Obsess with 4+ Success at NLCS

First of all know this with certainty and a sense of absolute clarity. Your daughter will need thorough and bespoke tuition for NLCS. You absolutely must only work with a teacher who has real and actual experience with this school.

NLCS is one of the hardest schools to get into at 4+ (and 7+!) but today I am talking about the 4+.

Don’t ever underestimate how hard it will be to get into this school. Don’t for one second even think that you are ‘just sending your daughter in to play!’

This school is so overly subscribed each year. Hundreds of parents want their daughters to go to North London Collegiate School. I get it. The school is stunning.

Having visited it several times myself and even having lunch there once with the teachers (when I worked in a pre-prep in Hampstead), I have seen exactly what it is like to be at this school. Their facilities are exceptional and the grounds are just divine. So I get it!

We have prepared hundreds of girls for the 4+ Assessment at NLCS over the last 15 years and what I’ve learnt is this. 

Passing the first round is very challenging. As in, it’s very hard to pass! As in, if your daughter passes the first round it means that she has done exceptionally well. As in, scored highly. 

If your daughter does pass, passing the second round is also challenging but not as challenging as the first round.

If your daughter makes it to the second round, it’s because NLCS have seen that she is the right fit for their school. They have seen through assessing her that she will be able to thrive at their school. In the second round, they will be assessing her further. Just to make sure that they were right! 

NLCS have a very specific assessment criteria in the sense of what they are looking for. Do you know what this assessment criteria is? 

Well, we do! And we will support our clients every step of the way to truly understand what NLCS are even looking for in their potential new girls at their school! 

Work with a teacher who knows this well and who can actually support your daughter to gain entry into this school.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

The 4+ school where expectations are high and places are low - Merchant Taylors

Expectations are high and places are low.

And also because most places are offered to boys already in the Nursery (those who got in at 3+)

Your son will have to be one of the ‘strongest applicants’ in order to even be considered for a place at Merchant Taylors. It is a group assessment with 10-15 other boys however your son will also be assessed on a 1:1 basis.

MT’s write that their assessments are ‘not challenging’ but I firmly disagree. They are challenging and a lot will be expected of your son.

MT’s are looking for ‘teachability’ and ‘sociability’ so basically how easy your son will be to teach and how they are socially (with both adults and children). MT’s are looking for children who are very focused and alert and who have the capacity to answer all questions asked to a very high standard. The nursery report will be very important for this assessment too.

I personally think MT’s is very hard to pass because most parents do not understand that they need to start preparing their children at least 12 months before the assessment. By leaving it too late, you simply will not have time to cover all of the curriculum that needs to be covered. Therefore, it will be very hard for your son to pass. Remember that they will be given an overall percentage based on the assessment criteria. You need to know what the criteria will be in order to be in with a chance of them passing. If you don’t know the criteria, it’s up to you to either educate yourself and learn the criteria or to work with someone who knows it like the back of their hand!

If you are preparing for MT’s, we have incredible success every single year. Each year we prepare at least 1-2 students and each year at least one of our students is offered a place to study at this school. Typically all of the students we prepare will be offered a place to study at MT’s (if they have the full 12 months of assessment prep that I personally recommend).

Preparing for the 4+ at Merchant Taylors for 2027 entry? 

Book your Sample Lesson today. 

Preparing for 2028 entry and beyond? 

Join our Waiting List today.

Prepare for the 4+ like a boss at Westminster (2027 entry and beyond)

If Westminster is the school you truly desire for your son or daughter from Reception, go all in and ensure that your child will have the highest possible chances for success!

Do not go into this blindly. After all, you’re paying £300 for your registration fee. I’m sure you want to ensure that your child is as well prepared as they possibly can be.

Yes, Westminster are most certainly looking for potential in their new boys and girls. And your son or daughter will 100% need to demonstrate this potential in their 4+ assessments! But how is potential shown? Is it just something one child has and something another child doesn’t have? Absolutely not! Potential is 100% taught. Potential is practised daily. Potential is nurtured daily.

Yes, Westminster are looking for ‘natural ability’. But again. Is a child simply born with natural ability? Absolutely not. Even though parents will try to make you believe that their child is just ‘naturally clever’! Sure they are!.

They write that in round one, they create an informal and welcoming environment. If you prepared for round 1 last year, I’ll let you comment on this one if you’d like to. It’s not my place to comment here! If you choose to work with me, I will tell you the absolute truth. 

Remember that  500 children will be assessed in Round 1. Out of those 500, 100 will be called for Round 2. So 400 children will be unsuccessful. Just important information for you to be aware of.

Westminster give nothing away about Round 2 on their Website. We know exactly what went down in Round 2! Nothing very different to your usual top 4+ Assessment schools. Very similar. With a few harder elements of learning added.

To prepare like a BOSS for the Westminster 4+ Assessment - know this…

Your child will 100% need to be highly academic.

Your child will 100% need to demonstrate exceptional behaviour. 

Your child will 100% need to demonstrate beautiful listening.

These are just 3 out of 100 other things that your child will need to demonstrate!

If you want to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment at Westminster (2027 entry and beyond) with confidence and clarity book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and speak with an expert in the 4+ assessments at Westminster. 

4 of our students were offered a place this year to study at Westminster! Have the success you deserve to have! Prepare for the 4+ at Westminster like a BOSS.

How to support your daughter to have the highest possible chances of 4+ success at Habs' Girls' School.

Do you dream of sending your daughter to Habs’ Girls’ School?

Have you been to visit the school and think that it would be perfect for your daughter?

If this is you, you must understand that you will need to put in the work to support her to go in and be truly successful in this assessment. As in - be offered a place to study there from Reception.

If you think that you can leave preparation to the last minute, just send her to nursery, cross your fingers and hope for the best - you are very confused about what 4+ assessment preparation truly looks like for this school.

Let me paint you a picture of what it looks like.

Our girls who have been incredibly successful in the Habs’ Girls’ 4+ Assessment are the ones who have historically (over these last 20 years) showed up each week and put in the work. They are the girls who have put in the effort to study every single day with their parents. They are the girls who have loved the process. They are the girls who have truly loved learning. They are the girls who are hungry for more. They are the girls who are inquisitive and curious. They are the girls who develop and sense of maturity far beyond their years. They are the girls who can follow instructions perfectly. And they are the girls who are genuinely a delight and pleasure to teach and be around.

So if you truly want to support your daughter to go in and shine, commit to at least 12 months of focused assessment preparation. I really don’t care how you do it. But commit to it and understand that this is a competition. And Habs will have their pick of the girls that they want to come and study at their school from Reception.

Will it be your daughter?

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and see how we can support your child to be wildly successful in this 4+ assessment.

Want to guarantee success in the UCS 4+ Assessment?

With only 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. Registration for the UCS 4+ assessment is open from birth.

You have until 30th September 2026 to register your son for the UCS 4+ assessment for 2027 entry.

The registration fee is fairly steep at £180. You will definitely want to ensure that your son has been thoroughly prepared before sending him in for this 4+ assessment.

UCS invites every single candidate for assessment.

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. “Why would the school say this then?”

I truly don’t have the time — or even the interest — in answering that question. 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.

If you want to guarantee success in the UCS 4+ assessment, you will prepare your son thoroughly for it. You will prepare him for at least 12 months before the first round.

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 £180 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. 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.

UCS is such a popular choice amongst our clients. I think primarily because of the convenience of having it close to their homes. The fact that it is also an all-through school makes it even more appealing to them.

Preparing for the 4+ at UCS for 2027 entry?

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

Nothing but Success at Habs Boys (4+ 2027 entry)

So you dream of sending your son to Habs?

You’ve been to see it and you love it. 

You’ve seen their results and you know that your son would thrive in a school like Habs. 

Perhaps your son has just been born. Perhaps he’s one or two years old. 

If you want to send your son to Habs, you will prepare him thoroughly. 

You will be aware of the competition and you will be laser sharp aware of the standards expected of the 3 and 4 year olds assessed at Habs Boys for their 4+. 

You will commit to at least 12 months of 4+ assessment preparation for this school. However you do that is of course up to you. 

Here are the three key reasons for success in the 4+ assessment (2026 entry) 

Boys who performed highly across the board (in all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum) and were thoroughly prepared for both rounds.

Regular communication between parents and teacher during the week between the lessons, parents taking on board feedback and putting it into place during the weeks.

Consistent daily activity - Boys completing all of the home learning sent every single day in preparation for this assessment (or as close to this as possible!).

If this seems overwhelming, impossible or simply unattainable to you, you need to do some work on your mindset. If you’re not willing to put in the work and the effort needed, do not expect to send your son into Habs and have him pass this assessment. He will not. 

Know that, understand that and get to work! 

Laziness, procrastination and leaving it to the last minute will not help you if you are preparing for this school. 

Hard work, focus, grit and dedication are all qualities that will support you if you are currently preparing your son for this school. 

If you are willing to put in the work and go all in, book your Sample lesson today! With me or with Helen Ryall. Only the timings on offer on the Website are currently available. If these times do not work for you, book The Ultimate Emerald Curriculum (no weekly 1:1 lessons) but full curriculum support and the same bespoke, tailored plan and resources for your child provided by an expert in the 4+ assessments.

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call and see how we can support your child to be wildly successful in this 4+ assessment.

What does 'being successful' mean when it comes to your child?

Here at CMT, we support all of our students to have the best possible education for them.

Whatever this means to our clients.

It will mean different things to every single client that we support.

For some of our clients it means getting into top schools like Westminster and St. Paul’s.

For other clients it means having the best home school support available for their children so that their children progress in line (or above) those children attending top schools like Westminster and Habs.

Whatever ‘being successful’ means to you, it is an important question to ask yourself.

Investing in a top education - whether that is a private education or a home school education will cost you. It will cost you in terms of your finances. It will cost you in terms of your time. It will cost you in terms of your hard work, effort and dedication. However you look at it, having the best education possible will cost you.

Therefore it is so important to understand your reasons why your want your child to have the best education possible. Obviously it’s because you want them to be successful. But what does this mean when it comes to your child?

I would like to hear your thoughts. Email me, comment on my social media or simply reply to this blog!

Here is my answer for you.

‘Being successful’ when it comes to my child means this to me.

It means that he will never have to worry about money. It means that he will have so much money saved, invested and to be able to give to others that he will be able to live peacefully and calmly. It means that he will have options and choices. He will options about where he wants to live. He will have choices when it comes to how many children he wants to have. He will have choices about being able to help others less fortunate than him. Do I want him to be wealthy? 100% yes.

It means that he won’t need to limit himself. It means he can travel as he wishes and wherever he wishes. It means he can buy the best quality foods. It means he can have the best healthcare.

It means that he will be able to choose the career that he wants. It means that he will be able to choose when he wants to work and not be forced to work.

Being successful to me when it comes to my son equates to freedom and choices.

And I will do everything in my power to support him to have these choices.

What we actually do when we prepare our students for the 4+

People have so many opinions about what we do. 

It’s very misunderstood.

It’s not my job to explain it to them! 

My job is to work with parents who want to support their children to have the best education possible. 

People will look down on me for what I do! 

People judge me everyday for what I do. 

People have a very big misunderstanding of what we do. 

What we do is support our students to have the best education possible so that they can have the best lives possible. 

If you want your child to have the best education for them, book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today.

Poor Parent Behaviour when it comes to assessments.

I wanted to write this blog for all of the teachers out there who experience this type of behaviour daily. I wanted to write this blog to help parents to understand that their poor behaviour is completely unacceptable and that they should perhaps reflect on it. If parents demonstrate the poor behaviour that I’m speaking about - I’m sure they won’t reflect on it. Because people who behave poorly are always right. They are entitled. They are never wrong!

I’ve experienced a lot of poor parent behaviour. Working in schools and also in my line of work now as the owner of this incredible business.

I coach myself daily with dealing with these types of behaviours and I’m becoming so much better at having a CEO mindset when it comes to dealing with these problems and not being reactive and emotional about them.

Because I know that these poor parent behaviours have nothing to do with me (although these parents will most likely tell you that this isn’t the case!). It is all to do with them.

A couple of weeks ago one of my clients decided that she didn’t want to pay the £300 per month to work with me anymore. She decided that she would send me a message and tell me that she didn’t understand my Tutoring Agreement and she did not give me her one month notice to stop working with me. She then decided to ignore all of my messages and ghost me. 2 months of hard work and effort (on all of our parts!) just forgotten about. 2 months of meeting each week, 2 months of communicating on the phone, 2 months of planning and preparation just forgotten about.

And I’m exposing it because it’s not ok.

It’s not ok to behave in this way.

I do not care if you are paying for a service. I pay for countless services. I would never behave in that way.

So let’s treat each other with more respect and kindness. You want to stop paying for a service - that’s fine. It’s perfect actually. Believe it or not, I want to work with clients who actually want to work with me!

Respect the terms of the person YOU choose to work with - that is all.

Oh and one more thing. Your children are watching your poor behaviours if you choose to behave in this way so don’t be surprised when they start behaving just like you!

People's Opinions Are Not Facts

Stop seeing people’s opinions as facts. 

We are deeply conditioned to believe opinions as facts. 

People will speak about the  4+ assessments and they will judge you. 

For all the reasons! 

People will judge you. 

When people judge it is their own insecurities that they have. You need to just let their judgements (and insecurities) wash over you. 

Do you know whose opinions matter in this 4+ assessment preparation process? Yours! Your partner’s and your child’s? That is all. Everyone else's opinions are highly irrelevant are they not? 

People will judge you for teaching you young child maths, reading, writing, questioning etc,etc. 

People will judge you for teaching your child online. 

People will judge you for sending your child to a private school. 

People will judge you whatever you do! 

So it’s best you just leave them wasting their time judging others and get on with your own lives!

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today. 

The main PROBLEM with preparing for the 4+ Assessment at NLCS.

Last year, we prepared a record number of girls for their 4+ assessment at NLCS.

8 to be precise.

6 were offered a place.

Most of these girls will be going to NLCS this year.

We are so proud of all our girls. They all worked so incredibly hard.

Being offered a place at NLCS is definitely not easy. Far from it. With at least 500 applicants and only 40 places on offer, your daughter must be prepared to the highest of standards to truly go in and shine.

If you want to know the main PROBLEM with preparing for the NLCS 4+ assessment this year, read on!

There are many problems with preparing for the 4+ at NLCS but here is the main one.

Parents not truly understanding that this is a competition.

When you don’t understand that this is a competition, you will not go into the process with the drive and ambition that my clients have. Keep in mind that each year, CMT prepares 5-10 girls for the NLCS 4+ Assessment and each year, we have amazing results.

If you don’t have a benchmark for comparison how will you even know that you are preparing your daughter to the correct level academically? How do you know that you are preparing her to the correct level behaviourally? How do you know?

Well, you wouldn’t.

This is a competition. 500 applicants. 40 places. Perhaps 20 girls will be waitlisted each year. Perhaps more, perhaps less.

If you don’t have the passion, the drive and the motivation to prepare your daughter to go in and truly shine in this 4+ assessment, forget about her passing. These are my thoughts and my opinion backed by data over the last 20 years.

If you are preparing for NLCS for 2027 entry, you have exactly 8 months remaining to prepare your daughters. Included in those 10 months will be holidays and sickness so 8 months turn into 5 or 6 months most likely. I don’t think 5 or 6 months is enough time to prepare for the 4+ at NLCS but it’s better your start now then keep putting it off.

I have just opened up 5 precious places to join my NLCS Success Programme and I am currently looking for 5 parents who want to commit at least 1 month to go all in to support their daughters to be wildly successful in this incredibly tough 4+ assessment. Join today before we are completely at capacity.

The NLCS 4+ Success Programme

Wanting to do what everyone else is doing may not be the right thing to do.

Do you like to do what others do? 

Do you like to be accepted? 

Do you like to be seen to do what others do? 

I’m the opposite. I want to do the complete opposite to what most people are doing. 

As a society, we like to do what others do. We like it when people like us and we really don’t like it when people do not. 

You will have people who really don’t like what you are doing when you choose to prepare your child for their 4+ assessment and you really need to be okay with that! And if you’re not, then you’re really not ready to embark on this journey and you really should just continue as you are. 

If you want to do what everyone else is doing, that’s fine. Go do that! 

I would prefer that you choose consciously and purposely what you want to do. How do you wish to support your child with their assessment preparation? 

Sometimes following the crowd will not lead you to the results that you desire. Remember that! 

Do not even bother sending your child unprepared into a top, elite school’s 4+ assessment. You will be very disappointed. Prepare your child and prepare them well. I don’t really care how you do it but if you truly want to be successful, you will set your child up for success. 

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today. 

Negative opinions about online tuition

Oh, people have them. People will have them. People will continue to have them. 

And that’s ok. We can’t please everyone. And we’re not here to please anyone actually. What we are here to do is support our students to be very successful in their assessments and have the best possible education available out there so that they can have doors opened up to them that I could only have dreamed of having opened up for me. All I had as a young woman were doors slammed in my face! And this is exactly why I do what I do. I don’t want anyone to experience what I did!

Of course, my students will experience setbacks especially if they have huge goals and ambitions. But the best education will open so many more doors for them than I ever had opened for me! 

When I moved everything online 5 years ago, many of my clients came along. They didn’t care if I was there physically or behind a screen. What mattered most to my clients was my expertise, my knowledge and my support for them and their children. 

Make sure you question everything. Question every one else’s opinions (including mine!). Question everything. People will give you their opinions as though they are facts and they are not. They are just their thoughts. 

People will tell you that you are wrong for preparing your child. 

People will tell you that you are depriving your child of their childhood. 

People will tell you that you are crazy. 

People will tell you that you shouldn’t even send your child to a 4+ assessment. 

People will tell you that your child is far too young to be having lessons. 

It’s up to you if you listen to them. 

As far as I’m concerned, these people are not paying your bills. These people are not raising your child. Let them worry about their own children and you worry about your own! 

The world we live in is a competitive one. And it’s not a fair one either. You all know this already!

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today. 

Fear of judgement and the 4+ assessments

Do you fear judgement? 

Do you fear people will judge you for your choice to support your child to prepare for their 4+ assessments?

If you do, you need to do some work on that because it will hold you back. It will make you doubt yourself. It will make you want to believe what this other person is saying to you. 

Here are some of the ways my clients have been judged in the past and are currently being judged today. 

Perhaps my clients will tell their friends that they are planning to send their child to a 4+ assessment at the likes of Westminster, Highgate or Haberdashers for example. Their friends will say something like…

‘You’re preparing your child for a 4+ assessment? What’s wrong with you?’ 

‘Your child is only 1/2/3/4? What do you think you can really teach them at that age?’ 

‘That’s ridiculous!’ 

‘The schools will know who has been tutored and your child will fail!’ 

‘Your child should be out playing not learning how to read/write/count etc etc!’

These comments, first of all make zero sense. Second of all if you believe them, they will stall your progress - and your child’s progress!

In this people pleasing society that we live in, we will want to listen to these friends and we will want to show them that we will stop doing what they are judging us about - which is insanity by the way! 

We will always be judged no matter what we do and no matter what we say. 

Hear the judgements and carry on. 

Make a choice. Be happy about your choice. And go all in. 

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today. 

Why some of our clients stop after just 1-3 months of Assessment preparation.

Obviously they would never admit this to me but I’m here to tell you my thoughts about why some of our clients stop after just 1-3 months of Assessment preparation.

It is important for you to understand that most of our clients will stay with us for the full 12 months of my programme and most of our clients will continue well after those 12 months have completed. This is because the clients that we wish to work with are the clients who know that learning is lifelong. Learning is not just to prepare for an entrance exam.

Our ideal clients are the clients who are willing to fully dedicate their time, focus and attention to their children’s learning. That’s exactly why even once the assessments are over, most of our clients will continue. We’ve had clients who have worked with us for 6+ years.

But as we work with more and more clients each year, there is a pattern that I’m finding fascinating. Here it is for you…

I will speak with clients who are delighted to work with me. Delighted to work with Creative Minds Tutors. But when they see that their children are not instantly making the progress that they believe that they should be making, they make the decision to simply stop. I hear a multitude of excuses ranging from ‘We don’t have the time any more!’ to ‘We’ve decided to not send them to the assessment anymore!’ to ‘He/she is too young!’ to ‘We don’t have the money to invest into their learning!’. These are just a few. I don’t believe any of these reasons.

Now ultimately, parents can decide to start and stop whatever they like. And that’s the beauty of the world we live in. We are free to make our own choices. But I think this is quite devastating actually. Not for me.

The reason they choose to stop after just 1-3 months of assessment preparation is because their children are not making the progress that they think they should be making.

In their minds they have some glorified idea that their child should just know their phonics after just two weeks of being exposed to them! That their children should just know how to count to 10 and identify numbers to 10 after just 2 weeks of being taught numbers to 10! That their children should just love reading after just 2 weeks of consistently reading to them! That their child should be able to answer complex comprehensions after just 2 weeks of exposure to them. That their child should know how to calculate algebraic equations after being exposed to them two or three times.

That’s not how learning works. Hear me carefully.

Learning is not linear.

And that’s important for you to understand so that you don’t make this mistake. I really don’t see the point in wasting your time, your teacher’s time and your child’s time signing up to something for 1-3 months and then simply walking away.

Fully understand that learning progress will fluctuate. It will go up and down. Children are not robots and they do not learn on demand - much like you by the way!

So if you’re going to invest in something. At least give it a chance. At least give your child a chance to make the progress that you would like to see them making. And by giving it a chance, I do not mean giving it 1-3 months. This is not enough time to see anywhere near the progress you imagine you should be seeing.

And if you think that’s how learning works, you are very, very mistaken.

The 'Dystopian World' of the 4+ assessments.

Here is the meaning of a ‘Dystopian World’ for you:

A dystopian world is a fictional, imagined society characterised by oppressive control, dehumanisation, and widespread misery, functioning as the opposite of a utopia.

I’ve had people comment that the 4+ Assessments are like a ‘Dystopian World’! According to the definition that doesn’t really make sense does it?

But I know what these people are getting at.

There are people out there who think 4+ Assessments are just wrong.

There are people out there who think you shouldn’t teach a child until they are in Reception.

There are people out there who think that if you teach your 1/2/3 year old that there is something wrong with you.

And that’s just their opinion.

There is nothing dystopian about the 4+ assessments.

People will look down at you for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps because they are comparing their child’s progress to your child’s progress (something you must never do just FYI). Perhaps they don’t understand the immense benefits of teaching your child in the early years. Perhaps they are disappointed that they can’t afford a private school education for their own children. Whatever it is, never let people look down on you. Ever.

We are all equal as far as I’m concerned.

And people who look down on us and what we do are clearly lacking something in their own lives which is certainly none of my business.

If you are preparing your child for their 4+ assessments, be proud of your decision. Be delighted that you are supporting your child to make incredible progress. And know that the learning doesn’t end just because the 4+ assessments have ended. 80% of our clients continue with us long after the assessments have completed.

Are you scared of what people will think of you?

I’m not.

I used to be.

For years I worried about what others thought about me and I obsessed over it. Now, I really couldn’t care less.

The only opinion I care about is my own.

And if you truly are scared of what other people will think of you, it is so important that you understand why that is. Because it will hold you back in so many ways that you are probably completely unaware of.

People will always judge you no matter what you do. So you might as well choose to do something that you love doing. People will always judge you for how you raise your child so you might as well raise your child how you wish to raise your child.

When I was a little girl, I remember my mother being obsessed about other people’s opinions and I never understood it. I still don’t. She’s definitely got better of this through many conversations with me about it. But I remember as a little girl, my mother saying things to me like, ‘What will so and so think about you doing that?’ And ‘Oh you shouldn’t do that/say that so and so won’t like it!’.

She was always putting other people’s thoughts and opinions first and I always thought that it was very odd. It was always about appearances rather than reality.

Now I am fully true to myself. True to my family and true to what matters most to me.

I’m not scared about what people will think about me. They can think what they want. They can think negatively about me or they can thin positively about me. Either way - it doesn’t matter to me. I was not put on this earth to please anyone but myself!

It’s so freeing, it’s so liberating.

Yet, I work with so many of you who are absolutely petrified about what others will think of what you do. Many of you even hide it from others. You hide the fact that you are teaching your child because you are terrified of what others will think about you?

Do what is true to you.

Don’t care about what others think.

Not everyone will like you and that’s okay.

Always put your child’s well being about anyone else’s. Always. Your child comes first. No one else matters - really do they?

Preparing for assessments for 2027 entry? Book your Ultimate Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.

Preparing for the assessments for 2028 entry and beyond? Join our Waiting List today. This will form your Registration fee once we get started. I will email you immediately to find out your preferred days/times for weekly tuition and I will confirm our start date immediately.

3 common reasons boys 'failed' the 4+ at Habs' Boys' School.

This year 9 of our boys passed their 4+ assessment at Habs. We actually prepared an impressive number of boys last year for the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ assessment. 10 boys last year. In my results, you will see that I’ve mentioned 9 boys. This is because the 10th client that we prepared did not reply to my messages and did not let me know if her son passed or not. I will assume he did not but as she did not let me know, he will not be counted.

Perhaps you’re asking yourself - ‘Well how on earth does she know the common traits of the children who ‘failed’ the 4+ at Habs’ Boys’ School if all of the boys that her and her team prepared passed?’

It’s simple. We have spoken to at least 20 parents whose boys did not pass this assessment. Many of these parents are now our clients and we are preparing their boys for the 7+ at Habs (amongst other schools of course).

Here are 3 common reasons children were not offered a place to study at Habs’ Boys’ at 4+.

1. They were not at the intellectual level of their peers who were offered a place.

I do not mean this in a negative way at all so please do not read it in that way. What I mean is simply this.

They were not able to do many of the things that the assessors asked them to do in the two assessments at Habs boys whereas the boys who passed were able to do these things.

2. They were not prepared to the standard expected at Habs boys.

Surprisingly, many of these boys were actually prepared by other Tutoring agencies or private teachers. So why were they not prepared to the standard? Simple. The teachers they were working with were unaware of the standards as they had never prepared boys for Habs. How on earth would they know?

3. They were not able to demonstrate the behavioural traits Habs’ Boys’ School expects to see in their boys at the 4+ assessments.

Simple things like following instructions, exceptional listening and being polite, kind and caring at all times.

If these boys were not told the behavioural expectations expected of them, how would you expect them to go in and demonstrate them?

If you are preparing for Habs’ Boys’ School simply sending them to a ‘feeder nursery’ is not enough. I don’t believe this is even a thing for this school to be completely blunt with you.

If you are preparing for Habs’ Boys’ working with a teacher who has no experience with this assessment is not enough. Don’t just work with someone because they will save you money. Invest in proper tuition for your child and the highest quality tuition available.

I know that we are the best out there to prepare for Habs’ Boys’ School and I know that we will continue to get exceptional results.

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Why did so many children children 'fail' the 4+ at Highgate?

Many failed at 7+ too but that’s not what I’m speaking about today. 

Today, we are speaking about the 4+ at Highgate. 

When you look at our 2025 results, you will see that we prepared 8 children for Highgate. You will also see that only 3 were offered a place. 

Perhaps parents stumbling upon my results will think that those results are really not that great. Well, let me tell you something…

My results are real and honest. And they are exceptional. 

I’ve seen other tutors’ results who claim that they prepared 10 students and all 10 passed. Well, first of all they are lying to your faces. And second of all if you believe them, you are delusional. 

Unless all 10 of those children had siblings at Highgate, there is no way all 10 passed. 

I would run in the opposite direction from people spouting such nonsense and lies.

For 2026 entry to Highgate and for the first year in a very long time, Highgate did not hold their famous ballot for the 4+. They claimed that they had fewer applicants than usual. Perhaps. However they still assessed close to 500 children for 60 places. 

Many of our students who did not pass the Highgate 4+ assessment, passed at the likes of Westminster, Haberdashers, Glendower and Falkner House to name a few. Therefore they clearly did not pass because they weren’t intelligent enough! Trust me- they are! 

So why did so many children fail to be offered a place at Highgate this year at 4+?

I believe Highgate clearly over offered to siblings first of all. Second of all I believe in the assessments, they already had their eyes on who they wanted to come to their school and focused mostly on those children compared to the others. 

Was it a fair assessment? 

Is anything fair in this world that we live in?

Prepare your child and prepare them well for this 4+ assessment. 

Do not only apply to Highgate and make sure that you have a variety of schools that you are applying to. 

And if Highgate is the only school that you want for your child, understand this. You are taking a huge risk. You risk not having a school for your child. And no one wants to be in this stressful position do they? 

If you are confused, worried and anxious about what to do, book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and speak to an expert who can support and guide you to make the best possible decisions for your child. 

Preparing for the 4+ and don’t know who to turn to?

Decide that you will be sending your child into a 4+ assessment and be delighted with your decision. Decide that you want to apply to a top school at 4+ and be delighted with your decision. 

Decide. 

Choose. 

It is your choice. No one else’s. This is your child. No one else’. People are free to make their own decisions about their own children. That’s up to them to decide! It’s their child. 

No one else’s opinion matters but yours. Not even mine! 

Stay in your lane. Don’t deviate. Just know and be okay with the fact that people will come at you with their thoughts, with their opinions, with their negativity. Oh trust me when I tell you that there will be so much negativity towards what you have chosen to do for your child - insane I know but I’m just pre-warning you so that you are laser sharp aware about this!

People will tell you that you are doing it all wrong. You’re not doing anything wrong. 

Just remember this. You want the best of your child. If the best of these is sending your child to an exceptional school then stay in your lane. Keep going. 

Focus.Drown out all of the negative noise and opinions of others. They are not the ones paying your bills. They are not the ones responsible for raising your children. 

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery call today and speak to an expert who can support you with the 4+ assessments and with understanding exactly what will be involved and what to expect. We’ve been doing this for over 2 decades!