Staying in your comfort zone will not help you in your 4+ Assessment journey.

We are creatures of comfort.

It’s how we have been wired.

Even the ultra successful are creatures of comfort.

We want things to come easily to us, we want to avoid discomfort, we seek pleasure and we definitely don’t want to struggle with preparing our children for their 4+ Assessments.

However, hear me when I say this. Staying in your comfort zone will not help you in your 4+ Assessment journey.

Because staying in your comfort zone, most likely means that your child loves all of the learning that you are doing with them. Because staying in your comfort zone, most likely means that your child wants to do everything you place in front of them. This is not what 4+ Assessment success looks like. Quite the opposite actually.

Because if this is the case, you most likely are not challenging your child to the level that they need to be challenged in order to pass their 4+ Assessments.

4+ Assessment success looks like this.

Resistance

Struggle

Discomfort

Fun

Joy

Happiness

It is a full 50/50 spectrum of emotions.

When you provide your child with learning that they perhaps don’t like, that they perhaps don’t want to do - that’s when you will start feeling uncomfortable.

This is when most parents throw their hands up in the air and just give up.

They say things like this…

“Whatever, she’s only 3.”

“I’ll just send him in and what will be will be.”

“It won’t be as hard as people tell me it is!”

“This is ridiculous!”

“I’m so frustrated.”

I could go on.

This is not the time to throw your hands up in the air and give up. This is your time to keep going. To make friends with the discomfort. To invite it in. You will feel uncomfortable on this journey towards preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments and that’s ok.

Accept it.

Embrace it.

Know that it will all be worth it in the end.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

One precious final place to work with me personally for 2026 entry.

Encouraging Social Skills for the 4+ Assessments

Did you know that top schools don’t just look for academic ability… They also want to see children who can share, take turns, and interact confidently with others.

Many children struggle with social skills at this age especially in unfamiliar settings. In 4+ assessments they may be observed doing the following…

1. Group play & activities – Can they take turns and share toys?
2. Following adult instructions – Do they listen & respond appropriately?
3. Confidence in new situations – Are they comfortable interacting with teachers & peers that they’ve never met before?

3 simple ways to boost social confidence at home:

1. Role-Playing Games – When I taught in schools across the country, I used to love playing charades with my students! What a great confidence boosting game.

2. Playdates & Group Activities – Help your child to get comfortable socialising. Find new activities to take your child to every week. Taking them to the same activities week after week won’t cut it. They will get used to the teachers and the children that they see there every single week. You need to expose your child to new activities as much as possible. Luckily, we live in a city that offers so much for our young children. A few weeks ago I booked a brand new Gymboree art class for myself and my son to attend for example. Next week, we will be going to a family splash activity at my son’s pool that we’ve never attended before. It does take time to look for and find these activities but you must do these things if your child is going to a 4+ Assessment this year! If you work with us, we will help you to find perfect classes for your child to go to!

3. Encourage Independence – Let your child order their own snack or say "hello" to new people. This is something that I’ve done with my son from a very young age and it is such a delight to see when we go for a coffee together that he always brings the cups and saucers to the cafe owner (who he adores now!) and he does it with such confidence and with a huge smile on his face!

Social confidence helps children stand out in 4+ assessments. How do you think your child would do with this aspect of the 4+ Assessment?

Don’t just expect to take them into a 4+ Assessment and that they will demonstrate social skills. This needs to be worked on through out the year in the lead up to your child’s assessments.

Book your Sample Lesson Today.

Schools are 'clamping down on tutoring'!

This is the most nonsensical thing that I have heard all week. And it’s a load of rubbish. There I said it. I’m so done keeping quiet about this and playing nice. These schools don’t seem to mind saying these things so guess what I won’t mind either!

‘Clamping down on tutoring’ literally makes no sense.

First of all, it makes tutoring sound like something evil and it isn’t. Tutoring is the most beautiful gift that you can offer to your child.

Secondly, as I’ve always said, why are these schools so against tutoring?

Do they see it as some sort of threat to them?

Does it undermine what they do in some sort of way?

So when I hear from my clients or from new parents that they are worried about tutoring their children because they ‘don’t want the schools to know that their child has been tutored’, it fills me with nothing but sadness.

Because the brutal truth is this…

If you do not tutor your child, they will not pass their 4+ Assessments at top schools like Westminster, Glendower and South Hampstead.

Whether you ‘tutor’ your child yourself or you seek the help of a professional, it doesn’t matter. Sending your child with no prep to one of these independent schools is just unkind and unfair to the child. Why would you put your child in that position?

Do what you want of course. But I would never, ever do this to my 3 year old. Why would I make him feel that he can’t answer the questions that he is asked? Why would I make him feel that he can’t do the things that he is asked to do?

What do I think the issue with tutoring and these schools is?

Here it is!

I think schools like Glendower and Falkner House want to hold onto their students for as long as possible (until the end of Year 6!). They don’t want children leaving their schools. After all, it is a business! So tutoring is a threat to them. Because the highest quality tuition will support their children to get into the likes of Westminster and St. Paul’s and it can help them get there before their 11+! They do not want children to leave!

And speaking very honestly - I tutor children from Glendower, St Paul’s and the likes of The Hall. And my clients are doing nothing wrong. What they are doing is giving their children the incredible gift of building a love for learning that goes far beyond any assessment.

So believe what you like. But if you want your child to stand any chance of passing an assessment at a top 4+ school like Highgate, The Hall, Westminster and Glendower - prepare your child and prepare them well. Take Massive Action every single day and never for one second think that you can send your child into one of these schools with zero preparation and come and tell me that they passed.

You won’t.

Trust me.

'What will come up in their 4+ Assessments?'

This is the number 1 question that Ive heard these last few months.

Parents I speak to really fixate on this question.

It’s the wrong question to fixate on.

You will never really know what will come up in your child’s 4+ Assessment. You can guess based on what has come up historically, sure. But ultimately, you won’t know what will come up.

A school will never repeat exactly what they did previously.

So why do parents really fixate on this question?

They want a sense of security that what they are doing is ‘right’. That the areas of learning that they are spending time on will actually come up.

The best sense of security for you is this..

Cover all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum consistently and frequently and provide your child with everything that they need in order to go into any 4+ Assessment and truly shine (and score the highest percentages in order to be able to pass!).

An alternative (and better) question to this one would be this…

How can I support my child to the best of my ability to be able to go into their 4+ Assessments and show the assessors exactly what they are looking for?

This question I can spend hours answering for you!

Always remember this. What will come up is not as important as how your child demonstrates the skills that they are asked to demonstrate.

What do you look for in a 7+ teacher?

So you want to send your child to a 33k per year school but you are not willing to invest £65 into a Sample lesson to find the best teacher in the world for your child?

I would ask myself some questions if I were you.

Here is your first question.

What do you look for in a 7+ teacher?

I had a meeting with a family yesterday and not once did they ask me this question…

What is your experience with preparing children for their 7+ Assessments?

This is the #1 question you should ask.

Your priority has to be how much experience this teacher has with the 7+. Because if they really don’t have experience with the 7+, how on earth will they help your child to pass their 7+ Assessment?

Here is what some of you look for in a 7+ teacher which I think is completely wrong.

1. Someone who will come physically into your home - This is so limiting because you are limited to working with only the teachers who live in your local area.

2. Affordability. When you are speaking to agencies who prepare for the 7+, you are comparing price points. You want to save money in a highly complex process which will ultimately support your child to go to a 30k+ per year school. Don’t focus on affordability and the ‘cheapest rate’. You are not here to save money. You are here to get results.

Please note that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. Some agencies charge way more than we do - doesn’t mean they get better results.

3. Success rates - This is important of course but just be aware that some results online are completely made up, fabricated and exaggerated. Ask your own questions to get the answers you need answered and really make sure that your teacher has actually supported children to pass their 7+ Assessments at your target schools.

When you are preparing for the 7+ this is what I think you should be looking for in a teacher.

1. Someone who will show up every single week (as much as possible) for your child.

2. Someone who is truly dedicated and committed to your child passing their 7+ Assessments.

3. Someone who you will form a strong relationship with.

We offer the best of the best when it comes to the 7+.

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

3 main 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 (36k from years 9-13)

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 depth (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.

Please hear me. I’m not saying you can’t start late. Of course you can. Just be very clear about the standards and expectations and then work towards achieving those with your son.

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.

You must take the time to fully understand the Assessment process. You must understand the expectation in both rounds. You must understand what it takes for a boy to pass both rounds. Then go all in to prepare your son to be able to go in and show exactly what St. Paul’s are looking for.

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 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. Many of our boys are currently studying at St. Paul’s. Not just because of what we do but as a result of their hard work and dedication, their parents’ had work and dedication and their teacher’s hard work and dedication. It is the perfect relationship and the perfect recipe that will inevitably lead to amazing results in this 7+ Assessment.

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today and let’s go all in to prepare your son to have the highest possible chances for success in their 7+ Assessment at St. Paul’s.

Changes to the St. Paul's 7+ and 8+ Assessments that you must know about.

This will be the final year of 8+ Assessment preparation for St Paul’s. 2026 entry will be the last time that boys will enter the school at 8+.

For 2027 entry, St Paul’s will now be offering a huge 70 places at 7+ rather than their usual 54. This seems appealing and attractive but it really isn’t. Far more children will now be applying fot the 7+ at St Paul’s due to the simple fact that the 8+ is now longer an option!

St Paul’s will see at least 400-500 applications for the 7+ Assessments. Parents will no longer have the option to delay sitting assessments to this school and they will have to sit their son for their 7+ if they would like them to go to this school.

The main problem I’ve seen is that this news has caught out many families because in their minds they were feeling calm and relaxed preparing for the 8+ but now have to prepare their child for the 7+. These families will be behind in terms of preparation compared to families who have already been preparing for the 7+ since before their son had even set foot in a Reception classroom.

Thankfully hundreds of parents have made the decision to start preparing their children from as early as possible for their 7+. Over the last 16 years, I have seen parents choosing the 6-12 months of prep time before the 7+ Assessments but this has now increased to 24 months before which is fantastic.

After all, even with all of these changes to the St. Paul’s 7+ and 8+ Assessments, it is vital that you remember this. Yes, you are preparing your child for their Assessments but far more importantly you are setting them up to have a love for learning that will go far beyond any 7+ or 8+ Assessment result.

Whether you start early or you are starting a little later - just always remember that this love of learning should always be at the forefront of your mind and not a letter that says your child has passed- that is just the cherry on top.

Key takeaways from this Blog:

• No more 8+ Assessments at St. Paul’s (2026 entry will be the last 8+ cohort)

• More places available at 7+ from 2027 but also far more boys will be applying.

• Creating a love for learning is far more important than any assessment result.

Preparing for St. Paul’s for 2026 entry? I will be launching an extra special course in September which will be open to only 3 very lucky boys! If you are interested in being the first to hear about it, email me (office@creativemindstutors.com)

You're so worried about 'starting too early' but then you 'start too late' to prep your child for their 4+.

Starting early is one of the easiest thing that you can do when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.

Starting early provides you with calm, focus and clarity.

Starting late provides you only with stress, rush and it shows a true lack of understanding about the 4+ Assessment process.

Don’t be so scared about ‘starting early’. Start early. As in when your child is two years old.

If you are preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments at top schools like Westminster, UCS and The Hall and you are starting now, ask yourself these questions…

What were you so worried about?

What was holding you back?

What makes you think that your child will have the slight edge over a child who has been working consistently for nearly 2 years preparing for their 4+ Assessment?

The reality is this.

Many parents that I speak to really want to send their child to a 30k per year school but do not want to invest £250 per month to help them to actually pass their Assessment.

If you want your child to have any sort of chance of being offered a place at any of these top London schools, you will prepare them. How you do it is up to you but know that we are currently preparing 50 children for their 4+ Assessments at top schools like Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral School, UCS, South Hampstead and Highgate (to name a few).

Our students will be thoroughly prepared and ready to go into any 4+ Assessment and show the assessors exactly what they are looking for in order to be able to pass and be offered a place.

Book your Sample Lesson today.

A message of love to all teachers.

When I was younger, I tolerated a lot. As I get older, I am becoming far less tolerant. I think it also happened since I had my son. My time is so precious to me. And when I give of my time, I expect that is is valued and respected.

I guess before having my son, I had more time to be more tolerant. Perhaps. I’m not sure. Or perhaps I just didn’t respect myself enough to have clear boundaries in place.

I know that many of you who follow me are teachers. Perhaps you tutor privately yourselves or perhaps you work in schools across the country teaching students.

Whoever you are reading this, this is a message for you.

Truly value yourself because what you do is amazing.

Truly respect yourself because you deserve to be respected.

Truly treat yourself with love and compassion because what you do is not easy.

If you’ve not been a teacher yourself, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about and that’s okay.

I remember one day when I was about 28 so clearly. I had been tutoring two little girls who both went (still go) to a top girls’ school in London. This was when I was still tutoring in person and going to my clients’ homes. I had a lesson with one of the girls at 5pm as I usually did on a Thursday evening. I had worked all day (I worked full time as a teacher) and I hadn’t even had time to have my dinner. I rushed straight to her home (25 minutes away) to teach her. When I arrived, no one opened the door and I was left waiting outside. I waited for 15 minutes. Still nothing. No answer from my client. Then the message came. My client had ‘forgotten’. And her daughter wouldn’t be home until 6:30. I remember just standing in front of her house sobbing. I was so upset. When I said that I would be paid for my time - my client simply told me ‘no’. She wouldn’t pay for a lesson that wasn’t attended.

It’s very upsetting for me to write this.

But sadly things like this happen every day to teachers. I hear it every single day.

Now, I have very clear systems in place and this happens rarely. But it does still happen.

And this is how I see it now.

It is a pure lack of respect for a teacher’s time, efforts and energy.

When you pay for a service, you are very well aware of the terms and conditions. You sign an agreement or whatever. Even if you don’t, let’s all take the time to respect the service that is being provided to us.

I pay monthly for life coaching with the most amazing coach. There have been 4 separate occasions these last 6 months working with her that I’ve not shown up. Once, I didn’t message her (I’d had an emergency with my son) and the other 3, I generally couldn’t meet her at the time arranged and I emailed her to tell her.

Guess what?

I still expect to be fully charged. She took the time out of her busy life to be there for me. She took the time to prepare her session with me. She took her energy and extraordinary talent to be there for me.

I expect to be charged. And I’m happy to be charged.

So if you are a teacher reading this, respect yourself 100% and expect the same from your clients. Love yourself fiercely. Clients will respect you and value you more if you are clear from the start.

And if there is a true emergency or whatever, that’s up to you how you handle it. But have clear boundaries in place. Because in my experience (over 16 years) most of these emergencies are rarely even real.

A winning morning routine for 7+ Assessment success!

The way your child starts their morning can make a huge difference in their focus, confidence, and performance. A rushed, chaotic start? Expect frustration and poor concentration. A structured, calm routine? That’s where success begins.

Pay attention to how your child starts their morning.

Here’s how I remember my mornings as a child.

They were usually very rushed as we didn’t wake up early enough to get the things done that we needed to get done. I remember breakfast being rushed and I remember hearing ‘We are going to be late!’ a lot! Then we would rush in the car for the school drop offs. I remember lots of traffic and lots of stress. Definitely not a good environment for calm, focus and clarity. I would spend at least one hour in the car every morning as my mum would drop my brother off to his school on the other side of town compared to mine and then drop me off.

How a child starts their morning is everything when it comes to how the rest of their day will go.

I see this all the time—parents tell me their child struggles to focus in lessons or they get overwhelmed with 7+ Assessment preparation. But when I ask about their morning routine, the problem becomes clear.

A strong morning routine sets the tone for productive, calm and effective learning. Here are 3 simple routines that make a huge difference:

1. Mindful Mornings: Instead of screens, start the day with 5 minutes of deep breathing or stretching. This helps children wake up calm and focused. I love to just sit and hold my son (currently nearly 3 and hug him close for as long as he wants) I ask him about how he slept and if he had any dreams. Then I ask him to tell me how he is feeling. Finally, I tell him what the day will look like. I really look forward to these 5 minutes of connection with him. If he does ask me for a screen first thing (which does happen), I gently tell him that we don’t have screens as soon as we wake up and give him several options of other things that he can do.

2. Brain Warm-Ups: A quick verbal reasoning game or mental maths challenge over breakfast gets their brain switched on for learning. Over breakfast is the best time for us to get ten minutes of learning completed. Usually it is on a screen and I’m okay with this. We usually read a story whilst we have our breakfast so lots of opportunity for questioning and conversation over breakfast together. Another thing we love to do over breakfast is my son’s Italian learning (we use dinolingo). If we are not doing those two things, we will be doing phonics singing or a maths game.

3. Independent Start: Encourage your child to dress themselves, make their bed, or pack their own school bag/bag for the day. Independence in daily tasks translates to confidence. My son is fiercely independent and always ask me if he can help me. He is in the early stages of dressing himself. He can put his own shoes on and can nearly take of his own t shirt! He can put on his shorts and is practising putting on his socks.

Small habits like these create big results in your child’s ability to focus, stay motivated, and perform well in their 7+ Assessments.

Which of these will you try tomorrow morning? Let me know! Need a structured approach to 7+ Assessment preparation?

Book your Sample Lesson today.

7 Common Misunderstandings about the NLCS 7+

I personally speak to hundreds of parents every single month. I have no doubt that this number will 10x in the upcoming years to come. As I take this business to the next level, I am talking to more and more parents every single day.

Many call me to discuss the 7+ at NLCS and there is a little bit of confusion.

There are quite a few minunderstandings.

It’s not these parents’ fault. It’s the fault of the system that we live in. Having things be unclear seems to be the norm these days.

Common Misunderstanding #1

Thinking that there are more places available than there actually are.

Let’s not get this confused and be super clear. There are 8 places available each year to join NLCS at 7+. If they have the space available - it will be 10.

Common misunderstanding #2

Thinking that the first round won’t be as challenging to pass as it actually will be.

If you’re daughter passes round 1, this is exceptional. Do not think this is a small thing. This is a huge thing. Your daughter will need to be scoring 85% in all of their practise papers in the lead up to their Assessment. She has to be able to do this independently and without your support.

Common misunderstanding #3

Just because your daughter has passed round one, really doesn’t mean that she will pass round 2

Thorough preparation is needed for both rounds of the NLCS 7+ Assessment.

Common misunderstanding #4

Thinking that because it is ‘just’ a day at school that it won’t be as difficult as a more formal round 2 assessment at a different school.

Common misunderstanding #5

Thinking that fewer girls will apply than actually will.

There will still be hundreds and hundreds of girls applying to sit the NLCS 7+ Assessments.

Common misunderstanding #6

Not believing that your daughter needs to be at least at a secure Year 3 level in order to pass this assessment.

Common misunderstanding #7

Thinking that your daughter doesn’t need to cover all areas that she will be assessed on in as much depth as you truly need to.

Some parents will say to me that their daughter doesn’t need support with maths or with comprehension and that she’s already ‘strong’ in those areas. Still prepare for those areas in as much depth as you do the other areas.

Join us for the ‘Accept no less than NLCS 7+ Success’ course from August 4th 2025 for a week of intensive learning in preparation for the 7+ Assessment at NLCS.

Is my child ready for their 4+ Assessments?

The only person who truly knows the answer to this question is you.

I’m going to provide you with a series of questions for you to go and reflect on in relation to your child’s 4+ Assessments. If you answered no to most of them, your child is not ready for their 4+ Assessments and it is up to you (and only you) to put things in place to ensure that they are at the best possible level they can be to go in and pass.

Nobody in this world can guarantee that your child will pass their 4+ Assessments but what we can do is know deep in our hearts that we have done everything possible to send our children in to do the very best that they can in order to be offered a place at your target schools.

1. Can your child hold their pen/pencil ‘correctly’? If they can’t, you still have some time to teach them to hold their pencil ‘correctly’.

2. Can your child write their name? If they can’t, you must make sure that they can write their name before going into any 4+ Assessment (even if the schools will tell you that writing will not be assessed). HINT: That’s just not true.

3. Can you child identify all of the colours? They have to be able to do this. If they can’t, teach them.

4. Can your child create and complete patterns?

5. Can your child recognise all of their phase 2 and phase 3 phonics single sounds? This part cannot be rushed so if your child is struggling with this currently, seek support of a professional who can help you with this.

6. Can your child count to 10 (20 for some schools) ?

7. Can your child identify numbers to 10/20?

8. Can your child write numbers to 10/20?

9. Can your child express themselves well in relation to their social and emotional development?

10. Can your child interact well with other children?

11. Can your child interact well with adults that they’ve never met before in their lives?

12. Can your child sit and listen to a story without being distracted?

13. Can your child answer questions about a story that has been read to them?

14. Will your child be involved, engaged and enthusiastic?

15. Can your child demonstrate that they are strong physically (gross and fine)?

16. Can your child demonstrate maturity?

I could write 100 of these but I’ll stop at 16.

Take 10 minutes out of your day and just sit down with a hot coffee or tea and answer these questions truthfully.

Need more support preparing for your child’s 4+ Assessments? Book your Sample Lesson today.

Join our Waiting List for 2027 entry and beyond.

How do you prepare for the peer interaction part of the 4+ Assessment?

This is a great question, one that I was asked yesterday.

A parent asked me how I could support their child with interacting with other children at their 4+ Assessment.

Although I do support children with knowing how to behave in their 4+ Assessments and how I expect them to interact with their peers in their 4+ Assessments, this is not something that is prepared for in just a few months. And it is not something that anyone can simulate. Not me and not any group practise Assessment that you send your child to. This is about your child’s nature. How they are naturally in group situations. It is prepared for carefully during your 4+ Assessment preparation process and it is not something that can be rushed.

This is something that is prepared for consistently over the course of your child’s time at their nursery, pre-school or in whatever situation you put them in that they have to interact socially with children.

This is why I always say that 4+ Assessment success cannot be achieved within a short timeframe and that it takes at least 12 months of focused and consistent lesson preparation.

So how do you prepare for the peer interaction part of the 4+ Assessment?

It really is very simple.

You expose them to as many activities as possible in which you can observe them interacting socially with other children. Then you put in place the steps to support them with their social interaction.

Let me use my son as an example for you. for context, I’ve not yet decided if he will be going to 4+ Assessments. I am 50/50 as of right now.

From a very young age, I have left my son in creche’s (6 weeks old!), he has been going to nursery since he was 9 months old, he went to drama club from the age of 2 and he currently goes to football club. He plays with children in our play area downstairs and he has been on a few play dates. He has always been an introvert and he loves to play independently. He won’t choose to join big groups of children who are playing together and he has never been one to initiate play with another child. He currently struggles with sharing and he thinks that everything other children have belong to him. Currently, this is causing issues for him. When I observe him at his football club, he is very gentle with others but he won’t actively go up to another child and talk to them.

You can see how the 4+ Assessments would currently be a problem for him.

I am supporting him currently by talking to him every day about sharing, about how to speak to others and feel more confident about it. I am investing in books and video courses to help me to learn more about how to support him with this and I am actively taking the time to speak to his teachers and learn from their expertise.

If you truly want to prepare for the peer interaction part of the 4+ Assessment, you have to expose your child to hundreds (if not thousands) of opportunities to socially interact with other children. That way, it won’t be an shock when they enter their 4+ Assessments and are expected to interact with children that they’ve never met before in their lives.

Need more support with 4+ Assessment preparation?

Book your Sample Lesson today (2026 entry)

Join our Waiting List today (for 2027 entry and beyond)

Why do top schools group children from the same school together in their Assessments?

Not all schools, but some will.

Some schools will place children into groups using different criteria. Most children will be grouped according to their age (month of birth). This doesn’t mean that they will be assessed any differently from each other.

I’ve heard hundreds of stories about issues relating to children being grouped together with peers that they already know.

Parents often ask me this question?

Why do schools group children from the same school together in their Assessments?

I just think we could be asking different questions?

Ultimately, I will never be able to answer this for you. No body will - apart from the school itself. They will never answer this question for you!

Why these top schools do certain things that they do is something that we will never know.

However, if we do know that children will be grouped (or could be grouped) with children from their current nursery or pre-school setting, the best thing you can do is to prepare your child for this happening.

Being aware and switched on that one of their friends could potentially be at their Assessment will help your child to know how they are expected to behave around these friends that they already know.

Be aware that I’m talking about any age group here. I’ve heard that this has happened at the 4+, 7+ and 11+ Assessments.

Don’t let this one thing sabotage your child’s chances for success in their Assessments.

Before your child goes in this is what I would personally say to them (any age but obviously adapt for your child so they understand)

You will be going to your Assessment and there might be a child or children that you will know. I would like you to keep very calm. Of course, say hi to your friends but then focus on what we are are at the school to do. You might feel more relaxed knowing that your friend/s are there with you but please do not mess around with them (whatever that might mean for your child). Take some time to give some examples.

Talk to your child about this a few times before they go into their Assessments so that they will remember.

The most underrated 4+ Assessment preparation tip.

There are huge misunderstandings when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.

A summer born child who starts preparation for their 4+ Assessments at 18 months old will be stronger than an autumn born child (nearly a year older than them) who doesn’t prepare or who has little preparation for their 4+ Assessments.

Slow and steady is the way when it comes to 4+ Assessment preparation.

Rushed and stressed is not.

The most underrated 4+ Assessment preparation tip is this… 10 minutes a day, every day consistently from as early as possible.

The reality is this. We are all incredibly busy. We all have other things in our lives to think about. However, if you are truly serious about your child passing their 4+ Assessments at these top schools - you have to know the truth. And the truth is that you cannot leave assessment preparation to the last minute. It’s not helpful to anyone involved. The truth is that you really do need to prioritise preparing your child for their 4+ Assessments if you want them to stand a chance in being offered a place to study at your top schools of choice.

You can’t expect to just put in a few hours here and there and have the success that a parent who put in even just 10 minutes every single day (consistently) since their child was 17 months old will ultimately have.

Make the choice that your child will be the strongest they can possibly be in their 4+ Assessments.

If you want to prepare your child to have the best chances for success in their 4+ Assessments, book your Sample Lesson today.

Ready to level up your 4+ Assessment preparation?

Join me for my FREE workshop - The BEST way to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry. It is on Saturday July 5th at 6pm. If you can’t join LIVE, you will receive the replay.

The number 1 way to support your child with their pencil grip.

If you are currently preparing your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry, you will know that pencil grip will be very important in their assessments.

You will know that your child will need to hold their pencil ‘correctly’ and that this will be one of the aspects that will be assessed in their 4+ Assessments.

I’m going to share with you the #1 way to support your child with their pencil grip and if you are not able to use this strategy, I’m going to share with you a bonus tip.

The #1 way to support your child with their pencil grip

Start as early as possible giving your child a pencil to hold and model to them how to hold it.

I don’t remember the exact day and time that I started doing this with my son but I do remember that he was still crawling when I started providing him with a variety of writing tools.

By starting early, you are allowing your child to understand how to hold their pencil.

You might think that this is just a waste of time and you would be very wrong. Just because you don’t see results instantly doesn’t meant that those results aren’t coming.

Once my son would have the pencil in his hand, I would show him how to hold it. Of course, he would mostly just ignore me but there were times where he would have that spark of interest and he would try to copy me. After all, at this very young age, that’t how children are learning. They are observing what we do and copying that.

As time progressed and I continued to do this consistently and daily something magical happened. He was starting to hold the pen/pencil/crayon correctly!

Now at nearly the age of 3, he knows exactly how to hold his pencil. When I say to him, ‘Please hold it correctly, he knows exactly what I mean.’

His natural way to want to hold the pencil is with his hand over the top of the pencil but he knows how to hold the pencil when I ask him to hold it the way I’ve taught him.

He has committed it to his muscle memory. And I am delighted, Because I know how challenging it can be to teach children pencil grip and how much it impacts their writing in their future if it is not taught early on.

If you’ve not started early like we did, it’s okay. There is no better time to start than now, Start with daily 5 minutes dedicated to writing. Sit with your child with a writing tool of your choice and just get writing. Model to them how to hold their pencil and draw with them. Show them how much you enjoy writing. Your love for writing will sink deep into them and they will also grow to love it.

Not a day goes by that my son doesn’t ask me to write something.

Not a day goes by that I don’t provide him with pencil and paper or with a resource to write on.

Join me for my FREE Webinar on Saturday July 5th for The BEST way to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry.

Being 'flaky' and the 4+ Assessments.

The summer holidays are fast approaching and believe me when I say that it is not the time to start being ‘flaky’ as you prepare your child for their 4+ Assessments. These next few months are crucial if you truly want to have success in your child’s 4+ Assessments.

This is what I hear from parents sending their child for a 4+ Asseesment for 2026 entry and what really will never lead to anything positive.

‘We will just take a few months off and restart in September!’

‘We are going on holiday and I’m just going to let him/her rest’

‘We have parties every week for the next two months so we will just take a break.’

Listen up, you want to take a ‘break’, that’s up to you. Myself and my teachers will definitely not be taking 3 months off. Myself and my clients who are serious about getting their children into their schools of choice will not be taking 3 months off. These next 3 months are so important to any assessment preparation.

These are the months however, when parents are the most ‘flaky’ with their tuition. They cancel lessons and don’t reschedule them. They go on holiday and don’t want to do lessons whilst they are away.

What message is this sending your children?

It’s saying this.

'You need to take a break from learning.’

And trust me, they don’t need to take a break from learning.

So for those parents who want to be ‘flaky’ and ‘enjoy’ your summer break, we are not the tutoring company for you.

We are not interested in working with stressed out parents from September. We are not interested in our students losing all of the progress that they’ve made so far just because their parents ‘need a break’. We are not interested in parents ‘blaming us’ for their children not passing their 4+ Assessments because they decided to have a much needed summer holiday.

Take a break and commit to 30 minutes of learning every single day anyway. And if you don’t, understand that you will be playing catch up from September and this doesn’t lead to anything positive for you or for your child.

Join me on Saturday 5th of July @6pm for my FREE Webinar - The BEST way to prepare your child for their 4+ Assessment for 2026 entry.

5 ways starting formal learning with my own son at 17 months has benefited us.

My son will turn 3 on July 4th. I actually cannot believe it. 3 years have passed since his birth. Time really does go way too fast.

Like most parents, we’ve always read to our son every single night pretty much since he was born. We’ve always had hundreds and hundreds of books at home. We are very fortunate that Joshy’s grandmother gifts us lots of books each month and I also invest money each month into his books and learning resources.

From the age of 17 months, I personally started formal learning with my son (we did a lot before this too). He had his own customised programme of study that I followed with him each week. It was create solely and exclusively for him. He still does. Now these programmes of study have evolved and that’s how I created our Curriculum programmes - Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond and Amethyst.

Here are 4 ways starting formal learning with my own son at 17 months has benefited him and 1 very important way it has benefited me.

1. He has a broad and vast vocabulary for his age. Although he is nearly a full year younger than some of his peers, his vocabulary is far more advanced than most of theirs. This is 100% because we read to him every single day since birth.

2. His comprehension skills are insane. The way my son answers questions blows me away. He is able to articulate himself so well. This is because of the questioning programme that I’ve had in place for him since he was 17 months old.

3. He always wants to pick up a pen or a pencil and start writing. This is because I encourage him to write daily and provide him with a variety of activities in which he is able to write.

4. He associates ‘learning time’ to quality time with his mummy. When I ask him, ‘Would you like to do some learning with me?’, most of the time his answer is yes. Obviously sometimes his answer is no and he’d prefer to go out to the park or to watch one of his favourite cartoons!

5. Here is the extra special one! The way it has benefited me is this. I am the one fully in control of my son’s learning. No one else. I know everything about his learning to the smallest detail. So when his nursery teachers tell me something - I already know! It isn’t a surprise.

We adore learning together.

And if a day goes by (rarely does) that we don’t do one form or another of learning together, I feel really depleted. Learning with my son fills me with a joy that I cannot even describe. I love putting his learning first - above everything else. I love having his resources ready most mornings and him finding his learning and him being eager and happy to complete it.

That smile on his face as he comes out of our room and sees his learning, is something that will stay deep in my heart forever.

It's all just a game of numbers.

Always remember this.

Regardless which assessment you are sending your child to - it is all a game of numbers.

Ultimately it will come down to this.

The children with the BEST marks will be the ones that pass.

It has nothing to do with which school your child currently goes to.

Do you honestly believe that a Westminster assessor will be marking assessments and saying something like, ‘Oh look, she scored 56% overall but she goes to Glendower so let’s just offer her a place!’

NO.

Do you honestly believe that a St Paul’s Assessor will be marking assessments and saying something like,’Oh look he goes to Eaton House but he scored 63% - I’m sure he would still be great here.’

NO.

It has nothing to do with which school your child currently goes to.

It also has nothing to do with who you know.

So many times parents will tell me that they know so and so who goes to the school who gave them a glowing recommendation. Listen up, it really doesn’t matter. It’s all just a game of numbers.

Do you honestly believe a Latymer assessor will be marking assessments and saying something like, ‘ Oh look, he scored 61% but he knows so and so, let’s just offer him a place!’

NO!

The children with the BEST marks will be the ones that pass.

It’s all just a game of numbers.

Your child will need to score a minimum percentage of 80-85%. We aim for 85% with our students. If your child is not scoring in that percentile range, guess what? It is up to you to support them to be scoring in that range. It is up to you to take massive action to ensure that when gaps arise that you are filling them. It is up to you to ensure that you are revising concepts that your child finds challenging to ensure that they are able to do them comfortably. It is up to you to ensure that your child can write the best story. It is all just a game of numbers.

Score the highest marks and pass.

That is all.

Prepare your child and prepare them well.

Join our Waiting List today (2027 entry and beyond)

Book your Sample Lesson today (2026 entry)

Prepare like a pro for the Westminster 7+ Assessment

2026 is the first year that girls will be joining Westminster Under School in Year 3.

At the same time, girls will be joining the boys in Year 7 and at Reception.

60 pupils will be entering Year 3 in 2026 (girls and boys).

You can still apply for your son or daughter to sit the 7+ Assessment for Year 3 entry for 2026 entry.

You definitely should visit the school if you are considering sending your son or daughter there from Year 3. The school is holding 30 Open Morning dedicated just to parents sitting their children for the 7+ (2026 entry) and most of these are completely full at the time of writing this blog (13/6/25). The dates remaining should you be interested are 26/6 and most of their September dates.

Westminster Under School that they are looking for this in a pupil:

At the Under School we look for potential in the candidates and for boys and girls who have natural ability and who will, therefore, thrive here. Our challenge is to find that potential, and whose natural ability will grow with the challenges a Westminster education provides. We, therefore, strongly recommend that you do not “cram” your child, or have them specifically tutored. This can detract from the freshness, spontaneity and eagerness to learn, which are some of the qualities we are looking for.

I completely disagree with every single thing that they have written here.

Ability is not something that just falls from the sky. Ability is something that is nurtured and fine tuned. I’ve seen the boys who have passed this 7+ Assessment historically (over 16 years). Believe me they were all ‘specifically tutored’. You can ‘cram’ if you want - if your child is okay with that. Depends what you make the word ‘cram’ mean. If you make it into something negative, it will be. If you make it into something positive- it will be.

Many boys who go to Westminster still receive tutoring in order to keep up with the ‘challenges a Westminster education provides.’

Why would tutoring detract from freshness, spontaneity and eagerness to learn?

Our students are fresh, spontaneous and exceptionally eager to learn!

In order to comfortably pass the first round, your child will have completed the FULL year 2 curriculum (English and maths) and some of the Year 3/4 curriculum.

Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning will be at a strong age 7/8 level and your child will be confident in answering all types of verbal and non verbal reasoning questions.

Expectations are high.

Understand this.

Prepare well.

Join my Prepare Like a Pro for Westminster Intensive Course. Launching tomorrow and taking place in July 2025. I will be opening 3 precious places.