Unrealistic Expectations. A true 4+ story.

Names changed - obviously.

Sally came to me in July 2026. Her daughter Suma was currently studying at a ‘top’ central London Pre-School. Sally was very keen on Westminster and several other 4+ schools. She seemed determined to do everything in her power to support her daughter to be successful in her 4+ assessments. I was very clear with her that I did not think that she had enough time to prepare her daughter for a school like Westminster (and the others on her list). However, she was determined, and she told me that she would do everything she could for her daughter. So, we got started.

At our first lesson, it was clear that her daughter had a lot of gaps in her learning. She didn’t know any of her phonics. She struggled with holding her pencil and was unable to use scissors to cut. She was unable to identify numbers 1-10. She also really struggled to focus. Suma needed a lot of support from her parents during that first lesson but she did try her best.

In the second lesson, Suma cried. She was very upset about something that had happened earlier. I tried my best to guide her back to me and to the lesson but she was far too upset. I explained to Suma’s mother that she was far too upset and that it would be better for us to use the time to discuss her curriculum together so that she could go with her nanny and calm down.

Sally did not like this. She told me that she was paying for a lesson and she expected her daughter to stay. When I told her learning didn’t work that way, she was furious with me. Learning does not work that way - just FYI. If a child is upset, you must never force learning on them. It will be very detrimental.

Suma went off to play and I asked Sally how Suma was getting on with her phonics.

‘How on earth should I know? Isn’t that what I’m paying tens of thousands of pounds so her Prep school will teach her?’

No, was my answer.

She didn’t like that either!

The lesson after that, Suma really tried her best, but her mother would tell her that she ‘could do better’ and that ‘she knows that already!’

Clearly, the lessons were not working well for any of us.

We will not be continuing together and Suma will continue to go to her Prep School. Clearly, they hadn’t done a great job in the first place. What will be different from the autumn term?

Please do stop having unrealistic expectations. You want your child to go to a school like Westminster? Start 4 terms before the assessment and give your child the chance to really shine and show their capabilities. And be fully prepared to support your child yourself and not leave it up to anyone else.

Ready to work with the best teachers in the UK to support your child to have the success that they deserve to have in any 4+ assessment? Join my Intensive 3 month programme today as I will be closing it tomorrow (for 2027 entry).

5% - Your child's chances of passing a 4+ assessment if they go in upset.

Many parents will disagree with me on this. You can disagree with me all you want, this is what I truly believe to be true not based on my thoughts but based on what I have experienced, lived and witnessed over the last 2+ decades that I have been doing this.

And if you had a child who went into a school like NLCS, Habs or South Hampstead and they cried and they passed then you are exception and you are definitely not the rule. And to be honest, I would find it very hard to believe what you are saying.

Here is my reason why for you.

When a 3 or a 4 year old goes into a 4+ assessment, they are going into a new and unfamiliar environment. This in itself will feel daunting and overwhelming to most children (the vast majority). If your child skips in happily with a smile of their face and a wink in their eye as they say goodbye to you – they are the exception and not the rule (and this is so incredibly rare!)

Most 3 and 4 year olds that I know (and I know many!) would feel overwhelmed, nervous and anxious being left in a new and unfamiliar place without their parents. Nothing wrong here it’s just the nature of how we are wired. None of us like new and unfamiliar.

This is why we provide our clients with many strategies to help and support their children to go in as happily as possible to their 4+ assessments. Obviously we cannot control how exactly they will behave on the day. How exactly they will feel on the day. But what we can definitely do is provide them with strategies to support them to go in feeling calm, happy and able to show their true potential to the assessors.

It's actually not the mere fact that a child cries that will lead them to be unsuccessful.

This is why…

When a child cries it means that they don’t feel good. It means that something has gone wrong according to them and they feel upset. This leads them to feel sadness and to cry. How on earth can a child go in and complete play doh, lego, a puzzle or draw a picture if they are feeling sad that their mummy and/or daddy have just left them in a new and unfamiliar place with adults and children that they do not know?

They won’t be able to.

And that is the reality of that.

They may calm down after a few minutes and if they do, then they can perhaps show their true potential at that point but if not, then sadly it’s game over. They simply cannot show their true capabilities if they are busy focusing on being upset rather than focusing on the activities provided.

Is that fair? No, of course not! But who on earth ever told you that this life we are living is fair?

Final 2 days to join my exceptional 3 Month Intensive Programme (2027 entry).

4+ schools are open and honest about their assessment process.

Really?

So telling parents not to prepare their children for a 4+ assessment is open and honest is it? It’s really not.

You must prepare your child for a 4+ assessment – especially the 4+ assessments that we prepare our students for.

Don’t twist my words. I am not calling them liars at all. I am giving my views and my opinions about the 4+ assessment process. Feel free to listen to what they say and see how that goes for you and for your child. I personally don’t mess around when it comes to my students. I take their success very personally.

Parents will tell me that I am lying. That I am being dishonest. That I am deceiving parents.

Well, I’m not. Why would I? Of what benefit would that be to me?

It wouldn’t benefit me at all.

And it truly makes my blood boil when parents send their children into a 4+ assessment without thorough preparation. It really is not fair to the 3 or 4 year old that they are sending into an assessment.

An assessment is an assessment – however you wish to sugar coat it.

There will be children who pass and there will be children who don’t pass.

In a process like the 4+ process, the winners will always be the ones who put in the work. The ones who try their best. The ones who do everything in their power to make sure that their children actually go in and answer the questions that they were asked. That their children can actually do all of the activities that they are asked to do to a very, very high standard and quality and to meet the expectations and exam criteria of the school/s.

Final 4 days to join my Intensive 3 Month Programme to give your child the best possible chances for success in any 4+ Assessment. CMT clients are the clients who will have their choice of where THEY want to send their children to school!

‘Everything happens for a reason, and it was not meant to be!’

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.

I am a firm believer that if something is not meant to be, it will not be and vice versa.

However, I am also a firm believer that if you prepare properly for something, you will be in a far better position than if you do not.

I have spoken to far too many parents who have really opened up to me. Who have told me that they wished they had drowned out the noise when their children were younger. That they wished they had been better prepared. That they wished they had started sooner. I feel for them – truly – I do. We can’t go back in time. We can only move forwards.

But what we can also do is share our stories in the hope that they might help someone going through the same process.

4+ Assessment prep can be a lonely process. A lonely journey. Unless you are going through it with many other parents and children of the same age of your child (which to be honest is rare). You see, even if your child is in a pre-prep ‘supporting’ with 4+ assessment prep – the majority of parents won’t openly discuss the 4+ prep process.

It is their dirty little secret (for whatever reason).

Parents won’t openly tell each other that they are tutoring their 1/2/3/4-year-old. For some reason, some parents feel truly ashamed about it. Which quite frankly, is just rather sad. I am personally delighted that I started my son’s bespoke, tailored Curriculum Programme when he was 18 months old. I am delighted at the progress he’s made and above all how much he is obsessed with learning.

So yes things happen for a reason. And yes if something is not meant to be it will not be.

But equally, it you do everything in your power to support your child with their learning and with their curriculum acceleration, perhaps you won’t even need to utter that sentence once they have completed the 4+ assessment prep process. Perhaps, like our clients, you will be in the position to be contacting me and asking my opinion about which school you should choose given the multitude of offers that you have! (Which is exactly what happens to the vast majority of clients who work with CMT).

Preparing for a 4+ assessment. Last few days to join my exceptional CMT Intensive 3 Month Programme before I close it on August 31st.

‘Assessing 4 year olds for teachability is a sad state of affairs.’

No it is not.

And you sound ridiculous.

Why do people talk like this?

Literally makes no sense to me.

If you think that it’s pathetic, disgusting, child abuse or whatever then it really is very simple…

Don’t send your child to a 4+ assessment.

4+ Assessments happen.

It’s nothing new. They’ve been happening for years and years and years and years and they will continue to keep happening. Parents want top schools for their children for their own very personal and unique reasons and when people talk like this (and many do!), it truly makes me stop and think.

Instead of saying nonsense like that sentence I’ve just quoted above, say something more interesting. Because ultimately, your child will need to learn in one way or another. Whether you choose to send your child to school or not, your child will need to learn and your child will need to study.

So, if you don’t like the idea of an assessment of a 3 or a 4-year-old, it really is super simple is it not?

Just be quiet and send your child to a non - selective pre-prep. Or to a state school.There are many! Or home school your child. Whatever. Do what you want. It’s your life. But stop going around spouting nonsense like that sentence above. It’s annoying. It’s misleading. It’s simply not true.

And ultimately, there will be children who are beautifully teachable and those who are not. There’s nothing wrong with the ones who are not – at all. They just wouldn’t pass a 4+ assessment at a top elite school.

Simple.

 Preparing your child for a 4+ assessment for 2027 entry? This is your final chance to join my Intensive 3 Month Programme before it closes on August 31st.

High expectations, higher demand - The Habs' Girls' 4+ Assessment (2027 entry)

High expectations, higher demand.

Parents are often shocked when I tell them how many girls will be attending this 4+ assessment. There is very, very high demand for Habs Girls School. 400 - 500 girls will attend this 4+ assessment in my opinion. Keep in mind that you most likely will be told that this is not the case. That’s fine - you can believe what you wish to believe.

‘We have high expectations for our students, so it is important that we ensure your daughter would be given the space to thrive at Habs.’

I love that Habs has written this.

To me this makes it very clear what they are looking for.

Is it clear to you?

They are looking for girls who would actually be happy and thrive at their school.

With 40 places available at Habs’girls’ school (perhaps ever so slightly higher than this), competition will be fierce again this year.

Your daughter will absolutely need to be thoroughly prepared. She will need to be prepared so that she can actually go in and complete everything that she will be asked to complete!

Round 1 is a group activity session which will last about 50 minutes. ‘Children with birth months in close proximity are placed in the same group’ - please note that this does not mean that their Assessment will be different because they are summer or autumn born. Never have I ever heard the parent of a summer born child telling me that their child was assessed differently to their autumn born peer. Never! Not one single time in over 2 decades of doing this!

But that’s not fair! I hear you say! Oh well, get over it - that’s how it is. And if you don’t like it then start preparing your summer born child earlier. Simple!

The second round is a 1:1 Assessment and parents will be invited to meet the Headteacher for an informal meeting. This is an interview. And they will be looking to see if your values are aligned with theirs and if you are a good fit for their school.

Habs then go on to write…
’Admission at 4+ and 7+ involve straightforward assessments. We strongly recommend against tutoring your child for these. Everything they have already done and learnt will be enough to show us their potential.’

Believe what you want but I’ve never spoken to one single parent in over 20 years who have told me that they have sent their daughter to The Habs’ Girls’ 4+ Assessment with no preparation.

‘Straightforward assessments’ is also misleading. Very. Parents will read that and think that the assessments will be ‘easy’. Far from it.

We have an incredible success rate with preparing our girls to a very high standard for their 4+ Assessments at Habs Girls. The first round is mid-December so you still have time to get our support.

Our exceptional Intensive 3 month Programme closes in 6 days. This is your final chance to join and give your child the highest possible chances for success. To go in and truly shine!

The behavioural and academic traits of children who will SMASH their 4+ assessments.

Having worked with thousands of children over the last 2 decades, I can tell you with certainty and clarity that there are certain children who will absolutely smash their 4+ assessments. There will be others who will find it much harder.

Knowing the behavioural and academic traits of the children who have passed their 4+ assessments with ease will help you to truly understand the expectations and requirements in these incredibly tough 4+ assessments and support your child to the best of your ability to go in and truly shine in any 4+ assessment.

Behavioural

Behavioural 

Welcoming

Kind

Polite

Calm

Caring

Confident

Can give and maintain genuine eye contact

Keen

Enthusiastic

Happy

Independent 

Team player

Good, strong listener 

Exceptional at following instructions

Resilience

Perseverance 

Dedication 

Curiosity

Academic

Literacy - All phase 2 and phase 3 phonics known. Beginning to learn the phase 4 phonics. Most digraphs known. Able to read cvc words. Able to read full sentences (for some 4+ assessments this will be the expectation)

Maths - A broad and vast mathematical curriculum covered which includes but is not limited to place value (to 20), addition and subtraction (to and from 10), geometry, measurements, problem solving, reasoning and logic.

Fine motor skills - Very strong fine motor skills need to be demonstrated.

Gross motor skills - Are very important too!

Understanding of the world - A strong understanding of the world around them will be very important.

Questioning - Answering questions to at least a level 4 standard will be very important.

Ready to take your child’s learning and curriculum acceleration to the next level? Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today. Final chance to join the incredible CMT 3 Month Intensive Programme before it closes on August 31st.

The true complexities of the Alleyn's 4+ Assessment.

Alleyn’s is another popular school that we prepare our children for here at CMT. This is a wildly misunderstood school when it comes to the 4+ assessments.

We understand it very well! Do you?

With the Assessments in early January (7th - 9th January), you have only one academic term to prepare for this incredibly tough 4+ assessment. 100% not enough time to have the success you imagine you will have.

Registration opens on Monday 1st September and Registration closes Friday 13th November 2026 (for 2027 entry).

36 new children will be welcomed into the Reception classrooms at Alleyn’s Dulwich.

One of the most secretive schools in terms of the 4+ Assessments.

I dare you to ask a mother or a father who has sent their child for a 4+ assessment at this school and I guarantee you that they will either be extremely vague or they will simply change the subject.

With around a 1:12 chance of passing, this is one of the hardest schools to pass at 4+, it is also one of the least prepared for by our clients here at CMT. As in this is a school that parents typically start preparing for 3 months before. I know for a fact that this is not enough time to prepare for a 4+ at a school like Alleyn’s Dulwich.

A highly academic 4+ assessment, your child will need to cover a broad and vast curriculum in all areas of the Early Years Curriculum. Spatial reasoning and logic are important features of this 4+ assessment and your child will need to be prepared thoroughly and well and have been exposed to many different elements of spatial reasoning during their 4+ assessment preparation in order to go in and have a clue what to do! Numeracy and phonics will need to be at a very high level. Language development and language skills will be vital to your child’s chances of success at Alleyn’s Dulwich. Alleyn’s will also be looking at how your child interacts with others (children and adults). Listening and following instructions will be very important.

Alleyn’s themselves write that parents should ‘Avoid heavy coaching or rote tutoring, as assessors look for authentic behaviour and enthusiasm.’ Nothing about that sentence makes any logical sense to my brain. When my clients attend the Alleyn’s Open Event, they are told the same. My clients internally roll their eyes and continue to work very, very hard to prepare their children for what is expected of them in this incredibly tough 4+ assessment. Other parents will call me and tell me that they do not need to prepare for this school. Never have I ever (in 2 decades) heard back from any parent who has done this and whose child was offered a place at Alleyn’s Dulwich.

If you are preparing for Alleyn’s Dulwich for 2027 entry, it is my hope that you have been preparing for a while now. If you haven’t, this is your last chance to enrol into our exceptional Intensive 4+ Emerald Curriculum 3 month Programme. Join today (It will close August 31st).

What is CMT Curriculum Acceleration and why is it important?

I’ve been having more consults than ever lately - which is great.

As the Director of this Business, I am obsessed with hearing the thoughts, beliefs and opinions of my clients. It truly fascinates me.

Because ultimately what it comes down to is this. We are all parents wanting the best for our children.

The best education. The best learning environment for them. The best friends for them. The best experiences for them. The best of the best. We all want that for our children. We can all definitely agree on that.

Curriculum Acceleration is a term we have been using at CMT for the last 6 months. But it is something that we have done for the last 22 years. We provide our students with an accelerated and bespoke curriculum for them. Curriculum Acceleration is exceptional and not all schools/nurseries are able to provide it for their students - which is devastating. To me anyway. An accelerated curriculum is a curriculum which is 1-2 years beyond your child’s current age. An accelerated curriculum is one that will challenge your child and take their learning and understanding of concepts to a new level. An accelerated curriculum is one that will support your child to have the best possible learning experience ever!

Many of you are obsessed with the CMT Curriculum Acceleration. Many of you adore what we offer. Many of you cannot wait to work with us.

Some of you will become defensive with me and say that you don’t agree with Curriculum Acceleration. You tell me that children should learn in their own time. You tell me that you don’t want to put pressure on your little ones.

Pressure is the last thing you will ever see here at CMT. The curriculum we provide for our students doesn’t pressure them. It excites them. It delights them.

To me Curriculum Acceleration is important because the world we are living in is going to demand it. In one way or another, our children need an accelerated curriculum. They need to learn new concepts every day. They need to be exposed to hard things. Because in 10/20/30 years time, what we want for our children ultimately is this.

We want our children to be successful.

We will all have wildly different definitions of successful.

To me being successful means being FREE. Free to have as much money as he wants to have and not have to worry and stress about it. Free to travel as much as he wants and not need to ask for permission. Free to be able to look after his family. Free to be able to spend quality time with the people he loves. Free to be able to choose what he wants to do with his day. Free to do the work that he loves and wants to do and that truly excites him. Life is so short. I want to provide him with what was never provided to me but what I have been creating for myself and my family over these last 10 years - FREEDOM.

That’s why Curriculum Acceleration is important to me.

Is it important to you? Is it important that you provide it for your child?

Book your Sample Lesson and Sample Week today. Final 10 days at this price.

Will sending my child to Little Habs Nursery be enough?

If you’re asking me that question, it means that you are assuming that the nursery will do all of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to educating your child.

Why should they?

Is it because you think that you are paying a large amount of money to send them there?

That’s your choice- let’s be clear.

Why should it be ‘enough’? And what do you mean by that sentence anyway?

We don’t have too much information about Little Habs yet. Little Habs Nursery will be opening their doors this September 2026. Many of our CMT clients will be sending their children to Little Habs Nursery for a variety of reasons. One reason is that their older child got in at 4+ and they with to have an easier drop off journey in the mornings when dropping both children off! The other reason is our clients are wanting to give their child that additional chance for success when it comes to the 4+ assessments next year (2028 entry and beyond). CMT clients, however, are crystal clear on the fact that it will be up to them to prepare their children. It will not be up to any nursery!

The Little Habs nursery will have three rooms:

Hablings - 6 months to 2 years

Dashers - 2 to 3 years

Nursery - 3 to 4 years

Little Habs Nursery will have capacity for about 60 children from what I’ve gathered from speaking with my own clients. I do not have the exact number right now. When I have it, I will share it with you.

I had this exact conversation with a parent this week who was telling me that sending her child to Little Habs would give him a higher chance for success in the Habs 4+ Assessment. Well - yes and no.

Your child is not guaranteed entry to Habs following their 4+ assessment just because they attend the nursery. Logically that wouldn’t make sense would it?

First of all, if they only have 40 places available that year (this year they had slightly more than that) , that wouldn’t be possible would it now? Even if they had 60 places available, do you really think that ALL of the children in the Little Habs nursery would automatically be offered a place?

Well, I don’t. At all.

What about all of the amazing external candidates?

The parent I spoke to told me that it wouldn’t look good from a marketing perspective for Habs if they were not to offer a large amount of places to the children attending Little Habs. After all, the practitioners there would be the ones responsible for preparing the children… right?

Wrong!

It really is not.

And also, why wouldn’t it look good from a marketing perspective? Habs want the best of the best at their school. If your child goes to Little Habs and they are not offered a place, there will be a reason why. And the reason is that they didn’t meet the criteria needed in order to pass the assessment.

Preparing your child for Habs is totally up to you. What you do at home. Sure, what they do at nursery will be helpful. But it’s not the be all and end all. In fact, it is just scratching the surface.

Be also aware that the ratio at nursery is 1:8 (non qualified teacher) and 1:13 (qualified teacher or EYP). That’s still a humongous ratio compared to the 1:1 support that you can offer your child at home. Always remember that.

Nursery practitioners have a huge amount to think about. Preparing your child for their 4+ assessment is one piece of the humongous pie. All of the other pieces need to be catered to also. Things like you know looking after your child, feeding your child, taking your child to the toilet, helping your child when they are upset, dealing with the mountain of paper work that they have to deal with each day, talking and communicating with parents etc etc.

If your child does go to Little Habs, they will have the opportunity to attend their assessment earlier than the others but I’m not sure if this is a good thing. Doing it 1-2 months earlier means that they won’t be able to demonstrate all of the things that they could additionally learn in those 1-2 months. If your child is not successful in that assessment, they will then be invited to try again with the external candidates.

Not sure how I would feel personally about that one!

Sending your child to Little Habs Nursery? Will you also be teaching them and preparing them at home?

Join our Waiting List today.

The main problem with an Ultra Pricey Nursery.

I’m sorry but a nursery is a nursery.

I’ve worked in many.

I’ve seen their huge limitations.

I’ve seen their tremendous struggles.

I’ve seen how much is expected of everyone working in a nursery.

Ultra Pricey Nurseries have one main problem.

Here it is for you.

Over reliance on it.

And over reliance on a nursery - and I truly do not care which one it is- will ultimately lead to severe disappointment.

Those of you who know me well, know my views about nurseries in the UK.

Nurseries are for babysitting.

That’s why I sent my son to nursery anyway. I had no other intention other than to pay for a nursery to baby sit my son so that I could work. I had no expectations when it came to his learning - I have always been the one solely responsible for that. The amount of parents each week who call me to express their extreme disappointment in the nursery or pre- school that they send their child to actually blows my mind.

Now, do not hear my words as criticism or slander to anyone working in a nursery. I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who works in a nursery. I certainly was not respected by many parents when I worked in nurseries! But I will always have the most respect for anyone who takes the time out of their own precious day to look after the most precious person in my life. Always.

Paying 8-10k+ a term on a nursery will not = the most amazing learning experience and curriculum acceleration for your child. Just be aware of that.

If you make the choice to invest 8-10k+ a term on a nursery, make it! And be delighted with it. Just have more reasonable expectations of the nursery provider.

They can claim all they want, but a nursery will never be able to support your child with their learning as much as you can at home on a 1:1 basis.

That is all.

Preparing for the 4+ ? This is your final chance to join my Intensive 3 Month Programme and truly provide your child with the Curriculum Acceleration they need to stand a chance in their 4+ Assessments. Closes August 31st.

3 Things to Stop Doing If You Want Your Daughter to Pass the NLCS 4+ Assessment.

Every single year I speak to disappointed and confused parents whose daughters were unable to pass the 4+ Assessment at NLCS.

It’s not their fault, they didn’t know how hard passing this assessment would be.

They assumed that their daughter would just go in and show NLCS how amazing she is and be offered a place.

We all think our children are amazing. It just doesn’t work that way.

They assumed that merely sending their daughter to a ‘great’ nursery or pre-school would be enough. Enough? That truthfully doesn’t even scratch the surface.

In order to pass the 4+ Assessment at NLCS, here are 3 things to stop doing.

1. Putting off starting 4+ Assessment preparation.

12 full months is what you need of carefully tailored and bespoke 4+ assessment preparation and curriculum acceleration. My recommendation to all of our clients is 4 full terms of 4+ assessment preparation.

2. Working with teachers who have no experience with the 4+ assessment at NLCS.

So many parents I speak to want to save money when it comes to the preparation of the the 4+ assessments. Doesn’t make sense to me. You want to send your child to a 30k+ per year school.

Invest the right amount to actually preparing her for it. A teacher with no experience in the 4+ assessment will not be able to help you as much as a teacher with over 2 decades of experience preparing girls for this school.

3. Not understanding how complex and difficult this 4+ assessment really is.

Again, I don’t blame you if this is you.

But it really is very simple. 500+ applicants. 40 places. Competition is fierce. And with their GCSE and A level results only getting better and better each year, competition will only become fiercer.

Prepare your daughter and prepare her well.

Support her to accelerate her learning in the 12 months you have before this assessment.

We all think our children are amazing. And of course, they all are amazing. But all 500+ will not be offered a place following their 4+ assessment at NLCS.

Final week to join my Intensive 3 month programme before I close it (for 2027 entry) on August 31st. Don’t delay - give your daughter the edge she will need if you want her to pass this NLCS 4+ Assessment.

7 ways to INCREASE your son's chances of being offered a place at Haberdashers at 4+

Did you know that in my over 20 years of preparing boys to be wildly successful in this incredibly challenging 4+ assessment, that I’ve never had a year where a boy has not passed the first round? Ever!

If you want your son to have a chance at Habs Boys at 4+, I know for fact that we are the best of the best.

We know the school like the back of our hands.

We know exactly what they are looking for in their potential new boys.

Each year, we prepare 8-10 boys for this 4+ assessment. Each year a huge number are offered a place to study at Habs Boys at 4+ (and other entry points too but here we discuss the 4+!). This year, from September 2026, 9 of the boys who were offered a place were prepared by us.

Simply extraordianary!

Parents will often ask me this question…

‘How can I increase his chances for success in the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ assessment?’

And it really is a very good question.

7 ways to INCREASE your son's chances of being offered a place at Haberdashers at 4+

1. Focus on a broad and vast vocabulary from as early as possible. Basically from birth!

Read 10 books a day to your child. Or just choose a number and go with that! Ask your child hundreds of questions a day. Model answers for them. Set the highest expectations for how they answer your questions.

2. Support their personal, social and emotional development.

Have high expectations of their behaviour. Tell them what it is so they know. Read books about behaviour and discuss at length. Encourage social interaction from an early age (not just at nursery!).

3. Build that strength!

Fine and gross motor development is huge in the 4+ assessments. Every single day, you want to be doing something that will support this! Puzzles, lego, play doh, beading, cutting, writing, colouring in etc etc. Every day (doing it at nursery alone will not cut it!).

4. Teach your child to read.

I have nothing more to say about this! Invest in an amazing phonics programme and go! Every day teach your child their phonics! (Don’t rely on nursery to do this for you!)

5. Teach your child and broad and vast mathematical curriculum.

Place value, addition and subtractions, geometry, measurement, writing numbers etc etc.

(Nurseries do not teach maths to the level needed at 4+).

6. Encourage curiosity.

Understanding of the world is key in this 4+ assessment (and the others too!)

7. Support your child to be able to draw and colour in to a very high standard.

And off you go!

We’ve all got a lot of work to do.

You want a place at Habs Boys?

You’re going to need to work very hard for it. All of us! Our students, our clients and our teachers. You’d better believe that they’re just not going to offer your son a place because he attended the assessment! He will need to demonstrate all of the above and to a very, very high standard.

I’ve just launched my incredible one month Success Programme and I have opened up 3 precious places. If you’re ready to take Massive Action and support your son or daughter for one full month with their Curriculum Acceleration, join me!

Learning is never linear!

Our most successful clients are the clients who understand that learning is never linear. They understand that learning does not just go in one steady direction. Learning is bumpy. There will be huge bumps along the way. There will be falling down and getting back up - over and over and over and over again.

Our most successful clients are the ones who manage their expectations beautifully.

The clients who stay with us for the least amount of time (2-3 months) are the clients who become discouraged because they don’t see the progress they assume they should be seeing. They blame the programme. Some even blame me. But that’s just not how it works. True learning the way I define it doesn’t happen in just 2-3 months! Sorry!

I compare it a lot to my weight loss journey. When I gain weight is when I eat 500 cals more than is on my plan, its not because my coach has a programme that does not work. It’s simply part of the weigh loss progress (and also because I went off plan!). It’s easy for me to just blame my £300 a month coach and her programme. I never do that.

Our most successful clients are the clients who don’t get discouraged when their children do not learn their phonics as quickly as they expect that they should.

Our most successful clients are the ones who know that it might take their child a long, long time to recognise numbers and even when they don’t recognise numbers, they will relentlessly continue to show them.

Our most successful clients are the clients who continue to ask their children a variety of different questions even though their children don’t answer in the manner that they would like them to. They model it to them. They show them. They explain.

Our most successful clients are the  ones who are willing to be disappointed and know that success will only come to them if they carry on and persevere. 

Our most successful students and the ones who understand all of the above to. They are the ones whose eyes light up when they see their teacher appear on their screen. They are the ones who have so much laughter throughout the weekly lessons that they have with their teacher and throughout the week with their parents.

Learning will never be successful if there is no laughter. If it is not light- hearted. If it is not fun.

Learning must always be fun.

Parents who believe that it is up to their tutor, their private teacher or their school to teach their child haven’t understood what learning is truly about.

Learning is not just a click your finger and voila type of experience.

Learning is messy, learning is frustrating, learning is infuriating.

Learning is also beautiful, joyful, exciting and full of love.

It is the full 50/50 experience. Embrace it. Climb that mountain and know that you will all fall down time and time and time again. It’s in the moments that you get up, hold hands and dust yourselves off that the magic happens.

Ready to accelerate your child’s learning? Join our Waiting List today.

'Natural Ability' Is not a Thing and especially not when it comes to the Westminster 4+ Assessment!

4/32 of the students who were offered a place at Westminster to start their Reception year were prepared by us! Simply amazing!

Westminster Under School claim that they are looking for children who can ‘demonstrate potential’. They claim that they are looking for children who have a ‘natural ability’.

I don’t believe that ‘potential’ is something that any of us naturally have. I believe that potential is something that is nurtured and something that is fully supported, guided and nourished over a long period of time.

I do not believe that any child is born with ‘natural ability’. A child is not just born naturally able.

A child develops ‘ability’ through hard work, effort, consistency and dedication.

Do you really think that the 4 children who we prepared and who were offered a place at Westminster came to us with ‘natural ability’? Obviously they were very able.

But ‘natural ability’ is actually not a thing. What went on behind the scenes to prepare them to be ready to be offered a place at a school like Westminster is something only we will know about.

They write that ‘pupils joining at 4+ will usually progress to 7+…

I do not like the wording of that sentence at all. And if I was a mother sending my child to Westminster in 2026, I would be making sure that my child continues to be at the level they need to be at if I would want him to be in with a chance of continuing at the school at 7+. I definitely wouldn’t be leaving it solely to the school to do that. Please don’t do that.

Clearly if they are writing this, there will be some children who devastatingly will not make the cut. Children who will be told to leave at 7+?

How heart breaking.

Personally, I know I wouldn’t want to be in that position. What would I tell my son?

Listen carefully. If you are preparing for the 4+ at Westminster you’d better be laser sharp aware that this will not be ‘easy’. You’d better know that your child will need to cover a broad and vast curriculum before setting foot into this school (nursery or pre-school will not even scratch the surface and it does not matter which one you go to). And never leave it purely up to a Nursery or a Prep-School to prepare your child anyway. It will only lead to disappointment. Nurseries and pre-schools have a thousand other things to think about. Your number 1 priority will be to prepare your child to be ready for Westminster. They have a thousand other priorities. They have a thousand other things to deal with.

Preparing for the 4+ at Westminster? You still have time to join our 3 month Intensive Programme. But hurry! It will close on August 31st 2026!

The 2026 A level results and my thoughts about them. Part 1.

PART 1.

The 2026 UK A level RESULTS.

‘The 2026 UK A level results show that the proportion of top grades has risen slightly for the third consecutive year with 28.5% of entries achieving A or A% - up from 28.3% last year’

Quoted from the BBC.

That means 71.5% did not achieve A or A*.

I think what we really need to do is fixate on this number. 71.5%.

We have a growing population of 18 year olds and this year 320,505 students sat their A levels in England. Quoted from Gov.UK.

268,820 secured places at Universities across the UK. Quoted from Which School Advisor.

If these figures are accurate, this means that approx. 51,685 did not secure a University spot.

Private schools saw nearly 50% of A level results at A and above. Quoted from Ofqual.

Grammar schools saw nearly 44% of A level results at A and above. Quoted from Ofqual.

State Schools saw 23% of A level results at A and above. Quoted from Ofqual.

What a huge disparity between State V Grammar/Private.

In my eyes, all of these percentages are far too low. If our children are studying for 13-14 years, why aren’t more children securing A and A*?

Is an A or an A* really so important?

Well, ultimately yes it is.

As parents, we all want the best for our children. If you’re going to send your child to school for 8 hours a day/ 5 days a week/ 38 weeks of the year, we want to see them securing the best results.

That’s my opinion on the matter anyway.

What’s yours?

'Assessing 3 and 4 year olds is BONKERS!'

If you truly believe that then why put your 3 and 4 year old through a 4+ assessment?

That is truly what is BONKERS.

If something doesn’t sit right with me when it comes to my son, guess what? I don’t engage in it. I simply don’t do it.

I don’t go around insulting it. I don’t go around judging others.

I don’t want to send my child to State school. So guess what? I will not send him to a State school. I don’t go around insulting state schools. That would make me look like a moron.

Why is it bonkers to assess a 3 and a 4 year old?

Why?

Because of their age?

3 and 4 year olds are capable of far more than you think!

3 and 4 year olds are exceptional thinkers. They have amazing minds that need to be nurtured and nourished. They are the most creative and most imaginative students! They are simply amazing.

People will talk about 3 and 4 year olds and say that ‘3 and 4 year olds are not intelligent!’

How insulting and how incredibly rude.

My son is now 4 and people are always telling me how intelligent he is. How amazing he is. How well rounded and capable he is.

Do you know why?

Because I put in the work. Just like my clients do every single day with their children.

If you think a 4+ assessment is ‘BONKERS’, do not send your child to one. That’s cool. Do what you want! Just stop insulting this process and stop insulting these amazing 3 and 4 year olds and everything that they accomplish through preparation for this incredibly challenging 4+ assessment process.

Preparing for a 4+ assessment and want to support your child every single step of the way?

Book your Sample lesson and Sample week today. Final month at this price. From September the pricing will be increasing. Lock in this price for at least one year by booking your Sample lesson and Sample week today!

The MAIN Issue with the Manor Lodge 4+ Assessment last year (2026 entry)

A lack of understanding with regards to just how fiercely competitive it will be.

Parents I speak to often seem to be super relaxed about this 4+ Assessment. Perhaps because of what they have been told at the Open Day by the school. Perhaps because they don’t rate the school as highly as maybe they do a Habs or an NLCS. Perhaps because they have been told by friends and family that it’s ‘just a little run around in their forest garden’.

It is a 4+ Assessment and 4+ Assessments need to be taken very seriously.

With approx. 60 places available, parents tend to believe that this is a lot! Well, that’s relative to how many children apply is it not? Hundreds upon hundreds of children will apply to attend their 4+ Assessment at Manor Lodge.

Parents will often comment about how overwhelming the Assessment Day is at Manor Lodge. ‘It was a sea of parents and children!’ One of my clients told me last year. His daughter became so upset and did not want to leave his side. She had to basically be ‘encouraged’ to go into the assessment with the assessor but she was visibly ‘distressed’ by the whole experience. She did not pass.

Also note that children already in the nursery will have preferential treatment although they still all need to complete the assessment process too and still need to pass!

Manor Lodge is also one of the ‘cheapest’ 4+ schools in the area. At £5,990 per term for the infants it is significantly more affordable than Habs (£8,741) or NLCS (£8,925) for example. The price point of the school is very appealing to many parents that I speak with. To some it is irrelevant and they would still choose Habs or NLCS over Manor Lodge (if they had the choice!).

Manor Lodge will over offer places so many children will be Waitlisted following their 4+ assessment. This is because it is a very early 4+ Assessment compared to the others and they are very well aware that many, many parents will accept other schools rather than theirs if they had the opportunity to do so. Several of our client’s children were Waitlisted last year and once they found out that their children passed Habs or NLCS, they promptly rejected the Manor Lodge offer.

Friday October 16th is the date for this year’s Manor Lodge 4+ Assessment. You can no longer join my programme for 2027 entry but if your would like to join for 2028 entry and beyond, please join my Waiting List. Once joined, please send your preferred days/times for weekly lessons and I will confirm your start date. 12 months of Assessment preparation is needed for Manor Lodge so the time to start is definitely in the Autumn Term (September 2026).

Don’t delay! Join today!

The Alleyn's Dulwich 4+ Assessment - Is your child really ready?

Registration opens on Monday 1st September and Registration closes Friday 13th November 2026 (for 2027 entry).

Approx. 36 new children will be welcomed into the Reception classrooms at Alleyn’s Dulwich.

The Assessments for Alleyn’s Dulwich will be in January 2027 (7th-9th January 2027).

One of the most secretive schools in terms of the 4+ Assessments. Parents keep very hush, hush about this one. Perhaps because they don’t want to help others to have an edge over their child or perhaps they don’t wish to speak openly about their rejection. Alleyn’s Dulwich is a very challenging assessment to pass following the 4+ assessment.

I dare you to ask a mother or a father who has sent their child for a 4+ assessment at this school and I guarantee you that they will either be extremely vague or they will simply change the subject.

One of the hardest schools to pass at 4+, it is also one of the least prepared for by our clients here at CMT. As in this is a school that parents typically start preparing for 3 months before the assessment. I know for a fact that this is not enough time to prepare for a 4+ at a school like Alleyn’s Dulwich. The only thing the Admission Policy reveals is that children are assessmed based on the Early Years Curriculum. That is all.

Dulwich parents are drawn to this school for their children because of the simple fact that once in, they will progress (unless in exceptional circumstances) to the Senior School and therefore avoid having to do the 11+.

There are rumours that they have a sibling policy but I know of many, many siblings who have not passed so I wouldn’t even consider this to be honest.

A highly academic 4+ assessment, your child will need to cover a broad and vast curriculum in all areas of the Early Years Curriculum. Spatial reasoning and logic are important features of this 4+ assessment and your child will need to be prepared thoroughly and well and have been exposed to many different elements of spatial reasoning during their 4+ assessment preparation in order to go in and have a clue what to do! Numeracy and phonics will need to be at a very high level. Language development and language skills will be vital to your child’s chances of success at Alleyn’s Dulwich.

Last chance to join my Intensive 3 month Programme before I close in on August 31st. This is for 2027 entry only.

If you are preparing for the 4+ assessments in 2028 and beyond, please join our Waiting List.

'The hardest of the 4+ assessments!' The South Hampstead 4+ Assessment.

I was speaking with one of my dear clients last week and we were discussing the 4+ assessments. Her daughter did amazingly well and was successful at being offered places at the likes of NLCS, South Hampstead, Westminster and Glendower.

These were her words.

'The hardest of the 4+ assessments!'

The school she was referring to was South Hampstead High School.

Is South Hampstead a school you dream about for your child?

Would you love to send your daughter to South Hampstead at 4+? Yeh, you and the other 240+ parents who try to send their daughters to this school each and every year!

It is by far one of the hardest 4+ assessments.

I have been preparing girls for this school for over 20 years. This means that for 20 years, I have seen what works and I have seen what doesn’t. This means that for 20 years I have seen the girls who have passed and I have seen the girls who have not passed.

I know exactly what is expected of the girls in their 4+ Assessments and so do my team of exceptional teachers.

The most heartbreaking thing about this school, is that it is the least prepared for. Each year, we typically support 2-3 girls for this school. This is a very small percentage compared to the other school that we prepare our girls for. Perhaps those other girls go to other tutors? I do hope so. Last year we supported a record 7 girls for their 4+ at South Hampstead!

Why this 4+ assessment is so hard?

1. There are only 24 places on offer at 4+.

Each year hundreds and hundreds of girls will sit their Assessment at this school.

At least 250 girls attend their 4+ Assessment at South Hampstead. Your daughter therefore will typically have a 1:10 chance of passing this assessment.

2. The majority of parents will consider it to be a ‘play date’ assessment because this is what they are told about it.

It is not a ‘play date’. Far from it actually.

3. The majority of parents will not prepare their daughter for this 4+ assessment (other than sending her to nursery or prep school)

Special preparation IS necessary.

South Hampstead are looking for very strong phonics and reading skills and very strong mathematical skills in their girls. How will your daughter pass without ‘special preparation’? Nurseries and pre- schools do not support children to the level needed to pass these 4+ assessments. It really doesn’t matter to me which one she goes to.

4. Formal knowledge IS expected.

A lot will be expected of your daughter in her 4+ Assessment for South Hampstead. Prepare her to a very high standard. Sending her to nursery or pre-school alone is not what I consider preparing for a 4+ assessment. Far from it.

5. To be offered a place at 4+ is something exceptional.

If you have been offered a place, you are in a very privileged position and I hope you are aware of that.

We have exceptional success with South Hampstead at 4+ every single year. This year 5 of our students have been offered a place to study at South Hampstead!

Trustpilot Review (South Hampstead 4+ Success)

Maria helped us with preparing our daughter for the 4+ assessment at SHHS. She is a summer baby and not in a nursery that formally prepares kids for the 4+. She comes to every lesson prepared but also flexible with content to suit the mood of our 3 year old. She is very patient and encouraging. The exercises she shares after the lessons are also useful to continue progress. All in all we are very happy especially after we got the offer from the school.

For your final chance to join our exceptional 3 Month Intensive Programme Book your Sample lesson and Sample Week today.