AI is confusing parents when it comes to 4+ assessment prep.

In a world of AI, I can see why parents are so confused when they first speak with us about 4+ assessment preparation.

We all in one way or another use AI.

We use Chat GPT and we use Claude daily - most of us!

Just be mindful that AI really doesn’t know everything.

I don’t know everything either but what I do know is this…

If you truly want your child to be successful in a 4+ assessment to a top school like Westminster, NLCS and South Hampstead (to name a few), you will tutor/teach/support them. Whether you pay a teacher to support your child or you support your child with your own 4+ programme of study - hear me carefully…

You will prepare your child thoroughly for a 4+ assessment.

Let’s talk about some absolute rubbish that I have read this morning on Chat GPT…

Many admissions specialists and parents report that excessive tutoring can actually be counterproductive at 4+. Schools are usually looking for curiosity, confidence, communication skills, attention span, independence, and social interaction—not a child who appears heavily coached.

I taught a little girl twice a week for over 12 months for her 4+ assessments. She was successful to top schools like South Hampstead, NLCS and Westminster (to name a few). I do not ‘heavily coach’ my students. Whatever that means in your mind. In my lessons, I encourage curiosity, I support my students to develop their confidence through the questions that I ask them and through the questions that they ask me, I support their vocabulary and communication by providing them with different topics each week to explore, I support my students with their attention span by helping them to engage with me for the full 30 minute lesson, I support them with their independence in each and every lesson. Social interaction is worked on daily with their parents and not in a lesson so I don’t even know why they mentioned that there.

‘Excessive tutoring’ sounds negative.

Meeting with your teacher weekly sounds beautiful.

How could learning each week on a 1:1 basis be counterproductive. What a beautiful thing to be able to provide your child.

I would spend 80% of the effort on school readiness and confidence and only 20% on formal tutoring.

What a load of nonsense.

I would spend 100% on formal tutoring which will support my child with school readiness and confidence.

The children who perform best in the 4+ are often not the ones who have done the most worksheets; they're the ones who can walk into a room of strangers, listen carefully, join a group activity, and enjoy solving a challenge. That's very close to what the schools themselves say they are assessing.

That’s what we prepare our 3 year olds to be able to do. Good luck to you if you’ve not supported your child and you expect them to do what is listed above!

I think it’s just mean and unkind to send a child into a 4+ assessment at the likes of Westminster, NCLS and South Hampstead without having been thoroughly prepared.

I certainly would never so that to my child. Ever,