Curriculum Coaching is the best option is the best option for the 4+ for you if...

You want to teach your child yourself but have no idea where to start in terms of covering the curriculum.

In comes Curriculum Coaching.

An incredible programme that I created for my clients.

Many of my clients would tell me that they wanted to prepare their children themselves but didn’t have a clue what they should be covering. Didn’t have a clue about the level expected at each different school.

Become an expert in the curriculum that your child is currently studying.

Receive expert guidance from a teacher who has over 16 years of experience teaching children aged 2-11.

Ensure your child is always ahead and making the accelerated progress that they deserve to be making.

If you are currently preparing your child for the 4+ and would like to know that you are covering everything that needs to be covered, this is the programme for you.

What you will get

Bespoke learning created only for your child.

Learning will be sent weekly.

Once learning has been completed, you can send pictures of any incorrect learning and receive tailor made resources only for your child to support them to grasp the concepts that they may be struggling with.

Unlimited access to Company Director, Maria Mazarese either by phone or by email. You can contact me at any time and I will always reply and be there to support you.

£240 per month

£50 Registration fee

Try for one week (£60)

Cancel anytime

2 things your child must never do in their 4+ Assessments

The day of the 4+ Assessment will be a very important day for my clients. They really want their child to be successful at being offered a place at the school that they have applied to and they have invested a lot of time, money and energy into preparing for this moment. They are also sending the most precious person in their lives into the Assessment and so they will be most likely feeling a mixture of anxiety and stress. Our children are the most precious little loves and we want them to succeed. We want them to thrive. We know exactly what they are capable of and we want them to be able to show this and we want others to be able to see this!

That’s why when a lot of the parents that I speak to receive the letter in the post saying that their child has been unsuccessful that they feel a deep sense of sadness. That’s their little love being rejected. That’s their little love not being offered a place at the dream school that they wanted them to go to.

That’s why I take what I do so seriously.

I know how important this is for my clients.

I know what it means to them.

So let me share with you 2 things that your child must never do in their 4+ Assessment.

1. They must not go in upset.

Seems logical but many parents overlook this. They are so focused on preparing their children academically that they skip this step.

If your child goes in crying, screaming, doesn’t want to leave you. is clinging to you, refuses to go in with the Assessor, this will be an immediate no (in most instances)

2. They must not refuse to do something that they are asked to do.

Again seems logical to me but if you don’t explain this to your child then they will not know that it is an expectation. Children at the ages of 3 and 4 naturally want to do their own thing. But if your child is asked to do something in their 4+ Assessment and they don’t do it or they refuse to do it then in will be a no.

Need bespoke Assessment preparation for a teacher who has over 14 years’ of experience with all of the top inner and outer London schools? Book your Sample Lesson today.

How your child expresses themselves will be very important in their 4+ Assessment

Language and communication is a key skill to get right when preparing for the 4+ Assessments.

At the age of 3 or 4, your child will be expected to express themselves very well in their 4+ Assessments.

Here are some examples of what this might look like in the actual Assessment.

1. Answering questions with clarity and confidence

2. Answering questions by going into more detail

3. Talking to other children calmly and politely

4. Talking to other adults with confidence

5. Asking for something politely

Here are some examples where students have not been able to express themselves well and therefore were unsuccessful in their 4+ Assessments

1. Giving short answers or no answers at all

2. Not being kind and polite to other children - eg. snatching something or not giving the other child the possibility to have a turn.

3. Not wanting to speak to the adults in the room.

4. Asking for something and not saying please or thank you.

Here is one example that I heard from one of my current clients who is now preparing her son for the 7+.

A bright boy, her son went into these 4+ Assessments filled with confidence. I had no doubt that he would pass most of his 4+ Assessments. He went into his Assessment and was asked to go to the lego table. He looked at the Assessor and said ‘No, I don’t want to.’

Here is another example.

One of my students was a little timid and struggled to answer questions. She didn’t like to answer questions even when it was someone familiar to her asking her the questions. The Assessor asked her to describe the flower. She said ‘It is pink!’ She should have gone into a lot more detail in order to successfully answer this type of queation.

Here is another example.

A boy went into his Assessment and half way through he told the Assessor, ‘I’m bored!’

So if you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessment, work on this part. Work with your child to support them to express themselves. To communicate with others well. Don’t take it for granted that your child will just know how to do it. They will need to be taught how to do it. To practise how to do it and to know the expectations in their 4+ Assessments.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Nurture Social Strength by frequently and consistently exposing your child to new experiences.

Your child’s social skills will be assessed in their 4+ Assessments.

How they interact with other children.

How they interact with other adults.

I believe that the only way to master these skills is by frequently and consistently exposing your child to new experiences.

New experiences where they will meet new children and new experiences where they will meet new adults.

Just going to a nursery everyday will not be enough. Those people are familiar to your child and they will already be comfortable around them.

In their 4+ Assessment, they will have never have met the children in the room (most likely) and they will definitely have never met the adults in the room.

Exposing your child to new experiences is the best way to work on their social strength and empower them to go into their assessments socially ready to handle anything!

New experiences could be going to new play groups, visiting different restaurants, going to the zoo, going to museums, going to different clubs. If you can leave your child somewhere new even better. There are so many things that you can do in London!

Need further support with developing social strength in order to be successful in the 4+ Assessments?

Book your Sample Lesson today!

Empower your child's reasoning and thinking skills by doing this one thing.

In their 4+ Assessments, your child will be observed.

They will be amongst hundreds of other children also being Assessed.

The Assessors will be looking for many different things but amongst these will be how your child thinks.

Independence of thinking is a quality that will be observed.

How your child reasons and uses their logic will be observed.

This 100% can be prepared for.

In each of our lessons, we encourage our children to think. We ask so many questions. Different types of questions that help our students to develop their thinking.

Do this one thing every day consistently for 6 months and see your child’s thinking and reasoning skills go to the next level!

Provide your child with something new and unfamiliar to do every single day. You don’t need to spend money every day on new resources to do this. Use your imagination!

Give your child a new puzzle, a new lego construction to create, a maze to complete, a page in a book to answer questions about, a physical task to complete.

By giving them something new and unfamiliar to complete, you will be supporting their reasoning and thinking skills because they will have never done this task before.

What we tend to do (myself included!) is provide our children with the same or similar activities to do every day. This is ok and children of course improve the more they do the same thing.

However, if you are preparing for the 4+, remember that you are sending your child into a new and unfamiliar environment and they will have new and unfamiliar activities to do.

If you don’t expose your child to new and unfamiliar things to do, this will be challenging for them and they will not be able to fully demonstrate their reasoning and thinking skills.

Need further support with 4+ Assessment preparation?

Book your Sample lesson today.

How we prepare each of our students for their 4+ Assessments

Many parents wonder if it’s possible to prepare for the 4+ Assessments.

Absolutely, yes.

Here is how we prepare each of our students for their 4+ Assessments.

Most parents book a Sample lesson before beginning their Assessment preparation journeys with us. After our online Sample lesson, parents then make a decision about continuing their Assessment preparation with one of our exceptional teachers.

The Sample lesson is an opportunity to see the style and structure of our online lessons and to establish a connection with your new teacher.

At the end of the Sample lesson, you will have a discussion with your teacher about the schools that your will be applying to and choose the day and time for your weekly lessons.

See some of our exceptional reviews here!

Your teacher will then plan and prepare the Assessment preparation for your child based on the schools that you are preparing for.

You will then meet with your teacher weekly and receive bespoke home learning based on the needs of your child and to support everything that they will need to be able to do at the Assessments that they will be going to.

You also have something that is not available anywhere else in the Assessment preparation market.

You will have ongoing access to your teacher at any time.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

A true story - 4+ Assessment preparation. Here is Sam's story.

I care too much about you to let this one thing happen to you. 

My client told me she was happy for me to share her story with the hopes that it might help someone else. 

So here it is. 

This is Sam's story. 

Sam contacted me in January of 2023. Her son was preparing for his 4+ Assessments for several top London schools including Highgate, UCS and Habs boys. 

When I spoke to her she had many reservations such as 'he's too young', 'he's not ready', 'I'm not sure online will work' 

She told me that she would wait. 

We kept in touch over the course of the months and I answered all of her questions and was able to support her as much as I could over email. 

She contacted me again in September. 

This time her energy was very different and she told me she was all in and ready to go. 

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time. 

Her son was not ready for the three schools that she desperately wanted him to got to.  

He passed fist round at UCS but not the second. 

He passed first round at Highgate but not the second. 

He did not pass the first round at Habs boys. 

He is now preparing for his 7+ at all three of these schools with me. 

So rather than spending 9-12 months preparing for his 4+ and being successful (I have no doubt that he would have been), Sam is now preparing for the 7+ and will spend 12-18 months with me. 

A much larger investment in terms of money and time. 

He is doing really well in his lessons and I have no doubt that he will have tremendous success in his 7+. 

The point of this story is to get started and not wait until the last minute. 

Spaces with me are filling up fast so book your Sample lesson today and let's go. 

Everything that you need to know about confidence in the 4+ Assessments.

Confidence is key when it comes to 4+ Assessment success.

Because ultimately if your chid doesn't go in happily and confidently how else will they do well?

How else will they show their capabilities?

How else will they show how much they are able to do? 

If your child goes in upset, they won't be able to show confidence. In fact, if your child goes in upset, they will not pass their 4+ Assessment.

If you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments, work on confidence from very early on

Take them to new places where they need to interact with new children and new adults. 

There are so many options available living in London. 

Please don't just assume that taking them to nursery is enough. Their nursery is familiar to them. The adults there are familiar to them. The children there are familiar to them. The building is familiar to them. 

When they go to their 4+ Assessments, it will all be new to them and if they havent practised, they will find it challenging. 

Even adults find it challenging to go somewhere new. Even adults struggle with change. 

Imagine a 3 or 4 year old? 

Put yourself in their shoes.

They arrive a new and unfamiliar building to them. How will they be feeling?

Probably a little bit overwhelmed.

They are escorted by a teacher or two to a room they’ve never been to before. How will they be feeling?

Probably a little bit worried. A little bit anxious. A little bit confused. Perhaps overwhelmed?

They are placed in groups of 6-12 other children that they’ve never met before. How will they be feeling? Or they are put in a 1:1 situation with an adult they may have never met before.

It is up to you to prepare your child for all of this

I tell my students EXACTLY what to expect at each Assessment. Remember that each Assessment will be different and it is vital that your child understands exactly what will be expected of them at each different school.

I go through with them step by step exactly what will happen, what they will do, what they will hear what they will see, how they might be feeling. All of this helps them to go in with confidence and be their naturally confident selves.

If you would like further support with 4+ Assessment preparation, book your Sample Lesson today.

Don't choose someone to prepare your child purely based on the fact that they can come into your home.

All of our lessons are online.

They have been for the last 4 years.

I moved everything online for one reason and one reason only.

It works just as well as in person tuition.

I did in person tuition for 10 years before deciding to move everything online.

In person tuition works well. With the right person.

To me the ‘right person’ is not just a teacher who is qualified.

To me the ‘right person’ is someone with experience with the schools that you are applying to.

I spoke to a client the other day who wants her child to go to Highgate. I personally have over 14 years preparing my students for this school.

I answered all of her questions and then she told me that she would prefer to go with the teacher who can come into her home.

I asked her if this teacher had experience with Highgate at 4+. She said no but she is an eyfs specialist.

Irrelevant.

Yes, you will be teaching your child the EYFS curriculum (not only this!) but yes in part.

To me it’s irrelevant because if you want your child to go to Highgate, you absolutely need to work with a teacher who is familiar with the Assessment procedures at this school.

This particular teacher charges £100 for a one hour session. Nothing else is included.

So a 6 month commitment with this particular teacher would e a £2,400 investment.

We charge £60 for a 30 minute lesson and this includes ongoing communication with your teacher and home learning, guidance specific to the schools that you are applying to and entrance exam support. So a 6 month commitment with us is £1440.

Yes some of the parents I speak to choose to invest the £2400.

Ultimately, you are free to spend your money where you wish.

But wouldn’t you rather invest your money into something that will have a higher chance for success?

My online lessons offer the highest quality of tuition available on the market in my opinion. The fact that I offer ongoing support to my clients (included in that price) is something that no one else currently offers. Tomorrow, I’m jumping on a call with my current clients to discuss their choice of schools and the progress their son is currently making. This is all included in what they’ve already paid for their lessons. I never charge extra for consultations with my current clients.

So when considering who you want to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments, please think carefully. Someone coming into your home is 100% not better than working with someone with so much experience who can support your child bespoke to each individual school that you are preparing for.

The two main reasons your child was unsuccessful in their 4+ Assessment

I speak to a lot of parents who often tell me that they really do not understand why their child was unsuccessful in their 4+ Assessment. After hearing a few facts from them and a small amount of information, I am able to reveal to them the reason/s why.

There are so many reasons why your child might have been unsuccessful in their 4+ Assessments but here are the two main reasons.

Avoid these in order to have the highest chances for success in your child’s 4+ Assessment/s.

Here are the two main reasons in no particular order.

1. They did not meet the behavioural expectations of the school.

Each school will have their own set of criteria that the children must meet in order to pass the Assessment. These range from - being polite, showing kindness, being able to share, listening well to others etc. If your child doesn’t meet these expectations or shows something that goes against these expectations, they will not be successful.

2. They did not meet the academic expectations of the school.

Each school will have their own set of academic criteria that the children must meet in order to pass the Assessment. This is self explanatory. If your child cannot do several academic things that are on the list, they will not be successful.

You need to be very aware about what the academic and behavioural expectations are at each school that you are applying to.

Know those two things and you are golden! Your child will have a far higher chance for success in their 4+ Assessments.

Book your Sample lesson today.

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

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.

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

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

UCS is very over subscribed. Be aware of this.

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 3 different dates for the 4+ Assessment (in 2025 the dates are 3rd, 6th and 7th January)

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.

Book your Sample Lesson today!

Why it's not enough to just write a 'simple story' in the 7+ Assessments.

I spoke to a potential new client who is currently preparing her son for his 7+ Assessment at Latymer.

We spoke in detail about the 7+ Assessment at this particular school and it was clear to me that she didn’t know very much about the expectations and the level needed in order to actually be successful at gaining entry to this school at 7+.

She said to me, ‘He is so strong with his maths, I know that he will ace the maths paper!’

I asked her if he was strong in the year 3 curriculum.

She stopped.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked me.

Yes, you need to cover some of the Year 3 maths curriculum to be successful in the maths Assessment at this school.

Next she told me, ‘He hates writing but that doesn’t matter, he only needs to write a simple story.’

I told her that his is absolutely not the case and that Latymer takes story writing very seriously and they expect to see a high quality story written by the students who sit their 7+ Assessments.

To be completely honest, I don’t think she believed me.

Why would I lie?

I’ve been doing this for over 14 years.

I know what Latymer is looking for.

And I know exactly what my students must do in order to be successful.

It’s not easy.

But with the right support, your child will be successful in their 7+ Assessment at this school.

Take it seriously. Be prepared. Understand the expectations and let’s go!

Book your Sample Lesson today.

We prepare our students up to the Year 3 Curriculum for most schools at 7+

If your child will be sitting their 7+ Assessments, you may have wondered about what the level of difficulty will be like. Depending on the school that you are applying to, the level will be high.

The expectations will be high.

Your child will be expected to be at mastery level in the Year 2 Curriculum and they will have covered some of the Year 3 curriculum too. Some of my students (depending on the school/s that I am preparing them for) will also have covered some of the Year 4 Curriculum.

It is important to prepare your child to go in to these 7+ Assessments and be comfortable at answering as many questions as possible.

There is so much to cover when preparing for the 7+ Assessments.

You need to consider -

Writing

Reading

Spelling

Maths

Problem solving

Verbal

Non verbal

Interview skills

Communication skills

Speed of completing tasks

Accuracy and precision of answers given

To name a few.

We have been doing this for over 14 years.

We have had exceptional results year after year after year.

Let us support you to have the highest chances for success in your child’s 7+ Assessments.

Book your Sample Lesson today!

Why this is so misleading when preparing your child for their 7+ Assessments.

I completed an analysis of several top London School’s websites that provide information about the 7+ Assessments at their schools. Many of the schools specify this-

‘To be successful your child must be working at greater depth within the Year 2 Curriculum.’

I believe this to be very misleading.

As a parent who might be preparing their child for their 7+ Assessments, you might think that in order to pass, your child will need to be working at greater depth in the Year 2 curriculum.

Which term?

This is usually not specified.

Your child will need to be working at greater depth in ALL of the Year 2 Curriculum.

Keep in mind that their Assessments will be at the end of the Autumn term or the very beginning of the Spring term.

So let’s be clear about that to begin with.

It is also misleading because in some Assessments, children will be assessed in some of the Year 3 and even Year 4 curriculum.

For example, at one Top London boys’ school, they expect children to know their Year 3/4 spelling words because they always assess them on these.

At another Top London girls’ school, they expect children to answer double digit multiplication and long division questions. Both of these are absolutely not in the Year 2 curriculum.

These are just a few examples and I could give you many more.

At the end of the day, in order to guarantee the most successful outcome possible in the 7+ Assessments, you must work with someone who know the schools that you are applying to and knows them well.

There are too many elements to each 7+ Assessment and you must know them well in order to prepare your child to the highest possible standard and guarantee success in their 7+ Assessment.

We have a proven track record of exceptional results at all top inner and outer London Schools at 7+.

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

7+ Assessment Recommended Reading List (2025 Entry)

Read well.

Read often.

Build vocabulary.

Understand well.

Answer questions with accuracy.

These are the 5 pillars of Reading success in the 7+ Assessments. Be able to do all 5 of these and you are golden.

So which books should your child be reading?

Here is my updated 7+ Assessment Reading list for children sitting entry in 2025.

I haven’t just picked these out of thin air.

I have analysed and studied the Assessments in the last 3 years and compiled a list based on the level and content of what has previously come up at a variety of schools.

These books will also help you, as parents understand the reading level expected from your child when they sit their 7+ Assessments. It’s usually higher than you think that it will be!

Fiction

Michael Bond - Paddington Series

Enid Blyton - Famous Five Series

Jennifer Gray - Atticus Claw Series

The Hodgeheg - Dick King Smith

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate Di Camillo

Roald Dahl Series - My favourite is ‘The Minpins’ to support story writing!

David Walliams Series

Charlottes Web - E.B White

How to Train Your Dragon. - Cressida Cowell

Non Fiction

Survivors - David Long

How to be a doctor and other life saving jobs - Dr Punam Krishan

Histories biggest show offs - Andy Seed

Kay’s Incredible Inventions - Adam Kay

Women in Sports - Rachel Ignotofsky

You are History - Greg Jenner

Expose your child to a variety of genres.

Keep reading!

Don't make this one mistake if you are preparing for a 4+ Assessment!

Don’t make this one mistake if you are preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2025 Entry

 This week, I’ve been receiving lots of enquiries from parents of children who are sitting their 4+ Assessments for 2025 Entry.

 The parents I speak to always have hundreds of questions for me!

 One sentence I keep hearing over and over again is this, ‘We will wait a few more months and then we will be ready to begin.’

 Please don’t make this mistake.

 The time to start is now and not in 2-3 months.

 Let’s think about this carefully.

 In 3 months it will already be July.

 That means that you are only leaving between 3-6 months of Assessment preparation (depending on when the first round of the 4+ Assessment is).

 This is not enough time.

 I only every share the results of our students who have at least 9 months of preparation.

 There is a reason for this.

 So if you are preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2025 entry, please don’t delay starting your Assessment preparations.

 The time to start is right now.

Make this very important investment into your child’s future.

 Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Is one nursery better than another when preparing for the 4+ Assessments?

Is one nursery really better than the other when it comes to preparing for the 4+ Assessments?

I honestly think that the answer to this question is no.

I have prepared hundreds of children for their 4+ Assessments over the last 14 years.

I’ve prepared children who have gone to very prestigious nurseries who have not been successful and I have prepared children who have gone to ‘normal’ nurseries who have been successful. I’ve also prepared children who have never attended a nursery in their lives and have been very successful!

 Many of my clients fixate on the idea that their child needs to go to the ‘best’ nursery in order to have a higher chance for success in their 4+ Assessments and this is simply not the case.

These are the questions that I’d like you to ask yourself.

 Does my child’s nursery know the schools that I am applying to well?

 Does my child’s nursery know what will happen on the day of the Assessment?

 Does my child’s nursery know the expectations of the schools?

 Does my child’s nursery benefit from my child being successful to the schools that we are applying to?

 If the answer to all of these questions is YES, then great!

 Most likely the answer to all of these questions is NO.

 To be successful in the 4+ Assessments, you must work with someone who is able to do two things and do them very well!

 1.     Know the schools and what they actually want

2.     Has actual experience at getting children into the schools that you are applying to

 So please don’t spend too much time choosing the ‘perfect’ nursery to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. There’s no such thing. Choose a nursery that you like and choose a nursery that your child likes. That’s all that matters. Then choose a teacher who can do the two things that I mentioned.

Does it matter which nursery your child goes to when preparing for the 4+?

A lot of my clients spend a lot of time worrying about the ‘right’ nursery to send their child to.

They want the best for their child. I totally understand. I want the best for my child too.

But ultimately where you send your child to nursery won’t make much difference to how your child does in their 4+ Assessment.

Unless your child is very unhappy in their current nursery, I wouldn’t move them. I had one client who was very unhappy with her son’s nursery. She had been asking them to help him with his emotional and social development but this wasn’t happening and he wasn’t flourishing. In our lessons, he was withdrawn and often wouldn’t answer my questions.

In this instance, I suggested for him to be moved to another nursery. Together we chose a nursery that we thought would suit his needs and as soon as the move was made, he was much happier.

Notice that I didn’t suggest we move him because of the 4+. I suggested we move him for his own personal wellbeing.

Another client of mine sent her child to a top Nursery in Kensington paying nearly £4000 per term and she had huge difficulties in getting the Nursery to support her with her daughter’s 4+ Assessment preparations. The Nursery didn’t put a big emphasis on phonics but her daughter needed to be able to read for several of her 4+ Assessments.

I didn’t suggest we move her.

In our lessons we work on everything that we need to work on in order to be successful in any 4+ Assessment.

So my answer is No it doesn’t matter which Nursery you send your child to when you are preparing for the 4+Assessments. As long as you see that your child is happy and is enjoying nursery that’s all that matters. If the nursery is able to support you with some aspects of the 4+ Assessment preparation - that’s even better. I find that most nurseries are very open to helping parents. It just takes a conversation and some information about what you are preparing for.

Is your child 'emotionally ready' for school?

‘Emotional readiness’ will be assessed in the 4+ Assessments.

In fact, I believe that this is the most important deciding factor when considering the students that these top schools want to attend their schools.

So what does this even mean?

Being ‘emotionally ready’ means exactly what it says.

It means that your child is ready to go to school. It means that your child is ready to leave you for a good period of time. It means that your child is ready to go into their assessment independently. It means that you child is ready to complete tasks with enthusiasm and confidence. It means that you child is happy to be left alone in a new and unfamiliar environment.

All of these aspects will demonstrate to a school that your child is ‘emotionally ready’.

What will show a school that your child is not ‘emotionally ready’ for school in an assessment?

Not going in happily - If your child is upset to leave you when you get to the Assessment this will be an indication that they are not ‘emotionally ready’. I do think this is harsh because children are not robots and perhaps on that particular day, they are not feeling great or they’ve not had a good sleep or they’re just not in the mood. It doesn’t matter. On the day of the Assessment, if they don’t go in happily and calmly, it will show that they are not ‘emotionally ready’.

Not wanting to complete tasks independently - If your child doesn’t want to take part in the activities set up by the schools in will demonstrate to them that they are not ‘emotionally ready’. For example, if they say that it’s too hard or that they can’t do it, these will all be key indicators that they are not ‘emotionally ready’.

Being ‘emotionally ready’ is a huge ask at the ages of 3 and 4!

The main thing that I will tell you is to at least make sure that your child will leave you when you get to the Assessment. So many parents have received calls to come and collect their child from their 4+ Assessments because they just wouldn’t calm down. They wouldn’t have been successful.

You will know that your child will be happy to leave you when you’ve practised it enough times. This will be different for each child. Essentially, you want to be able to have left your child somewhere new and unfamiliar to them many times before they get to their Assessments.

Intellectual Curiosity will be observed in all 4+ Assessments

I went to visit a top London school last week. I am currently looking around for my own son to see which schools would suit him best. The school I visited mentioned ‘Intellectual Curiosity’.

These types of words do not surprise me at all when referring to the 4+ Assessments.

Some parents who were at the school with me were very surprised.

‘How can they expect this from a 3 year old?’

‘This is ridiculous!’

‘My child is only 2/3!’

These were some of the comments that I heard in the room.

So what exactly is intellectual curiosity?

It’s just a fancy phrase for ‘actually wanting to learn’. Wanting to find answers. Wanting to know more. Asking lots of (interesting) questions. Well thought out questions. Learning new things quickly. Finding solutions to solving problems.

To me this is what intellectual curiosity is.

Why are these top schools looking for children who are intellectually curious?

These top schools will have hundreds of children applying for very few places.

They want children who actually want to learn.

When a child actually wants to learn, you don’t have to teach them to want to learn.

I believe that all children want to learn. So I disagree with this.

Perhaps some children just haven’t been given the environments to learn and thrive in.

I believe that all children are naturally curious and inquisitive. So I disagree with this too.

However, I understand that this is what these top schools want. And I understand that this is what they will be observing. And I also understand that if your child doesn’t demonstrate intellectual curiosity that they will not be successful in their 4+ Assessment.

We prepare our students so that they will go into their Assessments and demonstrate intellectual curiosity.

It can be taught and it is taught through our carefully planned bespoke packages of learning.

Book your School Choices Free Consultation to discuss your choice of schools and the next steps for your child.