UCS 4+: The £210 ‘Playdate’ Parents Are Still Underestimating.
/With only about 32 places available, it really does surprise me how relaxed and laid-back parents are when it comes to the UCS 4+ Assessment.
UCS is a very popular boys’ school located in Hampstead and each year we prepare about 5-8 boys for this school in particular.
The registration fee is fairly steep at £210. You will definitely want to ensure that your son has been thoroughly prepared before sending him in for this 4+ assessment. And if you don’t, please don’t be shocked or surprised when he is not offered a place to study there from Reception. That’s not how it works.
UCS invites every single candidate for assessment. This is a very over-subscribed school at 4+ (and all other entry points!) so you can expect hundreds upon hundreds of applicants.
UCS writes that “no preparation is needed for this playdate assessment.”
Listen carefully — preparation is 100% needed. It is 100% not a playdate.
Parents may get cross, angry and frustrated at me for saying this. That’s fine. Those emotions will not be useful to them in this 4+ process.
You can choose to send your child prepared or you can choose to send your child unprepared. That is, of course, entirely up to you. No judgement from me, that is your decision.
With two rounds to prepare for, you need to understand that you are not sending your child in for a ‘playdate’. Reserve real playdates for people you know. Perhaps you spend £210 on playdates? I certainly do not.
Do you really think UCS simply wants to see your child playing?
No, they do not. They may want to observe how your child plays — but there is far more to this 4+ assessment than that.
At nearly £30,000 per year for pre-prep fees, this is one of the more expensive private schools in London. I will never understand why parents choose not to invest a small fraction of that in preparing their sons to go in and demonstrate what the school is truly looking for in its prospective students.
Preparing for the 4+ at UCS for 2028 entry and beyond?
