Lessons learnt from the Habs' Boys' and Girls' Round 1 Assessment Results.

Wow!

What a day Friday 20th December was for all of us here at Creative Minds Tutors.

It was a whirl wind of excitement. Receiving all of those messages from our clients blew my mind.

I know with certainty that we are the best at preparing for Haberdashers’ boys’ and girls’ not only at 4+ but at all ages and entry points. As a company, we have been preparing for this school for 4 years. Personally, I have been preparing children for this school for over 15 years. To work with me means gaining valuable insights into this incredible school and being in the best possible position to actually be offered a place.

Enough about me.

Onto my incredible students who clearly stole the show!

They clearly performed better than most other boys in the Assessment given that ALL of our boys passed their first round! It was slightly harder for our girls (I’ll publish our results later today - the boys’ results were published yesterday on our Instagram page @creative_minds _tutors)

Here is was we have learnt so far from the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ Assessment.

• They are looking for calm and confident boys.

• They are looking for boys who follow instructions well.

• They are looking for boys with strong academic capabilities (more of this will be explored in round 2)

Here is was we have learnt so far from the Habs’ Gilrs’ 4+ Assessment.

• They are looking for girls who are compliant and follow instructions perfectly.

• They are looking for girls who listen well all of the time.

• They are looking for girls with strong academic capabilities (more of this will be explored in round 2)

Our boys had varying preparation times. Some started preparing 9-12 months ago and some started preparing 3 months ago. They have all passed. Will this make a difference in Round 2? I will of course let you know.

Our girls also had varying preparation times. However, the girls who passed round 1 were the ones who had 9-12 months of Assessment preparation. Those who had less than this did not pass.

Habs’ Boys’ also had a very strong focus on the physical assessment, Habs’ girls’ did too but not as much focus on this as at the boys’ assessment. Habs’ for sure are looking for strong and confident boys and girls to come to their school.

Perhaps this shows you just how hard it is to pass this Assessment.

Round 2 will be even tougher! I don’t know the exact number of children called back but it will at least be 150. With only 40 places available at both Habs’ Boys’ and Girls’ are your really going to leave it to chance? Please don’t. You’ve worked way too hard to get to this point for me to let you do that!

Onto Round 2!

We are at full capacity but will be offering Curriculum Coaching to the first 5 children who book their Sample week by today.

Why the VAT increase has had no impact on many parents.

When the government first announced the 20% VAT increase on fees, I had mixed responses from my clients and parents that I speak to every single day.

Some were initially outraged. Others expected it. Others were indifferent about it.

A 20% increase on yearly private school fees will of course make a difference but I was fascinated to see how little parents were bothered by this.

And let me tell you why.

The clients we work with love investing in their children’s education. I am the same.

When I spend money on my son’s education, it delights me. Especially if I know that it is of tremendous value. Our clients value their child’s private school’s education and they see it as value for money.

I personally don’t know of anyone who has removed their child from their private school education to go to state school because of the VAT increase on termly fees.

Some parents have said to me that there will be more places available now that the VAT increase has been confirmed to be going ahead from the 1st of January 2025. This is absolutely NOT the case. These top private schools are more over subscribed than ever.

Preparing for a 2026 Assessment? Book your Sample Lesson today (please note this will be in January 2025)

Your child coming out of their 4+ Assessment happily is NOT an indication that they have passed.

So many parents are very excited when their child comes out of their 4+ Assessment happily. They make it mean that they did well and that they most likely have passed.

It does not mean this.

Of course, it’s great if your child comes out all smiles, happy and telling you with excitement and energy everything that they did (especially after a 90 minute assessment)! and of course you don’t want your child to come out upset, crying and telling you that they didn’t have a good time.

However, be very careful not to make it mean that they passed because they came out happily.

These 4+ Assessments are carefully designed by EYFS experts to be fun, exciting and engaging. How else would a 3 or 4 year old manage to stay in the Assessment for 60-90 minutes? The 4+ Assessments are supposed to be ‘fun’ for your child.

But hear me when I say, it is not the deciding factor.

As a parent what I would want to ask my child would be these questions:

What did you do?

Did you follow the instructions?

Did you listen to the teacher well?

Did you answer her questions?

What did you say?

What did she ask you?

Which activities did you do?

These will all give you an insight into whether or not they have passed their 4+ Assessment.

We now have to wait 2 full days until we receive our Haberdashers’ Round 1 results and I am so excited to hear how our little loves got on!

Preparing for the 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry? Book your Sample Lesson Today (please note that these will now be in January 2025)

Your child being nearly 12 months younger than their winter born peers means very little in the 4+ Assessments.

Their final percentage score will be age-adjusted but please don’t think that this will be a huge adjustment. It won’t be.

A lot of parents that I speak to have the belief that because their child is summer born that they will some how be assessed differently in their 4+ Assessments.

They seem to think that the expectation of their summer born child will be different in their 4+ Assessments.

They think that their summer born child will not have to do things to the standard of an autumn/winter born child.

They would be wrong.

When parents start working with myself or my team, they will often tell me something like this…

‘She is summer born so she can’t cut as well as she should.’

‘He is an August baby so his vocabulary/speech isn’t as well developed as his peers.’

‘She is July born and therefore cannot hold her pencil.’

In their minds they are merely stating facts. To me these all sound like justifications.

The harsh reality is that all of these are irrelevant in the 4+ Assessments.

The expectation will be just as high.

Your child WILL need to cut with accuracy and precision.

Your child WILL need to hold their pencil correctly.

Your child WILL be expected to answer questions in detail and have excellent vocabulary.

My child is a July baby. I don’t even take his birthday into consideration when it comes to his learning development. He WILL be able to do everything he ‘should be able to do’ just as well as an autumn/winter born baby in his cohort.

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2026 entry? Book your Sample Lesson today.

3 Reasons top Schools Tell Parents Not To Prepare their children for the 4+ Assessments

Why exactly do these top schools tell parents NOT to prepare their children for their 4+ Assessments?

I get this question all… the… time.

My clients go to the open days at their desired schools and they are told this…

‘You do not need to prepare your children for their Assessment.’

‘Tuition is not necessary.’

‘We will know who has been tutored.’

It is utterly confusing for them when they hear this.

Should they believe what they are told?

90% of parents will believe this and they will not prepare their children. Most of these children will not be offered places at their desired schools.

10% will be sceptical and wonder if this is really the case or not. 10% will choose to thoroughly prepare their children anyway. Most of these children will be successful and will be offered a place at their desired school.

Obviously, you need to work with the best teachers and not every teacher is of the same calibre when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.

Having worked in top pre - prep and prep school myself, I have witnessed senior leaders telling parents not to prepare their children for these assessments and of course they would never tell us why.

Here is what I personally think.

3 Reasons top Schools Tell Parents Not To Prepare their children for the 4+ Assessments

1. They want to downplay the complexity of these assessments.

If parents truly knew how challenging it was to get into their dream schools, perhaps they wouldn’t even bother trying?

2. They don’t think parents wouldn’t take them seriously anyway.

Preparing a 2/3 year old for an assessment is ludicrous isn’t it? Obviously I don’t think so and neither do my clients who so far have been offered a place at all of their target schools!

3. They want the process to seem easier than it is.

The 4+ Assessments are far from easy but the majority of parents that speak to me have no idea about this.

I would never send my 2 year old into a 4+ Assessment unprepared. Even if I was told by the school not to prepare him, I would thoroughly prepare him. I don’t think it would be fair to send him into a room to be assessed if he was unprepared.

Would you?

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2026 entry? Book your Sample Lesson today.

How is Physical Development Assessed in the 4+ Assessments?

As Physical Development is one of the 7 areas of learning in the EYFS, it is obvious that it will be assessed in your child’s 4+ Assessment. Do not neglect this part of 4+ Assessment preparation. It is just as important as the others. Probably more so, in fact. Because without excellent physical development your child will struggle with the other areas of learning.

Physical development in the early years refers to the growth of the body and brain from birth through early childhood. This includes:

Changes in body size

Muscle strength

Balance

Co-ordination

Sensory development

Movement and handling.

3 key skills of physical development will be assessed in your child’s 4+ Assessment. These are:

Gross - The use of the whole body - eg. crawling, walking and running.

Fine - Activities that involve the smaller muscles of the body - eg. pinching, grasping and handling.

Stability - controlled and coordinated movement using the strength of the core eg. balancing.

Physical development is closely linked to mark making which is another important area that is assessed in the 4+ Assessments. If your child hasn’t developed excellent fine motor skills, they will struggle with holding their pencil/pen and will therefore find it challenging to write.

When my clients think about physical development they usually think about the gross motor skills that will be assessed but I would like you think about all three motor skills being assessed.

Physical Development could be assessed in the following ways:

A sports activity - eg. A good kick around with a ball or throwing and catching a smaller ball.

A balance activity - Walking across a ribbon without touching the floor.

Mark making - making marks on a page, following carefully the lines with their pencil/pen.

Letter formation and number formation - Accurate letter formation and number formation will be assessed

Physical development is an amazing part of the early years and we need to ensure that our children are having countless opportunities to just move more. Be offered opportunities to handle small items/objects (with supervision obviously) and to develop and strengthen those little hands.

Preparing for the 4+ for 2026 entry?

Join our Waiting List Today.

Will your son pass the Habs' Boys' 4+ Assessment?

I’ve spoken to over 200 parents this year who have contacted me to ask about the Haberdashers’ Boys’ 4+ Assessment.

Oh my what a popular school this is!

If I had to guess how many boys will be sitting their 4+ Assessment next week at Habs’ Boys’, I would guess at least the very high hundreds.

With 40 places available, this is going to be a tough competition for these 3 and 4 year old boys!

Habs’ Boys’ have ‘very high expectations for their students’ and this is obvious in their 4+ selection process.

Will your son pass the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ Assessment?

Obviously we cannot answer this and we will have to wait and see but let me share some insights with you.

The boys who have passed both rounds at Habs’ Boys’ over the last 15 years that we have preparing them have always been those boys who have had at least 9 months of consistent Assessment preparation. Parents will say to me, ‘But Habs’ say not to tutor children in preparation for their 4+ Assessments.’

Ok, good luck with that! Let me know how you get on!

Parents will then ask me, ‘But why do they write that then or why did they tell us that then?’

Who cares?

Spend your time preparing your child rather than asking these sort of questions.

Some parents tell me that because their child has a sibling at the school that it will be easier to pass the 4+ Assessments - Nope. The school doesn’t have a strong sibling policy and this 100% not the case.

Some parents tell me that because they are alumni at the school that their child will have a better chance of getting in at 4+. Again, this is simply not the case.

Whether your son will pass their 4+ Assessment at Habs’ Boys’ will depend on the following factors.

Your son’s academic abilities and excellence

Your son’s ability to follow instructions to a very high level

Your son’s ability to demonstrate independence and team work

Your son’s listening skills

Your son’s ability to answer questions in a detailed way

Your son’s ability to show excellent social interaction with the adults and children in the assessment.

Will your son pass the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ Assessment?

Let’s see!

Preparing for 2026 entry? Join our Waiting List today.

3 signs your daughter is 'ready' for the Habs Girls' 4+ Assessment.

With less than 7 days remaining until the first round at Habs Girls’ for the 4+ Assessments, many of my students are working incredibly hard preparing for this Assessment. Many of my girls are meeting with me as much as 4 times a week to prepare for this Assessment.

We are all working very hard.

Habs girls’ offer 40 places at 4+.

Let that sink in.

Hundreds and hundreds of girls will be applying for 40 places.

This school is very over subscribed.

Round 1 is a Group Activity session lasting 50 minutes.

Group 2 will be an ‘informal meeting’ with parents and children.

Here are the 3 signs your daughter is ‘ready’ the the Habs Girls’ 4+ Assessment (Round 1)

1.Your daughter is happy to leave your side and go into a room with adults and children that she doesn’t know. If your daughter cries when she leaves your side or is resistant to leaving your side she will not pass.

2. Your daughter can focus for at least 50 minutes.

3. Your daughter can answer questions well and in detail.

That’s it.

If she can do all three of these, she will pass the first round.

Obviously, she will need to also complete all of the activities that she is asked to complete to the highest possible standard - eg. puzzles, play doh, drawing, cutting etc.

Please note that Habs’ Girls’ ‘strongly recommend against tutoring’ for the 4+ Assessment and I strongly recommend you read this and smile and carry on.

Preparing for Habs’ Girls’ for 2026 entry? Join our Waiting List today.

The ONLY way to pass the second Round at Highgate (4+)

We have all of the dates now for our students who have been invited to sit their Round 2 at Highgate (4+).

All of our students who had at least 9 months of Assessment preparation passed Round 1.

All of the students (apart from 2) who had less than 9 months of Assessment preparation did not pass round 1.

The reason the 2 children passed (who had less than 9 months of Assessment preparation) is because their parents had been preparing them. So when we started working with them, they were already at a good level and ability in terms of what they were able to do. They still had work to do and lessons did have to be more intensive however.

I have spoken to MANY parents who have called me to tell me that their child did not pass Round 1 at Highgate. Let me tell you that most of these parents are very surprised.

They did not think it would be so hard to pass the first round at Highgate.

Well it is.

And the second round is even harder to pass.

With 180 children having been invited back and only 60 places available - your child has a 1:3 chance of passing their Round 2 Assessment.

Still feeling super confident about it? That’s great. Keep going.

If you’re feeling worried about it, here is the ONLY way to pass the second Round at Highgate (4+)

THOROUGHLY PREPARE YOUR CHILD

And if you think you’re going to have a relaxed Christmas break and not touch learning for the next 3 weeks, I encourage you to reconsider.

And if you don’t know how to, work with someone who does.

If Highgate is your dream school, you want your child to have the highest possible chances for success.

7+ is even more challenging and with far fewer places available.

11+ is ok but you have to wait many years before this.

I’ve just launched an incredible course which will be open to only 3 students sitting their Round 2 Assessment at Highgate in January 2025.

This intensive 5 day course will take your child’s learning to the next level and give them the highest possible chances for success in their Highgate Round 2 Assessment.

Book your place today! I am only offering this to 3 very lucky students! Once the places are gone, they’re gone. My Habs Intensive course sold out in 48 hours!

BOOK TODAY.

3 do's and don'ts if you are preparing for the UCS 4+ Assessment.

Having prepared hundreds of boys to be very successful in their UCS 4+ Assessment over the last 15 years, I know a lot about this school. I still teach boys who go there and therefore I get quite a lovely insight into the school. UCS is an excellent school and my students are very happy and thriving there.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to preparing for UCS at 4+ so I am going to shed some light on a few of these.

Do this if you are preparing for the UCS 4+ Assessment (2026 entry)

• Be aware that there are only 32 places available at 4+

When I think about how many boys I’ve prepared over the years and how much success we’ve had as a company, it fills me with so much pride. With such few places and with so much competition, getting into UCS at 4+ is incredibly challenging.

• Visit the school

Book a tour of the school. It is vital that you visit the school and make sure that you love the school before applying your son for a place there.

• Be aware that UCS will tell you not to prepare for their ‘play date’ assessment and be prepared to completely ignore this.

If you’ve never prepared for a 4+ Assessment and you are told this, you are highly likely to just do what you are told. Do not do this.

Don’t do this if you are preparing for the UCS 4+ Assessment (2026 entry)

• Leave it until the last minute to start preparing for it.

I don’t know why but UCS is the one school that many of my clients leave way to late to start preparing for. This school needs 9-12 months of thorough Assessment preparation if you want your son to have the highest chances for success. Trust me on this.

• Believe that it will be a ‘playdate’ Assessment.

This is the biggest source of frustration in parents that I speak to after the fact. They believed this and sent their child in to ‘play’ and they were not successful.

It is NOT a PLAYDATE.

• Assume that your child can do everything that they are asked to do.

Don’t assume - check. Don’t assume - Practise with them every single day for a VERY… LONG. … TIME before their Assessment.

We will prepare your son to have the highest possible chances for success in his UCS 4+ Assessment.

Join our Waiting List today.

3 things you must stop doing today if you want to send your child to St. Pauls at 7+.

We have all of our results now from St Paul’s and all of our students have now sat their interview rounds.

There were three types of reactions from our clients.

1. Despair - This was the school that they dreamed of for their son and their son did not make it and did not pass Round 1.

2. Indifference - Our clients weren’t too bothered about the no and didn’t put all the effort needed to pass Round 1 in the first place.

3. Joy and delight - Our clients are delighted that their son has passed Round 1 and they know just how hard it was for them to be able to do so.

I speak to hundreds of parents every year who want to send their sons to St Paul’s at 7+. They have variety of reasons for wanting this particular school. Some have heard great things about St Paul’s from friends and family, some are very interested in the exit results, some love the facilities at the school and some are incredibly excited about the academic opportunities for their children if they are to be successful in passing their 7+ Assessment at this school.

Let me tell you one thing straight away.

St Paul’s is hard to get into at 7+.

If you do not have at least 1 year of intensive preparation, don’t for one moment think that your son will just go in and pass their first round. Absolutely not.

I recommend at least 2 years of Assessment preparation for St Paul’s at 7+ and many of our current clients are in fact following that exact instruction and are working hard towards their 7+ Assessment at St Paul’s.

3 things you must stop doing today if you want to send your child to St. Pauls at 7+.

1. Assuming that your son will be ‘fine’.

Your son will not be ‘fine’ unless he is prepared thoroughly.

2. Not having a clear pathway and plan

If you don’t have a clear plan, time will just pass you by and before your know it you will have 3 months left to prepare. This is not good enough.

3. Being confused about which school you’d like your son to go to.

Don’t be confused. Choose 6-7 schools that interest you and go and view them. Attend a school in action day and just choose. Then commit to preparing for these 6-7 schools and go all in to ensure your son has the highest possible chances for success.

Did your son pass Round 1?

Congratulations!

If you are preparing for St Paul’s for 2026 entry, join our Waiting List today!

7 signs your child is 'school ready'.

With ‘school readiness’ playing such an important role in whether your child will be ready or not to pass their 4+ Assessments and be able to demonstrate to the assessors that they are ‘school ready’, it is imperative that you know what ‘school readiness looks like’.

This what PHE (Public Health England) say a ‘school ready’ child is able to do.

• Able to recognise numbers and quantities (to 20)

• Participate in singing

• Ability to collaborate with others (adults and children)

• Ability to communicate their needs

• Have a good vocabulary

• Ability to socialise and make friends

• Have strong gross motor control and engage in a range of physical activities

If your child is able to do all 7 of the above, you are golden and there is a very high chance that your child will pass their 4+ Assessments. If your child is not able to do all of these, it is up to you to ensure that they can.

Otherwise there is absolutely no point sending them into any 4+ Assessment!

Let me give you an example of my son who is currently nearly 2 and a half. So he would be sitting his 4+ for 2026 entry (what the majority of my students for the 4+ are preparing for). Do exactly the same with your child and go all in to ensure that they are able to do all of these with confidence.

• Able to recognise numbers and quantities (to 20)

  Not currently able to do this.

  My son is not yet able to count to 10 - he misses out numbers or muddles them up. He is not able to recognise numbers 1-5 yet. He is able to count objects to 5.

  So this would be a clear focus for my son.

• Participate in singing

  He is amazing at singing and sings along to all popular songs and nursery rhymes with confidence and clarity. He would do very well if they had singing in his Assessments.

• Ability to collaborate with others (adults and children)

  This is hit and miss. When he feels like it, he collaborates well with adults (although at nursery, they tell me he can do this very well). He struggles to share with other children currently.

  So this would be another clear focus for my son.

• Ability to communicate their needs

  Very strong at this.

• Have a good vocabulary

  He has exceptional vocabulary.

• Ability to socialise and make friends

  He loves to socialise and make new friends. He can be shy at first however, which could be a potential problem in his 4+.

• Have strong gross motor control and engage in a range of physical activities

  He has amazing gross motor control and loves physical activities - his favourite currently being kicking his precious football around the park!

Is your child school ready?

Would they even be able to pass their 4+ Assessments?

Let me know! Email your answers to office@creativemindstutors.com

If you're a parent preparing your child for their 4+, this is WHY it is CRUCIAL that you understand 'School Readiness'.

‘School Readiness’ is a term that is bounced around a lot when schools describe their 4+ Assessment process.

These top schools are looking for ‘School Readiness’ when they are assessing the children at their 4+ Assessments.

If you don’t truly know what this means, you will be unable to fully prepare your child to actually go into any 4+ Assessment and demonstrate ‘School Readiness’.

Public Heal England define ‘School readiness’ as ‘a measure of how prepared a child is to succeed in school cognitively, socially and emotionally.’

The good level of development (GLD) is used to assess school readiness (I discussed this in more detail in my previous Blog).

Children are defined as having reached a GLD at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage if they achieved at least the expected level in the early learning goals in the prime areas of learning (personal, social and emotional development, physical development and communication and language) and in the specific areas of mathematics and literacy. This is why the report from your child’s nursery is so important (I’ll talk about this in more detail in another blog)

So basically if your child has a good GLD they will have demonstrated school readiness in their 4+ Assessments.

So what does school readiness look like exactly?

Having worked in over 100 schools during my time as a full time teacher (3 schools were long term contracts and then I did a lot of Supply work- both state and private) I was able to see exactly what a ‘school ready’ child looks like

Here is how PHE defines a ‘School Ready’ child:

• Able to recognise numbers and quantities (to 20)

• Participate in singing

• Ability to collaborate with others (adults and children)

• Ability to communicate their needs

• Have a good vocabulary

• Ability to socialise and make friends

• Have strong gross motor control and engage in a range of physical activities

If your child can do all of the above, you are golden. If they cannot, then they will be unable to demonstrate ‘School Readiness’ and therefore it is highly unlikely that they will pass a 4+ Assessment.

That’s why working with us is so beneficial to all of our clients. Because we know EXACTLY what each school is specifically looking for in their 4+ Assessments, we are able to provide a very bespoke and highly tailored learning journey for our students. This supports them to have the highest chances for success. For this reason we have amazing results year after year after year.

This year will be no different.

Preparing for 2026 entry? Join our Waiting List today.

Why is education attainment one of the main markers of wellbeing through the course of someone’s life?

The main reason that I started Creative Minds Tutors 3 years ago was because I had a deep desire to ensure that more children had access to the highest quality education possible. Working full time in a variety of schools for over 13 years, I noticed that there were several things lacking. The main one being enough personalised attention to ensure that all children were able to achieve to the highest of their potential.

As a child myself, I feel that I had to work so hard to be noticed by my teachers. I don’t think that I received enough attention and I don’t think I was given the best opportunities by the schools that I went to. I don’t want this for any child. No matter the education chosen for a child, they deserve the highest quality that will enable them to go on and succeed later in life (whatever that means for them).

Ensuring all children have access the high highest quality education is vital. Not enough children are receiving the highest quality education and therefore there are way too many gaps in children’s knowledge and understanding as they continue through their educational journeys.

Educational attainment is one of the main markers for wellbeing through the life course and so it is important that no child is left behind.

PHE London published a report (2015), ‘Improving school readiness. Creating a better start for London’ which looks at the importance of school readiness.

Considering that ‘school readiness’ is one of the most important components of the 4+ Assessments, it’s imperative that you actually understand what this means.

‘School readiness’ is a measure of how prepared a child is to succeed cognitively, socially and emotionally.

Children who don’t receive a quality level of development by the age of 5 will struggle with:

Social skills

Reading

Maths

Physical skills

All of these will impact their future lives in terms of:

How well they will do with their education

How good their overall health will be

‘School readiness’ is measure using GLD (Good level of development)

A child with a GLD at the Early Years Foundation Stage will have reached the expected level in all the prime areas of learning. Evidence shows that those who do not reach a GLD by age five, will go on to struggle with key skills such as communication, language, literacy and mathematics.

I sadly witnessed this every single day working full time in the state and private education system for over 13 years.

Remember that teachers in schools have to look after 18-32 children so it is up to you to ensure that your child had an excellent GLD.

By having high quality support from parents in their early years, children will be able to acquire the social and emotional skills and deepen their knowledge in order to be ready to succeed later in life.

This is why myself and my clients firmly believe that investing in quality early care and education has a greater return on investment than many other parents can even imagine.

Top 3 reasons why myself and my clients are happy to spend thousands of pounds on the academic success of our children.

Is academic success really that important for the futures of our children?

100% yes it is.

Academic success is so important to myself and my clients.

Here are the Top 3 reasons why myself and my clients are happy to spend thousands of pounds on our children's academic success.

Reason 1

Adults who are academically successful and far more likely to have more employment opportunities than those with less education. Academically successful adults are more likely to have a higher earning potential than those who are less academically successful.

Reason 2

Academically successful adults are more likely to be more active citizens in our society and be generally happier and healthier.

Reason 3

Academically successful adults have a higher self-esteem, lower levels of depression and anxiety and are less likely to abuse alcohol and engage in substance abuse.

With the advancements in technology and the fast moving pace in which our society is moving, as parents we must ensure that our children achieve academic success. Being 100% involved in your child’s education is going to have thousands of benefits to yourself and to your child. Academic success can also lead to more positive behaviour and better social interaction.

Children who become masters of their reading and mathematics are more likely to go onto earn more money than those who do not achieve mastery in these areas. This will open the doors to them to higher levels of earning and to further opportunities for their futures.

Some secondary effects of academic success are:

Better organisational skills

Better time management skills

Higher levels of motivation

Higher levels of concetration

Given the rapid advancement of the world that we are living in, let’s ensure that out children are ready to enter the world that they will be entering with the highest level of academic success.

Is there such a thing as a school which is highly academic and at the same time very nurturing?

I’ve been getting this question a lot in my Additional Consultations with parents applying to schools for their children.

As a mother myself, I know how important it is to make the ‘right’ decision when it comes to my child’s education.

Take away that pressure from yourself by knowing that there is no ‘right’ decision. There is merely a decision.

The majority of the parents that I speak to want the highest quality education for their children as a priority. At the same time they want a school that is highly nurturing.

These are the two most important factors when it comes to choosing the ‘right’ education for their children.

Highest quality education

Nurturing environment

With a myriad of schools out there to choose from, some of my clients feel completely overwhelmed when choosing their schools to apply to.

Many of my clients look at exit results to see the results the schools have achieved (11+, GCSA, A levels etc). They also look at the Universities children who have attended these schools have gone onto.

Of course, this is important especially if you want your child to be highly academic. However, don’t just look at the results. Don’t just look at the Ofsted report.

Actually go the schools. And don’t go just once. Go a few times. The only way to know if the schools are ‘right’ for your child is to see days in action at the schools. You will get a feel for the school. You will get to see what the calibre of students are like that go to these schools already.

What one person thinks of the school might be very different than what someone else thinks of the school. Disregard anyone else’s opinion. The only opinion that matters is yours.

‘Highly academic schools that are nurturing’ is a very subjective phrase.

There are also far too many variables to consider such as the teacher/ teachers your child will have. The types of children that will be in their class. The leadership in place at the time.

‘Nurturing’ means different things to different people. What is nurturing to me might not be nurturing to you.

Your child can be ‘highly academic’ at any school. I firmly believe this. I believe the education they receive at home is just as important as the education that they will receive at school.

So please don’t fixate on this. Choose 6-7 schools to apply to and then when you have all of the offers in your hand, you decide what you believe is ‘right’ for your child.

Oh and one more thing.

Don’t be scared to pivot. If for any reason it isn’t ‘right’ for your child, be ready to try again somewhere else. Nothing has gone wrong.

My honest thoughts about NLCS Round 2 (7+)

This year we have been busy preparing 3 girls for their 7+ at NLCS.

I always advise my clients to begin preparing for NLCS from the Autumn term of the Reception Year.

2 of our students started from September of their Reception year and they have made it through Round 1. Our other student started in Year 1 and she has also passed the first round.

The biggest difference though is that the two girls who started from Reception have had a much longer time preparing for the second round. I will of course publish our results once I have them.

With only 7-10 places on offer at 7+, competition will be fierce.

So don’t for one second think that because your daughter passed Round 1 that she will automatically pass Round 2. That is simply not how it works.

Of course, passing Round 1 is a HUGE achievement and your daughter has worked exceptionally hard to be able to pass the first round! In order to pass the first round, your daughter will have scored in line with the percentage pass mark expected by NLCS.

Where they scored will be important.

Here is a very simple example.

Let’s say the pass mark is 80%.

If your daughter just scored 80% and another girl scored 90%, the girl who scored 90% will be far more likely to pass the second round (depending on how she does of course!)

If your daughter scored 80%, she will need to score very highly in the second round.

My honest opinion is that NLCS have called back more girls than usual after the first round.

The second round will be a ‘day at school’.

Because of this, many parents think that they do not need to prepare for the second round.

This is 100% not the case.

You need thorough preparation for the second round. The second round should have been prepared in conjunction to the first round preparation that you did.

I am offering Curriculum Coaching to the first 3 parents who contact me today. I cannot offer any more than this.

If your daughter is sitting Round 2 at NLCS next week, I wish her tremendous success.

3 ways to prepare for 7+ Round 2 without getting overwhelmed.

There is a lot of confusion around the Round 2 process amongst many parents that I speak to on a daily basis.

The lack of understanding about the Round 2 process leads to results that parents do not want.

The last thing anyone wants is for their child to have passed Round 1 and then go into their Round 2 Assessment completely unprepared.

Imagine working so hard to then send your child unprepared into their second Round. It makes no sense.

To me.

Many parents I speak to are preparing their children for multiple schools for their 7+ and they have so many unanswered questions…

How is this school different to that school?

What will my child be asked?

What shall I do to prepare them?

How much should we be doing?

How do I know if I’m doing the ‘right’ thing?

All of these questions can lead parents to becoming totally and utterly overwhelmed.

Don’t do this.

You need a clear and calm strategy. That’s all.

One more thing before I give you the 3 ways.

Just because your child has passed Round 1, absolutely does not mean that they will pass round 2.

Just be super clear about that and manage your expectations!

3 ways to prepare for 7+ Round 2 without getting overwhelmed.

1. Know what the school is expecting of your child.

If you don’t know this, how on earth can you prepare them?

2. Make sure your child knows what is expected of them.

If they don’t know this, how will they show the school what they are looking for?

3. Start preparing as soon as you start preparing for the first round.

Don’t wait until your child has passed their first round.

The 7+ Assessments need 2 years of focused, bespoke tuition by a teacher who has actual experience with the schools that you are applying to. I recommend my clients start preparing from Reception - Autumn 1.

Join our Waiting List today (January/February 2025 start)

3 harsh truths about the Merchant Taylors' 3+ Assessment.

Results for Merchant Taylors’ Prep School are out.

There is a lot of disappointment.

This school is HARD to get into at any stage (3+, 4+, 7+)

There are many reasons for this and I am going to share a few of them here with you. If you do want to discuss further, please book an Additional Consultation with me.

If this is a dream school for you, I highly recommend that you get in touch with me at least one year before the Assessment and commit to meeting with me weekly for the full year. For some of you, this will mean that your son will only be just over one year of age. Of course, I do not expect a one year old to have 30 minutes of weekly tuition with me. But I do expect you to meet with me weekly and receive coaching about what exactly you should be doing every day to support your son.

If you truly desire to send your son to Merchant Taylors’ Prep School, take it seriously and prepare them appropriately for the Assessment.

Here are 3 harsh truths for you.

1. Not understanding the expectations at MTs’ for the 3+

‘It’s just a ‘playdate’ - Absolutely not!

‘My child is only 2, I can’t prepare them’ - Of course you can. The other parents whose children passed 100% prepared them - trust me.

‘My son will just go in and play’ - NO!

2. Overestimating what your son is actually able to do.

No disrespect at all, I also think my son is amazing. But I know for a fact that he would not have passed the MTs’ 3+ (He would have been 2 years and 4 months had I sat him). What you think your son can do and what he will actually do in the MTs’ 3+ are 2 different things!

Parents have said to me ‘You don’t need to do puzzles/lego/play doh, he can do that already!’ Please don’t be so arrogant. Come down off that high horse and be humble to learning from someone who has been doing this for over 15 years.

3. Not understanding the statistics.

I’ve heard different numbers but in my opinion over 100 boys applied to MTs’ for their 3+ Assessment. 32 offers were made. MTs’ say that 18 boys were placed on the reserve list but I believe at least 32 boys were placed there. None of the boys that I heard of were offered a place after having been on the reserve list.

4+ is even harder with only 7-8 places available.

So if you are serious about preparing for Merchant Taylors’ 3+, join our Waiting List today!

How do I know which school is 'right' for my child?

I get this question about 100 times in one month from parents who contact me.

As a parent, the one thing that we all have in common is that we want the best for our precious children. Many of my clients invest hundreds of thousands of pounds on their children’s education. Spending money on their child’s learning is something they happily do each and every month because they know that they are investing into the person that they love most in this world.

When I spend money on my son, I want to make sure that it is the ‘best’ investment for him. I want to make sure that he is getting the most out of the learning he is receiving. I also love to spend money on my son’s development and learning. There are no limits. I will do everything in my power to ensure that he has the best of the best when it comes to his education.

But this mindset and way of thinking presents itself with a myriad of problems.

We will never know what is ‘right’ for our child.

Until we have tried it of course.

Perhaps you have a dream school in mind for your child and perhaps they actually pass their Assessment and are offered a place at your dream school. Only after this point can we have a proper conversation about whether or not the school is ‘right’ for your child. Before that point, we are merely speculating.

What is ‘right’ for one child, will be completely ‘wrong’ for another.

You will not ‘know’ which school is ‘right’ for your child.

You will have your options in terms of your child’s education and you must of course plan and prepare well for them.

Then all you can do is try. Don’t just assume that all will go dreamily. At the same time, don’t just assume that it will all go badly. Try and if you need to pivot and go in a different direction, don’t be afraid to try again.

Nothing has gone wrong.

I love that my clients want the absolute best for their children.

It’s why I do what I do. I also want the absolute best for each and every one of my students.

Whatever that may be for them.