunity for questioning and conversation over breakfast together. Another thing we love to do over breakfast is my son’s Italian learning (we use dinolingo). If we are not doing those two things, we will be doing phonics singing or a maths game.

3. Independent Start: Encourage your child to dress themselves, make their bed, or pack their own school bag/bag for the day. Independence in daily tasks translates to confidence. My son is fiercely independent and always ask me if he can help me. He is in the early stages of dressing himself. He can put his own shoes on and can nearly take of his own t shirt! He can put on his shorts and is practising putting on his socks.

Small habits like these create big results in your child’s ability to focus, stay motivated, and perform well in their 7+ Assessments.

Which of these will you try tomorrow morning? Let me know! Need a structured approach to 7+ Assessment preparation?

Book your Sample Lesson today.