More Power To Your Glendower 4+ Assessment Preparation!

We are preparing 8 girls for their 4+ Assessment at Glendower this year (2027 entry). We are all working very hard to ensure that our girls are ready and able to go into their Glendower 4+ Assessment at SHINE.

Last week, one of my clients said to me, “It’s like a show isn’t it? They have to go in and perform!”

Obviously she was talking about the 4+ Assessments! And she was absolutely spot on.

If your child will be attending the Glendower 4+ Assessment is January 2026 for September 2027 entry, she’d better be ready to go in and give the performance of a lifetime! She’d better be ready to go in with energy, enthusiasm and focus. And it is my hope that you will be preparing her very well to be able to go in and do this.

In order to pass the Glendower 4+ Assessment, your daughter will demonstrate the following:

1. Social Maturity

This just means that she will go in calmly, follow the instructions perfectly, give eye contact to the several examiners observing her, not cry when you drop her off or at any point during the assessment and listen beautifully.

Not much expected! :)

We support and prepare our girls to be able to understand exactly how to go in and show the social maturity that will be expected of them.

2. Readiness to learn in a group situation

As your daughter will be 1/6 girls being assessed, it is obvious that she will be expected to work well as part of a group. This means listening well to others as they talk and responding accordingly, sharing, taking turns, being polite, showing authority but also letting others have a voice.

Our Curriculum Programmes support our girls to understand how to work beautifully as part of a group, we support our girls to develop their listening skills, and we support our girls to understand how to show independence too!

3. Cooperation

Your daughter will cooperate well as in she will listen to what is asked and do it. Simple.

4. Flexibility

In your daughter’s Glendower 4+ Assessment, she will be asked to move from one activity to another and it will be expected that she does this without resistance and without getting upset about it.

Our girls develop their focus skills over the course of 12-18 months learning with us in our exceptional Curriculum Programmes.

5. A ‘can do’ approach

Your daughter will show that she wants to do everything that she is asked to do. There will be no resistance shown.

6. Communication

Your daughter will show that she is able to communicate well with the examiners in the room and with the other children in the room. She will answer all of the questions being asked to a very high standard. She will give a full sentence and extend her ideas. She doesn’t need to be overly loud or extroverted. Quiet and introverted children can also demonstrate superb communication.

7. Numeracy skills

Your daughter will have excellent numeracy skills and will have covered a broad and vast maths curriculum before setting foot in the Glendower 4+ Assessment.

8. Letter recognition

Your daughter will know all of her single sounds and will be blending before her Glendower 4+ Assessment. She may also identify certain digraphs. Your daughter will be able to write all the letters of the alphabet correctly with correct letter formation and appropriate sizing. We don’t know which letters will come up so we prepare for all of them!

9. Ability to follow instructions

Your daughter will follow instructions perfectly - basically she will do everything that she is asked to do straight away!

Remember that there are only 40 places available at Glendower!

Remember that your daughter will be 1 of hundreds and hundreds of girls whose parents desperately want them to attend this school.

Preparing for the 4+ at Glendower? Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today and see how we can support you to support your daughter to the best of your ability to have the success that she deserves to have in this 4+ assessment.

If the times above don’t work for you, join our Curriculum Acceleration Programme.

Don't cry about the 4+ at Putney High - Get prepared!

A very popular school that we prepare for in Putney.

It is a GDST Independent Day school for girls.

My clients who visit this school are drawn to it because of its vibrant nature. They often comment that the girls who show them around are so confident, bright and highly articulate.

We continue to teach several girls who we supported to gain entry to this school at 4+ and who are currently studying at Putney High. I can honestly say that these girls are the most amazing girls to teach. They are genuinely kind, loving and caring girls who just want to learn more and more. Truthfully - a delight to teach and to learn with.

Class sizes are not exceptionally small to be completely honest with you and if this is something that you value for your daughter than it is worth keeping this in mind.

22 girls in each Reception class - Year 2.

24 girls from Year 3 - Year 6.

Be crystal clear that there are only 44 places available into Reception and there will be hundreds of girls applying for Putney High at 4+. As it is such a highly sought after school - let’s assume that 440 girls will apply for a place at Putney High.

Your daughter therefore has a 1:10 chance of being successful in this 4+ assessment.

Another school that will tell you that there is ‘no need to prepare’. I’ve personally never heard of a girl passing an assessment at Putney High without being thoroughly prepared. Obviously I have not spoken to the whole of London and I do not know everyone applying here but I’m speaking based on the parents that I have spoken to historically (over the last 20 years).

Whatever your reason is for wanting this school for your daughter, do make sure that you prepare her to the best of your ability to have the highest possible chances of being successful in this 4+ assessment. With only 4 places available at the 7+ entry point, this might be your only chance to support your daughter to study at Putney High. Occasional places do arise but these are incredibly rare.

One more thing. Just because Putney High says that they take age into account, I really wouldn’t make this mean something that it doesn’t. I won’t go on about it here - I’ve spoken extensively about my views about summer and autumn born babies! Search for my blogs!

Our Waiting List is now open for our new cohort of students joining us from September 2026. This will be for assessments for 2028 entry and beyond. Join our Waiting List today and secure your day/time for weekly tuition and ongoing access to your teacher to have the support your truly need to support your child to be wildly successful in any assessment. This will form your Registration fee and once. you have joined our Company Director Maria Mazarese will be in direct contact to see which days/times could work well for your child.

We look forward to supporting your child to have the success they deserve to have in any assessment.

Is your child ready for his/her 4+ assessments?

We are already having enquiries for 2029 entry - which is fabulous. It shows that my hard work is paying off. It shows that my message is spreading. It shows that parents all over the country are taking this 4+ assessment process seriously.

Some of you have children who are preparing for 2027 entry. How do you feel? My hope is that you are feeling calm and relaxed. My hope is that you have been doing everything in your power to support your child to prepare for their 4+ assessments in these last 12-18 months that you’ve had.

Many of you have jumped on Consultations with us in these last few weeks and have asked us this question.

Is my child ready for his/her 4+ assessment/s?

Obviously we cannot answer that question fully and comprehensively for you - not without meeting your child and seeing what they can do in each of the 7 areas of learning that these 4+ assessments will be assessing!

If you seriously want that one question answered for you then book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today or book onto my Ultimate Curriculum Acceleration Programme.

I’m going to provide you with 7 questions to answer truthfully. Obviously these are not tailored to a specific school. If you want questions tailored to a specific school, join my programmes above.

If your answer to any of these questions is no then you have more work to do.

Communication and Language

Can your child answer up to Level 4 questions confidently?

Questions like…

Why?

How do you know?

What might that mean?

What will happen next?

Personal Social Emotional Development

Is your child happy to be left in a new and unfamiliar setting?

Basically will your child go into the 4+ assessment with joy, confidence and happiness?

Physical Development

Is your child strong physically (gross and fine) ?

Literacy (this will be different for each individual school - it’s up to you to know what these differences are and prepare your child accordingly) This question is the bare minimum expectation.

Does your child know all of their phase 2 and phase 3 single sounds?

Maths (this will be different for each individual school - it’s up to you to know what these differences are and prepare your child accordingly) This question is the bare minimum expectation.

Can your child identify and write numbers to 10?

Understanding of the world

Does your child have a hunger for learning about the world around them?

And will they be able to demonstrate this in their 4+ assessment? Do they even know how they would demonstrate this and what the expectation of them would be?

Art and Design

Can your child follow simple instructions to draw whatever he/she is asked to draw with precision and accuracy?

If you answered a confident yes to all of the above - congrats! You still have work to do however!

If you answered no, please don’t worry - you still have time to take massive action to support your child to be in with the best possible chances for success.

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and find out how we can support your child to have tremendous success in all of their 4+ assessments.

My child is too young for the 4+/7+/11+ assessments.

I mean truthfully insert any assessment you want.

Your child is not too young. Your mindset needs some work.

It is what it is. We live in a country where children are placed into year groups according to their age. You know this already. Accept it. Understand it.

Your August born child will be in the same year group as a September born child.

To some of you this is unbelievably unfair. To me it’s just information. It’s just a fact.

And if your child is summer born and you wish for them to attend an assessment to gain entry into your desired school of choice, you’d better clearly understand that you will need to start preparing them earlier than someone who has a September born child will.

It’s obvious no?

But what happens instead?

Summer born children start working with us later than their autumn born peers!

Parents will simply say things like…

‘They were too young to start!’

‘They were just not ready!’

I believe none of it!

Sorry.

My son is July born. I will never let his age be the reason that he is not ready for an assessment should we decide to send him to one in the future.

He will be just as ready - if not more ready than his autumn born peers. Isn’t that a far better mindset to have?

How is that possible? I hear your sceptical minds asking me!

It simply is.

If you ever have the pleasure of meeting my nearly 4 year old, you will comment how ‘advanced’ he is and how ‘ahead’ he is and how you just cannot ‘believe he is summer born!’

Well, believe it!

I just started his Curriculum Programme with him at 18 months of age and not at 3 years of age.

That’s how my son is in the position he is in right now and will continue to be in the future.

I know fully well that this world we live in is a competition. And it’s not a fair one either. It is my duty and my responsibility (and his father too!) to give our son the edge he needs to be in with a chance in this world I will need to eventually throw him into!

Preparing your child for an assessment in the near future?

Be sure to join our Waiting List! Places are filling up quickly already! Once we are at capacity, we will exclusively be offering my Curriculum Acceleration Programme only. The Waiting List is only for assessments for 2028 entry and beyond.

3 Ways to Know your Ken Prep Assessment Prep is Actually Working…

Currently we are preparing 6 girls for their 4+ assessment at Kensington Prep.

It is a fiercely competitive school and one that must be prepared for thoroughly. 

All the girls preparing for this specific school  have been with us for nearly a year. 

A few important dates for you to keep in mind if you are applying for the 4+ at Ken Prep (2027 entry) 

• You can apply from birth and up until 23rd October 2026 (for 2027 entry) 

• Only parents of registered girls can attend their open day. 

• The assessment will take place in January 2027. They call it a ‘play based’ assessment. You can be sure that your daughter is not going to Ken Prep to be just observed ‘playing’. 

Being successful at Ken prep means preparing your daughter to be able to go in and answer questions well, focus, show confidence and independence, be able to interact well with the other girls and adults and have the stamina to complete the full 60 minute assessment and complete it well! You are 100% not preparing her to go in and have a fun play! There is so much else involved!

3 Ways to Know your Ken Prep Assessment Prep is Actually Working…

1. Your daughter is developing the ability to interact beautifully with others. This includes children and adults.

2. Your daughter is already very curious and hungry to explore the world around her. And if she isn’t quite there yet, you will be doing everything in your power to provide her with learning that will encourage this curiosity and hunger for learning.

3. Your daughter is excited to learn.

Perhaps you might find this surprising but this is exactly what we prepare our girls who are applying for Ken Prep to be able to go in and demonstrate.

Because you see - we are laser sharp aware that with only 40 places on offer that our girls will need to go in and really shine. And believe me - they do!

I can picture our girls who we have historically prepared for Ken Prep - many of them are still our students.

They are confident girls. Not necessarily extrovert. In fact most of our girls who have passed this assessment are introverts who exude an inner confidence when you meet and interact with them. They are girls who are such a delight to teach. They are girls who when you teach them, they fully engage. They are kind, polite and caring. But what truly stands them apart from others is this. Their hunger and thirst for learning.

This does not happen naturally just FYI. This is nurtured and encouraged from as early as possible.

Preparing your daughter for Ken Prep (2027 entry)? We will support you every single step of the way to have the success that your daughter deserves to have.

Book your Sample Lesson today (final lessons remaining).

Join my Curriculum Acceleration Programme to work with me (8 places remaining)

Don't be delusional about the Forest 4+ Assessment.

With 16 children in each of their 3 Reception classes, this is very appealing to many parents who consider Forest as their school of choice for their children.

For many of our clients, it is simply their school of choice because of its location and vicinity to their home!

Whatever your reason for applying to Forest, it is important that you understand one thing very well.

You must prepare your child for this 4+ assessment.

And yes, I do know that Forest ‘request’ that you do not prepare your child for this assessment. Sorry but I don’t request anything of anyone! Do as you please. You can listen to whatever you want.

Don't be delusional about the Forest 4+ Assessment. Preparation is key.

The incredibly high expectations that Forest have of their students should be a key indication to you that without thorough, tailored and bespoke 4+ assessment prep your child will not have the chance that our students who have been thoroughly prepared will have.

We know exactly how to prepare your child for the 4+ at Forest. We have been preparing students for their 4+ at Forest for over 2 decades. We know exactly the type of child Forest is looking for and we support our clients to understand what this is so that they can support their child to go in and truly shine.

Want your child to have the highest possible chances for success in this 4+ assessment?

Final places to work with us.

If you are preparing for 2028 entry and beyond, join our Waiting List to guarantee your day/time.

Is your child really ready for the Chigwell 4+ Assessment?

We’ve prepared over 50 children to be wildly successful at Chigwell in their 4+ assessments over these last 20 years.

We know the exact expectations Chigwell have for their potential new students and we prepare our students to such a high level so that they can go in and truly show what is expected of them.

Our students know exactly what is expected from them the second they set foot into the Chigwell 4+ assessment (yes - at the age of 3!)

We also know exactly what our clients think of the Chigwell 4+ assessment process! And we will of course share this with you if you become clients of ours! It is important that you know exactly what to expect too.

Chigwell write very accurately about what this assessment is all about. But they are very brief about it! So what they write really doesn’t give much away at all. If you’re completely new to the 4+ assessment process at Chigwell, it really won’t tell you very much at all.

Here’s what it does tell you:

The 4+ assessment consists of pupil participation in a range of activities centred on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Briefly, these activities comprise number and literacy games, physical games, playing with other children, listening and responding to a story and joining in with singing or rhymes. The assessment usually takes place in the Pre Prep library, lasts approximately 1½ hours and is carefully designed to ensure children feel happy and settled.

A 90 minute assessment! Says it all really!

This is an intense assessment and one that needs to be thoroughly prepared for.

This is your final chance to join my Intensive 3 month programme and give your child the highest possible chances for success in the Chigwell 4+ assessment.

If the timings do not work for you, join my Curriculum Acceleration Programme and see your child’s learning acceleration truly go to the next level!

The highly competitive Manor Lodge 4+ assessment and the BS comments you will read online.

Just some stupid, nonsensical and BS comments that you will read online…

Up to you if you believe these comments and up to you if you prep your child or not. We are here to support parents who will take this 4+ process seriously. If you won’t, then we are not the teachers for you anyway!

‘For assessments, they don’t like if a child has been prepped or tutored.’

What a ridiculous, ignorant thing to say. That is all.

‘It is clear to them which kids are tutored and which are not.’

Yeh! And the tutored ones will be the ones who will pass. I’m not speculating here. I know this as a FACT having prepared boys and girls for Manor Lodge for 2 decades.

‘What will be, will be’

This is not the Que Sera, Sera song! With that kind of attitude, don’t even bother.

Do what you please but please do not send a 3 year old unprepared to this assessment. Its just not the right thing to do.

‘What they expect from an autumn born child is different to what they expect from a summer born child!’

Oh really? Oh please. Never in my 2 decades of doing this have I ever heard that my summer born students have been assessed any differently to my autumn born students. My son is a July baby. He is miles ahead of most autumn born children in his cohort (in all areas of learning). The month you’re born in should not determine your academic capacity. But how you are taught and prepared will.

‘All I did was tell her it would be a playdate and to go in and be herself.’

I imagine this parent typing this and doing an evil laugh.

Why on earth would you send your child into any assessment without thoroughly preparing them?

I will never, ever understand this.

And nope, sending them to nursery/pre-school every day is not 4+ assessment preparation.

Preparing for Manor Lodge for 2027 entry? You have two options:

1. My Signature Intensive 3 month Programme with Helen (listed times only)

2. My Curriculum Acceleration Programme

If you want to know more, book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today.

What does the word 'Education' mean to you?

I’ve been speaking to so many of you these last few weeks and one thing is crystal clear to me.

There seems to be a lot of conflict with what we value and what education means to us.

A conflict between our values and the education of our children.

You see the word ‘education’ does not mean the same thing to all of us. In fact it will mean very different things to each and every one of us.

In fact, if you look up the words ‘Education’ in the dictionary, it has severals meanings.

Merriem Webster puts it simply for us.

the action or process of teaching or of being or becoming educated.

the knowledge and development resulting from the process of learning or being taught.

Formal education is simply where you receive certificates following the education you have received.

Non formal education is simply where you choose to learn outside of the traditional formal education. Eg. My Life Coach School Certification and my Personal Training Qualification etc.

Informal education is simply our own daily education through reading and our own self study.

Here is where education and our own personal values can be in conflict. Let me give you a couple of examples.

If you value spending more than 4-5 hours a day with your child then there will be a conflict with sending your child to school for 7-8 hours a day (I count the whole wake up routine, drop offs etc as part of this time).

If you value going away on holiday whenever you please, there will be a conflict.

If you value having full ownership over your child’s learning, there will be a conflict.

So why on earth am I writing all of this?

Honestly, it’s because we are at a crossroads currently with figuring out how on earth we will educate our son at home and both continue to work full time and really honouring our core values as a family. And also because, as I wrote above, I am hearing of a lot of conflicting views with regards to the education of our little ones.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong. Whatever we decide to do, our experience will be 50/50. But it’s truly about honouring our values. What we believe in. What we truly want for our families. It’s about drowning out the noise and doing our best for our children.

I value education so much. My son will be raised to be very academic (whatever that will eventually mean for him).

I want my son to love learning. I want him to love his education and to have a deep love for his learning. These were both missing for me growing up (which is heartbreaking). It will not be missing for him.

If you are preparing your child for assessments in the next few years, join my Waiting List and give your child the highest possible chances for success in any assessment. We have supported thousands of children to have tremendous success in their assessments and we know exactly how to prepare them and how to support them and our clients.

When parents start assessment prep is the most infuriating thing to me (and to them too!)

There are two types of parents that I encounter on a daily basis. 

Type 1. 

The calm, relaxed, go with the flow parents. The parents who say things like, ‘Oh Maria! But we don’t need to prepare them for that assessment!’

‘It’s not as competitive as the other schools you prepare for!’

‘I’m so sure that they will just take him/her!’

Type 2. 

The focused, determined and fully aware parents. 

The parents who say things like, ‘Right Maria, let’s go! We have 18 months left and we have work to do!’

‘When can we get started?’

‘What can we do to support him/her to have the highest possible chances for success?’

You know the type that I wish to talk to. 

There is a huge problem with when parents start assessment preparation for their children. The problem is this…

I will truly never understand why anyone would consciously choose to send their child to an assessment unprepared. And I honestly don’t care what school it is that their child goes to. 

Any school. Is there really such a thing as a ‘feeder school’? Because I teach many, many children from these ‘feeder schools’ so really some of their results are mine too! (they do not publish that though do they?)

Keep in mind that these schools will cost these parents 8k-11k per term for their children to go there. So why on earth would they not invest a fraction of that to prepare their children for these schools? 

Everyone’s answer will be different and really that is a rhetorical question because I’m not too interested in the answer to that question. 

But what I am interested in is when parents call me up to tell me about the fact that their child was unsuccessful in this or that assessment and when I ask them if they prepared, they say no. Or they say that their child went to nursery or school. Yeh, that is not assessment preparation - and I do not care which school your child attends. Doesn’t matter. At all. 

You see, parents will not advertise the fact that their child did not pass their assessment at schools like Westminster, Habs, NLCS or South Hampstead. Perhaps they won’t even tell you that they applied. They will keep it their little secret. So how are you to ever know that children are unsuccessful at these schools’ assessments?

Well, of course children are unsuccessful.

That is why they are called assessments. 

So if you’re new to this. Great. Listen to me very carefully. 

Preparing for entrance exams takes time, patience, resilience and dedication. And do not ever forget that this is a competition. And these schools will have their choice of who they want to attend their schools. 

Who will they choose? 

The prepared or the unprepared? 

It’s so incredibly obvious to me!

Preparing for 2028 entry and beyond. I have added a few brand new times to my Waiting List. Join today and secure that time as soon as it becomes available. Your Waiting List fee covers your Registration fee.

Upper case or lower case when teaching reading?

There are many studies completed about this. You can read these for yourselves if you wish. 

I disagree with many of these studies. I sometimes wonder if teachers themselves have conducted these studies or if they have been conducted by people who don’t even work with children. 

I’m here to share with you my insights and my beliefs based on the thousands of children that I have taught over the last 20 years. I’ m here to share with you what I’ve seen to work very well and what I’ve seen that has not worked very well. Remember that we teach hundreds of children every single year here at CMT. We see what works. We see what does not. 

When teaching very early reading, knowledge of the alphabet is obviously fundamental. 

But it is also highly complex (surprising huh?). 

Do you teach the letter sounds or the letter names or do you teach both? 

Here at CMT, we teach our students the letter sounds first. 

We do not mention the letter names for a very long time. 

When teaching early reading, children need to know the pure sounds first. No one cares about the letter names when it comes to reading. In fact it will slow your child’s reading progress significantly if you are teaching the letter names first. And it will be so confusing for your child. This will lead to frustration and delay their reading progress. 

There are times children join me perhaps late in the year and with only a few months left to prepare for their 4+ and sadly because they have been taught the letter names of the alphabet first, they have not been able to learn how to read before their 4+ assessments. And for some 4+ assessments, children need to demonstrate that they know how to read - whether they tell you that this is the case or not. 

Do you teach upper case or lower case letters individually or do you teach them simultaneously?

Here at CMT, we teach lower case first. We focus on lower case because when children read, 95% of the words on the page will be lower case (perhaps slightly less but you know what I mean). We laser focus on teaching the lower case sounds first. Only when children have mastered every single sound do we introduce capital letters. 

Reading progress is accelerated significantly using this process. 

Yes, it’s a little frustrating that my proficient 3 year old reader sometimes stumbles on the capital letters - especially the ones that don’t look like the lower case letters. However, it will take me a couple of weeks of targeted a focused learning to support him with learning his capital letters and honestly, each day that I read with him, he is identifying them more and more confidently. 

Need support with teaching your little one how to read? 

My Curriculum Acceleration Programme will be perfect for you.

Why wouldn’t my child pass the 4+ at Westminster?

I was asked this question earlier this week by a father who called me to find out more about my 4+ programme.

I loved the equal mix of confidence and delusion. 

I turned the question around and asked him…

Well, tell me why he would pass this assessment? 

He gave me a huge list of reasons which I really don’t have time to write about. But here are a few for you. 

His son is so amazing 

Yes, yours and all of the other 500 applicants! 

His son knows all of his phonics (single sounds) 

Well I should think so by this point given that the assessment is in less than 5 months time (at the point of writing this). 

His son is so good at maths! 

Yes, yours and most likely all of the other 500 applicants! 

Listen up, we all believe that our children are the best of the best and that a school like Westminster would be the lucky ones to have them! 

So, let me break it down for you very simply and tell you some of the reasons why your child won’t pass the 4+ at Westminster. 

• They don’t go into the assessment the way that is expected. 

• They don’t follow the instructions the way that is expected. 

• They don’t interact with adults the way that is expected. 

• They don’t demonstrate all of the skills needed to be demonstrated. 

• They don’t perform academically at the level that the ones who will pass perform. 

It’s not a playdate and do not tell your child that it is. 

I don’t lie to my child. 

Your child is not there to relax and have fun so do not tell your child that that is what they are going there to do. 

If your child doesn’t know what to expect don’t expect them to do what they need to do in order to pass.

Seems so obvious to me. Is it obvious to you?

Book your FREE Assessment Consultation Discovery Call today and discover how we can support your child to have the best possible chances for success in this incredibly challenging 4+ assessment.

Some clients' values will never align with mine - and that's just fine!

Running a business is something that I never dreamed I would be doing. Running a successful business is definitely something that I never dreamed I would be doing. But here I am. I took many, many risks, left the ‘stability’ of my full time teaching career and created a beautiful business that has been running for nearly 6 years now.

When I first started Creative Minds Tutors, I knew one thing for certain. What I wanted was to build a business that really cared about each and every single client. What I wanted was to build a business that really cared about each and every student. You see, I felt that this was really lacking in the schools that I worked in for nearly 20 years.

Building relationships with parents isn’t easy when you work in a school (any school). As a teacher, your main role is to support your students. You don’t have much time interacting with parents and when you do it would usually be to deal with a complaint of some sort. Parents didn’t really take the time to get to know the teachers as individuals because there simply would be no time for this. Parents would often be in a rush at collection and it would be a simple nod and good bye.

I wanted to create a business where I could really develop those relationships with my clients. Now, hear me carefully. I know I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to provide the best service possible and I do that extremely well. The service that we provide to each and every one of our clients is out of this world extraordinary. We offer something that no other Tutoring Business out there offers - ongoing access to your teachers. Anything our clients need, we are there to support them every single step of the way.

A relationship built on mutual respect, kindness and trust is very, very important to me.

Sometimes this mutual respect, kindness and trust is either not there from the start or it breaks down from the part of the client. This is where values do not align. And I’ve worked on this so much and I’ve come to terms with it. But the way I see it is this. If you want your child to be respectful, kind and trustworthy, you need to model these values to your child.

I will always show the highest amount of respect and kindness to all of my clients. I will always show them that they can trust me and that we have nothing but the highest of expectations for their children.

But I need to accept that I will come across parents who simply will not uphold my values. And that’s okay.

And do you know what makes it all worthwhile?

The hundreds and hundreds of beautiful relationships that we have created over the last 6 years in business at CMT and the last 20 years of teaching thousands of students and working with thousands of clients. A few negative encounters will always be erased by the beautiful relationships that we have with the majority of our clients and will continue to have!

The Reality of the South Hampstead 7+ Assessment.

Only 24 girls are typically invited to join the school in Year 3. 

Not many at all considering that hundreds and hundreds of girls will be applying for a place at South Hampstead at 7+. 

On Tuesday 24th November, they will be holding an ‘Optional’ Taster session for all girls who have applied. If you would like your daughter to be considered for a place at South Hampstead at 7+, you will attend this session. 

On Tuesday 5th January 2027, your daughter will be invited to attend her assessment. It will be half a day at school. Here is what they write about it, ‘The girls will be divided into small groups and sit tests in maths, writing and comprehension; we do not provide past papers. There will also be a round table discussion for which no preparation is required’.

Preparation is of course required for all aspects of this 7+ assessment. 

We have prepared many girls over the last 20 years for their 7+ assessment at South Hampstead.

We know exactly the calibre of girls who have passed and our bespoke curriculum programmes will prepare your daughters every step of the way to have tremendous success in their 7+ assessments at South Hampstead. 

Preparing for 2027 entry into South Hampstead? Our Ultimate Curriculum Acceleration Programme will be perfect for you.

3 reasons you should start assessment prep 2 years before the 7+ assessment/s?

When I speak to many parents, they will often say these sentences to me…

‘I’m new to this!’

‘I didn’t know that it would be so competitive!’

‘I had no idea that I had to prepare him!’

‘The schools told me not to tutor him!’

Well, if you’ve been following me for a while, you will know my views.

7+ takes at least 2 years of assessment preparation targeted specifically at the schools that you are applying to.

Reason #1

Learning takes time.

Learning doesn’t happen on demand. Learning takes time. Your child will have a broad and vast curriculum to cover for the 7+ assessments and you will need to cover all of it to a very, very high standard. This can only be done with time on your side. Two years seems like a long time but it really isn’t. Two years will fly by.

Reason #2

Mastery needs to be achieved.

In order to be successful in a 7+ assessment at a top, elite school, your child will need to be at mastery level in the Year 3 curriculum at the very least. This means that we are working at 1-2 years about your child’s current year. I expect my students to always have a reading age at least 2 years above their current age and there is a very good reason for this!

Reason #3

Children need to become obsessed with learning and to deeply love learning.

When learning is rushed, this is never achieved and my students may come to not love their learning at all if they are rushed or pushed too much or too quickly. I never want to do this with any of our students. I know how important these assessments are to my clients and of course they’re important to me too. But do you know what is far more important to me? It’s that my students love learning. It’s that my students are excited to meet with me each week and to learn with me. It’s that my students are hungry to learn more, more and more!

So if you are preparing your child for a 7+ assessment, do yourself a favour and start early. Whether you start with myself and my team or you start by yourself, just start!

If you’ve not left enough time to complete the full 12 month programme, you can still join our Intensive 3 month programme and give your child the highest possible chances for success in the 7+ assessments. Are you currently preparing for a 7+ assessment (2027 entry)? Then book your Emerald Curriculum 3-month Intensive Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

The reality of the Habs’ Boys’ 7+ Assessment.

Registration deadline for the Habs Boys 7+ Assessment is Monday 9th November 2026. The first round is on Friday 20th November and the second round is on Wednesday 16th December 2026. You have to wait a long time to find out if your son has passed or not as results are sent out on January 22nd.

There are only approximately 26 places available to join Habs in Year 3.

Not many places at all given the sheer volume of boys applying! The majority of parents that I initially speak to who are interested in this school for their sons do not know that there are only approx. 26 places until I tell them. Most of the time, they go quiet.

The first round assessment consists of tests in maths, English and reasoning. If you’ve never been through this process before, that is pretty much all that you are told. We’ve been through this process every single year for over 20 years.

Half of the boys assessed in the first round will be invited back for the second round. Round 2 will be more assessing of their English skills and a STEM activity. In the second round, parents are also invited to meet with members of the senior leadership team (parent interview).

Habs ' strongly recommend against tutoring’ for the 7+ assessment. Well, I’ve never once in 20 years spoken to any parent who has told me that they had sent their son in without being prepared or ‘tutored’. The word ‘tutored’ just means taught. Don’t let it mean something that it really does not mean.

If you taught your child before sending him into the Habs 7+ assessment, guess what? You tutored him. Say what you want but that’s the ultimate truth and if you don’t like it, oh well. 

If you’ve not left enough time to complete the full 2 year programme, you can join our Ultimate Curriculum Acceleration Programme. You can read all about it here and book your Sample Week. This is the only programme your son will need to have the highest possible chances for success at Habs.

The angry parents are only ever the ones who start late.

And by late what I mean is this…

Anything less than 4 years of assessment preparation for the 11+.

Anything less than 2 years of assessment preparation for the 7+.

Anything less than 1 year of assessment preparation for the 4+.

What do some of you do?

You get in touch with us when your child is 2-3 months out from having attend their 4+ assessments, already in Year 1 for the 7+ and already in Year 5 for the 11+ and you expect miracles.

And when you don’t see these miracles, you get frustrated and annoyed with the people trying to help you.

It happens year after year after year and it will continue to happen. Because you see, even if parents start late, we will always try to help our students to be successful in their assessments and in their curriculum acceleration and we will put in the work needed to support them to do that. Always.

The problem is when parents don’t put in the work, they don’t complete the home learning set, they don’t communicate with their teacher and they cancel lessons 1-2 times (or more) each month. Essentially, they don’t really take the process seriously at all. They care about getting their children into their target schools but they’re rather unbothered and unfazed by the part that will actually support their children to pass! After all, their child goes to an ‘amazing’ nursery or pre-school and after all - it’s up to them to prep them isn’t it? Umm, no it is not.

These are the parents who tend to be angry.

I promise you that the parents who put in the work, the parents who dedicate their time and energy to preparing their children for their assessments will never be the angry ones because these will be the ones who will have success. And even if they don’t have the success they’d hoped for, they will know with certainty and clarity that they put in the work needed to support their children to go into any assessment and have the highest possible chances for success. 

And if their children are not ‘successful’, they will know with laser sharp clarity that this is all part of the game of assessments. They certainly will not give up. We never give up on our kids around here. We keep going! We keep trying until we achieve exactly what we dream of achieving.

Simple.

If you’ve not left enough time to complete the full 1 year, 2 year or 4 year programme, you can still join our Intensive 3 month programme and give your child the highest possible chances for success in their assessments. Book your Emerald Curriculum 3-month Intensive Sample Lesson and Sample Week today.

Please note that this programme will close on July 31st 2026 (for 2027 entry).

The realities of the NLCS 7+ assessment

It surprises me how many parents I talk to who actually don’t know how many girls are offered a place in Year 3 at this school.

It surprises me how many parents I talk to who think that they can start preparing their daughter for their 7+ Assessment at NLCS a few months before the assessment.

Many (many!) girls will apply to this school to sit their 7+ Assessments. As in hundreds and hundreds. 

There are 7-10 places available.

A parent told me this the other day, ‘I’ve heard it’s easier to get in at 7+ than at 11+!’

Well, you’d be wrong about that (and that’s exactly what I told her).

 At 11+ there are 60 places available so not sure how they worked this one out! Of course there will be more applicants than at 7+ but the ratio will still be far higher than the 7+.

Some girls will be applying for the first time at 7+, Many girls will be applying after not having been successful to this school at 4+. Many girls will have already tried for occasional places and not been successful.

In order to pass round one, your daughter will need to demonstrate academic excellence in their assessments. Your daughter will be scoring at least 85% in her assessments in order to pass the first round. This is my opinion based on the girls who we have prepared for this 7+ assessment and how they would have scored.

NLCS will then call back the girls who scored the highest in their assessments to the second round. This will be very tough to pass and you need to work with a teacher who can guide you with what exactly the school is looking for in this round. 

The second round is ‘a day at school’.

Because it is a ‘day at school’ many parents tell me that they didn’t prepare for this at all. This sadly would not have gone well for them.

Don’t do this.

Prepare for round 2 as well as you prepared for Round 1.

We prepare our girls for Round 2 in conjunction with their Round 1 prep. It is not standalone preparation. To be clear.

And if you don’t know how to, work with someone who does!

If you’ve not left enough time to complete the full 2 year 7+ programme, you can still join our Intensive 3 month programme and give your daughter the highest possible chances for success in this 7+ assessment. If NLCS a school that you would love your daughter to go to (2027 entry)? Then book your Emerald Curriculum 3-month Intensive Sample Lesson today.

Little Habs Nursery - What we know so far…

Not much at all has been shared about Little Habs Nursery on the website yet. 

Everything I know is because my clients have shared information with me. 

Many of our current clients will be sending their little ones to Little Habs Nursery from September 2026. 

As it is going to be a completely brand new establishment, it is completely unknown to all of us. 

They will provide care to children from 6 months old all the way to pre-reception. 

The main goal of most of the parents that I have spoken to of choosing to send their children to Little Habs is with the purpose and intention of securing a place at Habs following the 4+ Assessment. 

What we do know is that children who attend this nursery will be given the opportunity to be assessed earlier than other children who will be applying externally (in October). If they are unsuccessful, they will be invited to attend with the external students and have ‘another chance’. 

Here are my thoughts. 

As more children will be accepted from the nursery, it will make it even harder for external candidates (there will be fewer places on offer compared to previously obviously). 

Without a shadow of a doubt the school will have a percentage proportion of places allocated to students already at Little Habs.  

If you are interested in other schools for your child and not just Habs, I would advise you to be cautious of sending your child here. If you apply to a school like NLCS or Westminster for example and they see that your child is already at Little Habs what will they think about that? Would they offer your child a place if they know that you most likely would choose Habs? Or if they know that you already have another child studying at Habs? 

I think it will be very awkward if children are not offered a place at Habs following their time attending Little Habs. 

I strongly believe that even though your child attends Little Habs that they need to be thoroughly prepared at home. 

I strongly believe that the nursery alone will not prepare your child for this 4+ assessment or for any other 4+ assessments. 

If Habs is your top school of choice, I strongly advise you to also apply to other schools too. I would never, ever suggest just applying to one school. 

If your child is starting Little Habs from September 2026, I wish them all the best. I hope they love it and I hope they have an amazing time. 

We are already teaching many, many children who will be attending Little Habs. And many, many more will be joining us in the upcoming months. 

Many.

Preparing for the 4+ Assessments for 2028 entry and beyond? Join our Waiting List Today!

The irrational Habs 7+ parent

Sandy (names changed for confidentiality) contacted me in September 2025. She wanted to prepare her son for the 7+ at Habs.

She had less than 3 months left to prepare her son.

We had our consultation and she seemed really on it. She told me that she would do ‘everything in her power to support her son’ and she told me that she was committed to putting in the work.

I believed her. Why wouldn’t I have believed her?

She signed up to my 3-month intensive programme.

We got started with preparing her son.

The problem was this.

 He had too many gaps. 

And instead of preparing him for his Habs 7+ assessment, I had to spend time filling in the gaps. When I provided Sandy with learning for her son to do at home, she never gave me any feedback about it and her son rarely completed it. When I would ask him how the home learning went, he would often tell me that he hadn’t done it or that he didn’t know about it.

One evening, I sent Sandy a message and I asked her to send me a test that I had asked her son to complete. No reply.

After about 5 lessons, came a message telling me that she would no longer be continuing. She told me that her son ‘wasn’t making the progress she had expected’ and basically was rather annoyed with me. I explained to her that she had 7 lessons left to complete.

Let’s just say that she came up with every excuse in the book to try to stop. She was very aggressive in her tone with me. She basically blamed me for her son’s lack of progress. Now that I think about it, I truly see how irrational this was. And of course, at the time, I did take it personally. It had nothing to do with me however. It had everything to do with her.

Her son did complete his lessons (he was a lovely little boy).

She did tell me that he did not pass Habs. I knew that from the beginning sadly. I know exactly the boys who pass and what is expected from them - I’ve only been preparing boys for this school for more than 20 years.

She also applied for Highgate. He wouldn't have passed Highgate either. I'm assuming he did not. Sandy did not bother to contact me to let me know. 

And it’s the saddest thing ever because he really was a very sweet boy. He just wasn’t prepared correctly for this incredibly tough 7+ assessment. And of course I wish him nothing but success.

But the point of writing this is this…

Why on earth would you send your child to the Habs Boys 7+ assessment without thorough preparation? Why would you send your son to any 7+ assessment without thorough preparation?

I will never, ever understand this.

If you’ve not left enough time to complete the full 2 year programme, you can still join our Intensive 3 month programme and give your son the highest possible chances for success in this 7+ assessment. Is Habs a school that you would love your son to go to (2027 entry)? Then book your Emerald Curriculum 3-month Intensive Sample Lesson today.