The very HARSH realities of the Highgate 4+ assessment (Round 1 update) 2026 entry.

Yes, it’s true that you will need to prepare your child to the highest of standards but even after that, you cannot guarantee that your child will pass their first round at Highgate.

You must still absolutely start working with an expert in the 4+ assessments 12 months before the first round at Highgate but even after that, you cannot guarantee that your child will pass their 4+ assessment at Highgate.

So I read all of these blogs (my own included up to this point) that support parents to understand the 4+ process at Highgate but then I roll my eyes. It really is not enough to simply prepare our children to the highest of standards for the Highgate 4+ assessment. That has been very clear to me this year in particular.

You see, this year for the first time ever, we prepared 10 children for Highgate and results so far have been exceptional. But there have been a few surprises. And it is important that these tutoring companies (including my own), share with you the truth about their results and not just the positive ones but also the negative ones (as I always do by publishing a detailed report of our achievements for each individual school that we prepare our students for). This builds trust for my company. When companies only share their positive results it leaves parents doubting. Obviously not everyone will be successful.

Do you know that Highgate have their own special criteria when choosing the children that they will invite back for Round 2?

Did you know that they automatically offer second round assessments to children of staff and to siblings. At this point, I really do not think this is fair at all and I believe they should remove this from their Admissions Policy. The fair point is that children need to demonstrate their ‘readiness for learning’ at Highgate. This should be applicable to all children and not just the children who do not have siblings there.

Two of our girls did not pass the first round at Highgate who absolutely would have demonstrated ‘readiness for learning’. So why did they not pass?

Because they are not siblings and because they are not children of staff.

There is no other reason.

And these siblings and these children of staff, were they as academically ‘ready to learn’ as our two students who were not offered round 2. I’m here to tell you that of the ones I know of - the answer is a hard no.

I believe that 240 children have been called back for Round 2 (they say 180). So if your child has passed round 1, they will now have a 1:4 chance of passing round 2.

Again siblings and children of staff will have the preference.

Obviously we have prepared children who are not siblings who have passed the first round.

If there are 60 places and there are so many siblings and children of staff attending this year, what will your child need to demonstrate in order to pass?

Everything I always talk about.

But ultimately, I’m sorry to say but based on what I’ve seen so far, it will not be a true and fair assessment of academic capability.

So if you are sending your child to Highgate for 2027 entry, I encourage you to prepare them to the highest of standards (they will undoubtedly be attending other schools too) but have the knowledge and understanding of everything that I have written above so that it doesn’t blind sight you or shock you when your highly academic and gifted child doesn’t make the cut because they have over offered to siblings and children of staff first.

After all it is very clear in their policy.

If you don’t agree with the policy, that’s up to you to decide what you’d like to do.

What do you truly want for your child’s future?

What do you truly want for your child’s future?

 I think that this is a very important question to really take deliberate time to stop and reflect upon. For most of us, sending our children to private school is a huge decision. Financially and emotionally, it is a massive decision – for most of us.

 Living in the UK, I see that there are three options for our children.

 1. Go to a state school.

2. Go to a private school.

3. Be home schooled.

I have taken deliberate time to really analyse and question everything when it comes to my son’s education.

 Do I want him to go to a state school?

 100% no.

 I worked in hundreds of state schools and I do not want him there. I do not want him to be one of 30 children in a class. I do not want him away from me every day from 9-3:30. Those are my two main reasons for not wanting to choose the state school option for my son. I do have countless other less significant reasons based on my experience in the school system (state and private) for 13 years.

 Do I want him to go to a private school?

 Not right now, no.

 The schools that I would consider for my son currently would cost between 30-35k per year. If he were to stay in those schools until age 11, I would be looking to invest between 245k- 300k (depending on fees increasing and paying for all of his extra- curricular activities plus his lunches). Could I personally afford to spend 3k a month on his education? Yes, I could. Do I want to spend that money on a private school education? I personally do not.

 Do I think the quality of education is better in a private school than in a state school?

 Yes I do. But only because of the fact that there are fewer children to teach 16-20 children compared to 30 children. You do not get better teachers in private schools compared to state schools.

 I think that you find exceptional teachers in both state and private schools. You also find teachers who are not so exceptional in both. My personal opinion.

 Do I want him to be home schooled?

 Currently, yes. As I’ve been the one solely in charge of his curriculum since he was 17 months old, I would like to continue to teach him. I know that I am the best person to teach him right now.

 Socially, it will be up to myself and his father to figure out what we can do so that our son has opportunities to interact daily with other children and have the opportunity to create his own close friendships. We will figure it out. Our son is a very social boy and adores being in the company of other children of different ages so this will be a priority in terms of his education.

 How I envision his home school experience looks something like this:

 Morning study time with me or with our Online School (60 minutes)

 Mid- morning activity – tennis, football, swimming or a sports activity of his choice. I would get help with this to allow me to continue with my work.

 Lunch with me

 Afternoon activity – as above.

 Evening activity – In the evening, he will continue to be cared for my his dedicated grandparents as this is the time that I currently work.

 Night time – with me!

 This is my current vision for his learning experience from September 2026. I also plan to travel a lot with my son and with his father. I don’t want to be limited by term times. I want to travel as and when I feel like it and not when the school tells me that I can.

 What do you truly want for your child’s future?

The Merchant Taylors 4+ Assessment (2026 entry) Update.

First of all it is very important that you know that at this school only 6 boys will pass the 4+ Assessment (2026 entry).

Here is what the school says about their 4+ Assessment process:

Candidates are invited to school in groups of 10-15 boys for a session that lasts about an hour.

• The assessments are informal and are based on the Early Learning Goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. 

• All assessments activities will be very similar to activities that children carry out in their current nursery.

• We contact nurseries to provide written reports for all candidates.

• We are looking for teachability and sociability in our 4+ assessments. We are not looking to find out what the children know but whether they have the potential to flourish in our learning environment.

Let’s look at some of these points together.

Obviously the 4+ assessment will be informal - they are assessing 3 and 4 year olds. I wouldn’t expect anything less.

Assessment activities will be similar to those carried out in your child’s current nursery but the activity per se isn’t that important. What is important is what is being assessed whilst your son is being assessed. Do you even know what that is?

Teachability and sociability will 100% be assessed.

MTP are 100% looking at what the boys already know and they are looking at their learning potential.

MTS are therefore looking for a very specific type of boy who will ‘flourish’ at their school.

Last year, we prepared two boys for their 4+ assessment at MTP and both of them are currently studying there now! If you are preparing for this school and you know that there will be hundreds of applicants for 6 places, what are you doing to give your son that slight edge over all the others?

Join our Merchant Taylors’ Prep School Success Programme and give your son the opportunity to truly go in and show the assessors what they are looking for.

What is NLCS even looking for in their prospective new girls?

Your daughter will need thorough and bespoke tuition for NLCS. You absolutely must only work with a teacher who has real and actual experience with this school. Working with an ‘eyfs specialist’ won’t cut it. Sorry if that offends anyone, it is the truth.

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

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

This school is so overly subscribed each year. Hundreds of parents want their daughter to go to North London Collegiate School at 4+.

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

I have prepared hundreds of girls for the 4+ Assessment at NLCS over the last 20 years and what I’ve learnt is this. Passing the first round is very challenging. As in, it’s very hard to pass!

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

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

In my experience passing the first round is the hardest part. Get this right and it will be straight forward to pass the second round - especially if you work with us.

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

Work with a teacher who knows this well and who can actually support your daughter to gain entry into this school. And do not ask me ‘What is the one thing that my daughter needs to do in order to pass the NLCS 4+ assessment?’

There isn’t one thing. There are hundreds of things that she has to do and hundreds of things that she has to demonstrate in her 4+ assessment at NLCS.

We have supported girls to be very successful at gaining entry to NLCS for nearly 2 decades. In fact, I supported one of my oldest students with her Spanish GCSE a couple of years ago! She worked with me when she was 6 and I prepared her for her 7+ at NLCS!

Join our NLCS 4+ Success Programme today. 3 places available.

The Royal Grammar School 7+ Assessment Results.

Results from the RGS (boys) 7+ assessment were released yesterday to our clients.

We prepared 2 boys for the 7+ assessment at RGS. Both of our boys were offered a place.

Both of our students who have been offered a place at RGS are still preparing for other 7+ assessments.

Myself and my team have personally been supporting our students for the RGS 7+ assessment for many, many years. Our clients know exactly what RGS are looking for in their prospective new students.

Both boys started preparing 18-24 months before their 7+ assessment.

1.Stats

2 boys passed the RGS 7+ assessment.

Our clients are yet to confirm if they will accept the offer at RGS.

Both of our students are still preparing for assessments at several other schools.

2. Key reasons for success at RGS.

• Boys who are highly academic across and working at an 'expected’ Year 3 level.

• Boys who have mastered the Year 2 curriculum.

• Boys who are able to articulate themselves very well and sustain high levels of conversation with both adults and children.

• Boys who are able to write beautifully (handwriting).

• Boys who have excellent spelling abilities.

• Boys who are able to write stories to the standard expected at RGS.

• Boys who are able to answer comprehension question with ease.

• Boys who have strong inference skills.

• Boys who are able to summarise.

• Boys have are excellent with their verbal and non verbal reasoning.

I could actually list hundreds more and this does not do justice to just how much our boys who passed have achieved but you get my point.

Both clients who we prepared for the RGS 7+ assessment took the process seriously and all knew how challenging it would be to be offered a place at RGS. Both of our clients fully trusted out process and fully did the work that they have to do each and every day to support their sons to get the the level that they got to.

You most likely have no idea just how much work we all put in.

Congratulations to our students who have been incredibly successful at being offered a place at RGS. Now onto the next one.

To those of you whose children haven’t been successful at being offered a place at RGS please try your best not to let this get you down. You have other important assessments to focus on.

Join our Ultimate Emerald Curriculum programme (one month minimum commitment) to accelerate your child’s learning and ensure that they fully understand what is expected from them in their upcoming 7+ assessments - this programme will officially close on November 30th at 11 am sharp. This is your final chance to work with real experts who know and fully understand the 7+ assessment process and can help you to achieve the results that you want to achieve.

Why has my child not passed their 4+ assessment?

For certain schools I really cannot answer this questions. Some schools are more political than anything else and that’s a fact. Some schools at 4+ it really has very little to do with how well your child has done and more to do with other criteria that the head teacher is looking for. That does way above my pay grade and I cannot help you with those schools to be honest!

But for most of the other 4+ schools I can answer this question very easily.

I have had many calls from heart broken parents. Angry parents. Annoyed parents. Parents who don’t seem to understand. Their precious child didn’t pass their 4+ assessments at their target schools and they are completely shocked. But they shouldn’t be.

It really is very simple.

If your child has not passed their 4+ assessments at your target schools it is because they were not ready. Simple.

Parents will then ask me this question…

“Ok, so what do you have to do now? What is the one thing that we need to do to get them into Habs, NLCS, Highgate etc.’

Listen up very carefully. There is no one single thing that you can do. You need to continue to work on all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum and ensure that your child is able to demonstrate all 7 areas to a very high standard.

If they can’t, they will not pass.

This is a highly competitive process. Your child is up against children who have been prepared to the highest of standards. Your child is up against children who know exactly what they need to show the assessors in order to be offered a place. Your child is up against children who are a dream to teach. These are the children that they want. These are the children that they are looking for.

So if you have 4+ assessments coming up for 2027 entry and beyond, learn from these experience. Don’t let it shock you like it seems to be shocking many parents that I am currently speaking with.

Prepare your child and prepare them well.

Otherwise what really is the point?

Join our Waiting List for 2027 entry and beyond and secure your place to study with the best of the best teachers in London.

What I will teach my son that is far more important than maths and english.

Respect and Self Respect.

I will teach him to always be respectful towards others. No matter if he likes them or not. I will teach him that he must always be respectful and kind. I will teach him that he is never better than anyone else and that we are all human beings on this world trying our very best. I will teach him not to take anyone’s time unnecessarily because time is precious and time is worth far more than money. I will teach him to always be sweet and caring towards others.

But I will also teach him to have self respect and to demand the same from others. I will teach him that those who do not show him respect are not worthy of his time. I will teach him to know his worth. Because no one ever taught me to know my worth. I had to teach myself.

And at the age of 40, I now truly know my worth. It’s taken me a while.

He will know this immediately. He already knows this. He is 3.

I will teach him that just as he shows respect to others that others must do the same to him too. I will teach him that just as he is kind and respectful that others must be kind and respectful towards him too and if they are not, they are not worthy of his time and energy. I will teach him that no one is better than him just as he isn’t better than anyone else. I will teach him that if anyone is unkind, rude, disrespectful or mean to him that he should immediately let them go. They are not his people.

I will teach him that there will always be people around him who will think that they are better than him and they are 100% are not. I will teach him that there will be people who look down on him and if they do they are not his people and I will teach him to call them out on it. I will teach him his worth. I will teach him just how much he is worth. Because he is worth so much, just as I am - but no body ever told me.

I will teach him this.

This is far more important than teaching him English and Maths.

Know your worth. Show respect to everyone. Be kind, be polite and be caring. Do not waste people’s time. Do not think you are better than anyone else. Because darling, you most certainly are not.

'My child didn't do anything that you said he had to do.'

Last year I had a gem of a client.

Her and her husband took hours of my time telling me about their confusion with the 4+ assessments. They were asking me thousands of questions and I answered all of them.

I helped them.

I supported them.

Their son’s Habs 4+ assessment was coming up and they had less than one month to prepare for it. I was completely at capacity and at this point my son was only 2. I now no longer support parents with 1:1 tuition unless they have 3 months remaining until the assessment date.

I told them honestly that I was full and they were insistent that I help them. I sacrificed my Sundays with my son to give their son 30 minutes of my time.

The first lesson, I could see that this gem of a client was just not convinced. She doubted most everything I did. Her son did not engage with me (which was obviously my fault and not hers and definitely not his). There was one lesson my son cried for me (I work from home) and I had to bring him in to simply hold him and she was furious.

I wanted to stop teaching her son but I continued. I was dedicated to him.

He was not ready for the Habs boys’ 4+ assessment but he did pass.

After he passed, she left me the most disgusting message. Rather than thanking me for my help and support over the month that I supported her she ‘told me off’ for bringing my son into the lesson and that it was ‘not professional’ and that ‘she would never bring a baby into her office’.

She told me a whole heap of nonsense and that her son got in basically without much preparation which upon reflection is a huge lie because I provided him with one month of prep. So she did actually prepare him.

I write this blog to encourage you to not listen to these destructive things that parents and helpful nursery teachers will tell you. They will tell you not to prepare for the 4+ and you must ignore them. You must smile and move on. I promise you that you 100% have to prepare your child if you want to even stand a chance of them being offered a place at a top school in London.

The Falkner House (Boys) 4+ assessment results 2026 entry.

Results from the Falkner House (boys) 4+ assessment were released last week.

We prepared 3 boys for the 4+ assessment at Falkner House. 2 of our boys were offered a place.

Our clients spoke of the Falkner Boys’ assessment as being a very positive experience both for them and for their sons. They spoke about the kindness of the teachers doing the 4+ assessment and in general it was a pleasant experience for everyone. As it is such a small school, our clients spoke about it feeling like a lovely family vibe. Although the teachers explained to our clients that it would be very play based - it really wasn’t. It was a very academic 4+ assessment. So yes, they are absolutely looking for potential but they are also looking for attainment.

Both of our students who have been offered a place at FH are still preparing for other 4+ assessments. At about £32K per year (not including additional activity charges), this is one of more expensive schools in the area.

Myself and my team have personally been supporting our youngest students for the Falkner Boys’ 4+ assessment for many, many years. Our clients know exactly what FH are looking for in their prospective new students and in their prospective new parents!

Out of the 2 boys who passed the FH 4+ assessment this year one of the boys has been preparing for his 4+ assessments with us for 12 months and the other only joined recently and has been having intensive support.

1.Stats

2/3 boys passed the FH 4+ assessment.

1 child did not pass.

Our clients are yet to confirm if they will accept the offer at FH.

All of our students are still preparing for assessments at several other schools.

2. Key reasons for success at FH (boys)

• Boys who are highly academic across all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum.

• Boys who are able to articulate themselves very well and sustain high levels of conversation with the assessors.

All three clients who we prepared for the FH (boys) 4+ assessment all took the process seriously and all knew how challenging it would be to be offered a place at FH. All three clients are preparing for other schools too.

Congratulations to our students who have been incredibly successful at being offered a place at FH boys. Now onto the next one. To our student who wasn’t offered a place, it is 100% their loss and we move onto the next one!

To those of you whose children haven’t been successful at being offered a place at FH (boys), please try your best not to let this get you down. You have other important assessments to focus on.

Join our Ultimate Emerald Curriculum programme (one month minimum commitment) to accelerate your child’s learning and ensure that they fully understand what is expected from them in their upcoming 4+ assessments - this programme will officially close on November 30th at 11 am sharp.

Passing round 1 at South Hampstead doesn't mean your daughter will pass round 2.

Only 24 girls will be welcomed into Reception for 2026 entry at SH.

About 200 girls were assessed in the first round.

Out of those 200 girls, about 100 have been called back.

So the chances of passing round 1 were a lot higher than they will be to pass round 2.

Out of the 100 girls who have been selected to attend the round 2 assessment in January 2026, only 24 will be offered a place so roughly a 1:5 chance of passing. Also, keep in mind that there is a slight preference towards the girls who already have a sibling studying to SH.

So if your daughter has been offered a second round assessment at SH, first of all - well done. In order to pass, your daughter will have demonstrated exactly what the assessors were looking for.

She has done exceptionally well.

Take a breather and celebrate. And then get straight back to work.

The work has only really, truly started - to be completely honest with you.

Here’s what some of you will do. Some of you will take a couple weeks off for Christmas and take your feet off the gas. Here’s what the rest of you will do. You will continue to take massive action to ensure that your daughter will go in and score highly in the second round at SH.

Who will do better do you think?

We have preparing girls to be wildly successful in their South Hampstead 4+ assessments for nearly 2 decades. We know exactly what is expected and we will support you every step of the way.

Join my incredible SH 4+ Success Programme (Round 2) and give your daughter the best gift ever this Christmas!

2 places remaining,

Closes Friday 28th November 2025.

Why I don’t pretend to be an expert when it comes to home schooling.

I will be home educating my son from September 2026 (The year he is supposed to start in Reception) and I am currently researching my options.

 There are many of you who claim to be experts in the 4+ assessment process and you speak about it as though you know so much when truly you know very little.

 There is nothing wrong with that by the way. But there is something wrong with claiming that you know more than you do.

 I know very little currently about home educating my son and I would never pretend that I do. I am informing myself however. I am making plans to ensure that we are all set to go from September 2026. This is all new to me and it feels uncomfortable just like it probably feels to most of you embarking on your 4+ journey (or 7+ or 11+ or whichever assessment you are preparing for). I would definitely pay to speak to an expert about home educating my son and most likely, if I run into any difficulty, I will absolutely reach out to an expert to ask for support and advice.

 We can’t know everything and guess what? It’s okay not to know everything. There will always be people out there who will know more than us.

 Stay informed.

Understand the process.

Go all in to get the results that you desire.

 That’s exactly what I will be doing on our home educating journey for my son.

 I know that in the early years of his life that I am able to provide the best education for him. Better than anything else available to him

And that’s what we want for all of our students here at CMT. The best education for all of them. Because we know what a difference the best education will have on their futures.

My summer born child doesn't stand a chance in their 4+ assessments!

What a load of nonsense.

 Why wouldn’t they?

 Because of their birthday?

 Pure and utter nonsense.

We currently have August born children who are truly thriving with their curriculum programmes and making extraordinary progress. I can practically guarantee that our summer born children will have just as much success in their 4+ assessments as their autumn born peers.

 If you’re so concerned about your summer born child and their 4+ assessments, start earlier preparing them. Do you know what tends to happen? Parents of summer born children actually tend to start later. Which actually makes no sense. 

They say things like this…

‘They will grasp things better when they are older…’

‘I just need to give them more time …’

‘They are too young to know how to do phonics/counting/cutting/insert whatever here…’

Let’s look at each of these and analyse their thinking patterns.

‘They will grasp things better when they are older…’

When your child is ‘older’ they will still be one of the youngest in their cohort. So this sort of login actually makes zero sense. Your child will not ‘grasp things better when they are older’ if they’ve never been exposed to the thing when they were younger. For example, my son is no an expert at holding scissors at the age of 3 and 4 months. Why is that? Is it perhaps because we practised cutting skills since he was 17 months old?

‘I just need to give them more time …’

Sadly for you, if you’ve chosen to send your child to a 4+ assessment, you do not have this illusive ‘more time’. I have ‘more time’ for my son to learn his phonics, you do not. I have more time for my son to identify his numbers to 10 - you do not. I have more time to teach my son to write his name etc etc. You see, if you know what is expected in a 4+ assessment then that is what you have to prepare your child to be able to do regardless of their DOB.

‘They are too young to know how to do phonics/counting/cutting/insert whatever here…’

It’s just not true. We currently are teaching 5 August born children who can blend and write cvc words beautifully,

Your summer born child has as much of a chance as anyone else. Stop using their DOB as an excuse. Use it to empower you to take massive action and prepare your child to be incredibly successful in all of their 4+ assessments.

The final programme that we are offering for 2026 entry is our Ultimate Emerald Curriculum. Join before 30th November to secure the best support possible in your child’s 4+ assessments. 

My child just went in and 'played with lego' and 'messed around with play doh'.

First of all - you are so wrong in what you are saying.

Second of all - you haven’t understood what is being assessed when these top schools ask your child to ‘play with lego’ and ‘mess around with play doh’.

And finally - just be quiet.

When your child is asked to ‘play with lego’, here is what is truly being assessed - if you wish to understand it in the slightest.

1. Fine motor skills and fine motor control - Not every single 3 year old can hold the small bricks in their hands and have the strength needed to click them in place. Not every 3 year old knows how to hold one small brick in their hands whilst supporting the other little brick with their other hand.

2. Cognitive abilities - As they connect and manipulate the small bricks, they need to use high levels of cognition.

3. Problem solving - Lego ‘play’ is supporting children with their problem solving skills. If one brick falls down, they need to think about what they need to do next, if one small brick doesn’t match the one in the picture, they need to find the correct one and they need to think about how many gaps are missing in between pieces.

4. Creativity - When children ‘play’ with lego, they are being very creative. They can be asked to create a rocket out of lego for example without any image of a rocket.

5. Social - emotional skills- lego ‘play’ involves collaborating with others and also ‘playing’ independently with the little bricks.

6. Language and narrative abilities as the children explain exactly what they have created.

When your child is asked to ‘mess around with play doh’, the schools are actually observing your child’s fine motor skills, their muscle strength, their sensory exploration, their creativity and imagination, their problem solving, their concentration and their resilience.

So careful what you go around telling people and stop undermining your child’s hard work and effort.

All the best to all of our children across the country currently attending their 4+ assessments. You are all amazing.

How do schools choose which children they want at their schools (4+) ?

It’s actually very easy. 

I picture the times I used to take my son to Little Kickers. I would at times be able to sit down and just observe the children. I imagined that if this were a real 4+ assessment, it would be so easy to pick the children that would pass it and those who would not (harsh but true). I have been in actual 4+ assessments before and I have seen exactly what the assessors see. It is very easy to choose the children who they know will simply be a delight to teach.  

Let’s go back to Little Kickers. If I were in a real 4+ assessment who would I want to have in my classroom? 

Would it be the child who was having a meltdown because the other little boy didn’t kick the football to him or would it be the child engaged in conversation with the football coach? 

Would it be the child screaming and crying because he didn’t want to play with the other children or would it be the child who was playing beautifully with everyone? 

Would it be the child who snatched the ball from another child or would it be the child who asked politely if he could have his turn? 

So easy. 

Now obviously, we are throwing academics in the mix too so let’s have a look at this. 

Let’s go back to the times when my son was attending Stage Coach. If I were in a real 4+ assessment who would I want to have in my classroom? 

Would it be the child listening attentively to the story or would it be the child who was throwing himself on the floor because he was bored of the story? 

Would it be the child who raised his hand and tried his best to answer the teacher’s questions or would it be the child who refused to answer her questions and didn’t say anything? 

Would it be the child who joined in happily with all of the nursery rhymes or would it be the child who threw his toy down on the floor and told the teacher that he didn’t like the song? 

So easy. 

Always remember that this is a competition. Is it a fair competition? I firmly believe that at most schools it is - let’s just leave it at that. A competition for a place at one of the best schools in the country at the ages of 3 or 4. Remember that there will be hundreds and hundreds of children applying for very few places. 

Is your child truly ready? 

Does your child truly know what is expected of them?

Or does your child think that they are ‘just going on a playdate!’ 

The final programme that we are offering for 2026 entry is our Ultimate Emerald Curriculum. Join before 30th November to secure the best support possible in your child’s 4+ assessments. 

What’s the one thing I need to do to prepare my child for their 4+ assessment in 6 weeks' time?

Let me tell you the one thing you should have been doing for the last 12 months. 

You should have been preparing your child to be strong in all 7 areas of the EYFS curriculum. Full stop. That is the one thing you need to have done. And if you haven’t done that, do you really think there is just one thing you can do to ensure success in your child’s 4+ assessment in the next 4-6 weeks? 

Clearly, you’ve not understood this process very well at all. 

What’s the one thing our clients have been doing to prepare their child for their 4+ assessments (2026 entry)? 

The one thing that they’ve been doing is this. They have been laser focused on preparing their child for their 4+ assessments. That is all. 

So there really isn’t one thing that you should do. There are thousands of things that you should have done. 

And if you’ve not done them, I’m sorry but it’s highly likely that your child will not pass their 4+ assessment and you have gifted these schools with a nice registration fee. 

And sure, you can come at me and tell me that your child ‘passed and you did nothing!’ Well you would be lying. Because even if you did do ‘nothing’, your child did a great deal in order to be offered a place at a top school at 4+. 

It’s lazy mentality and one that I want nothing to do with. There are plenty of other agencies out there that will entertain this. I’m not here to get a bunch of failures - sorry if that is harsh but it’s the truth. I’m here for the results. I’m here for the success of my students. I’m here every step of the way to support my clients to provide their children with the best possible education because we all know how important that is. 

The final programme that we are offering for 2026 entry is our Ultimate Emerald Curriculum. Join before 30th November to secure the best support possible in your child’s 4+ assessments. 

‘My child is at the level they need to be to pass that 4+ assessment’

Are you really sure though?

I don’t ask this to scare you at all.

It’s a legitimate question.

Parents keep telling us this but when we meet their children, they are not at the level they need to be at to pass most of the 4+ assessment that they are going to be attending.

You see, we are currently preparing 40 children for their 4+ assessments (2026 entry) and we have a benchmark. We know the level that our students need to be at. How do we know? We know because we actually have data. We have nearly 2 decades worth of data actually. You see, we have prepared children for their 4+ assessments for nearly 2 decades and collectively we have nearly 60 years worth of experience (myself and my senior teachers).

So is your child truly at the level that they need to be in order to pass a 4+ assessment?

This is your final chance to book onto our Ultimate Emerald Curriculum and find out. This exceptional programme will close on November 30th.

My long term vision for my son.

I spend every single day supporting other parents to make very important decisions. Decisions about their children that will impact the rest of their lives (their lives and the lives of their children). I take what I do very seriously. It is of upmost importance to me to support parents all over the country to make the best choices possible for their children.

You see, I didn’t have the best education growing up. We were certainly not ‘wealthy’ and my parents did the best they could with the knowledge that they had at the time and the circumstances they experienced at the time. However, it is very factual for me to tell you that my education could have been far superior. And if it had been, perhaps I wouldn’t have had to have struggled as much as I did between the ages of 18-35. Perhaps I would have made better financial decisions between the ages of 18-35 and perhaps my life would have just been filled with far more choices than those that I had between the ages of 18-35.

The education that our children receive is very important to me.

Currently, I am creating a long term vision for my son.

Having been state educated myself from the age of 5 to the age of 18, I know with certainty that I do not want him in a state school. People will say to me that I shouldn’t let my experience cloud my vision for my son. I will let my experience be the shining light to guide me very carefully in making this decision. My experience matters.

Having worked in state education for over a decade and having taught in hundreds of schools (including private), I know that I do not want him in a state school. I’ve seen too much. It’s a straight and easy no.

Private schooling is an option, sure. But not in his very early years. I want to have the flexibility to take him out of school and travel with him, to visit family, to go to new places and to have new experiences with him. I cannot do that if he begins school full time from September 2026.

I know that I can provide him with a ‘world class’ education that the government tell me they are offering all of our children. My education was far from ‘world class’.

Socially, it will be up to me or organise activities where he can interact with other children. Not because I think children socialise in schools (I don’t), but because my son adores to be with other children. And what I’ve actually noticed is that he loves being with different children (not the same ones every day).

Long term, I do want him to be very, very academic. I want to follow his lead and see what he is drawn to and provide him with everything he needs to achieve what he wants. I do want him to achieve high grades at GCSE and A-level. Not because of the grades themselves but because they will open doors for his future endeavours. I would like him to go to university but this will be completely up to him when he is mature enough to make that decision (I do not think 18 is the age to make these choices personally).

I don’t necessarily want him to work full time or have to work full time as an employee (unless he tells me that he wants to do this). I will steer him towards the entrepreneur route. I know that this will give him the freedom that I have been creating for myself and my family over the last 2 decades. I want him to feel positive and negative emotions in equal doses. I want him to develop the tools and skills to be able to handle both to the best of his ability. I want to be his main teacher. I want to be his guide. I want him to continue to have the hunger for learning that he currently has. I do not want this to be taken away from him by anyone.

I do not want anyone telling me what I should or should not be doing when it comes to my son. I do not want to follow rigid rules. I want freedom. It’s what I have always wanted - it’s just not what I was conditioned to want.

This is my long term vision for my son.

What is your long term vision for your child?

The South Hampstead 4+ assessment update (2026 entry)

The 90 minute ‘play date’ assessment is now over for our students.

The first round that is.

Our girls did so well. I know that they did.

All of our girls have worked very hard in preparation for the 4+ assessment at South Hampstead and they were all more than prepared to go in and truly shine.

Everything that I’ve heard from my clients has been very positive and we are all so proud of our girls.

Now, we wait. We wait to find out which of our girls are through to the second round. I believe that they will all be invited to the second round.

It’s very important for prospective new parents thinking of applying to this school for 2027 and beyond to truly understand that this is a very tough assessment.

They like to sugar coat it and make it sound delightfully pleasant but it really is a tough assessment in so many ways. Yes, the teachers are all lovely. Yes, they are experts at dealing with 3/4 year olds. Yes, the teachers present try their best to make it a pleasant experience but please don’t expect your daughter to go in and have a ‘play date’. It’s as far from a play date as you can get.

First of all, a play date does not involved being tested in the early years curriculum. Second of all a play date doesn’t generally happen with a group of children that your daughter does not know. And finally, a play date generally doesn’t happen in a school environment which is completely unknown to your daughter.

It is not a play date.

Stop calling me and telling me it is. I will not listen to you.

It is not.

Half of the girls who attended the first round will be invited to attend the second round and this will be even tougher. Basically, your daughter will have a 1:2 chance of being called back to the second round.

I do not write this to scare you. I write this to mentally prepare you. I write this so that you actually take the time, effort and energy to work with your daughter for the next 8-10 weeks that we have remaining until the second round (if your daughter is successful of course). And if you are 2027 entry, that you get started from now so that you have a full 12 months of 4+ assessment preparation. It really doesn’t bother me how you go about it - but please just start.

I have just launched my brand new South Hampstead Round 2 Success programme which will be a game changer to your round 2 assessment preparation. There are only 3 places available. If you know your daughter will pass, join now! If you want to wait and see, check in and see if I still have places remaining!

Glendower 4+ assessment update (2026 entry)

So you’re gearing up for the Glendower 4+ assessment in January 2026 but do you really know what to expect? Is your daughter truly ready to go in and shine? Do you think that your daughter has a chance of being offered a place to study at Glendower?

Last year, we prepared 2 girls and both got in (results were not updated and I heard much later about my second student). 2 girls prepared and 2 girls got in!

This year, we are preparing 5 girls for their Glendower 4+ assessment. All of them are bright, vibrant and highly intelligent little girls. I am so excited for them and I know that our results will be even better this year!

So here is a little update for you.

There is one round only at Glendower.

The girls are assessed in very small groups of 6.

The girls will be observed by 3-4 adults.

The assessors will be looking for girls who are able to socialise well with the group. The girls who can socialise well will be able to play beautifully, share, show kindness and be polite. They will be looking for girls who are ‘ready to learn.’ To show readiness for learning, the girls will show incredible maturity (for a 3 or 4 year old), they will show that they can listen and focus and they will show that they are hungry to learn. They will be looking for girls who are cooperative and who will do exactly what they are asked to do. They will be looking for girls who can be ‘flexible’. What this means is girls who can follow instructions perfectly. They are also looking for girls who truly want to learn. Girls who don’t need to be encouraged to do their learning. Girls who are ready and eager to get on with it. Finally, they will be looking for girls with a very high level of vocabulary and highly articulate girls who can answer their questions to a very high standard.

Maths and english will be assessed to a very high standard. If you don’t know what this standard is, work with an expert who does.

40 places will be offered. At least 200 will attend. So think a 1:5 chance of being offered a place.

Register your daughter within a couple of month of her birth. They only offer a limited number of slots for the 4+ assessment. If you don’t register at birth, it will be very unlikely (not impossible however) that your daughter will even be invited to an assessment at this school.

It is also an expectation that parents will have visited the school and met with the head of the school.

At nearly £31.5k per year, this is one of the more expensive girls’ schools in London. I highly recommend that you prepare your daughter for at least one year for this assessment (longer if she is summer born). Invest your time and effort into ensuring that your daughter will be ready to go in and truly shine in this 4+ assessment.

Join our waiting list today (2027 entry and beyond).

We have nearly 2 decades of experience preparing our girls to have tremendous success at Glendower. We know the calibre of girl who passes. We know exactly what Glenower want in their prospective new students.

What your child will be asked to do isn't as important as how they should do it.

Parents keep asking me this question…

‘What will my child be asked to do in their 4+ assessment?’

It’s an okay question but it’s not the most important question. Also, I answer this question very well here for you.

‘What can my child do in their 4+ assessment that will give them a huge edge over the other applicants?’

That’s a much more interesting question for you to ask yourself.

Remember, this is a competition. And if you don’t like this - don’t send your child to a 4+ assessment.

Remember. your child will be up against 400-500 other children (on average) and if you don’t like this - don’t send your child to a 4+ assessment.

Remember that many children will be rejected and told no - and if you don’t like this - don’t send your child to a 4+ assessment.

No body wants to receive that letter or email that tells them that their child has not passed their 4+ assessment but it’s all part of the process.

We support our students to have full 4+ curriculum coverage so that they can go in and do everything that they are asked to do to a very high standard but ultimately what we do so exceptionally well is this…

We support our clients to understand what is expected of their children in their 4+ assessments so that they can be their child’s guide. And we support our students to know exactly what is expected of them so that they can go into any 4+ assessment and be able to demonstrate what the assessors are looking for in order to be able to pass.

Simple.

Join our Waiting List today.