The Ultimate Guide to Westminster 7+ Assessment Preparation.

Welcome to this Ultimate Guide which has been lovingly created for you. If you are reading this, you might be considering sitting your son for his 7+ Assessment at Westminster Under School. Perhaps you have other schools in mind. This Guide will still be very helpful to you.

My hope is that this guide will provide you with an in depth and thorough understanding of the 7+ Assessment process at this very popular school.

Here are some key points for you:

Entry point - 7+ (Year 3 entry)
School current age range (will be changing from 2026)
7-13 (boys only currently)
Apply by: September 30th 2025 (you can apply up to 2 years before if you like!)
Round 1 and Round 2 Assessments will both be in November 2025 (mid November)
We provide FREE 7+ Assessment papers on our Website

Why Westminster at 7+?

Westminster Under School is one of the top prep schools in the UK. It prepares boys for entry to Westminster School at 13+ and other schools such as Eton and St Paul’s. An academically challenging school that also has an incredible extra curricular programme, the children will be exposed to so many options. Westminster offer clubs such as chess and fencing! Children who attend Westminster are said to be 'not only academically gifted but also curious, creative but also well-rounded.'

Why so competitive?

A strong chance for entry to Westminster at 13+
The challenge it provides for its students.
The rich co curricular programme of study it offers.
Small class sizes.
Individual attention for the students.
Entry to top universities in the future.

We have personally prepared hundreds of boys for their 7+ Assessments at Westminster Under over the last 16 years and have had exceptional results year after year. This is because we are very aware of the expectations and know exactly how to prepare our students to have tremendous success.

1. Register 
2. Stage 1 Assessment
Online Reasoning Test
English paper - comprehension and SPAG
Maths
3. Stage 2 Assessment
Interview - group and 1:1
Activities- listening and following instructions tasks, team work and independence, reading out loud and answering questions.
Creative Writing task

Our Emerald Curriculum starts from £220 per month and will support your child every step of the way to have the highest chances for success. The Emerald Curriculum is a personalised, bespoke programme of study created only for your child and for the schools that they are preparing for. With the Emerald Curriculum you will have something that no one else is currently offering - 24/7 email support from your very own highly experienced teacher. 

The CMT Emerald Curriculum is all you need to support your child with their 7+ Assessment to WUS.

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

The #1 excuse for not tutoring

‘My child is too young.’

 ‘I don’t want my 2/3/5/7/9 -year-old to be tutored.’

‘My child is only 6, why should she have to be tutored?’

 Why are some of you so against tutoring your child from a young age?

 I’ve been tutoring my son since he was 17 months old. That’s when I started his own personal curriculum plan. We have several students currently working with us who are 17-18 months old.

Tutoring is just another word for teaching. I have taken full responsibility for teaching my son. I tutor him. He has a bespoke, tailored plan for his learning. Just as our own students do.

Why wouldn’t I teach my own son?

 Your child is too young for what?

 Too young to sit with you and do a puzzle?

 Too young to sit with you and work on developing their vocabulary?

 Too young to sing a song?

 Then I hear the #2 excuse for not tutoring.

 ‘I don’t want her to have to do learning at this age!’

 Why not?

 And by the way, your child is learning every second of every day. You don’t like that either?

 So before you start to bad mouth tuition to your friends and family, think again about what your problem even is with tutoring?

 If you still have something bad to say, that’s on you. But perhaps challenge these ideas and ask yourself…

 Is my child really too young? Or are you the one associating learning to something negative? Is it something to do with your own childhood traumas?

Your child is not too young. Your child loves to learn. Your child loves to sit and play with you. Your child loves that you invest your time and energy planning and preparing their resources. Your child loves quality time with you. Your child loves learning.

And if you have some sort of trauma relating to your own learning as a child, please try your best to not project this onto your child.

3 problems with starting late when preparing for the 7+ Assessments

I’ve personally been preparing children for their 7+ Assessments for over 15 years. The sweet spot in terms of when to start 7+ Assessment preparations is 24 months before the 7+ Assessment. So if the Assessment is in December, you want to be aiming to begin a bespoke 7+ programme of study from your child’s Autumn term in Reception.

This is where I’ve seen the highest chances for success in terms of children being offered a place at top schools after their 7+ Assessments.

Many parents that I speak to contact me far too late in terms of preparing their children for their 7+ Assessments. Usually through no fault of their own. They simply don’t understand the 7+ Assessment process or they haven’t taken the time to try to understand it. They have just assumed that because their child is only 6, that is surely can’t be that difficult to pass an assessment. That because they are willing and able to spend 30-50k a year on their education that somehow this is enough.

Well, I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. Far from it.

The 7+ Assessments need thorough, bespoke and rigorous preparation for the specific schools that your child will be sitting assessment at. No two schools will have the same assessment preparation.

 Here are the 3 biggest problems with starting late when preparing for the 7+ Assessments

 1.     You simply do not have enough time to cover all of the curriculum.

Unless you want your child to be meeting with their tutor 4x a week, you simply will not have time to cover the vast curriculum that needs to be covered in order for your child to be successful in their 7+ Assessments.

I know of many parents who send their children to group classes every Saturday for 4 hours. I personally do not agree with this. And I’ve never met one single child who has told me that they enjoyed spending their Saturdays in that way. I wouldn’t do that to my own son so I wouldn’t recommend it to any of my clients. Obviously up to you what you choose to do with your child.

2.     You are more likely to feel stressed out and overwhelmed.

Of the parents that I’ve worked with who have started far too late preparing their children for their 7+ Assessments, all of them have been stressed out and overwhelmed because of the fact that they started too late. Many of these parents have blamed the reason that they felt stressed out and overwhelmed on the 7+ but it has nothing to do with that. It has to do with the fact that they started too late. Of course, you are going to feel overwhelmed if you start with only 6 months of preparation time and you see the vast curriculum that your child has to not only cover but master.

3.     Your child is more likely to not enjoy the process.

Parents who start late generally project their feelings and emotions onto their children. Their children see that their parents are not enjoying the process. They pick up on their negative attitude and then surprise surprise, they show up to their lessons with the exact same negativity. I don’t blame my students at all.

You want your child to feel calm, positive and in control when they are preparing for their 7+ Assessments and that is exactly how you should feel too.

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

10 ways to fail a 7+ Assessment

I see sabotage happening daily when I speak to parents.

Do not sabotage your 7+ Assessment preparation by doing the following…

 1.     Procrastinating when to start 7+ Assessment preparations. 2 years before is 100% needed.

If you’re reading this too late, don’t panic, just start. So you don’t have two years? Who cares. You have what you have. Start.

2.     Working with a tutor who does not have real and actual experience of actually supporting children to pass their 7+ Assessments at your target schools. Trustpilot is the best place to look for real and authentic reviews.

 3.     Not covering the maths curriculum to the depth needed in order to pass the 7+ Assessments.

4.     Not covering the English curriculum to the depth needed in order to pass the 7+ Assessments.

5.     Not covering verbal and non - verbal reasoning to the level needed.

6.     Not have completed the Bond Books up to age 8-9 level.

7.     Being too much of a crutch to your child. Yes, support your child, sure. But telling them the answer or giving them too much support is not going to help them in a 7+ Assessment. You will not be in there with them!

8.     Not teaching story writing to the level expected at your 7+ Target schools.

9.     Not teaching your child handwriting to the standard expected at the schools that you are applying to.

10.  Getting stressed out, worried and anxious about the process. Your child will pick up on this and you do not want them to feel those emotions about this process.

 Here’s a bonus one for you - your child not being an avid reader. Your child needs to be reading everyday and your child needs to be boosting their vocabulary everyday by learning new words and their meanings.

Point number one is the most common sabotage I see. Parents who call me two years before and then decide to start 3-6 months before the 7+ Assessment. How can you even think that this is enough time to prepare your child? It is not.

 Take the 7+ process seriously. If you do not, do not expect to have serious results.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

10 ways to pass a 7+ Assessment

I speak to many parents every single day who sabotage their 7+ Assessment preparation and I do not want you do the same.

 Here are 10 ways to pass a 7+ Assessment and have the highest chances for success.

1.     Start preparing 2 years before the Assessment. Anytime between September-December of your child’s Reception Year (depending on when the 7+ Assessment is).

If you’re reading this too late, don’t panic, just start.

2.     Work with a tutor with real and actual experience supporting real and actual students to pass their 7+ Assessments at the schools you would love to send your child to. Trustpilot is the best place to look for real and authentic reviews.

3.     Cover the maths curriculum to at least greater depth of the Year 3 curriculum. Dip into some of the year 4 curriculum (you need to know what is relevant to cover - don’t waste your time).

4.     Cover the English curriculum to at least greater depth of the Year 3 curriculum. This includes spelling, grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing.

5.     Ensure your child has completed up to the age 8-9 Bond Books for Verbal and non- Verbal Reasoning. In order to do this well, your child needs to be completing Bond Books once a week at a minimum.

6.     Ensure your child has completed the age 8-9 Bond books for maths and English. Remember that the English bonds are tough so only give these to your child if they are able to handle this level. 8-9 maths bonds are also tough. Also, we only ever want to see your child’s independent answer and not yours. We are not interested in your answers!

7.     Ensure your child can complete their learning independently. It is not YOU taking the 7+ Assessment. As above!

8.     Teach story writing to the standard expected of the schools you are applying to.

9.     Teach your child cursive handwriting (only when they are correctly forming their letters)

10.  Go into this with positivity and calm. Your child will pick up on your negative emotions and no 6 year old should be stressed out about their learning.

 Most importantly is point No.2 in my opinion.

 Why do this alone?

 Get the support of teachers who actually care as much as you do about your child’s success.

 After all your success is our success as a company. We need clients recommending us because they’ve passed!

A rare opportunity has come up to work with me personally. I have 3 places opening to work with me for 2026 entry. Book your Sample Lesson today.

A question that a headteacher at a top independent school could not answer.

I went to visit a top independent school. I won’t say which one. We were escorted into the beautiful school hall and we all sat down to listen to the head teacher’s talk. There were hundreds and hundreds of us. She was so beautifully well dressed and she looked perfect. Nails perfectly done and hair immaculate. Everyone listened with interest and fascination to her every word.

She spoke about her school and she was clearly passionate about her job and about her school. Then she displayed the school’s exit results (this school goes up to year 6 only). She said their results were ‘out of this world’ and that her teachers are very skilled at preparing children for their 11+ Assessments.

 One parent raised his hand and asked ‘Should I tutor my child if I would like them to go to St. Paul’s?’ and she said this…

 ‘Absolutely not. Tutoring is unnecessary if you send your child to this school. We will prepare them.’

 I raised my hand.

 ‘What do you have against tutoring?’

 She went on talking about the school’s values and how hard they work to prepare their students for their assessments but she did not answer my question.

 Because what is her problem with tutoring?

 The highest quality tutoring can be the deciding factor in whether or not a student passes an assessment or not. I don’t say that as a thought, I say it as a fact.

Look at more than the school exit results.

When one of my clients is looking at their dream schools for their beloved children, they naturally look at the exit results at 11+. This is normal of course. They want the best of the best for their children. They want them to go to the best school possible for them. They want them to have the highest quality of education for them. So it makes sense to look at the exit results.

I encourage you to look at far more than just the school’s exit results.

I spoke to one parent last week who told me that she wanted a top Independent girls school for her daughter because ‘their exit results are just incredible.’

Sure, but have you been to see the school?

No, she hadn’t.

 Did she know the school’s core values?

No, she didn’t.

Could she imagine her daughter going there every single day?

She couldn’t answer this.

Before looking at the exit results, go and actually view the school. Do you even actually like the school? Do you see your child going there every single day? Do you like their core values? Do you like their curriculum programmes? I think that is far more important than their exit results.

Exit results are great but do keep in mind that behind every great exit result, is a great tutor who has supported the child (together with the school!) to pass and be offered a place.

Parents think that schools have some sort of magical connection with the destination schools. And perhaps some of it is political – perhaps. But most importantly, you must know and understand that if your child doesn’t achieve the percentage needed to actually pass the entrance exam, they will 100% not pass the Assessment regardless of the school you send them to.

3 ridiculous things that I’ve been told at Open Days at top independent schools.

Before I start this blog, let me tell you this. I have nothing but respect for schools. I have nothing but respect for teachers. Teaching is a hard job. Teaching 20+ students is a hard job. You have to be passionate about your job to survive. Trust me.

I taught full time for 13 years in all year groups from Nursery through to Year 6. Before my teaching career, I taught Spanish at GCSE and A level. I have been immersed in the school system for a very long time (over 16 years). After my teaching career, I supplied all around London in state, independent schools and at academies. I know what it’s like to work 9 hours a day, 6 days a week as a teacher.

So respect to all of you amazing teachers and all that you do for our children.

This blog is not being written to disrespect or disregard anyone. It is written as educational for those of you attending school open days in search for the perfect schools for your children.

You will hear these things when you attend open days but it’s important that you truly understand the assessment process.

Here are 3 utterly nonsensical things that I’ve been told at open days at top independent schools.

1.     Do not tutor your child for their Assessment.

2.     Our results speak for themselves, why would you need to pay for a tutor?

3.     Your child will be penalized if we find out that they’ve been tutored.

If you want your child to have any chance of passing a 4+ or 7+ Assessment, you will have them tutored. A school alone cannot prepare an individual child for their 4+ or 7+ Assessments. Why do you think that we teach teach children who go to the likes of Eton College, Glendower, Faulkner House, Notting Hill and Ealing, NLCS, South Hampstead and Queen’s College?

 I would never discredit what a school does and I will no longer allow them to discredit what we do.

We work far too hard and they take all the credit.

Not anymore.

The not so shocking truth about top independent school’s exit results.

My son is now of nearly school starting age. He would be starting school in September 2026. We’ve not yet decided on my son’s learning journey and what that will look like but we are keeping all of our options open and we are looking at private schools and several other options for him. Going to these school’s open days is fascinating to me.

 I used to go to visit many private, independent schools when I worked at a top pre-prep myself. I taught at the Mulberry House School for 3 years. It was where I first started my teaching career. I prepared children for their 4+ and 7+ Assessments at this school. I prepared hundreds of children. We would be invited to visit these top schools for two reasons. The first reason was so that we could talk about these schools with our parents who often had thousands of questions and secondly to build a relationship with the schools.

Now that my son is of school starting age, I am going myself as his mother to these school’s open days. I am currently booked to go and see Westminster, St. Paul’s and Merchant Taylors.

I have visited two schools already. One of these was St. Martin’s Mill Hill.

It fascinates me that these schools show their exit results and claim all of the success. It fascinates me how they bad mouth tuition like it’s the worst thing in the world. Like they alone are the ones who can prepare their students for their 11+ Assessments. One school literally told us, ‘Do not tutor your child, we will know who has been tutored and who hasn’t.’

Oh they will not like me at these open days.

 When I asked, ‘What is wrong with tutoring?’ The whole senior management team looked at me like I had completely lost my mind.

 ‘You don’t need to waste your money on tutoring if you send your child here.’

Wow.

 Funny how they bad mouth tuition and then many of these school are recommending my company to their students. Do you know how many enquiries we get from prospective new clients who are recommended by their child’s teachers and head teachers from schools like Wetherby, St. Margaret’s and other top schools? Many!

 Behind every child’s exit result is a hard- working tutor caring and supporting that child to have had the success that they had. I have nothing to take away from their school. It is a partnership. I don’t bad mouth these schools so why do they?

A 7+ True Story - Thomas.

This is a true story. As in this is the story of my student - Thomas (changed his name obviously).

I write this story in the hopes of helping some of you to understand the complexities of the 7+ Assessments. With the hopes that you understand the importance of not starting late and with the hopes of you gaining a sharper insight into what is expected of our children in their 7+ Assessments.

Samantha (name changed) called me late September. It was a Sunday and I was on my way to have lunch with a friend of mine (who is also a current client!). As I was driving, my phone rang. I don’t usually pick up on a Sunday but on this occasion I did.

Samantha told me that she was preparing her son for St Paul’s, Latymer and UCS and asked if she was too late (her son was already in Year 2) . I told her that it was October in a few days. Of course, it was too late. The St Paul’s 7+ Assessment is at the end of November and The Latymer and UCS Assessments were in January (just for context). She appreciated my honesty and told me that she wanted to ‘have a go’ anyway.

I was very honest with her and told her that ‘have a go’ would not cut it. She would need to be serious about preparing her son and so would he. He would have 2-3 months of intensive preparation. She weakly said okay.

In hindsight, I should have thanked her and wished her well but I decided to work with Thomas. We did some intensive work together for one month and then the excuses started. ‘Thomas has a birthday to go to. Thomas is sick. Thomas is going on holiday.’

Thomas was not ready for his 7+ at St Paul’s, Latymer or UCS. Samantha started to become more defensive with me and when I spoke to her on her calls she started to become cold with me. I knew she wasn’t enjoying the process. I knew she had no intention of going all in. I rarely received Thomas’s home learning. He was reluctant to write stories and although he did try really hard, there was only so much we could do with 2-3 months together.

He was not offered a place at St. Paul’s, Latymer or UCS and Thomas is continuing at his state school. His mother was annoyed with me and we did not leave things on good terms. At least how I like to leave things when my clients stop working with me.

She expected him to get in because she didn’t fully understand (nor was she open to understanding) the process.

I’ve told Samantha that if she wants to prepare Thomas for his 11+ (he is not ready for 8+) that she would need to start tuition from the autumn term of Year 3 with weekly and consistent tuition. She was not impressed with my suggestion.

Our decisions shape the futures of our children. The quality of our children’s education should be a priority for all of us. That’s not at all to say that you can’t get a quality education at a state school - that’s not what I’m saying at all. That’s up to you to find a quality state school that provides the best education for your child.

If you want to prepare for the 7+ and your child is currently in Year 1, it is too late (28th March at the time of writing this blog). And you have to take the process seriously.

The best time to start is the September when your child begins Reception.

That’s where I see the best results.

However, if you are late, stop procrastinating and just get started. Take the process seriously and go all in.

That is all.

Do you know what the Habs' core values are?

In the last 3 months, I have spoken to over 100 parents who want their child to go to Habs.

They love the school. They love the quality of education provided to their students. They have heard so much about the school from their friends and families.

This is the school!

But then comes the wishy washy misunderstanding. ‘But he just won’t have a chance!’ ‘It’s going to be too hard to get in!’ ‘What’s the point in even trying?’

With that attitude, there is no point.

You want to send your child to Habs but do you even know what their core values are?

Because let me tell you this much. If your child does not demonstrate these core values in the Habs 4+ and 7+ Assessments, they will not pass the Assessment.

Ambition

Curiosity

Courage

Community

These are the 4 Habs core values.

Does your child possess these 4 traits?

Are they ambitious?

Are they curious?

Are they courageous (to have a go and try!) ?

Are they caring and respectful and do they interact well with others?

We all want to answer yes to all of these questions about our beloved children but I invite you to really reflect on these 4 values.

Truly answer these questions about your child - in depth. Find out for sure if your child would be able to go into an Assessment and demonstrate these 4 core values.

Because if you seriously want your child to go to Habs, that’s what they will have to do.

We have supported hundreds of boys and girls to have tremendous success at Habs for over 12 years. I still have a relationship with families that I prepared 10 years ago whose children are now completing their A levels! Work with us to have the highest chances for success in your children’s Habs Assessments.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Teach your child story writing for the 7+ in 60 seconds!

The saddest thing I see is parents getting so worked up about story writing.

I hear parents say things like this…

‘Story writing is so stressful!’

‘My child will never be able to write a good enough story!’

‘It’s not fair that they have to write a full page of a story!’

And then guess what? Their children hear them say these things. This is all just sad. And by the way, not helpful at all.

Going to 4 hours of 7+ Assessment preparation classes each week is NOT NECESSARY for 7+ Assessment Success. In fact, it will probably put that majority of children off of story writing for good.

Hours and hours of story writing doesn’t mean story writing success.

In fact, it might go the other way!

At this very young age, short, sharp bursts are always best.

Always.

So let your child develop a love for writing and use my 60 second Magic Formula for 7+ Story writing success!

Obviously this takes more than 60 seconds to prepare for but the process will take you no more than 60 seconds.

You are welcome!

1. Pick a stimulus (5 seconds)

Put your stimulus on the table. This could be a picture you’ve printed or a real object.

Eg. A jewel, a rock, a picture of a fountain to give you some examples.

2. Introduce your character, setting and problem (20 seconds)

Ask your child to tell you this and you write it down for them.

If your child struggles will this (Hint: most children do!), then they need to be reading more. Reading a variety of books to help them to generate their ideas.

3. Go into detail about the problem (20 seconds)

Ask your child to tell you what exactly happens in the build up section (middle paragraph)

4. Finish the story (15 seconds)

Ask your child to tell you how their story will end.

Will it end well or not?

Moral or a question to finish?

The more you can use my 60 second Magic Formula, the more ideas your child will have when it comes to actually writing their story in their 7+ Assessment.

Remember that this is just the planning and thinking stage.

Then your child will actually need to write their story.

However, you don’t need hours and hours. Just give your child 30 minutes and see what they produce.

Mark it and give feedback and ask them to re-write it (again in 30 minutes)

Keep doing this process until you have the story that is the final story and this will become their model.

Place it into a folder in which you will create a selection of stories.

Read these daily.

You want to aim to have a collection of at least 12 amazing, well written stories before your child sits their 7+ Assessments.

If you want your child to master story writing for the 7+ Assessments, book your place on my incredible Write an Amazing Story by Friday Challenge! (7th -11th April). Launching at the end of this week.

This is what I love to do. I will help your child to love it too! Join the Challenge! Also open to current clients.

3 huge problems with the St Paul's 7+ Assessment

Having prepared hundreds of boys for their 7+ at St. Paul’s, I know exactly what to expect when it comes to this very popular school. St. Paul’s is a highly sought after school. Thousands of parents across the UK would love to send their boys to this school at 7+. In fact, many dream of sending their boys to this school at 7+. I don’t blame them.

St. Paul’s is a prestigious school with a reputation for achieving exceptional academic results. The campus is modern and includes a sports centre, swimming pool and a beautiful dining hall. You will be paying for a nearly 30k a year education for your son.

Over the last 16 years, I have seen what works and I have seen what doesn’t.

Here are 3 huge problems with the St. Paul’s 7+ Assessments…

1. Starting too late.

You can absolutely be successful starting later but your son will need to study a lot more intensively than if they were to have started at least 12 months before the Assessment (which is what I advise)

If your son starts too late, it is going to be very hard to cover all of the curriculum at greater depths (which is the level expected at this school!)

St Paul’s write, ‘It is hoped that boys who apply are working at a Greater Depth standard within the Year 2 curriculum.’

This is not just the Autumn term curriculum. This is the whole of the Year 2 curriculum. So basically, your son will need to be at a year 3 standard at a minimum to even be in with a chance of passing the first round.

2. Not understanding the Assessment process well enough.

So much is expected of the boys in this Assessment. If you don’t understand the Assessment process well enough, how will you ever prepare your son to be able to pass?

Most parents sadly underestimate what this assessment will be like and don’t even scratch the surface when preparing their son’s for their 7+ Assessment at this school.

3. Not being able to achieve the pass mark percentage.

When I prepare my boys for St Pauls (7+), I am aiming for 80- 85% in all papers. There is a reason for this!

It is very simple really.

If your son doesn’t achieve the the threshold percentage for passing the St Paul’s 7+ Assessment, they won’t be able to pass the first round.

Here’s a bonus problem for you.

Not preparing correctly for the interview.

We have personally prepared hundreds of boys for both rounds at this school.

We have had tremendous success at St Paul’s.

We would be delighted to support you to have the same.

Summer born means very little in a 7+ Assessment.

Think your summer-born child will get a big advantage from age adjustments in the 7+? Think again.

A lot of parents I speak to assume that because their child is one of the youngest in their cohort that the examiners will lower expectations. They believe their summer-born child won’t need to perform at the same level as an autumn or winter-born child.

They would be wrong.

Yes, final scores are age-adjusted, but the adjustment is minimal. It won’t make up for gaps in ability. Schools expect all children sitting the 7+ to meet the same high standard regardless of their date of birth.

Yet I constantly hear:
“He’s an August baby, so his reading isn’t quite there yet.”
“She’s summer-born, so her writing is behind her peers.”
“He’s one of the youngest, so his focus isn’t as strong.”

To parents, these are observations. I hear excuses.

Here’s the reality:
Your child must read fluently and understand what they read.
Your child must write confidently with strong vocabulary.
Your child must focus, think critically, work independently, persevere at more challenging questions and show resilience.

Examiners don’t assess potential (although many schools say that they do!)—they assess performance. It’s the results that matter! It’s what they score that matters!

If your child isn’t fully prepared, no age adjustment will change that.

If your child is summer-born, the best strategy isn’t hoping for an adjustment—it’s closing the gaps early. Need help? Book your Sample Lesson today.

Over-Reliance on Nursery for 4+ Prep shows a deep misunderstanding.

A deep misunderstanding of what a nursery is.

A deep misunderstanding of the amount of children that need to be looked after by one human being.

A deep misunderstanding about the role of the EYFS practitioner.

With a ratio of 1:5 in the over 2’s category and a ratio of 1:13 in the over 3’s category. Look at those ratios again!

So if your child is over 3, their ratio will be 1:13.

I don’t know about you but that’s a huge ask on one human being.

To prepare your child to be ready for their 4+ Assessments when they have your child plus another 12 to be teaching/ looking after.

Have a look at just some of the expectations of an early years practitioner. There was a full two pages of expectations in the job specification that I analysed.

• Provide care and support to all students and parents

• Take responsibility for the health and safety of all pupils

• Plan activities and assess all children

• Aid with the overall development of all pupils

• Take groups of children on educational visits

• Setting out equipment in interesting ways and clearing away after use

• Write weekly lessons plans and evaluate them each week

• Carry out play ground and lunch time duties

All for a starting salary of 30k (if you’re lucky!).

And yet, the majority of you continue to tell me that it is up to your child’s nursery to prepare your child to go in and pass their 4+ Assessment.

Are you ready to re-think this?

'I'll wait until my child is 3!' is not a strategy for 4+ Assessment preparation.

‘I’m really against tuition!’

‘I just don’t agree with tuition!’

‘Oh, it just doesn’t sit right with me!’

‘I just don’t want my child to do tuition at such a young age!’

I don’t know why there’s so much trauma around the word ‘tuition’. It must be some deep childhood trauma, I’m not quite sure what it is. But I hear parents saying these things to me every single day.

And then comes the total and utter confusion.

These parents want their children to be offered a place at coveted schools like Westminster, Haberdashers and Highgate?

Oh the contradiction. Oh the total and utter confusion.

Wake up everyone!

It is nearly April!

Most of my clients have been preparing for the 4+ with myself and my team since September -December of last year.

If you keep waiting, how is that going to be helpful to any one?

You have a vast curriculum to cover to prepare your child for these prestigious schools.

Then comes the … ‘Well I’m not worried, she goes to a top Nursery/Pre- prep and x children got into x schools.’

Listen up, out of those x children, how many of them were in fact tutored - I promise you ALL OF THEM.

So please don’t wait. The time to start was 3 months ago! But if you’re just getting started now, just start.

Going to Nursery Full Time is not a strategy for 4+ Assessment Success.

Far too much confusion around this one.

So your child goes to a top Nursery or pre- prep. Perhaps they go to Bright Little Stars or to a Bright Horizons or to a Fountain Montessori. Or perhaps they go to a top pre prep like The Mulberry House School (This is where I worked for 3 years) or to Devonshire House. Please don’t for one moment think that sending your child to Nursery or a pre-prep is a strategy to help to support your child to be offered a place at a top Independent School.

This is not the case.

Now many of you will argue will me and say that you are paying nearly 30k per year to send your child to a top pre-prep so shouldn’t it be their job to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment?

The answer is a harsh no.

It is not.

That is up to you.

You choose to send your child to a nearly 30k per year pre-prep. That is your choice. That is personal to everyone.

Believe me when I tell you that the majority of my students have a private tutor and attend a top pre-prep. How do I know this? Well, because I am that tutor!

The majority of our students attend top Nurseries or prestigious prep schools. That’s because our clients fully understand that it is up to them to ensure that their child is ready for their 4+ Assessments and not the nursery/pre- prep that they go to.

So when you call me and tell me that your child goes to an exceptional nursery or pre-prep, please remember that this is highly irrelevant and means very little.

Take responsibility for the success of your child.

No one else will ever care as much as you do.

Remember that.

Mastering fine motor skills for 4+ Assessment success!

Struggling with pencil grip, scissor skills, or buttoning up a coat? These little things make a BIG difference in the 4+ assessments!

Fine motor skills aren’t just about neat handwriting—they show dexterity, independence and school readiness. Many 4+ Assessment tasks require children to:

Hold a pencil correctly and form letters/shapes with accuracy and precision
Use scissors and build with small objects like lego
Fasten buttons and complete puzzles and beading

These are just a few examples.

Many students who start working me with less than 6-9 months to go before their 4+ Assessments struggle with their fine motor skills and fine motor control. It hasn’t been practised enough. Parents can sometimes underestimate the power of practising these skills every day and consistently from a very young age. I have personally been working on fine motor skills with my son from the moment he was able to pick up small objects. Every day, I provide him with tasks that help to strengthen his fine motor skills. He now has exceptional fine motor control. There are things we continue to work on such as cutting which is still very challenging for him - and that’s okay! It’s about consistency and doing things daily (even for just 5-10 minutes).

And by the way, the reason he struggles with cutting is because that is one task I do not do with him every day and I am not consistent with it.

3 fun ways to strengthen fine motor skills at home:

1. Play doh Fun – Rolling, pinching & shaping strengthens little fingers!
2. Tweezers & Pom-Poms – Picking up small objects builds grip strength.
3. Buttoning & Zipping Challenge – Encourages independence with dressing skills.

Strong fine motor skills = confident, independent learners!

How is your child currently doing with their fine motor skills? How could you support them today to strengthen their fine motor skills?

Developing strong listening skills for 4+ Assessment success!

Did you know that in the 4+ assessments strong listening skills can make or break a child’s success.

It will be so clear to see which children are able to listen well and those that are not.

Many children struggle with following instructions—not because they don’t understand, but because they aren’t used to actively listening to someone. These top Independent Schools want to see children who can:

• Listen carefully to a story or task.

• Follow multi-step instructions without needing constant reminders.

• Children who can stay engaged, focused and respond appropriately.

Try these 3 simple ways to boost listening skills at home:

1.Play "Simon Says" – Helps with focus & following instructions!
2. Give Multi-Step Tasks – “First put your book away, then grab your teddy.”
3. Read & Ask Questions – "What happened first/last in the story?" Builds attention & recall!

The best 4+ candidates aren’t just intelligent and bright—they’re also great listeners!

Far too often I speak to parents who tell me things like, ‘My child didn’t pass because they did not listen well but they listen so well at Nursery!’ How is that even relevant? Your child HAS to listen well in their 4+ Assessments. And it’s up to you to ensure that they are able to do so by practising daily.

It takes time, effort and focus to support a 2/3 year old to develop their listening skills!

Are you up for the challenge?

Many of you seem to want to leave this up to your child’s Nursery or pre-prep. Why do you think they care about your child being able to listen well more than you do?

Book your Sample Lesson today!

Boosting independence and confidence for 4+ Assessment success!

"A confident child stands out in 4+ assessments—not just because they know the answers, but because they tackle challenges with independence and self-belief!" Maria Mazarese (Creative Minds Tutors Director)

Many parents focus only on academic abilities but top schools are also looking for children who can think for themselves. Independence and confidence are key! Do not neglect this aspect of 4+ Assessment preparation.

Try these 3 simple ways to build these essential skills at home:

1. Give Choices – Let your child pick between two activities (“Do you want to do puzzles or drawing?”). This fosters decision-making & independence.

My son will always pick both when given the choice. I find this cute but it wouldn’t go down well in a 4+ Assessment! If your child is asked to choose between an activity to go to, they will have to choose. So it is up to you to support your child to be able to do this. And to be able to do it well. Every day ask your child to choose and pick an option out of the ones you give them. This could be as simple as - ‘Which book would you like to read this evening?’ If that question is currently too vast for them, offer them two or three options.

2. Encourage Problem-Solving – Instead of jumping in to help, ask “What do you think we should do next?” This builds resilience & critical thinking.

Many parents that I work with initially jump in and try to answer for their children. This is not helpful. I’m not interested in what the parents have to say!

I’m interested in what my students have to say.

3. Build Responsibility – Small tasks like tidying up after playtime boost independence & confidence in following instructions—a crucial skill for assessments.

When I ask my nearly 3 year old to tidy up, he will always choose to say no and in fact he will even ask me to do it for him! He also asks me ‘Why?’ All I have to do is come down to eye level with him and explain to him WHY I would like him to tidy up and when I do this he will (nearly ) always tidy up.

Confident, independent children are the ones who will succeed in the 4+ Assessments.

Yes we are preparing for the 4+ Assessments but it goes far beyond this. We are preparing our students to be lifelong lovers of learning. Teaching these skills at such a young age is truly extraordinary in my opinion. A three year old who is already confident and fiercely independent? That’s exactly how I’m raising my son!