Story time for Success!

Did you know that story time isn’t just for bedtime? It’s actually one of the best ways to prepare your child for the 4+ assessments! Here’s how…
When your child listens to stories, they’re not just hearing words—they’re building focus, vocabulary, and comprehension (all essential for 4+ success!)

Want to make the most of story time? Try this 3-step technique to boost their learning:

1. Pause & Predict – Stop mid-story and ask, “What do you think happens next?” (Encourages critical thinking!)

I always ask my students ‘What do you think will happen next?’ when we are reading stories together. Students as young as two are asked this question every single week! Your child will 100% be asked to make predictions in their 4+ Assessment. So by exposing them to this questions frequently, your child will build the confidence that they need in order to be able to predict accurately based on the story that they are read.

2. Spot the Details – Point to pictures and say, “Can you find something red?” (Builds observation skills!)

In our lessons, we do picture analysis every single week. When I do picture analysis with my students, I simple start off by asking them, ‘What do you see?’ Done consistently every single week (and with their parents during the week) this activity alone strengthens and builds their vocabulary. Asking my students focused questions allows them to enhance their questioning skills and be able to answer more and more complex questions

3. Retell the Story – After reading, ask them to summarise in their own words. (Boosts memory & verbal expression!) Simply ask your child - ‘What happened in the story?’

Just 10 minutes a day can make a HUGE difference! Try this today & tell me—what book are you reading?

Consistently reading with your child every day for only 10 minutes equates to 70 minutes a week. In a month that’s nearly 5 hours of reading time!

It’s those little moments of time that count when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.

3 fun and interactive learning ideas to try today!

 Want to prepare your child for the 4+ assessments without countless and boring worksheets? 

Try these FUN & INTERACTIVE games at home! 

Learning through play is the secret to building confidence, focus & early learning skills! Here are 3 quick & easy games to get started:

Mystery Bag Challenge – Hide an object in a bag. Let your child feel & describe before guessing. (Boosts vocabulary & thinking!) 

Children adore an element of mystery. You can use any bag that you have and just place an object inside. I like to keep this themed. For example, I tell my son - 'This is something that you can find in the kitchen.' or 'This is a fruit.' etc. This is such a fun game with so much learning involved! If they correctly guess the item, they can reveal it and you can use the item to ask them lots of questions. Eg. What do you do with it? Why do you use it? Where else might you find it? 

Sound Hunt – Pick a sound (like “S”) & have your child find objects that start with it! (Builds phonics & listening skills!) It also encourages focus and concentration! Choose two or three objects that begin with that sound and hide them around the room. Give your child clues as to where they can find the items and have lots of fun with this! When your child finds the item, let them tell you what it is and then ask them what sound it begins with. 

 Action Simon Says – Add a two-step challenge: “Touch your toes, then spin!” (Strengthens memory & focus!) Great for the personal development aspect of the EYFS curriculum and also great for following instructions! 

The best part? They’re learning without even realising it!

Ready to take your child’s 4+ Assessment preparation to the next level?

Book your Sample Lesson today!

100% Success Rate at Chigwell (4+) 2025 Entry.

Chigwell is a very popular school that we prepare for every single year. It is one of the earlier Assessments so mu must ensure that you start preparing a lot earlier. Chigwell have not yet published details about the 4+ Assessment this year but last year the Assessment was on the 23rd of September! So you would have only 6 months of Assessment preparation if you were to be starting now.

We prepare all of our students for their Chigwell 4+ Assessment to the highest standards. I know that all of our students are equipped with the skills to be able to answer any question that they are asked, to be able to complete any activity and to be able to go in and truly thrive.

We have such incredible success year after year after year because we do the following exceptionally well.

1. We teach our students HOW to answer questions well and we practise this skill every single week.

   Your child will need to communicate exceptionally well to be offered a place at Chigwell. I wouldn’t recommend sending your child in to this assessment if they are unable to do this.

2. We focus on listening skills.

   Your child will need to listen and engage with a story and demonstrate high levels of listening skills. Listening also includes how your child responds to what they have heard.

3. We cover all of the EYFS curriculum to a very high standard.

If you are preparing for the 4+ Assessment at Chigwell and you haven’t yet started Assessment preparation, the time to start is right now. I don’t personally think 6 months is enough time to prepare for Chigwell but you are better off starting now than continuing to wait.

The Chigwell 4+ Assessment is not easy.

Chigwell at 4+ is very over subscribed.

Chigwell will be looking for something specific in their students.

If you don’t know what they are looking for, work with someone who does.

We have supported hundreds of children to be very successful at this school.

Here is a testimonial from one of my clients whose son has started at Chigwell last year…

I would highly recommend Maria!!! SHE IS SIMPLY THE BEST!

We knew we wanted to send our son to a school that required him to sit the 4+ assessments. I did not know what was needed to prep him. I searched online and came across creative mind tutors. After having read their blog posts on their website, i had a discovery call with Maria. During this call she listened to me and I instantly knew she would be right for us. Her knowledge of the curriculum is outstanding.

We started with her curriculum sprints and then embarked on weekly tutuion sessions online. Maria was kind, patient and structured. She knew exactly what needed to be done and was aware of the timeline we had.

Our son got offers from all the schools we applied to and I am so grateful to Maria for making the whole experience fun and enjoyable for little children.

Thank you so much Maria!

Book your Sample Lesson today.

Confusion is the thief of 4+ Assessment Success

These last few days I’ve spoken to 15 parents preparing their children for the 4+ Assessments.

There seems to be quite a lot of confusion going around.

Rather than focusing your thoughts on this confusion, please direct that energy to ensuring that your child is best prepared for their Assessments.

A lot of parents that I’ve spoken to have attended open days at the schools that they would love to send their child to at 4+. There have been many mixed messages. Or at least this is how the parents I have spoken to have interpreted what they have been told. Many of these parents have said things to me like, ‘My husband has said no to any tuition!’ and ‘I just don’t think my 3 year old should be doing assessment preparation!’

Confusion will rob you of 4+ Assessment success. Confusion will leave you blocked. Confusion will keep you stuck.

And here is what I have to say about it.

If you are preparing your child for the 4+ , please ensure that they are best prepared in ALL of the areas of the EYFS curriculum. At the end of the day, regardless of what your child is asked, at least you know that you have covered all bases.

Please don’t neglect certain areas.

Cover everything! And more!

Children at this age LOVE to learn. They are like sponges. Absorbing everything and remembering so much. It is incredible to see.

So to those of you who tell me that you don’t want your child to suffer because they have to prepare for their Assessments, challenge that thinking. Why would they suffer? I do not understand that at all. Children adore learning! To those of you who think that a 4+ Assessment can’t be as difficult as I say it will be, challenge that thinking. Why do you think I’ve had students start with me from as early as 18 months of age preparing for their 4+ Assessments? Why do you think all of my clients are currently taking massive action every single day preparing their children for their 4+ Assessments.

There is a reason.

Children are capable of learning everything that you teach them. Trust me, children at this age love to learn. So teach them. Have fun with it. Laugh. Joke. Enjoy it. And if your child absorbs it all, that is the cherry on top!

If you need further support with 4+ Assessment preparation, book your Sample Lesson today. We will be delighted to support you every step of the way.

3 character traits of OUR students who passed their 4+ Assessment at Highgate (2025 Entry)

We have prepared hundreds of children for their Highgate 4+ Assessment over the last 16 years. We know exactly what this exceptional school is looking for and we prepare our students to the highest possible standards to be able to go into the Highgate 4+ Assessment and shine. Despite there being 60 places available each year at Highgate at 4+, this is an incredibly competitive school to get into. It is so competitive that this is the only school at 4+ that has a ballot system for children to even be offered a chance to go the this 4+ Assessment!

Think over a thousand children applying for 60 places. Last year, we prepared 5 children for Highgate at 4+. 4 have been offered a place to study at this school from September 2025. This is exceptional.

Here are the 3 character traits of OUR students who passed their 4+ Assessment at Highgate (2025 Entry)

1. Strong physically

All 4 students were very strong physically. They had very strong gross and fine motor skills. They were all able to hold their pencil pretty much perfectly and they could all write their numbers and letters of the alphabet with accuracy and precision. All 4 students could cut to a very high standard. They were all able to complete complex puzzles and demonstrate a variety of strategies to complete the puzzles.

2. Excellent listeners

All 4 students were excellent listeners. When they showed up to meet with me weekly, they were always actively engaged and listening to every single word that I would say. In the 4+ Assessment at Highgate they listened to every single thing that they were asked to do and they did it to a very high standard.

3. Superb focus and concentration

All 4 students were able to focus for long periods of time.

To be successful in the Highgate 4+ Assessment, your child will need at least 12 months of tailored and bespoke 4+ Assessment preparation. Round 1 at Highgate is in November. So as of today, you have 8 months of 4+ Assessment preparation.

Do not procrastinate getting started. You want your child to even have a chance of passing this 4+ Assessment, take the process seriously and put in the work.

It takes time, effort and dedication on your part for your child to be able to into their 4+ Assessment and pass.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Can a 3 year old REALLY focus for 60-90 minutes?

Obviously the answer is… yes!

They REALLY can!

Yet so many of you are so sceptical about this.

Why?

You don’t believe that your 3 year old can focus for 60-90 minutes?

You’ve never seen them focus for 60-90 minutes before?

Well, if you are planning to send your child for a 4+ Assessment at a top inner or outer London school, you’d better change your way of thinking.

Because in order for your child to even be in with a chance of passing their 4+ Assessment, your child is going to have to be able to develop the skill of being able to focus for long and extended periods of time.

Parents will say to me that it is ‘impossible’ and that their child just ‘can’t do it’.

This is lazy thinking.

Of course your child can do it.

You just need to put in the work each and every day to support them to be able to do this.

Most of you are not willing to do this.

You want someone else to do it for you. Your child’s nursery/tutor/nanny.

Listen, the only person truly invested in your child’s success is you.

A 3 year old REALLY can focus for 60-90 minutes. How do I know this?

I know this because I see it year after year after year (I’ve personally been preparing children for their 4+ Assessments for over 16 years!)

It is an expectation in these 4+ Assessments. Some will be shorter of course but you want to see your child focusing for extended periods of time over the course of their 4+ Assessment preparation.

So throw your hands up in the air and tell me this is not possible or do the work and support your child to be able to do it.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

If your child can’t follow instructions, do not send them to a 4+ Assessment.

Go to a group class where you have a variety of different children of similar age and just observe quietly.

It will become so clear to you.

Who can follow instructions and who cannot.

If this were at a 4+ Assessment and you were the assessor, who would you invite back to the second round and who would you say bye bye to?

The weekly class that I take my son to currently is Stagecoach (he is nearly 3 years old). He is in a group of about 6-8 children. There are 3 types of children in his group.

Group 1

The overachievers

These children are the ones who always put their hands up. They are so eager and keen. They want to answer everything that they are asked. ‘Me, me, me, pick me!’ They listen to everything the teacher says as though everything she says is just amazing. They focus.

Group 2

The distracted

These children are the ones who have their eye gaze everywhere else but on the teacher. They listen to her reading the story for a few minutes and then look over at the toys in the corner. They never raise their hands because they are too distracted to even be fully listening to what the teacher is saying.

Group 3

The ‘I’d rather not be here’

These children clearly have no desire to be in the Stagecoach room. They are attached to their mother or father and they cry frequently. They definitely are not listening to a single word the teacher is saying and they do not take part in the activities.

Which group does your child fall under?

Mine falls under group 2.

If your child doesn’t fall under group 1, do not send them to a 4+ Assessment. What would be the point?

Summer born v Autumn born children in the 4+ Assessment

So your child is summer born and they are going to be doing their 4+ Assessment in the next 6-10 months. You breathe in a sigh of relief because the school you desperately want to send your child to has told you that your child will be grouped in terms of age. You imagine that this means that your child will be assessed differently to their winter born peers and you would be wrong about this.

Children are grouped into age groups (at most 4+ Assessments) but please don’t take this to mean that they will be assessed differently to their peers who are older than them.

I’ve never spoken to one single parent who has ever told me that their child was assessed differently compared to a child who is winter born.

The Assessments will not be different for your child just because they are summer born.

Why would they be?

Do you really think that these top independent schools have the time to differentiate their Assessment procedure for summer born children? No they do not.

Prepare your child in the exact same way as a child who is nearly a year older than them will be prepared.

If you don’t, it is highly likely that they will not be ready for their 4+ Assessments and it is very likely that they will not pass.

Their percentage will be adjusted to give them their final mark but only ever so slightly.

At the end of the day, if your child is unable to fulfil the criteria of the school assessing them, they will not pass - regardless of their age.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

How 'easy' is your child to teach?

Would you say that your child is ‘easy’ to teach?

Have you observed them in a group environment with other children?

Have you seen how they are as part of the group?

I invite you to just spend some time observing. Being the silent witness.

I invite you to not just listen to your child’s nursery teachers telling you that they are ‘doing great!’ or ‘They had a great day!’ What does that even mean anyway?

Take responsibility and take the time to just go and watch your child in a group setting. I promise you it will be eye opening.

Most Sundays, I take my son to Stage coach. I just sit and observe him and it is fascinating.

He is not as ‘easy to teach’ as other children in the group and let me explain to you how I know this.

He doesn’t actively listen to the teacher all the time. He does switch off if he gets bored or if he loses interest. I observe other children literally glued to the teacher and listening to every single word that she says.

He doesn’t raise his hand to answer the questions without my encouragement. Other children have their hands up the whole time and patiently wait for the opportunity to be called upon in order to be able to answer the questions. Even if their answer is wrong, you can see how proud they are of themselves!

When he is asked to answer and put on the spot, he will most often withdraw and not answer. I observe other children saying the answers with confidence and delight.

When my son is asked to do something like tidy away a toy that was used, sometimes he does it but there are also times where he literally just refuses. Other children follow the instruction immediately.

My son is not ‘easy to teach’ compared to the other children in his group.

If it was a 4+ Assessment, you can see why this would be a problem for my son.

Remember that these top schools will have their pick of the children that they want to come to their schools. Teachability is very important. They want children who will be ‘easy to teach’.

So if your child ‘easy to teach’?

And I don’t mean ‘easy for you to teach’! I mean ‘easy for others to teach’.

Answer this question with honestly and sincerity like I just did and then get to work with supporting your child to develop the skills needed in order to demonstrate teachability in their Assessments.

That’s what we do here at Creative Minds Tutors. We support all of our students to go into their Assessments and show exactly what the assessors are looking for. After all, your child will be one of hundreds and hundreds of children being assessed.

Why would these top schools want to choose your child?

3 Character Traits of Girls Who Passed the Glendower 4+ Assessment.

Glendower is a popular school amongst our clients at CMT preparing their girls for their 4+ Assessments. We have prepared many girls to be very successful at being offered a place at Glendower at 4+.

We have observed that the girls who historically pass the 4+ Assessment at Glendower have these 3 character traits…

Does your daughter have them?

If not, don’t worry, you can support her to develop these character traits with the best Assessment preparation.

1. Girls who are willing to have a go at most things.

Even if it is challenging. Even if they don’t feel like doing it. Even if they don’t know the answer. These girls have the confidence to just have a go. To try anyway.

2. Girls who are not afraid to get things wrong.

Girls who have the confidence to try anyway. They are not afraid of getting it wrong. They have the courage to have a go anyway.

3. Girls who are calm and exude a quiet confidence.

I’ve noticed that it’s usually the quietly confident girls who are successful.

So confidence is key at this school. Not loud confidence. Quiet confidence.

Confidence is what we work on every single week in our lessons with our girls who are preparing for their 4+ at Glendower.

We know exactly what this school is looking for in their prospective new students and that is how we have the incredible success that we have year after year after year.

Book your Sample week today.

5 ways to know if your child is not ready for their 4+ Assessments?

1.     Your child has no desire to be left somewhere new and unfamiliar to them.  

 When you take your child somewhere new, they do not want to leave your side. They cry and make a fuss. You’ve tried several new activities and still your child doesn’t want to leave your side and still they refuse to go in without you.

Your child is not ready to go to a 4+ Assessment.

 2.     Your child doesn’t listen well.

 When you ask your child a simple yes or no questions, they ignore you. When you read them a story, they don’t listen and they run off. When other children talk to your child, they have no interest in what they are saying.

 If your child doesn’t listen well, they are not ready for a 4+ Assessment.

 3.     Your child doesn’t focus for long periods of time and they lose concentration quickly.

By long periods of time, I mean for at least 10 minutes. If you observe them listening to a story at their nursery and they are looking everywhere else but at the book being read to them, they are not ready for a 4+ Assessment. If you ask your child to complete a 6 piece puzzle and they put two pieces together and quickly lose interest in the rest of the puzzle, they are not ready for a 4+ Assessment

 4.     Your child doesn’t work well independently and they give up quickly.

Does your child constantly ask for your help rather than having a go? Is your child able to sit and complete some learning independently and not have to seek approval? Does your child give up quickly when something is a little challenging for them? If so, they are not ready for a 4+ Assessment.

 5.     Your child needs work on teamwork.

 If your child hasn’t developed excellent team working skills, they are not ready for a 4+ Assessment. This will be of course something that your child’s nursery will need to support them with as this will be where your child will most likely be with other children.

 All of these skill can be worked on with a focused and dedicated approach so please don’t worry if your child is not quite there yet.

 We support all of our students to be able to accomplish each and every one of these skills.

Book your Sample Week today.

5 ways to know if your child is ready for their 4+

Please note that I am talking about ‘ready to go into their 4+’ and not ‘ready right now’. Your child may absolutely not be ready right now but may be ready in a few months time with the right preparation and support.

1.     Your child is happy to be left alone somewhere new and unfamiliar to them.

 As in when you take them somewhere new that you’ve never taken them before, they happily leave your side and go in. Remember that you do not want your child to be upset when you leave them at their 4+ Assessment. Obviously, this is not really fully in your control. We don’t know how your child will react. However, you can 100% prepare your child to go in happily and calmly. We have many strategies available which we share with our clients to work on with their children in the lead up to their 4+ Assessments.

2.     Your child is an excellent listener.

I am fully aware that children can behave differently with their parents compared to other people. I see it every day with my own son. The way he listens to me is certainly different to the way that he listens to his teachers. But for the most part, when I do learning with him, he is aware of my expectations and that when we are doing structured learning that I do expect him to listen to me. It works both ways doesn’t it? I listen to him so he also listens to me. He really doesn’t like it when I don’t listen to him! Your child will need to listen perfectly to the assessors and also to the other children in the 4+ Assessment. They might be expected to listen to a story in its entirety. They might be expected to listen to questions being asked. They might be expected to listen and respond to the opinions of other children being assessed with them.

3.     Your child demonstrates excellent focus and concentration skills.

 Some of these assessments are as long as 90 minutes but most are between 40 and 60 minutes and the expectation will be that you child is able to focus for the whole time. That is up to you to prepare them so that they are able to do this. We have many strategies that we use with our students to support them to have the best focus and concentration skills.

 4.     Your child works well independently and demonstrates resilience.

 Can you leave your child to sit and study independently for at least 10 minutes? Your child will be observed completing their learning independently. You child will need to demonstrate resilience and not ask for help immediately if they get stuck on a task.

 5.     Your child works well as part of a group and demonstrates excellent team working skills.

How does your child work as part of a group? Your child will need to demonstrate excellent team working skills. They will need to be able to share well, show kindness and patience towards others and be able to listen well to the opinions of others. This is a big expectation at this age but certainly one that can be practised either at home or at their nursery setting. If your child goes to nursery, ask their key worker for regular feedback and updates about how your child does when faced with a group task. Never just assume that your child does this well. Also, ask them to support your child in preparation for this aspect of the 4+ Assessment.

Please don’t worry if your child doesn’t fulfil all 5… yet. That’s up to you to ensure that they are. With the right support and guidance, this will be easy to achieve.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

Why is Merchant Taylors so hard to pass at 4+?

Expectations are high and places are low.

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

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

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

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

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

If you are preparing for MT’s, we have incredible success. Each year we prepare at least 1-2 students and each year at least one of our students is offered a place to study at this school.

Book your Sample Week today.

10 things you need to know about the 4+ Assessments at UCS

1. There are only 32 places available to start Reception at UCS. At least 500 boys will apply to sit their Assessment at UCS every single year.

2. It is encouraged that you book a tour of the school via the school office. I encourage all parents to always visit the schools that they intend to send their children to. This seems obvious but I’ve spoken to many parents who send their nannies or assistants on the school tours.

3. Assessments for UCS are held in January (the year of your child starting Reception)

4. Your child will be assessed using 3 criteria

• How ready they are for school

• Sibling already at the school (note that just because there is a sibling already at the school, that you child is not guaranteed a place). They still need to pass the assessments! Again, seems obvious but many of you think that the sibling policy is strong at UCS and that’s not the case.

• Nursery report requested

  5. Application deadline is Friday 10th October 2025. Registering early makes no difference.

  6. UCS will tell you that ‘preparation is not needed.’ This is not the case.

  7. UCS will tell you that it is a ‘playdate assessment’. It’s up to you what you make this mean. Your child will go in and ‘play’ sure but they will most definitely not be going on a playdate.

  8. You have a registration fee of £180 to pay to apply for the UCS 4+ Assessment.

  9. Boys who demonstrate calm and maturity are the boys who are usually successful.

  10. Boys who have strong fine motor control, are able to write and colour in and have a strong mathematical foundation are usually successful.

  Book your Sample Week today!

Prepare for South Hampstead like an expert in 3 easy steps

With only 24 places available at South Hampstead High School, you really don’t want to leave it up to chance or good luck if you desire to send you daughter to this school at 4+. However if your daughter is unsuccessful at 7+, you do have the opportunity to try again at 7+ and the school also has 24 places available at this entry point. If I personally had a daughter and I wanted her to go to South Hampstead however, I would do everything in my power and in my control to support her to pass her 4+ Assessments. 7+ is far harder with a lot more preparation needed.

We had 100% success this year. We prepared 2 girls for their 4+ Assessment at South Hampstead and both girls passed. One girl was offered a place immediately and one girl was waitlisted and offered a place a week later. So 2/24 girls going to South Hampstead this year were prepared by us!

Here is how you can start to prepare for South Hampstead like an expert in 3 easy steps.

1. Understand that being grouped by birth month really means nothing.

Your daughter will be grouped with peers of the same or similar age but this really doesn’t mean anything. Summer born girls are assessed in the exact same way as their Autumn/Winter born peers.

2. You will be told that your daughter will not be asked to read and write and you will ignore this.

If you want your daughter to pass her assessment at South Hampstead, you will prepare her to read and write.

3. You will prepare her to be at a very high standard mathematically

Whether you invest into your own math scheme of learning or you invest in high quality tuition, if you want your daughter to pass her 4+ Assessment at South Hampstead, you will prepare her to be very academically strong mathematically.

This does not mean just covering place value by the way. This means covering addition and subtraction, geometry and positional language to name a few.

Hundreds and hundreds of girls will be applying for 24 places. I would safely assume that 400 girls will be applying. You do the math!

Book your Emerald Curriculum Sample Week today!

3 signs you are confused about the 4+ Assessment process.

I now personally speak to hundreds of parents every single month. I feel nothing but love and respect for each parent that I speak to. I know that they are trying their best. I know that they have their child’s best interests at heart. I know that all they want is for their child to be successful in their 4+ Assessments.

But there is still so much confusion around the 4+ Assessment process.

I spoke to to two parents yesterday who were both unsuccessful at getting their daughters into their top 2 schools of choice at 4+. They both prepared with other companies (I did not ask the name of these companies) and they both received group tuition in preparation for their 4+ Assessments.

Group tuition is not sufficient for 4+ Assessment success. That is my opinion.

Both parents spoke about their frustrations about their daughters not passing their 4+ Assessments at their target schools and it honestly broke my heart. All of this frustration could have easily been avoided with the correct guidance and the correct preparation.

Both parents told me that their daughters had had 3 months of tuition. Not enough.

Both parents told me that their daughters had been going to nursery full time since they were 2. Irrelevant when it comes to the 4+. Sorry but that is my opinion.

Both parents told me that they were confused about why their daughters were unable to pass because both of their daughters were very academically able according to their teachers at their nurseries. Being academically strong is not enough. There is far more to it than this.

Here are 3 signs you are confused about the 4+ Assessment process.

1. You leave less than 3 months before starting to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment.

It is not enough time given all of the curriculum that you need to cover.

2. You don’t know the expectations of the school/s in their 4+ Assessments.

If you are not aware of the expectations, how will you ever prepare your child for success?

3. You are unaware of the reasons children have historically not passed their 4+ Assessments at your target schools.

If you don’t know this, how can you try to avoid these things?

Don’t be confused, be prepared.

Choosing the best education for our children is one of the most important decisions we will every have to make as parents. I take this very seriously.

Do you?

Or do you expect that someone else will do it for you?

No body and I mean no body cares about the success of your child more than you do.

Can maturity be taught?

A parent said to me that maturity is something that a child is born with. She said to me that maturity is inherent. She told me that I would not be able to teach her child maturity.

She’s right about the last point. I completely disagree with her first two points.

Maturity is not something that we teach our children but it is something that we can model. It is something that we can explain. It is something that we can practise. You don’t take a class in maturity - I get that. But if you want your child to pass their 4+ Assessment at a top school, they need to be able to go in and demonstrate maturity. And if they don’t, guess what? They most likely will not pass.

Many of you assume that maturity is either something a child has or hasn’t got. And I disagree. I believe that all of our children’s characters will be 50:50. They will have good days and they will have bad days. They will have days in which they are super calm and they will have days in which they are not.

So if your child is currently ‘not demonstrating maturity’, I invite you to make a note every single day of just one time in the day in which your child demonstrated maturity. At the end of the month, I guarantee your notebook will be full.

Perhaps your child says ‘You’re welcome!’ when you say thank you to them. Perhaps they hold the door open for you as you walk past, perhaps they give you eye contact and respond to your question in a really clear and concise manner.

All children have the ability to be mature. All children have the ability to demonstrate maturity. It just has to be practised.

So no we do not teach our students how to be mature but we do practise maturity in each and every lesson. And that is why when they go into their 4+ Assessments, they are able to go in and show mature behaviour and mature attitudes towards their learning. This is because they clearly understand that this is the expectation.

And yes, three year olds have the ability to do this! I see it year after year after year.

The main reason my son is having an explosion of vocabulary at 32 months.

My son has an expansive vocabulary. I don’t count words and I don’t compare him to others. I don’t look at where he ‘should be’. But I know for a fact that his vocabulary is incredibly broad.

There is a reason for this. Well actually there are a few reasons for this. But the main reason is that he has read over 1000 books since birth. We are incredibly fortunate that Joshua’s grandmother is a reading recovery specialist and she provides us with hundreds of books. Obviously Joshua is also very fortunate because myself and his father also provide him with hundreds of books. He has been exposed to a variety of genres and variety of books since he was born.

We started reading all sort of books to him since he was born. We read physical books but we also read online books.

I can safely say that he is obsessed with books.

He does have his top 5 favourites which are the ones we read all the time. But he does also just love listening to us read to him for pleasure. He hasn’t gone one night without us reading him at least one book. In the car, there is always an audio book on. If I am cooking, I always have an audio book on for him. Every morning, I have a selection of books laid out for him to choose.

At 32 months, he can sustain a full conversation with me. He speaks in full sentences and he understands me when I use words that I don’t even think he would know yet! His recall memory is exceptional.

His vocabulary has well and truly exploded.

The other reason for this vocabulary explosion is that we are constantly talking to him and he is constantly talking to us. Sometimes he even talks to himself!

So if you’re looking to expand your child’s vocabulary, read to them and read to them consistently. And remember that you don’t even have to spend a penny if you don’t want to! We have amazing libraries!

The most important aspect of 4+ Assessment Success

I like to see the 4+ Assessment like a 100 piece puzzle.

Fit all the puzzle pieces together and you will have 4+ Assessment success. Leave huge gaps in your puzzle and you will not have 4+ Assessment success.

All of the pieces hold a high value but there is one piece that holds the highest value. If your child is able to hold this puzzle piece, they will hold the most important aspect of 4+ Assessment success.

This piece is… drumroll please… CONFIDENCE.

Confidence in themselves. Confidence in their ability. Confidence to be able to complete all of the activities that they are asked to complete. Confidence to answer all of the questions that they are asked. Confidence to solve more complex problems. Confidence to just have a go. Confidence at not being afraid to get something wrong. CONFIDENCE is the most important aspect of 4+ Assessment success.

Confidence does not mean being loud. So don’t worry if you’re child has a quieter confidence. This is just as amazing. Shy children can also demonstrate confidence.

How do you support your child to develop their confidence skills?

You must allow them the opportunity to get things wrong and be okay about it. Too many times, I see parents helping their children straight away when they can’t do something. Just let them be unable to do it. Let them struggle with placing the lego piece on top of another lego piece. Let them be frustrated. Don’t do it for them straight away If they ask for your help - that’s different!

My son (32 months) has developed the most beautiful confidence through getting things wrong. Through being frustrated. Through being tasked to try again. Through saying no and then coming back to it. He is not a loud, confident boy. He is a quiet, confident boy who is always telling me, ‘I will do it by myself!’

He would score highly in the confidence part of the 4+ Assessment. How would your child do?

Analyse the term 'play date' Assessment with me...

This is a term that 90% of parents will read and believe.

This is a term that will lead to failure.

The 4+ is not a play date.

The following schools use the term ‘play date’ when describing their 4+ Assessment process…

South Hampstead High School

UCS

Notting Hill and Ealing

All three schools are 100% not ‘play date’ assessments as in you will not be sending your child in to be assessed about how well they ‘play’. Every single child has the ability to ‘play’.

So be very careful about thinking that the 4+ Assessment at any school will be a play date. Do not tell your child that they are going on a play date and manage your expectations very carefully if you do either of the above when it comes to receiving the results.

We are deep in our work currently preparing our students for their 4+ Assessments for over 20 different top inner and outer London schools. We do play in our lessons and I do plan for my clients to engage in ‘play’ activities every single day. Obviously! Our students are currently 2 and 3 years old. In fact, some of our students are not even two yet! (2027 entry students!)

Many parents ask me WHY the schools tell them this if it isn’t the case? Who cares?

I would invite parents to ask me questions relating to HOW their children can have the best possible chances of passing their 4+ Assessments.

If you want to believe that you are paying between £150 and £300 to send your child for ‘play date’ that’s up to you. That’s an expensive play date!

You are sending your child into a highly complex assessment.

One that is 100% not a play date.