Don't trust 90% of what you hear when it comes to the 4+

Most of my clients don’t know the truth about the 4+ Assessments until they start working with me. 

Many clients who don’t work with me end up wondering why their child was not successful in their 4+ Assessments.

Logically, we believe that it can’t be that hard for a 3 year old to pass an assessment. However, if you think this way - you are wrong. The 4+ Assessments are not easy at all. 

Many parents think that they will just take their child into an assessment and let them have a little play and then they will just be offered a place. 

It simply doesn’t work this way. 

Many parents that I speak to listen to what their neighbours, family and ‘well meaning’ friends tell them about the 4+ Assessments. Sadly, I don’t think you should trust 90% of what you hear these people telling you. 

Your emotional brain says ‘Well, Helen down the road told me that she didn’t do any assessment preparation, my child will be just fine!’ 

And by the time you end up registering for all of the 4+ Assessments, you’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of the curriculum you should have covered by this point. 

  Listen to me carefully. A parent who tells you that they didn’t prepare their child for their 4+ Assessments is lying… to… you. 

Perhaps not with the intention of doing so but they are. Perhaps not with the intention of misleading you but they are. 

I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to contact me and tell me that your child didn’t pass any of their 4+ Assessments (side note - sadly I receive hundreds of these calls every single year)

 To pass the 4+ Assessments, your child needs thorough preparation. 

Whether you prepare them yourself or whether you seek the help of an expert. You must prepare them and you must prepare them well. 

 Join Creative Minds Tutors today. For less than £10 a day, you can have more confidence around your 4+ Assessment preparations and ensure that you are doing everything in your power to support your child to have the success that you want them to have in their 4+ Assessments. 

Book your Sample Week Today!

Phonics hack - Find creative ways to support your child to learn their phonics.

I’m amazing at finding easy ways for children to learn their phonics! Each individual child will learn phonics differently and it’s up to me to find out the way that works for each of our individual students.

After 15+ years of supporting 100’s of children to gain entry into their top schools of choice, I’ve learned a few easy things you can do to make 4+ Assessment preparation easier and more effective. 

One of the most important things to remember when preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments is that every single child is different. What works for one child may not work for another child. 

It’s about finding simple, doable things that you can do every single day that will accelerate your child’s learning and take it to another level!

If your child is struggling with learning their phonics, try to do a treasure hunt one day next week. 

 Print out your phonics resources (whatever you are currently using!) and hide them around the room. Under the sofa, inside your child’s favourite toy and amongst your child’s lego!

 Then tell your child that you are going to do a treasure hunt to find the missing sounds! Make it sound as exciting as possible! Play some fun music! Have a special prize ready for your child to ‘win’ if they find all of the sounds and tell you them! If they don’t know them yet - of course help them. This is not about getting them ‘right’. This is about seeing them and saying them! The special prize doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive. It can be as simple as a new book that you’ve wrapped up or a magazine that your child loves. Anything! 

 Once you’ve completed the game, give your child lots of praise and tell them how amazing they are at learning their sounds! 

At the end of the week, see if your child can remember those sounds. 

If they can’t - no worries! Just keep playing treasure hunt! 

When it comes to learning phonics, consistency is key. 

Also, please remember that although some children will ‘get it’ straight away (good for them!) some won’t. 

It’s about finding ways to engage YOUR child so that they are exposed to seeing the phonics as much as possible (everyday even for just one minute is amazing!) 

Inside Creative Minds Tutors, you’ll get hundreds  of tricks, tips and hacks to make 4+ Assessment preparation simple. We will be there to support you every step of the way. Because we know how overwhelming 4+ Assessment preparation is. 

Join today! And don’t forget to try my phonics hack!

The perfect time to start preparing for the 4+ Assessments...

12 months before.

Do you know what “I’ll start when…” thinking is? 

 It’s what the majority of parents do when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation. And it’s the biggest sabotage of all! 

• “I’ll start when he/she is a little older.”

• “As soon as the holidays are over, we will start!”

• “It’s hard to find time to work with him/her so I’ll wait until I have more time!” (hint: this will never ever happen!)

• “I’m too busy to add one more thing to my plate, so I’ll start when things calm down.” 

This type of thinking is common with perfectionists (which most of us are by the way!).

We fool ourselves into thinking there’s a perfect time to start preparing for the 4+ Assessments.

There isn’t! Especially if you leave it too late!

The dangerous part is this…it feels GOOD and REASONABLE!  

Here’s the truth. 

There’s no perfect time coming. And you are NEVER going to be perfect in preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments. 

 We have this fantasy that a magical day is coming where life is aligned so much that WE WILL SHOW UP PERFECT. We won’t struggle, make mistakes, or have surprises. 

The problem is, this is just pure nonsense. You don’t need a perfect time to start preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments. You need a way to start preparing your child  when life isn’t perfect, when you don’t feel like doing it and when you feel so overwhelmed with life that preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments is the last thing on your mind. 

You need to be able to… 

• Handle the stress of usual everyday life things and prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. 

• Go through the holidays and prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments (I don’t take time off in the holidays for a reason!) 

• Prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments in ways that are flexible enough to flow with your busy life. 

• Prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments in minutes a day… consistently. 

That’s why the The CMT Emerald Curriculum is different than any other 4+ Assessment preparation programme out there. You will have 24/7 access to our Company Director and your teacher to answer any of your questions.  

I want your 4+ Assessment preparations to be simple and doable with clear action steps to take each and everyday. I want you to just open up your folder and pick a resource to do with your child and just do it. I don’t want you to waste a single precious second searching for resources that may not even be relevant to your child’s 4+ Assessment preparations.

Let us help you to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment no matter what life’s throwing at you. 

 Click here to book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week. There’s no better time than this moment coming. 

Why prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments alone?

What’s the worst part of preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments alone?

 Not following through with what you say you will do. 

 You worked hard all week, you’ve taken care of everything that needed to be taken care of but you’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to your child’s learning.

Every day you wake up with a myriad of life things to get on with and the learning just doesn’t happen in the way that you would like it to. 

Then you look on Instagram and start comparing yourself to other parents who seem to be ‘doing it all’ with their children (they’re not by the way!) 

All of these things are NORMAL when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation. But you don’t need to feel this way- EVER!

Think about the last time you planned and prepared a thorough curriculum for your child to follow for the week and by the end of the week you’ve barely completed half of it. 

Did you react calmly, brush it off and keep going… 

Or did you panic? Maybe you started questioning things...

“Why can’t I do what I planned to do?” 

“Why can’t I follow the plan?” 

“Why do I have so many other things to do?” 

These are actually good questions, but the problem is when you prepare your child for the 4+ Assessments alone, you don’t have anyone to help you answer them.  

And questions like this left unanswered leave you feeling hopeless, frustrated and ultimately not completing the quantity of learning that needs to be completed each and every day. 

You see, when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation consistency is key. It’s those little things that you do each and everyday that will count. It’s those little pockets of 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there that will make all of the difference to your child’s 4+ Assessment preparation. 

And imagine if you finally got the answers to questions you have so that you can just get on with it? 

A place where there is help, advice, and steps for how to overcome the normal things that happen in 4+ Assessment preparation.

Now imagine if you could ask these questions, get support, and the help you deserve day and night, 7 days a week, 24/7?

Inside Creative Minds Tutors, this place exists. It’s called The Creative Minds Tutors Emerald Curriculum and it’s where you can get any question answered or voice any fear, and you will receive the help and support that you need. 

Here are a few questions we’ve been asked recently: 

• What approach do you recommend for structuring our day?

• How do I stay on my plan when we have so many other things going on?

• Which strategies can I use to encourage my child to want to write?

• How can I help my child to learn their phonics?

• Which school is the best fit for my child?

• I really want to send my child to NLCS but I don’t think she will pass. What are they actually assessed on in the assessments?

With the 4+ Emerald Curriculum you get 24/7 email support from our Company Director Maria Mazarese. Just this feature alone is worth hundred of pounds. And guess what? It’s all included with your Emerald Curriculum Programme.

We take your child’s 4+ assessment preparation very seriously. Highly trained and skilled teachers individually answer all of your questions. 

You see, the more answers you have, the calmer you feel. And the calmer you feel, the easier 4+ Assessment preparation becomes. 

Join the Emerald Curriculum programme today and let us help you prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments in a bespoke, calm and focused way. 

Can you prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments alone?

These top schools will tell you not to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. Expect this. 

 These top schools will tell you not to tutor your child for their 4+ Assessments. Expect that they will tell you this - because they will!

Countless ‘helpful’ friends and family are telling you their opinions about the 4+ Assessments. And most of them are telling you that it is ‘ridiculous to prepare a two year old for a test!’ And you will feel that wave of doubt. It’s human nature. You will feel judged and you will feel that perhaps you are putting too much pressure on your precious little love. And it’s all just nonsense. You do you. You do what you want to do. Listen to these ‘helpful’ friends and tell them that you value their input and move on. 

You will receive so many confusing messages about the 4+ Assessments. 

You’re probably wondering, “Shouldn’t I be able to prepare my child for their 4+ Assessments on my own? Why do I need the Creative Minds Tutors Emerald Curriculum?” 

I’ll tell you the truth. You don’t NEED us. But you might WANT the support we give you.

You don’t need Creative Minds Tutors if you: 

• Are okay with knowing exactly which resources you need in all the EYFS areas of learning. 

• Feel fine about being consistent every single day with your child’s learning. 

• Sit with your child every day and complete at least 30 minutes of learning consistently.

• Want to spend hours a week researching and figuring out what you should do to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. 

• Have a great support system that knows exactly what to say in the moments your doubts and fears are their loudest. 

On the other hand… 

You might want to join Creative Minds Tutors because: 

• You want to avoid not knowing what to do with your child’s learning each and every single day. 

• Consistency is the key to passing any 4+ Assessment and our programmes will offer you this. All of our programmes are bespoke and tailored to your child’s 4+ Assessment preparations at their target schools. 

• You are tired of trying to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments alone. 

• Creative Minds Tutors  surrounds you with support from teachers who have over 15 years of experience with the 4+ Assessment process and who have all had exceptional results. 

• You want just enough structure to keep you on track but flexibility to live your life. The CMT 4+ Emerald Curriculum gives you simple steps to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments while taking the anxiety and fear out of the process. By combining my personal experience with all top inner and outer London schools  and clear, structured plans for each individual child, you’ll finally know exactly what to do to prepare your child to have the highest chances for success in any 4+ Assessment. 

 So, do you NEED  the Creative Minds Tutors Emerald Curriculum? No. 

 You also don’t need electricity, a car, or air conditioning. But aren’t you glad to have things that make life easier and more enjoyable? 

Join me and 100s of parents who are preparing their children for their 4+ Assessments with less stress and less time. 

It took me years and years to create this programme. You don’t need to waste any of your precious time. You will have everything provided for you and you will have 24/7 email support from a teacher who knows exactly what is needed to pass the 4+ Assessments at any top school. 

I can help you save a lot of time and prevent heartache in your journey to support your child to pass their 4+ Assessments.

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today!

I’ve got a limited time bonus offer for you if you book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week by the end of this week.. (Sunday 5th January midnight)

When you sign up now,  you will receive a complimentary Additional Consultation (to be used at any time) worth £120. This offer is only open to the first 5 parents who sign up and you must sign up by the end of this week.

Why 4+ Assessment preparation doesn't have to feel so overwhelming.

The first time I ever prepared a child for their 4+ Assessments, I was 25 years old (nearly 15 years ago!) 

 I was working at a popular top pre- prep school in Hampstead and I had never been immersed in this world until now. 

I remember being very concerned about how overwhelmed and stressed out the parents of my students felt. 

 I had never been through this process before and clearly I had a lot to learn. 

 Thankfully for the parents of my students, I was gifted at preparing children for their 4+ Assessments (and the 7+ assessments!)

I remember seeing the looks on their faces when they came in to see me the day that they had received the results and their child had been successful at gaining entry to their dream school. 

I knew there and then that this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to support parents all over the country to have the same levels of success. I didn’t want parents to feel overwhelmed and stressed about this process at all.

There is a Secret to passing any 4+ Assessment!

This is a secret that most parents who have already been through the process will not share with you (I don’t know why this is!) and this is a secret that these top schools will also not share with you (I also don’t know why this is!)  

 The secret is to be consistent every single day even when you don’t feel like it!

 It’s very simple isn’t it? 

Well just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

 We all have other life commitments and we all have other things going on. But the secret really is consistency. 

Every single day commit to doing at least 30 minutes of learning with your child. What a game changer that would be for your 4+ Assessment success!

Preparing your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry or beyond? Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.

Nothing has gone terribly wrong if your child resists doing what you planned for them to do.

When I started preparing children for their 4+ Assessments more than 15 years ago, there was one thing I knew for sure…

 I was going to make the process fun for both my students and for my clients.

Working as a teacher full time in a variety of state and private schools for over 12 years, I saw a huge flaw in the system when it came to preparing children for their 4+ Assessments. The learning plans were too generic. 

I mean, I could follow the plans for a little while and the plans worked for perhaps 60% of my class. But the other 40 % needed to have learning that was bespoke to them. It’s all well and good to have a plan on paper but it’s another thing to implement it and teach it to 20-30 children. 

The biggest frustration that I had as a classroom teacher was not being able to create more bespoke plans for each individual student to support them with their 4+ Assessment preparations. It was just an impossible task as I had 20-30 children to teach each and everyday. 

And here’s where the problems lie. 

Some children would want to do what I had planned to do and some children wouldn’t. And this is the same when it comes to preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments. Perhaps you planned to do a writing session and your child simply doesn’t want to pick up the pencil. Or perhaps you want them to draw a straight line and all they want to do is scribble. Perhaps you want them to make a play doh car and they want to make a play doh cupcake. Perhaps you want them to draw their family and they simply tell you ‘no’.

Nothing has gone terribly wrong if you your child resists doing what you planned for them to do. Here is what you should teach your child if you are tired of them resisting doing what you had planned for them to do. 

It may be frustrating to you but please try not to let it be. 

My son (currently 30 months) resists doing phonics or any sort of maths activity (unless it’s on a screen) but he adores writing, reading and answering questions. 

Every single child in this world is going to have learning that they love to do and learning that they either find challenging or that they do not want to do. 

The key thing to do is to be very patient. 

I see it all the time - parents losing their patience because their child doesn’t want to do what they had planned for them to do. By losing your patience your child will either lose their patience too or resist the task even more. 

 What you truly need to do is this…

 Show your child love and compassion. If they don’t want to do a task, there is a reason why. 

Stay calm and trust in the process. If your child doesn’t want to do an activity that you planned and prepared for them, ask them to tell you why. They might tell you, they might not. It really doesn’t matter. What matters to your child is that you genuinely care and that you are curious about them. 

I was rarely asked ‘why?’ as a child, And when I was asked ‘why?’, my answer was never really listened too and absorbed.

Now I ask my son ‘why'?’ all… the…time!

 Move onto a different activity and come back to that activity another time. 

Learning at any age must always be fun. If it’s not fun - something has gone terribly wrong. We want our children to always want to do their learning. 

 It’s all about finding strategies to keep calm and stay positive even when your child doesn’t want to do the learning that you planned for them. 

Do you know why most children do not pass their 4+ Assessments each and every year? 

It is because of the lack of consistency in completing learning tasks that cover all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum each and every day. 

Preparing for your child’s 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry or beyond? Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today!

How much learning should I do with my child each day? The answer might surprise you!

I speak to so many parents each and every day who tell me how stressed and frustrated they are with the 4+ Assessment process. This 100% does not have to be you. As long as you follow my advice and take focused and consistent action each and everyday, you will guarantee the success that you want your child to have in every single Assessment that you send them to.

I’ve helped thousands of parents prepare their children for their 4+ Assessments over the last 15 years . Do you know what every single one of them had in common? 

 NONE of them believed they’d have the success that they had once they finished working with me. 

 Maybe you feel the same way. Perhaps you’ve been following me for a while and the doubts are swirling inside your head like a whirlwind. 

Here’s some good news. It is normal to… 

• Doubt this programme will work. 

• Wonder if 4+ Assessment preparation is as simple as I say it can be.

• Think you’re not going to be as successful as you’d like to be in the 4+ Assessments. 

 But here’s what you should know. You are not alone. Many parents are unsure when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.  

The truth is 4+ Assessment preparation can feel like a maze that has you going round and round in circles and never really getting to the destination that you desire to get to. 

 Perhaps you think that 4+ Assessment preparation will be straight forward and that your child will do exactly what you ask them to do every single day. 

 But, that’s not REAL life. Real life is filled with… 

• Other life commitments like having to work everyday or look after your other children and your home. 

• Not knowing the resources to use to help support your child with their 4+ Assessment preparation. 

• Days and days that you will go without even opening a single learning resource. 

If you don’t do the little things that you must do every single day to have the success that you want to have, you will never be as successful as you want to be in the 4+ Assessments.

 As a very simple non negotiable, I would like you dedicate 30 minutes every single day (from today!) to your child’s learning. This doesn’t need to be done all in one go. You can plan 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch time and 10 minutes before bed for example. If you can do this consistently for the next 12 months - this alone, will be a game changer to your 4+ Assessment success.

Here’s to an incredible 2025 filled with daily and consistent learning. If you’d like my personal help, support and guidance, sign up for my incredible Emerald Curriculum Sample Week and experience for yourself what it is like to have all of the resources you need planned and prepared just for you and bespoke to the schools that your child will be sitting Assessment at.

Here is why you might not have the 4+ Assessment Success that you would like to have.

I don’t write this blog with the intention of frightening anyone or to make anyone feel like they’ve not done enough. I write this blog with the intention of explaining just how challenging these 4+ Assessments are and to help you to understand what exactly is needed in order to have tremendous success in any 4+ Assessment.

We have been preparing children to be very successful in their 4+ Assessments for over 15 years. We have seen what works and we have see what doesn’t work. Unfortunately, many parents are unwilling to put in the work that is needed in order to have the success that they desire to have at their target schools.

Many parents that I speak to admit to me that they either started too late or that they didn’t do enough practise through out the years leading up to the 4+ Assessments. Many parents simply tell me that they did not know what to expect. How would they? If they’ve never been through the process before, how would they know the challenges and the complexities of sending a 3/4 year old into an assessment.

The main reason that you might not have the 4+ success that you desire to have is lack of consistency.

Here is what I mean.

Preparing for a 4+ Assessment at a prestigious school requires at least one year of focused Assessment preparation. This doesn’t mean doing a little bit here and a little bit there. What this means is thorough and consistent assessment preparation covering all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum. What it means is taking massive action each and every day with your child to ensure that they master the curriculum. All of the curriculum.

I have a two year old and I know how easy it can be to go days without doing some learning with him. It’s so easy to make excuses - we were busy, we both were working or we just didn’t have time.

None of this will cut it when it comes to being successful in the 4+ Assessments.

First of all, you need to know exactly what your target schools are looking for in their prospective new students (hint- it’s not the same at every school) and second of all you need to practise daily and consistently in all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum.

That’s why our Emerald Curriculum will be a game changer for your Assessment preparations.

You will receive a carefully planned and curated plan to follow every single day with your child. You will have 24/7 access to our Company Director who will answer any of your questions at any time and you will prepare your child to go into any Assessment and have the highest chances for success.

And all of this starting from only £55 per week (with a Senior Teacher).

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today.

Ready to prepare your child to be extremely successful in all of their 4+ Assessments?

The CMT Curriculum is all you need to support your child with their 4+ Assessments. This curriculum has been created after 15 years of extensive research an of preparing thousands of children for their 4+ Assessments at all top inner and outer London schools. I know exactly what is needed for your child to pass their 4+ Assessments at each individual school.

The CMT 4+ Emerald Curriculum is a bespoke, tailored plan for YOUR child to support them with their 4+ Assessment preparations.

Included in your 4+ Emerald Curriculum is personalised help and support from our Company Director Maria Mazarese.

Included in the CMT 4+ Emerald Curriculum will be ongoing 24/7 email support so any questions that you have about your child’s learning can be answered immediately.

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments can sometimes feel impossible to do. You have made the decision to send your child for their 4+ Assessments but you probably:

• Don’t know where to start

• Don’t know how often you should be doing things with your child

• Don’t know which resources will be relevant to your child

• Don’t fully understand what could potentially let your child down in their Assessments

• Waste time searching for resources that may be irrelevant

• Are worried about spending money on expensive tuition that may not even lead to the results that you want.

  Endless worry and not really knowing how to prepare your child for each individual school leaves you doubting, procrastinating and stuck. You deserve a way to empower yourself to know that you are doing everything in your power to prepare your child to go into any 4+ Assessment and have the highest possible chances for success. That is truly what I want for you and why I personally created this incredible programme.

  Turn your child’s 4+ Assessment preparations into a recipe for success.

  Step 1

  Choose the 4+ EMERALD Curriculum Package that works best for you.

  Option 1

  The Creative Minds Tutors 4+ EMERALD Curriculum (Months 1-3) with weekly tuition (with our Company Director or with a Senior Teacher.

  £260 per month + £50 Registration fee (one month notice to cancel)

  £220 per month + £50 Registration fee (one month notice to cancel)

  Option 2

  The Creative Minds Tutors 4+ EMERALD Curriculum (Months 1-3) without weekly tuition

  £260 per month + £50 Registration fee (one month notice to cancel)

  £220 per month + £50 Registration fee (one month notice to cancel)

  Both options include 24/7 email support.

  Step 2

  Say goodbye to overwhelm and confusion. You’ll start off with the EMERALD curriculum and we will tell you the exact steps to support your child to succeed in any 4+ Assessment.

  Step 3

  Teach your child to be the strongest they can be in all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum.

  Spend zero time searching for resources and have more time as a family.

  Accelerate your child’s learning with our incredible EMERALD curriculum. In just 3 months you will watch your child grow and develop in ways that you probably didn’t even think could be possible.

• All resources will be prepared for you and all you need to do is print.

• Any books you need to purchase will have a clickable link so you can just buy what you need.

• Ongoing 24/7 access to our Company Director to have any question answered.

  What you will get:

• The Creative Minds Tutors 4+ EMERALD Curriculum (Months 1-3)

• Unlimited expert support

• Peace of mind that you are covering the correct curriculum for your target schools.

• If you join by January 31st you will get this fantastic BONUS!

  One complimentary Additional Consultation with Maria Mazarese (worth £120)

  Are you ready?

  If you need a little more guidance and to discuss this further, book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today.

What to expect from the 'Expect no Less than Habs Round 2 4+ Success' Intensive Course.

The second round at Haberdashers’ for both the boys’ and the girls’ 4+ Assessment will be very challenging to pass.

Hundreds of children will have been called back to sit their Round 2 Assessment at these very popular schools and only 40 boys and 40 girls will be offered a place.

Your child will have about a 1:3 chance of being successful.

That ratio is not one that you want to leave to chance or to luck.

It is one that you will want to prepare your child for… thoroughly.

With just over two weeks remaining until the Habs’ Boys’ and Girls’ 4+ Assessment (Round 2), I am offering you this very rare and very precious opportunity. To work intensively with your child for 7 days to ensure they are ready to pass the second round.

If you are looking for laser focus and massive action, this is the course for you. If you want to ‘leave it to chance’ and ‘just see how it goes’, this course is not for you.

We will have 5 precious lessons together on the following dates:

7/1/25 @ 6

8/1/25 @ 6

9/1/25 @4

10/1/25 @4

11/1/25 @

We will meet everyday on Zoom (I will only be sharing the audio recording with clients who sign up to this course) - If you are unable to attend, you will receive the recording to complete at your own time.

After each lesson, you will receive an intensive learning pack to complete in the evening/morning before the next lesson.

You can share videos and photos with your teacher to receive detailed feedback and guidance about how to improve.

After this intensive course, your child will be in the best possible position to go into the Habs’ Round 2 Assessment and show the Assessors exactly what they are looking for.

Passing Round 1 is amazing but it is not an indication that they will pass the second round.

Remember this. I have prepared children for this school for over 15 years. I know exactly what it takes for your child to pass their Round 2 Assessment and I know exactly the calibre of student who will be offered a place at this school at 4+.

1 final place remaining.

The Secret to Successful NLCS Assessment Preparation (4+)

Know what the school are actually looking for in their prospective new students.

Your daughter will need thorough and bespoke tuition for NLCS. You absolutely must only work with a teacher who has real and actual experience with this school.

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

Don’t ever underestimate how hard it will be to get into this school.

This school is so overly subscribed each year. Hundreds of parents want their daughter to go to North London Collegiate School.

Having visited it several times myself and even having lunch there once with the teachers, I have seen exactly what it is like to be at this school. Their facilities are exceptional and the grounds are just divine. I get it!

I have prepared hundreds of girls for the 4+ Assessment at NLCS over the last 15 years and what I’ve learnt is this. Passing the first round is very challenging. As in, it’s very hard to pass!

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

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

In my experience passing the first round is the hardest part.

NLCS have a very specific Assessment criteria in the sense of what they are looking for.

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

We have supported girls to be very successful at gaining entry to NLCS for over 15 years. In fact, I supported one of my oldest students with her Spanish GCSE last year! She worked with me when she was 6 and I prepared her for her 7+ at NLCS!

Book your Sample Lesson today.

10 ways to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments over the Christmas break.

Preparing a 3-year-old for an assessment is all about making it fun, interesting and engaging. At this age, it’s important to keep things simple and playful so they feel comfortable and happy. If your child isn’t enjoying their learning, something has gone terribly wrong and you need to check how you are approaching the Assessment preparations.

Here’s how you can help your child continue to get ready over the festive period:

1. Keep it Playful

Learning must always be fun otherwise it is no longer considered learning. Have some fun music on in the background and invite your child to join you to complete some of their learning. Have some of their favourite snacks ready and have a visually interesting learning environment set up.

2. Use Songs and Rhymes

Children love songs and rhymes. You can sing songs about the alphabet, numbers, or animals to help them remember things in a fun way. Read books that have rhymes in them - there are hundreds! Here are a few just for you!

3. Do tasks in short, sharp bursts.

Short and sharp. Plan to do tasks in short, sharp bursts. Do an activity and then move onto another. Your child will undoubtedly love doing somethings more than other - eg. cutting over counting or role play over colouring. Mix things up. Plan to do things that you know your child loves mixed with things that they don’t love as much.

4. Talk About the Assessment in a Calm but Honest way.

Many parents disagree with me on this one. They don’t think that their 3 year old should know that they are going into an Assessment. You don’t even need to use the word Assessment but make sure that your child knows exactly what you are sending them into!

5. Always use positive language.

Never refer to learning in a negative way. Always talk about it in a positive way.

6. Create a Routine

Many of my clients have taken some time off during the festive period. Some have taken a week off and other have taken 3 weeks off. Others have gone on holiday across the world and have continued to meet with me. Whatever you’ve decided to do, please don’t tell me that you’ve done nothing with your child during your break. You must continue with your study routine over the Christmas break. It really doesn’t matter how long you spend on the learning, what matters is consistently practising what needs to be practised in order for your child to be able to pass their Assessment.

7. Make Sure They’re Well-Rested

Try to keep up with a decent sleep routine over the Christmas break. Your child will need to be very well rested for their 4+ Assessments in January.

8. Stay Calm and Supportive

Kids pick up on how adults feel, so if you stay calm and relaxed, they will too.

9. Consistent work on the EYFS Curriculum

Focus on all areas of the EYFS Curriculum and dip into these areas every single day.

10. Don’t stress

We don’t know what the outcome will be. That is not in our control. The only thing that we have control over is how well we prepare our children to be in the best position to pass.

Final 5 places remaining to work with me from January 2025. Book your Sample Lesson Today.

The main reason you cannot prepare for a 4+ Assessment on your own.

I’ve spoken to several parents these last few weeks who have told me that they simply do not need my support. They’ve told me that they know what they need to do. They’ve told me that it’s simply not that hard.

And they are wrong.

I mean, I hope they are right. I hope that their children get into their target schools. I know what a huge decision this is for them to have to make. I’m currently having to make the same decision for my son who is turning 3 in July.

Guess what? Even myself and my partner will be seeking the support of professionals who can guide us. I am open to being humble and learning from experts who can guide us in making the best possible decision for the most precious person in our lives. Our son.

It often surprises me when I hear these sorts of comments. Why would parents risk it?

The reason is that they’ve not been through this process before. I have. I’ve been through this process for over 15 years now. I’ve supported hundreds of parents with their children’s 4+ Assessment preparation. I still speak to clients that I supported many years ago. I still want to know how my students are getting on.

If you’ve never been through the process before, you just simply cannot understand it.

But they will. When I hear from them in January/February and they tell me how their children got on.

You cannot prepare for a 4+ Assessment on your own because you do not know what the school/s that you are applying for are even looking for in their prospective new students. I do.

How can you prepare for something that you do not understand?

We have several very important Assessments coming up in the next few weeks for our students’ 4+ Assessments, including Habs’ Round 2 (boys and girls), Highgate Round 2, NLCS and South Hampstead.

I really hope that if you are preparing for these schools that you are taking the process seriously and that you are working every single day with your child on their learning.

I wish you all tremendous success with the 4+ Assessments.

Habs' Boys' Round 2 - Expectations.

Your son has passed the first round at Habs’ Boys’ for the 4+ Assessment.

Congratulations!

A very hard assessment to pass and many parents are not in the same position that you are in right now. You have clearly prepared your son very well to make it this far.

Round 2 is yet to come.

Perhaps you are feeling a mixture of emotions. Excitement, fear, nervousness and perhaps a little unsure.

Not to worry.

I’ve been preparing students for Haberdashers’ Boys’ and Girls’ for over 15 years.

A key difference between the first round and the second round is that in the second round your son will be seen on a one-to-one basis. The first round, your son will have mainly been assessed as part of the group that he was in. Another difference is that the Assessment is shorter - 60 minutes compared to 90 minutes in the first round.

You will also have your parent interviews. If you would like to discuss these further with me, book your Additional Consultation here.

What you want to focus on is the following:

Questioning - Your son will need to answer questions to a very high standard and quality.

Ability to solve problems - Problem solving has come up a lot historically in the second round of the Assessment at Habs’ Boys’.

Academic Capability - Your son will need to demonstrate excellent academic capability in all of the areas of the EYFS that they will be assessed on:

• communication and language.

• personal, social and emotional development.

• physical development.

• literacy.

• mathematics.

• understanding the world.

• expressive arts and design.

I have three spaces available for my exceptional Intensive Course.

Book your son’s place today.

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 have 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.