'Natural Ability' Is not a Thing and especially not when it comes to the Westminster 4+ Assessment!

4/32 of the students who were offered a place at Westminster to start their Reception year were prepared by us! Simply amazing!

Westminster Under School claim that they are looking for children who can ‘demonstrate potential’. They claim that they are looking for children who have a ‘natural ability’.

I don’t believe that ‘potential’ is something that any of us naturally have. I believe that potential is something that is nurtured and something that is fully supported, guided and nourished over a long period of time.

I do not believe that any child is born with ‘natural ability’. A child is not just born naturally able.

A child develops ‘ability’ through hard work, effort, consistency and dedication.

Do you really think that the 4 children who we prepared and who were offered a place at Westminster came to us with ‘natural ability’? Obviously they were very able.

But ‘natural ability’ is actually not a thing. What went on behind the scenes to prepare them to be ready to be offered a place at a school like Westminster is something only we will know about.

They write that ‘pupils joining at 4+ will usually progress to 7+…

I do not like the wording of that sentence at all. And if I was a mother sending my child to Westminster in 2026, I would be making sure that my child continues to be at the level they need to be at if I would want him to be in with a chance of continuing at the school at 7+. I definitely wouldn’t be leaving it solely to the school to do that. Please don’t do that.

Clearly if they are writing this, there will be some children who devastatingly will not make the cut. Children who will be told to leave at 7+?

How heart breaking.

Personally, I know I wouldn’t want to be in that position. What would I tell my son?

Listen carefully. If you are preparing for the 4+ at Westminster you’d better be laser sharp aware that this will not be ‘easy’. You’d better know that your child will need to cover a broad and vast curriculum before setting foot into this school (nursery or pre-school will not even scratch the surface and it does not matter which one you go to). And never leave it purely up to a Nursery or a Prep-School to prepare your child anyway. It will only lead to disappointment. Nurseries and pre-schools have a thousand other things to think about. Your number 1 priority will be to prepare your child to be ready for Westminster. They have a thousand other priorities. They have a thousand other things to deal with.

Preparing for the 4+ at Westminster? You still have time to join our 3 month Intensive Programme. But hurry! It will close on August 31st 2026!

The 2026 A level results and my thoughts about them. Part 1.

PART 1.

The 2026 UK A level RESULTS.

‘The 2026 UK A level results show that the proportion of top grades has risen slightly for the third consecutive year with 28.5% of entries achieving A or A% - up from 28.3% last year’

Quoted from the BBC.

That means 71.5% did not achieve A or A*.

I think what we really need to do is fixate on this number. 71.5%.

We have a growing population of 18 year olds and this year 320,505 students sat their A levels in England. Quoted from Gov.UK.

268,820 secured places at Universities across the UK. Quoted from Which School Advisor.

If these figures are accurate, this means that approx. 51,685 did not secure a University spot.

Private schools saw nearly 50% of A level results at A and above. Quoted from Ofqual.

Grammar schools saw nearly 44% of A level results at A and above. Quoted from Ofqual.

State Schools saw 23% of A level results at A and above. Quoted from Ofqual.

What a huge disparity between State V Grammar/Private.

In my eyes, all of these percentages are far too low. If our children are studying for 13-14 years, why aren’t more children securing A and A*?

Is an A or an A* really so important?

Well, ultimately yes it is.

As parents, we all want the best for our children. If you’re going to send your child to school for 8 hours a day/ 5 days a week/ 38 weeks of the year, we want to see them securing the best results.

That’s my opinion on the matter anyway.

What’s yours?

'Assessing 3 and 4 year olds is BONKERS!'

If you truly believe that then why put your 3 and 4 year old through a 4+ assessment?

That is truly what is BONKERS.

If something doesn’t sit right with me when it comes to my son, guess what? I don’t engage in it. I simply don’t do it.

I don’t go around insulting it. I don’t go around judging others.

I don’t want to send my child to State school. So guess what? I will not send him to a State school. I don’t go around insulting state schools. That would make me look like a moron.

Why is it bonkers to assess a 3 and a 4 year old?

Why?

Because of their age?

3 and 4 year olds are capable of far more than you think!

3 and 4 year olds are exceptional thinkers. They have amazing minds that need to be nurtured and nourished. They are the most creative and most imaginative students! They are simply amazing.

People will talk about 3 and 4 year olds and say that ‘3 and 4 year olds are not intelligent!’

How insulting and how incredibly rude.

My son is now 4 and people are always telling me how intelligent he is. How amazing he is. How well rounded and capable he is.

Do you know why?

Because I put in the work. Just like my clients do every single day with their children.

If you think a 4+ assessment is ‘BONKERS’, do not send your child to one. That’s cool. Do what you want! Just stop insulting this process and stop insulting these amazing 3 and 4 year olds and everything that they accomplish through preparation for this incredibly challenging 4+ assessment process.

Preparing for a 4+ assessment and want to support your child every single step of the way?

Book your Sample lesson and Sample week today. Final month at this price. From September the pricing will be increasing. Lock in this price for at least one year by booking your Sample lesson and Sample week today!

The MAIN Issue with the Manor Lodge 4+ Assessment last year (2026 entry)

A lack of understanding with regards to just how fiercely competitive it will be.

Parents I speak to often seem to be super relaxed about this 4+ Assessment. Perhaps because of what they have been told at the Open Day by the school. Perhaps because they don’t rate the school as highly as maybe they do a Habs or an NLCS. Perhaps because they have been told by friends and family that it’s ‘just a little run around in their forest garden’.

It is a 4+ Assessment and 4+ Assessments need to be taken very seriously.

With approx. 60 places available, parents tend to believe that this is a lot! Well, that’s relative to how many children apply is it not? Hundreds upon hundreds of children will apply to attend their 4+ Assessment at Manor Lodge.

Parents will often comment about how overwhelming the Assessment Day is at Manor Lodge. ‘It was a sea of parents and children!’ One of my clients told me last year. His daughter became so upset and did not want to leave his side. She had to basically be ‘encouraged’ to go into the assessment with the assessor but she was visibly ‘distressed’ by the whole experience. She did not pass.

Also note that children already in the nursery will have preferential treatment although they still all need to complete the assessment process too and still need to pass!

Manor Lodge is also one of the ‘cheapest’ 4+ schools in the area. At £5,990 per term for the infants it is significantly more affordable than Habs (£8,741) or NLCS (£8,925) for example. The price point of the school is very appealing to many parents that I speak with. To some it is irrelevant and they would still choose Habs or NLCS over Manor Lodge (if they had the choice!).

Manor Lodge will over offer places so many children will be Waitlisted following their 4+ assessment. This is because it is a very early 4+ Assessment compared to the others and they are very well aware that many, many parents will accept other schools rather than theirs if they had the opportunity to do so. Several of our client’s children were Waitlisted last year and once they found out that their children passed Habs or NLCS, they promptly rejected the Manor Lodge offer.

Friday October 16th is the date for this year’s Manor Lodge 4+ Assessment. You can no longer join my programme for 2027 entry but if your would like to join for 2028 entry and beyond, please join my Waiting List. Once joined, please send your preferred days/times for weekly lessons and I will confirm your start date. 12 months of Assessment preparation is needed for Manor Lodge so the time to start is definitely in the Autumn Term (September 2026).

Don’t delay! Join today!

The Alleyn's Dulwich 4+ Assessment - Is your child really ready?

Registration opens on Monday 1st September and Registration closes Friday 13th November 2026 (for 2027 entry).

Approx. 36 new children will be welcomed into the Reception classrooms at Alleyn’s Dulwich.

The Assessments for Alleyn’s Dulwich will be in January 2027 (7th-9th January 2027).

One of the most secretive schools in terms of the 4+ Assessments. Parents keep very hush, hush about this one. Perhaps because they don’t want to help others to have an edge over their child or perhaps they don’t wish to speak openly about their rejection. Alleyn’s Dulwich is a very challenging assessment to pass following the 4+ assessment.

I dare you to ask a mother or a father who has sent their child for a 4+ assessment at this school and I guarantee you that they will either be extremely vague or they will simply change the subject.

One of the hardest schools to pass at 4+, it is also one of the least prepared for by our clients here at CMT. As in this is a school that parents typically start preparing for 3 months before the assessment. I know for a fact that this is not enough time to prepare for a 4+ at a school like Alleyn’s Dulwich. The only thing the Admission Policy reveals is that children are assessmed based on the Early Years Curriculum. That is all.

Dulwich parents are drawn to this school for their children because of the simple fact that once in, they will progress (unless in exceptional circumstances) to the Senior School and therefore avoid having to do the 11+.

There are rumours that they have a sibling policy but I know of many, many siblings who have not passed so I wouldn’t even consider this to be honest.

A highly academic 4+ assessment, your child will need to cover a broad and vast curriculum in all areas of the Early Years Curriculum. Spatial reasoning and logic are important features of this 4+ assessment and your child will need to be prepared thoroughly and well and have been exposed to many different elements of spatial reasoning during their 4+ assessment preparation in order to go in and have a clue what to do! Numeracy and phonics will need to be at a very high level. Language development and language skills will be vital to your child’s chances of success at Alleyn’s Dulwich.

Last chance to join my Intensive 3 month Programme before I close in on August 31st. This is for 2027 entry only.

If you are preparing for the 4+ assessments in 2028 and beyond, please join our Waiting List.

'The hardest of the 4+ assessments!' The South Hampstead 4+ Assessment.

I was speaking with one of my dear clients last week and we were discussing the 4+ assessments. Her daughter did amazingly well and was successful at being offered places at the likes of NLCS, South Hampstead, Westminster and Glendower.

These were her words.

'The hardest of the 4+ assessments!'

The school she was referring to was South Hampstead High School.

Is South Hampstead a school you dream about for your child?

Would you love to send your daughter to South Hampstead at 4+? Yeh, you and the other 240+ parents who try to send their daughters to this school each and every year!

It is by far one of the hardest 4+ assessments.

I have been preparing girls for this school for over 20 years. This means that for 20 years, I have seen what works and I have seen what doesn’t. This means that for 20 years I have seen the girls who have passed and I have seen the girls who have not passed.

I know exactly what is expected of the girls in their 4+ Assessments and so do my team of exceptional teachers.

The most heartbreaking thing about this school, is that it is the least prepared for. Each year, we typically support 2-3 girls for this school. This is a very small percentage compared to the other school that we prepare our girls for. Perhaps those other girls go to other tutors? I do hope so. Last year we supported a record 7 girls for their 4+ at South Hampstead!

Why this 4+ assessment is so hard?

1. There are only 24 places on offer at 4+.

Each year hundreds and hundreds of girls will sit their Assessment at this school.

At least 250 girls attend their 4+ Assessment at South Hampstead. Your daughter therefore will typically have a 1:10 chance of passing this assessment.

2. The majority of parents will consider it to be a ‘play date’ assessment because this is what they are told about it.

It is not a ‘play date’. Far from it actually.

3. The majority of parents will not prepare their daughter for this 4+ assessment (other than sending her to nursery or prep school)

Special preparation IS necessary.

South Hampstead are looking for very strong phonics and reading skills and very strong mathematical skills in their girls. How will your daughter pass without ‘special preparation’? Nurseries and pre- schools do not support children to the level needed to pass these 4+ assessments. It really doesn’t matter to me which one she goes to.

4. Formal knowledge IS expected.

A lot will be expected of your daughter in her 4+ Assessment for South Hampstead. Prepare her to a very high standard. Sending her to nursery or pre-school alone is not what I consider preparing for a 4+ assessment. Far from it.

5. To be offered a place at 4+ is something exceptional.

If you have been offered a place, you are in a very privileged position and I hope you are aware of that.

We have exceptional success with South Hampstead at 4+ every single year. This year 5 of our students have been offered a place to study at South Hampstead!

Trustpilot Review (South Hampstead 4+ Success)

Maria helped us with preparing our daughter for the 4+ assessment at SHHS. She is a summer baby and not in a nursery that formally prepares kids for the 4+. She comes to every lesson prepared but also flexible with content to suit the mood of our 3 year old. She is very patient and encouraging. The exercises she shares after the lessons are also useful to continue progress. All in all we are very happy especially after we got the offer from the school.

For your final chance to join our exceptional 3 Month Intensive Programme Book your Sample lesson and Sample Week today.

My long term VISION for my son.

I spend every single day supporting other parents to make very important decisions. Decisions about their children that will impact the rest of their lives (their lives and the lives of their children).

I take what I do very seriously.

It is of upmost importance to me to support parents all over the country to make the best choices possible for their children.

Will our choices be the ‘right’ ones? Only time will tell and we need to be prepared to make changes and pivot if need be.

You see, I didn’t have the best education growing up. We were certainly not ‘wealthy’ and my parents did the best they could with the knowledge that they had at the time and the circumstances they experienced at the time. However, it is very factual for me to tell you that my education could have been far superior. And if it had been, perhaps I wouldn’t have had to have struggled as much as I did between the ages of 18-35. Perhaps I would have made better financial decisions between the ages of 18-35 and perhaps my life would have just been filled with far more choices than those that I had between the ages of 18-35. I still did pretty damn well and moving forwards I will continue to make choices aligned with my vision and my dreams.

The education that our children receive is very important.

Currently, I am creating a long term vision for my son.

Having been state educated myself from the age of 5 to the age of 18, I know with certainty that I do not want him in a State School. People will say to me that I shouldn’t let my experience cloud my vision for my son. I will let my experience be the shining light to guide me very carefully in making this decision. My experience matters. What I believe matters. Not what anyone else believes - that’s for sure!

Having worked in state education for over a decade and having taught in hundreds of schools (including private), I know that I do not want him in a State School. I’ve seen too much. It’s a straight and easy no for me.

Private schooling is an option, sure. But not in his very early years. I want to have the flexibility to take him out of school and travel with him, to visit family, to go to new places and to have new experiences with him. I cannot do that if he begins school full time from September 2026. He won’t be. I will be Home Educating him from September 2026. To be honest, I have been home educating him since he was born. I have always been his main teacher.

I know that I can provide him with a ‘world class’ education that the government tell me they are offering all of our children. My education was far from ‘world class’. And I know that most of your education was far from ‘world class’, whether you choose to admit it or not.

Most of you will not.

Socially, it will be up to me or organise activities where he can interact with other children. Not because I think children socialise in schools (I don’t), but because my son adores to be with other children. And what I’ve actually noticed is that he loves being with different children of different ages.

Long term, I do want him to be very, very academic. I want to follow his lead and see what he is drawn to and provide him with everything he needs to achieve what he wants. I do want him to achieve high grades at GCSE and A-level. Not because of the grades themselves but because they will open doors for his future endeavours. Most likely, we will aim to do his GCSE’s and A-levels far earlier than the norm.I would like him to go to University but this will be completely up to him when he is mature enough to make that decision (I do not think 18 is the age to make these choices personally).

I don’t necessarily want him to work full time or have to work full time as an employee (unless he tells me that he wants to do this). I will always steer him towards the entrepreneur route. I know that this will give him the freedom that I have been creating for myself and my family over the last 2 decades.

I want him to feel positive and negative emotions in equal doses. I want him to develop the tools and skills to be able to handle both to the best of his ability.

I will be his main teacher.

I will be his main guide.

I want him to continue to have the hunger for learning that he currently has. I do not want this to be taken away from him by anyone.

I do not want anyone telling me what I should or should not be doing when it comes to my son. I do not want to follow rigid rules. I want freedom. It’s what I have always wanted - it’s just not what I was conditioned to want. It took me a long, long time to unravel that conditioning and thankfully I have!

This is my long term vision for my son.

What is your long term vision for your child?

Working online with an experienced teacher is far superior to working in person with a teacher who lacks experience.

We are all different and we all want different things and of course if you want in person tuition, that’s your choice. If you want online tuition, that’s your choice.

However, there’s this assumption by some that ‘in person’ is better than online. It is not.

There’s this belief that if the teacher is in the room with the child, they will have better results. This is not the case.

Careful what you assume and believe.

Some parents who contact me are fixated with this idea that in person tuition is better than online tuition. I disagree. Not just because it is what I do but because I know with certainty that it is not superior to what I offer to my clients. I never try to prove these parents wrong. That would be futile. What I do however, is tell them the truth as far as I see it. It is then up to them to decide if they want to work with us or not.

You may be very limited to the area that you currently live in.

There will be a limited number of teachers who prepare for the 4+ Assessments in your area. This means that you will need to go with whoever you find that actually offers 4+ Assessment preparation in your area. The teachers that you do find who offer 4+ Assessment preparation may not actually have any experience with the schools that you are applying to. So just because they can physically come into your home doesn’t mean that what they offer you will be any better than what you would receive online with teachers who have real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to.

Not taking anything away from these teachers do (I was one of them myself for years and years!) But at the end of the day if you are sending your child for the 4+ Assessments then you will want the best of the best. And the best of the best is someone with real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to. Someone who can actually answer your questions with facts and not opinions!

There are many teachers who claim to be so called ‘experts’ simply because their children are currently studying at the schools that parents are preparing for. How on earth that makes you an expert is beyond me. Just because my son goes to Gymnastics once a week doesn’t qualify to teach kids gymnastics!

You don’t need to waste time travelling anywhere.

Rather than wasting 2 hours of travel time actually getting to the in person tuition, use all of that extra time to actually prepare your child using the resources that we provide for you. Using our expertise. Using our knowledge.

You will cover a far more robust curriculum with a teacher who has real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to compared to with someone who is just early years qualified. Again, taking nothing away from these teachers (I was one of them myself!) but if you want to make sure that you have covered absolutely everything that needs to be covered then you 100% need to be working with a teacher who actually knows the schools that you are sending your child into sit their Assessments at.

If you are going through the 4+ Assessment preparation process, make sure that you choose the best of the best. The best teacher for your child to support them to have the best possible chances for success.

Inviting someone into your home for tea and biscuits will not cut it. Sorry.

Also someone with our level of experience would charge at least double what we charge per hour to actually waste their precious time travelling to you and back.

Book your Sample lesson today.

Contradictory views about the Habs' Boys' 4+ Assessment.

Habs’ Boys’ School is a very popular school that we prepare our boys to be wildly successful in here at CMT.

It is a much loved school and I personally have friends who send their sons to Habs and I personally have hundreds of clients who I have supported over the last 2 decades who send their sons to Habs. Honestly, to this day, I’ve not heard negativity about this school. Which truly is a testament to them!

They offer approx. 40 places but this year it was far more than that. Ask the school directly how many places will be available this year (2027 entry). Although it was far more than 40, Habs did not disclose this until after the 4+ assessments to parents of boys who were offered a place (2026 entry)

With the applicants in their hundreds, you want to be laser sharp aware of the high expectations of your son and prepare him and support him accordingly. Prepare him and support him to go in and truly shine in this 4+ assessment (if it is truly a school that you want for your son).

There are a lot of contradictory views to mine about the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ assessment and I wanted to truly shine a light on some of these so that if you are preparing your son for his assessment for Habs’ Boys’ for 2027 and beyond that you are laser sharp aware of what will actually be expected of your son and how to really prepare him to the best of your ability.

Habs themselves ‘strongly recommend’ against tutoring which I truly find fascinating considering that each year at least 1/4 of their cohort have been prepared by us! Also, I have only ever spoken highly about Habs. They’re not speaking very highly of what I do are they? To add to this - I also continue to teach boys long after they have got in at 4+ who attend Habs!

There are a lot of contradictory views to mine about the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ assessment and I wanted to truly shine a light on some of these so that if you are preparing your son for his assessment for Habs’ Boys’ for 2028 and beyond that you are laser sharp aware of what will actually be expected of your son and how to really prepare him to the best of your ability.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to this very, very popular boys’ school.

1. Thorough preparation is needed.

2. Just send my boy in to play (after all it is a play based assessment)

Interesting then that in this play based assessment our boys were asked to do the following (obviously I’m not giving you a full list but just a flavour for you):

• Counting and identifying numbers to 20

• Drawing

• Geometry

• Writing

• Lego

• Reading

• Listening

• Vocabulary

• Drawing

• Phonics

Obviously my school of thought is that thorough prep is needed for the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ assessment. And just to be crystal clear - what I mean by this is 12 months. We are not miracle workers here. We can do our very best and we always will do. But a 12 month curriculum needs to be covered for this school (and many others!).

So, you decide if you want to ‘send your boy in to play’ and let me know if he is able to do all of the above (which is a fraction of what came up).

If you are preparing your son for 2027 entry and beyond, join our Waiting List today.

Why do girls fail the NLCS 4+ Assessment?

I have been preparing hundreds of girls to be incredibly successful at NLCS in their 4+ assessment for over 2 decades!

I know exactly what it takes for girls to pass this incredibly tough 4+ assessment.

The obvious answer to this question is that there will be over 500 girls applying for a coveted place at NLCS to start in Reception. NLCS is so incredibly oversubscribed for obvious reasons:

It is an all through school.

It produces exceptional Exit Results.

Contrary to popular belief, NLCS are not looking for only the brightest and most intelligent girls to join their school. They are also looking for girls who have a strong ability to fail and be ok about it.

This is the part of 4+ assessment preparation that many parents can neglect. And yes, it is part of my exceptional curriculum. Supporting my girls to be exceptional at failing. Because guess what? They will need to go in and demonstrate this! They will need to go in and not get frustrated and irritated when they get something wrong and believe me when I tell you that they will get many things wrong in this 4+ assessment!

Girls who pass the 4+ assessment at NLCS historically are of course very bright. Are of course girls who have been prepared to exceptional standards. But the most important piece is this. The girls who have passed have had the ability to fail.

Here’s what I mean.

I’ve been analysing my data from the last three years and looking at the girls that we have prepared for NLCS. I’ve also been analysing the data from parents that I’ve spoken to who have called me to tell that their girls have not passed their 4+ assessment at NLCS.

And the reason is so obvious to me.

The girls who have ‘failed’ this assessment - as in have not been offered a place have been the girls who haven’t been strong at failing.

Perhaps they were asked to do something and simply told the assessor - ‘I don’t know!’

Perhaps they were asked to do something and simply told the assessor - ‘I don’t want to do that!’

Perhaps they gave up quickly when they were unable to do something the first time.

NLCS are looking for girls who are resilient, strong minded and have the ability to persevere when something is hard.

Girls who are unable to demonstrate that will not be successful in this assessment. Simple.

That is my opinion. If you disagree, it is your right to do so!

Preparing for the 4+ at NLCS for 2027 entry? This is your final chance to join my Intensive 3 Month Programme which I know will be a game changer to your daughters chances for success in this incredibly tough 4+ assessment.

What is Curriculum Acceleration and why is it important?

I have always specialised in Curriculum Acceleration but I’ve only just recently started using those two words to describe the work that we do here at CMT.

You see, we do prepare for Entrance Exams and we do that exceptionally well and we will continue to support students to be wildly successful in any Entrance Exam. But that’s really not our main focus (it may be the main focus of some of our clients sure).

Our main focus is building a love for learning that goes far beyond any Entrance Exam. This is where Curriculum Acceleration comes in.

Getting into their schools of choice is the initial goal of the thousands of parents who have worked with us to this point. Their ultimate goal typically ends up being to support their children to truly love their learning. That’s why the majority of our clients stay with us for the whole of their children’s Primary Education.

To me Curriculum Acceleration means always working 2 years above their current age. So essentially if your child is in Reception, my goal is that they will be working at a Year 1/2 level.

Obviously this is important for Ultimate Assessment success. But I truly believe that it is vital for true accelerated learning. In order to truly accelerate our students’ learning, my teachers, myself and my clients work beautifully together to support each other to have the results that we truly want.

And ultimately getting 100% in a test is not the end goal for us.

Of course we want our students to score highly and to do well. That’s obvious. But true Curriculum Acceleration happens only when our students love to learn. They become obsessed with learning. They want to learn.

When learning is forced and not nurtured correctly the results can be catastrophic. Sorry to be dramatic. But it’s the truth. I’ve sadly seen in happen in thousands of children year after year after year when I worked full time as a classroom teacher all those years ago!

So many parents will tell me to ‘Stop putting pressure on these children’ but that is so far from the truth of what we do here at CMT. If you ever had the delight of watching one of our lessons what you would see would be laughter, joy and lots and lots of curiosity. You would see enthusiasm, determination and perseverance.

Curriculum Acceleration ultimately is important because in the world we live in right now, life is becoming more and more competitive. I want my son to be offered a top tier education. I know that his education will compare to a Westminster education. Most likely it will be even better as he will have my 1:1 support. Those children will have a 1:16 level of support.

Want to learn more about what we do here at CMT?

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and discover how we can support your child to truly love their learning and to truly achieve Curriculum Acceleration.

How do you solve a 'problem' like socialisation?

There are countless studies on socialisation and if you wish to read more about it, go for it.

These are my views based on my own childhood, my own opinion of socialisation and what I’ve experienced and observed working as a teacher for over two decades.

We all have different opinions of what socialisation and socialising means.

It will not mean the same thing to every single one of us.

Merriam-Webster defines socialization (spelled socialisation in British English) as the process, beginning in childhood, by which people learn and acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of their society.

For me, that’s where the first issue arises. I want to be nothing like most of our society and I want to spend very little time with many people in this society of ours! Does that mean I’m anti social? To some of you it will mean that. To me it does not. To me, it means that I am very selective about who I wish to spend my time with.

I also wish to acquire my own values - not the values of others (unless they are aligned with mine).

I would rather stay far away from the majority of habits held by the society I live in!

I can’t stand the attitude of many people in my society!

Here is what socialisation means to me personally.

Socialisation is the act of socialising with people who I choose to socialise with. Socialisation means spending time with the people I love and whose values are aligned with mine.

I want my socialising to be real and not fake.

In childhood, most of our socialising comes either from the socialising we do with our parents and our families and the socialising that we do at school (or the place we are educated - for some of us this will be home school).

Many of us are fortunate enough to have had excellent experiences socialising with our families as young children. Many of us didn’t.

As a child I did not.

My mother was always working and mostly stressed out and tired.

My father was barely present and then he died when I was 10.

Many of us are fortunate enough to have had excellent experiences socialising at school or by being home schooled. Many of us didn’t.

I went to a 7 form entry Secondary School where teachers didn’t really know us as individuals. In many of my lessons, we would need to write our names on bits of paper so teachers could call on us if we raised our hands! I had few friendships (one or two close friends) and I was fine with that but that wasn’t acceptable to the society I lived in. I should have been more popular. I should have had more friends. I should hang out with the popular girls (who FYI were sneaking out of school to take drugs).

Now, as a 41 year old woman, I adore my definition of socialisation. I adore my close circle of friends. My son has real and beautiful relationships with people who actually, truly adore him and would do anything for him.

So stop putting everyone into a little box that we should all fit into. We are all different. Our children are all different. What works well for one, will work terribly for another.

Socialisation is not a problem. How we view it may be the only problem.

Decide on your meaning of socialisation for you and for your child and live a life aligned with your definition of it and not on what society makes it mean!

What will your child's fate be in the 4+ at Highgate?

Highgate has 60 places available for new students each year to begin their Reception Year following their 4+ assessments.

My clients initially think that 60 places is a lot. Well, it isn’t. Last year they supposedly had 450 applicants (or so they say).

Personally, I believe it was far more — but let’s go with that number.

That’s roughly a 1:8 chance of passing the 4+ assessment at this school.

Not easy, is it?

Following Round 1, this number is reduced to 180 candidates. At that stage, your child has roughly a 1 in 3 chance of being offered a place. Still not easy. But easier for sure at this point!

Siblings of pupils already at Highgate are always invited back for Round 2 (it’s part of their assessment policy). If you think about it carefully, that’s a significant proportion of the 180 who will be invited back who will be siblings. That gives non siblings a harder chance.

In fact, many of the children called back to Round 2 last year were siblings. Children of staff are also automatically invited to Round 2 — regardless of their level or ability. Read that again.

The stated criteria is that they assess “readiness for learning.”

So is “readiness for learning” not taken into consideration for siblings or children of staff? Not according to their policy. Not in Round 1. In Round 2 they say it is.

Therefore Round 1 is not a level playing field. It is important to know that so you won’t be severely disappointed!

Highgate states that in the second round, no preferential treatment is given to siblings and that they are assessed in the same way as all other children. However, the majority of children assessed this year who passed (as far as I can see) were siblings. Obviously, I’ve not spoken to all 60 of the candidates but I’ve spoken to a good 30 of them!

Only one of the three students we supported to pass this assessment last year was a non-sibling. He did not choose to go to this school and will be studying at UCS instead.

I do respect Highgate’s honesty and transparency in its admissions policy. It is clear and direct. Parents know exactly what to expect after reading it.

It really shouldn’t be a surprise when children do not pass this 4+ assessment.

Some of our brightest students did not pass this assessment last year following the first round (and a few following the second). Many of the students who did not pass Highgate 4+ were offered places at schools such as Westminster, The Hall, NLCS, Habs, Falkner House, and Glendower.

Were parents furious and frustrated about the results at Highgate following the 4+ assessments? Of course they were. It wasn’t what anyone was expecting. This year, we know what to expect.

Do you?

Preparing for the 4+ at Highgate for 2028 entry and beyond? Join our Waiting List to work with the best teachers in the UK and give your child the best possible chances for success in this incredibly tough 4+ assessment.

5 facts you probably didn't know about the 4+ at UCS...

A very popular school that we prepare for here at CMT.

The UCS 4+ Assessment. With 500+ boys applying for 32 places, you’d better believe that competition will be fierce. And you’d better believe that your son will need to be thoroughly prepared to stand a chance in both rounds of this 4+ assessment.

The UCS 4+ Assessments (2 rounds) will be in January 2027. This gives you a Term to prepare your child (at the point of writing this). Sending your child to nursery or pre-prep is not 4+ Assessment preparation.

My suggestion is one full year of 4+ Assessment preparation for UCS (4 terms).

Your last chance to work 1:1 with you will be through my Intensive 3 Month Programme which closes August 31st 2026 (if your child is 2027 entry).

1. There are 32 places available to join the pre- prep Reception class each year.

Many parents that I speak to often seem surprised about this. They often tend to think that there are far more places available than there actually are. Not sure why?

Hundreds and hundreds of boys will apply to sit their 4+ Assessment each year at UCS (500+).

2. You can register for the 4+ Assessment at UCS any time after birth!

UCS is very over subscribed. Be aware of this. You will pay a registration fee of £210.

3. Everyone who applies to sit the 4+ Assessment at UCS will be invited to the first Round. There will be hundreds and hundreds of boys at the 4+ Assessment dates at UCS at Round 1. There are 2 different dates for the Round 1 4+ Assessment at UCS (4th and 5th January 2027).

4. You are told to not prepare your son for this school and I highly recommend that you completely disregard this.

5. It is 100% NOT a playdate Assessment so don’t treat it as one.

We have had tremendous success preparing our boys for the 4+ at UCS for over 14 years and we would be delighted to support you.

Join our Waiting List Today (for 2028 entry and beyond).

3 Critical Errors Made by parents applying to Guildford High (4+)

The Guildford High 4+ Assessment this year will be on October 8th and October 10th. This leaves you with less than 2 months to prepare your daughter. My recommendation is one full year (or 4 full terms) of CMT 4+ Assessment Preparation for Guildford High. So if you are preparing for 2028 entry, the time to start would have been last term! If you are preparing for Guildford High for 2029 entry, get in touch and you will be invited to join my Waiting List.

Historically, they have always done the first round on a day of the week in October and the second round on a Saturday in October.

It is one of the earliest 4+ assessments. For our clients, this will either be their one and only choice or it will be their last choice (due to the location of the school - no other reason).

Guildford High is an excellent, highly academic school. We have supported many girls to be incredibly successful in this 4+ assessment.

This is what GH say that they assess:

We will evaluate the learning potential in language development, number and general cognitive skills, manipulative and social skills in line with the EYFS Framework.

They say that they do not assess reading ability. Our girls are taught to read as part of my 4+ Curriculum Programme. Whether they are asked to read or not is highly irrelevant to me.

GH also write that The sessions are designed to be fun and interactive and reflective of the girls’ ages.

Summer born have never been assessed differently in this 4+ assessment. In any 4+ assessment. Why on earth would they be?

3 Critical Errors Made by parents applying to Guildford High (4+)

Critical Error #1

Believing that you do not need to prepare your daughter for this assessment.

Critical Error #2

Starting preparations far too late.

Critical Error #3

Believing that every single girl who applies will be offered a place.

That one is beyond insane to my brain!

Around 35 places available to join Reception each year. Hundreds and hundreds of girls applying. How would that even be possible?

Prepare your daughter and prepare her well for the Guildford High 4+ Assessment.

Book your Sample Lesson today. This can take place over the summer months ready to start the programme from the Autumn Term (2028 entry and beyond only).

The programme will only be at this price until August 31st. From September, pricing will change to work 1:1 with my amazing Senior Teachers. Lock in this price by booking your Sample Lesson today.

'We are not doing any 4+ prep! We are just giving our child a varied and happy childhood.'

This is a contradiction.

If you are giving your child a ‘varied and happy’ childhood then this undoubtedly means that you are preparing them.

‘We are not forcing him to do silly things like cutting zig zags or drill him with phonics but nursery seems to fill in the blanks!’

So it’s ok for nursery to do those ‘silly little things’ with your child?

Why is cutting a ‘silly little’ thing? Oh do stop undermining what we do. When people talk like this they just make themselves sound like complete and utter a**holes. Excuse my language but it’s what I truly believe.

Stop being so ignorant.

Introducing scissors to young children early helps build foundational physical and cognitive skills that are crucial for later development, most notably serving as a direct precursor for handwriting.

We don’t just ask our students to cut every day for the sake of it. Cutting helps to support their fine motor development, helps with how they hold their pen and helps with their early handwriting (to name a few). I actually am not bothered that my students can cut perfectly when they go to their assessments (although they will !). I am more concerned about supporting them with all of the other benefits that they will have by being able to cut from such an early age!

Tutoring a 3 year old is ‘madness’.

Why is it ‘madness’?

But it’s fine to send them to a non-selective pre-prep. Where hey, guess what? They will be taught and prepared for their 7+ or their 11+! That’s not madness though is it? But all good to shame people with your B***s*** words.

‘My summer born kid will be assessed differently to an autumn born kid!’

Sure.

In over 2 decades and having taught over 1000 children for their assessments, I’ve never once heard that my summer born students we assessed any differently to my autumn born students. Why would they be?

If you’re so concerned about their DOB, start preparing them earlier. My son is July born. You will never see a difference between him and his September born peer (in any area of learning!).

‘My child was lucky to have several offers!’

Your child was not ‘lucky’, your child (and you!) put in the work in order to have those offers.

Can we please stop writing nonsense?

‘Avoid tutoring!’

Avoid listening to B***S***.

Do what you want.

Final chance to join my Intensive 3 Month Programme is you are preparing your child for 2027 entry. It will close August 31st 2026.

'She convinced her not to prep for Westminster!' How did that go down?

Not well.

Obviously!

My client has said she is happy for me to discuss her story with the hope that she will help several families to not make the mistake that she made. Names changed for confidentiality.

Here is Gemma’s story.

Gemma contacted me in September of 2025. I remember the day that she called me because I was at the beach with my son. I took her call in my bikini and in my flip flops whilst my son swam in the sea with his father.

Gemma’s tone was strong and confident. A successful business woman, she told me about her education and top schools in London and how she wanted the same for her daughter. Gemma told me that an amazing education was so important to her.

Gemma’s daughter was to attend several assessments in the autumn term of 2026.

Gemma was well aware that she only had two months left to prepare her daughter Amber for the 4+ assessment at her dream school - Westminster. Gemma was also preparing for 3 other top schools.

‘Can you help me?’ - I get this questions multiple times a day. And whilst I’d love to help everyone, sadly I cannot.

I told Gemma that with only 2 months left until the 1st round that it would be difficult.

Gemma did not like my reply and she immediately went on the defensive saying things like…

‘How can you know it’s too late?’

‘I was told she will just go in and play!’

‘How dare you tell me that!’ etc etc.

Then Gemma started to cry. She was clearly very upset.

I told her that it wasn’t her fault and that we could try our best to support Amber with her 4+ assessments.

She told me that her sister had convinced her that 4+ doesn’t need prep. Her daughter was at a ‘top pre-prep’ in London and that was enough.

I met Amber in late September.

A gorgeous girl (she is still my student right now!), Amber was wonderful. However, the Sample lesson didn’t go well.

Amber struggled to maintain focus, she was fidgeting with several things that she had in front of her, she didn’t know her sounds, She was unable to recognise number 1-10 and she wasn’t holding her pencil and scissors ‘correctly’.

Gemma did not like my feedback after the lesson and she was furious with the pre- prep. She had invested tens of thousands of pounds into that pre-prep after all!

Gemma continued with me and we worked together intensively for several weeks of Curriculum Acceleration prior to Amber’s Round 1 at Westminster. We were also preparing for other assessments such as Glendower, Falkner House and Highgate. Amber began to focus beautifully and concentrate. With my Emerald Curriculum, she was able to really accelerate her learning. Gemma was delighted. So was I.

Amber passed Round 1 at Westminster but not Round 2. She did not pass Falkner House. She did not pass Highgate. She will be starting at Glendower in September 2026 and she will be continuing with me as we prepare for her 7+/11+.

Preparing for top schools for the 4+? Join my Intensive 3 month programme before it closes on August 31st.

The devastating TRAP of believing that a pre-pre/nursery will get you the RESULTS you seek.

The clients who work with us here at CMT know that the pre-pre/nursery will have about 10% to do with the success that their child will have in their assessments. The clients who work with us here at CMT know that 90% of the work will come from what they will do at home with their children.

Our clients find this empowering.

They have full responsibility over the success of their child in any assessment.

None of us have control over how our children will do in the assessments. Not me. Not you and not a 10-12k per term pre-prep/nursery.

I speak to many (many!) parents who hand over this control to their children’s pre-prep and nurseries every single day. They drop their kids off and head off to work and they firmly believe that everything is being done by the very expensive pre-prep or nursery that they are sending their child to.

Well, they are wrong. Devastatingly wrong.

And even more devastating is the fact that how a child does in an assessment is irreversible. As in, you won’t be able to change the outcome. What you can change however is your attitude towards these assessments. What you can change is how seriously your take them. And what you can change is your belief.

I’ve supported hundreds of children who have never set foot in an ultra pricey pre-prep or nursery and who have had incredible success in their assessments. The reason for their success was because of the incredible support that they received from home.

This devastating belief that it is up to a Hampstead Hill or a Mulberry House or a Clowns or a BLS to have 100% responsibility in the success of your child.

It is very disempowering.

I worked for 3 years as a class teacher across the school at one of the schools that I have listed above. I have nothing terrible to say about the school (it has its faults like all schools don’t get me wrong) but the school that I worked at was 100% not solely responsible for the success of the children who passed their assessments. And guess what? When I was there, we never claimed to be.

Do you know who is responsible for the success of your child?

YOU.

And only you.

And if you do not like that, then continue to send your child to one of the above (or the countless others) and continue to give all of your power to these pre-preps/nurseries. Continue to not know how your child is doing in phonics. Continue to not know how your child is doing in maths. Continue to not know how your child is able or unable to answer questions. Continue to not know which letters of the alphabet or numbers your child is able to write. I could go on.

Because schools like Habs/NLCS/Westminster aren’t too interested in the pre-prep/ nursery that your child goes to. What they are interested in is how your child learns, how your child interacts and how your child behaves.

If you’re ready to take full control over the success of your child, join my Waiting List and receive the support that you truly deserve to have in any of your child’s assessments. We will be there for you every single step of the way.

What is the 'progress' we are aiming for in each area of learning when preparing for the 4+?

I received an exceptional question yesterday from a parent who did a Sample lesson with me last week.

Obviously, I will be taking time today to answer my client in depth but I wanted to share my thoughts about this with you too.

When I worked in schools as a full time teacher and as a senior leader, we would be set targets for our classes. Our students were expected to make a certain amount of progress. The more qualified we were, the higher the level of progress our classes were expected to make!

That’s ultimately what we were paid to do. We were first of all paid to look after our students and second of all we were paid to show their progress. A huge responsibility to have would you not agree?

Progress is very important.

We all want our children to make progress in the areas of learning that they (and we) are investing our time, energy and money on!

Progress is key.

As you might know, my 4+ Curriculum Programme is a 12 month programme. So it is obvious that if you have the full 12 months of the Curriculum Programme that your chid will be able to make way more progress than if they do the 3 month Programme.

Progress and time go hand in hand.

My students will never make as much progress in 3 months as they would in 12 months.

So let me share with you a very brief summary of the progress that I would expect a student of CMT to make after 12 months on my programme. Obviously each child is different and unique and the progress will be individual to them. Just to make that clear.

Communication and Language

To be able to answer L4 questions with ease, confidence and clarity. To have a broad and vast vocabulary.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

To be able to go into the 4+ assessment happily and confidently. Do be able to engage well with adults and children. To know how to react in difficult situations. To show emotional maturity.

Physical Development

To be physically strong (gross and fine motor control)

Literacy

To know their phase 2/3 and 4 phonics (single sounds and digraphs). To be reading cvc words with confidence and ease. To be able to write numbers 1-20 with perfect formation. To be able to write letters a-z with perfect formation. To hold their pencil ‘correctly’. To have a love for reading books.

Maths

To be at mastery of the whole of my CMT Early Years mathematics curriculum.

(Place value, addition and subtraction, geometry, length, capacity, weight, position, direction and time)

Understanding of the World

Show a deep curiosity and knowledge for the world around them.

Art and design

Be able to draw with confidence and independence whatever they are asked to draw. Be able to create and design something and know how to use the tools needed with confidence and independence.

Does this overwhelm you?

This excites me!

And if you want support with helping your child to make the progress that they deserve to be making, join me.

Passing these 4+ assessments has never been my end goal.

Passing the 4+ assessments is just the cherry on top.

My end goal is for my students to love learning. To have a passion for learning. To want to learn more, more and more.

The Intensive 3 Month programme will close on August 31st. Will your child make as much progress as they could have made if they had joined my 12 months programme? Probably not but it’s a great place to start and we’ve had incredible success for many of our students who have completed my Intensive 3 month programme.

3 Reasons Your Kensington Prep Assessment Prep May Not Work.

Kensington Prep is a very popular school that we prepare our girls for.

For our clients here at CMT this school will either be the first school of choice or the last school of choice.

The Ken Prep 4 plus Assessment is one we have been preparing our beautiful girls for for over 2 decades.

So you’ve applied to Kensington Prep and you’ve been to visit it. You’ve decided this is the school for your daughter. Perhaps you’ve prepared her a little bit. Perhaps you’ve been unsure about how to prepare her. Perhaps you’ve spoken to a few parents who have provided you with snippets of information about the Assessment (I would avoid listening to what other parents tell you about the assessments!). Perhaps you believe that because you send your daughter to nursery every day that this is assessment prep (it is not).

Now the Assessment is approaching and you are feeling more and more anxious about it. I don’t blame you. I would be feeling the same if it was truly the school that I wanted for my child.

This is a challenging school to get into. Not as challenging as the others we prepare for but challenging nonetheless.

A few important dates for you to keep in mind if you are applying for the 4+ at Ken Prep (2027 entry) 

• You can apply from birth and up until 23rd October 2026 (for 2027 entry) 

• Only parents of registered girls can attend their open day. 

• The assessment will take place in January 2027. They call it a ‘play based’ assessment. You can be sure that your daughter is not going to Ken Prep to be just observed ‘playing’.

The Ken Prep 4+ Assessment is around 60 minutes long. Your daughter will need stamina and focus to be able to last the full 60 minutes! We prepare all our girls to be able to go into Ken Prep and focus to the best of their abilities.

Being successful at Ken prep means preparing your daughter to be able to go in and answer questions well, focus, show confidence and independence, be able to interact well with children and adults and have the stamina to complete the full 60 minute assessment and complete it well! Being successful does not mean sending your daughter in for a ‘little play’.

3 Reasons Your Kensington Prep Assessment Prep May Not Work.

1. Your daughter isn’t prepared to go in and show how alert and focused she is.

2. Your child isn’t prepared to understand that she needs to go in and show how curious she is. Curiosity (believe it or not) is taught. It is practised. It is nurtured.

3. Your daughter isn’t prepared to go in and show her enthusiasm for learning.

This is EXACTLY what they will be observing. This is EXACTLY what they will be assessing.

If you are NOT preparing specifically for these three things then it is very likely that your 4+ Assessment preparation may NOT work.

We’ve never once had a student not pass this 4+ assessment. That says it all really.

Join my Intensive 3 Month Programme Today and support your daughter to be wildly successful in this 4+ assessment. Closing August 31st.