Is your child compliant or do they do what they want to do?

Earlier this week I took my son to a gymnastics trial lesson. It was at a little place called ‘The Little Gym’ in Hampstead. What I saw was fascinating and it made me think about the 4+ Assessments and what the Assessors see as they are walking around observing the children.

I imagined that if this was a 4+ Assessment, my son would have 100% failed!

It was a small group of 10 children all between the ages of 2 and 3. A mixture of boys and girls. There was one teacher who was excellent. She had prepared an incredible lesson with music and lots of activities for the children to do in the amazing gymnastics room. There was all sorts of equipment for the children to explore and enjoy.

We started as a group and the teacher did an activity which involved running in a circle. 5 children did this beautifully, followed her instructions perfectly and did exactly what they were told. The other 5 didn’t (including mine!)

One child started crying, another needed to go to the bathroom, another ran off into the gym and my son just froze and stood there with a scowl on his face. He refused to move. I observed as the teacher very kindly (and patiently) asked my son to hold her hand and follow her and he just looked at her and shook his head!

Then it was time for the activities. Again 5 of the children followed all of the instructions and did exactly what they were told to do.

One child pushed another child out of the way, another told the teacher that he wanted to go first, my son did not follow the instructions to complete the activity and made up his own! (they were supposed to walk on the balance beam and place the hoop on the correct coloured cone. He dodged the balance beam, ran to the cone, placed his hoop on a random coloured cone and gave himself a round of applause!

I could see that he had no interest at all in being compliant.

When the teacher called the group back to do an activity, he just ignored her and ran to whatever he wanted to do.

Can you see how is absolutely wouldn’t have passed if this was an Assessment? And can you see how the others perhaps would have?

Your child will need to go into their 4+ Assessments and be compliant so if they are not able to do this yet, practise it with them. You still have some time. Sign them up to some classes and help them to learn how to be compliant.

If you need further support, book your Sample lesson today.

The Habs' Boys' 4+ Admissions information is so vague.

I’m going to imagine that if you are reading this that you are sitting the Habs’ Boys’ 4+ Assessment for 2025 entry. I’m going to imagine that you have no experience with the 4+ Assessments.

You look at the Habs’ Boys’ website hoping that it will explain everything that you need to know about the 4+ Assessment and instead you are told that the first round is a ‘play based Assessment’ that will last for ‘an hour and a half’

Hold up… what?!

You ask yourself…

‘My child will just go in and play for 90 minutes?’

(Hot hint - No! they will not!)

But as a parent going through this for the first time, you believe what you read and you send your child in completely unprepared (through no fault of your own!)

Don’t do this.

One mother called me last year (after the first round) saying that she did not prepare her child for his 4+ Assessment and it was like ‘sending him into the lion’s den.’

Heartbreaking for me to hear this and very upsetting for both of us.

Habs’ Boys’ give you absolutely no information about Round 2 on their website. All they write is this, ‘A select number of children will return for a second round, where they will be seen on a one-to-one basis with senior members of staff. This stage will last approximately one hour.’

Luckily for my clients, I know exactly what is expected in both rounds and I support all of my students to be able to go into the Habs’ Boys’ Assessment with confidence and the knowledge that they need in order to actually pass.

Here is a review from one of my clients whose son is currently at Habs’ Boys’.

Maria was brilliant with my son for his 4+ assessment for Habs which he has gotten into and thoroughly enjoyed the journey with Maria. My son was always looking forward to the next lessons which is a great credit to Maria. She prepared my son for assessment in very short period. Highly recommended.

You can read all of our exceptional reviews here.

Preparing for Habs’ Boys’ for 2025 entry? Book your Sample Lesson today!

'No special preparation is necessary as no formal knowledge is expected - South Hampstead 4+.

'No special preparation is necessary as no formal knowledge is expected’ - South Hampstead 4+.

How do you read this?

Here is how some parents will read this.

Literally.

They will not prepare their child because South Hampstead has written not to.

Interesting also that in an interview with the Head Mistress that I stumbled upon (not the current one and written in 2017), she said that in the 4+ Assessments, ‘We are looking for girls who will enjoy being challenged and can embrace a fast-moving curriculum.’

For a child to ‘embrace a fast moving curriculum’ demonstration of actually being able to handle a ‘fast moving curriculum’ needs to be shown in the Assessments. This contradicts the first statement.

She then says ‘We don’t expect any ‘taught skills’ eg. ‘We certainly are not expecting any child to have started reading or writing at that age.’

Interesting that they assess reading and writing in their Assessments then isn’t it?

In the article it says that there are 250 applicants for 24 spaces that are available. It is most likely double or triple this number.

She also says, ‘If you put too much pressure on a child too early, learning becomes something that is hard work rather than a joy.’

You should never ever be putting pressure on a child of any age to learn. So if there are teachers out there doing this, I’ve never seen it.

I then see so many comments on threads where parents talk about their daughter not being offered a place at South Hampstead and their deep disappointment.

So I can see why parents are so overwhelmed and confused.

For me it’s simple.

Find a teacher who will make learning fun for your child. Find a teacher who actually knows how to support your child to be successful to South Hampstead at 4+ and find a teacher who knows exactly what has come up at this schools historically for the last 15 years!

That’s a teacher who can actually help you to have success at South Hampstead at 4+.

Book your Sample lesson today.

How do you read this?

As you read through the Forest 4+ Assessment procedure, you can read a very detailed description about what the 4+ Assessment will be like for your child at this school. I’ve always been very impressed by the level of detail Forest go into when describing exactly what the 4+ Assessment will be like at their school.

The one thing that I find fascinating and that to this day remains on their website is this sentence here…

‘We want to see if this will be the best place for your child and if we feel they are and will be ready for the type of education that we offer at Forest. For this reason, we would request you do not specifically prepare your child for the 4+ assessment procedure.’

How do you read this?

Here’s how some parents read this.

They read it to mean that they absolutely must not prepare their child for their 4+ Assessment at Forest. They read it to mean that if they prepare their child for their 4+ Assessment at Forest that their child will not show their true level and ability and that therefore this will not be a true reflection of their child.

This is absolutely not the case at all and if you think in this way, I urge you to reconsider.

If your child is not prepared to a very high standard, it is highly unlikely that they will pass the 4+ Assessment at Forest. With only 64 places and with so many children applying (the number is in the high hundreds!), competition is fierce.

Assessment at this school is not easy.

Don’t just expect your child to go in, happily engage in all the activities to the standard that they expect and to pass with no preparation.

What does this mean to you?

On the Chigwell website when they describe their Assessment process, they write this…

‘Testing takes place in small groups …using fun systems that do not require hours of preparation.’

Here’s how some parents will read this.

They will read it and think that they do not need to prepare their child. They will read it and think that their child will just go in and have fun.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Ok, perhaps they will have fun. But having fun doesn’t mean that they will pass the Chigwell 4+ Assessments.

I have prepared hundreds of children for their Chigwell 4+ Assessments. You MUST prepare your child.

As you scroll down on their website, they go on to say this…

‘The Assessments last 1.5 hours.’

READ THAT AGAIN!

One and a half hours!

So you want to tell me that your child will go in with absolutely no preparation and be fully engaged in all of the activities that they are asked to do?

I’ve NEVER spoken to a parent who has told me this.

Actually, I’ve spoken to hundreds of parents who have told me how hard the Assessment was to pass. That even though they prepared their child, their child was on the Waiting list. That this school has a very strong sibling policy so the number of places available at 4+ are even more limited. I’ve also spoken to hundreds of parents who have told me that their child was not successful at passing their 4+ Assessment at Chigwell and the reason for this was that they went in completely unprepared.

Don’t think these Assessments are ‘easy’. They absolutely are not. Prepare your child and prepare them well and if you don’t, do not send them into a 4+ Assessment.

2 truths about the 7+ Assessments that you (most likely) did not know about!

The parents that I speak to every single day who want to prepare for the 7+ Assessments fall under 3 categories.

1) Parents who were unsuccessful in the 4+ and want their child to get into the schools that they did not get into at 4+ at 7+.

2) Parents who sent their child to a certain school at 4+ and have changed their mind and would now like to send them to a different school at 7+ (various reasons for this)

3) Parents who initially had planned to send their child to a certain school at 11+ and have decided they would prefer them to start at 7+. (various reasons for this)

Which category do you fall under?

If you are preparing your child for their 7+ Assessment for 2025 entry the most important thing is to know exactly what the schools you are applying to will expect from your child. If you don’t know this how else will you be able to successfully prepare them to go in and actually pass?

Here are 2 truths about the 7+ Assessments that you (most likely) did not know about!

1) Some schools will be assessing your child as far as the Year 4 Curriculum.

If you work with me, I will be able to tell you exactly which schools these are and we will prepare your child to be ready to go in and answer any question that they are asked in their 7+ Assessments.

2) Some schools have a very small intake at 7+.

Schools like NLCS have only 8-10 places available at 7+. With hundreds of girls applying to this school at 7+, you will need to ensure that your daughter is prepared to the highest possible standard in order to even have a chance to go in and pass the first round.

We have supported hundreds of children over the last 15 years to be very successful in their 7+ Assessments. We would love to support your child too!

We prepare for all top inner and out London schools and have experience with each and every one of them.

Check out our exceptional TrustPilot reviews here!

Having an in person teacher who doesn't have experience with the schools you are applying to will not lead to success.

Having an in person teacher who doesn't have experience with the schools you are applying to will not lead to success.

There I’ve said it.

I was an in person tutor with no experience with these top schools when I first starting tutoring. We all have to start somewhere of course.

But ultimately if you want to be successful in your child’s 4+ Assessments, you must work with a teacher who is very experienced with the schools that you are applying to.

A lot of parents don’t fully understand the value of everything that we offer here at Creative Minds Tutors. They don’t understand the value of our online lessons, until they see it in action that is.

Parents always comment on how amazing we are with their children. How engaged their children are in the lessons. How much progress their children make in the lessons.

I now speak to hundreds of parents each month and some parents tell me that they would prefer in person tuition because their child is so young. I don’t understand this but I respect their wishes of course. We are all free to do what we want to do.

However, what I have found is that the majority of these parents are then not successful at getting their children into their schools of choice. And most of them come back to me for 7+ and even 11+ Assessment preparation.

An in person tutor with real and actual experience with the 4+ Assessments at the schools that you are applying to and that can be found within your local area is going to be very hard to find. So what tends to happen?

Parents reach out to their local tutoring agency (if there is one!) and that agency sends over a teacher who is EYFS qualified but more often than not has no experience with the schools that they are applying to.

How is this better than working with a teacher who fully understands the schools that you are applying to? Who fully understands exactly what the schools that you are applying to are actually looking for? How is this better than working with a teacher who knows historically what has come up in the Assessments at the schools that you would like to send your child to?

Parents cannot answer these questions when I ask them. They just tell me that ‘in person is best’

If it is, great! But this is not what I have found personally!

You want to work with a teacher who knows the schools that you are applying to exceptionally well. That should be your number one priority when choosing who to work with in preparation for your child’s 4+ Assessments.

2 reasons it's better to get your child in at 4+ than 7+

If you plan to send your child to a certain school then it’s always best to try to prepare them to be successful in their 4+ Assessments.

I speak to many parents who tell me this:

‘They are not ready at the age of 2/3/4 so it’s better for us to wait for the 7+.’

I completely disagree.

Here are the 2 MAIN reasons it’s better at 4+ than 7+

1. With just one year of Assessment preparation your child can be very successful in their 4+ Assessment (of course this is dependant on what they’ve done with you up until this point). With the 7+ Assessments, they will usually need 2 and a half years.

My most successful students who I prepare for the 4+ Assessments at all top inner and outer London schools are those who have at least 1 year of consistent 4+ Assessment preparation (as in they meet me weekly and they complete all of their home learning tasks and maintain regular communication with me throughout the weeks)

With the 7+ Assessments, my most successful students are those who start with me in the Autumn term of their Reception year. There is a lot to cover.

One year of Assessment preparation typically costs £3000. Two and a half years of Assessment preparation typically costs £7500.

Much better to go all in and get your child in at 4+ !

2. There are a lot more places available at 4+ compared to 7+.

Let’s take one top school as an example.

NLCS has 40 places available at 4+ compared to 8-10 places available at 7+!

I have tremendous success with NLCS at both 4+ and 7+ but just to illustrate how much more competitive it is at 7+.

Who will NOT be successful in the 4+ Assessments in 2024/2025?

I’ve been doing this for over 15 years now.

I know exactly who will be very successful and who will not.

You will be very successful if you have taken the process seriously.

You will be very successful if you understand how difficult the process is,

You will be very successful if you prepare your child each and every day in the lead up to their 4+ Assessments.

You will not be very successful if you have not taken the process seriously - if you say things like…

‘They’re just 2/3/4!’

‘My child is amazing!’

‘They will just go in and play!’

You will not be very successful if you don’t understand how difficult the process is. If you don’t realise that for every one place, there might be 10-20 applicants depending on the school you are applying to!

You will not be very successful if you’ve not spent some time each and every day preparing your child - leaving it to the last minute or doing a few things here and there will not cut it.

So don’t expect miracles if you haven’t taken the process seriously and your child is sitting their Assessment in the next few months.

If you are ready to take their learning to the next level and ensure that they will go into any 4+ Assessment and show their truest potentials to the schools that you desire to send them to then book your Sample lesson today!

I can still help you if you are ready to take Massive Action in the next 1-3 months. We don’t have long left but I promise you that your child will be in a different place if you commit to the process and go all in with their Assessment preparations.

Knowing the 4+ Assessment Curriculum at the schools you are applying to...

Knowing the 4+ Assessment Curriculum at the schools you are applying to will empower you to actually know HOW to prepare your child to go in and thrive.

There is so much confusion around 4+ Assessment preparation.

When I first speak to parents who contact me regarding the 4+ Assessment preparations they usually fall into two categories.

1. They are fully aware of how challenging the 4+ Assessments will be and are willing to go all in to support their children to be very, very successful not only in their Assessments but well into their futures.

2. They are not fully aware of how challenging the 4+ Assessments will be and underestimate what is actually involved. They might doubt my work and not fully understand the importance of covering everything that I ask them to cover with their child.

The 4+ Assessments will be challenging.

The 4+ Assessments will involve at least one full year of Assessment preparation (2 is better!)

The 4+ Assessments will challenge your child.

The 4+ Assessments will not be easy to pass.

The 4+ Assessments are highly competitive with as many as 500 children applying for very few places.

You have to know the curriculum being assessed. Otherwise how else will you prepare your child to be able to go in and pass?

For the rest of this month I am offering my exceptional Curriculum Coaching Sample Week for only £30 (half price!)

If you are ready to go all in and ensure that your child has the capacity to go into any Assessment and actually pass, book your Sample Week today! Your Curriculum Coaching Sample Week will then start immediately after I receive a few bit of information from you about your child and the schools that they are sitting Assessments at.

Let’s go! Let’s take Massive Action and achieve incredible results in the 4+ Assessments in 2024/2025!

3 ways online tuition can be superior to in person tuition.

3 reasons why online lessons can be superior to in person lessons for the 4+ Assessments.

 A few parents who contact me are fixated with this idea that in person tuition is better than online tuition. I disagree. Not just because it is what I do but because I know with certainty that it is not superior to what I offer to my clients.

Here are 3 reasons why online lessons can be superior to in person lessons.

1.     You may be very limited to the area that you currently live in.

 There will be a limited number of teachers who prepare for the 4+ Assessments in your area. This means that you will need to go with whoever you find that actually offers 4+ Assessment preparation. The teachers that you do find who offer 4+ Assessment preparation may not actually have any experience with the schools that you are applying to. So just because they can physically come into your home doesn’t mean that what they offer you will be any better than what you would receive online with teachers who have real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to.

Not taking anything away from these teachers do(I was one of them myself for years and years!) But at the end of the day if you are sitting your child for the 4+ Assessments then you will want the best of the best. And the best of the best is someone with real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to. Someone who can actually answer your questions when you ask them about what actually came up in the Assessment at that school previously.

2.     You don’t need to waste time travelling anywhere.

Rather than wasting 2 hours of travel time actually getting to the in person tuition, use all of that extra time to actually prepare your child using the resources that we provide for you.

3.     You will cover a far more robust curriculum with a teacher who has real and actual experience with the schools that you are applying to compared to with someone who is just early years qualified. Again, taking nothing away from these teachers (I was one of them myself!) but if you want to make sure that you have covered absolutely everything that needs to be covered than you 100% need to be working with a teacher who actually knows the schools that you are sending your child into sit their Assessments at.

If you are going through the 4+ Assessment preparation process, make sure that you choose the best of the best.

Book your Sample lesson today.

What is P4C and how is it assessed in the 4+ Assessments?

P4C stands for Philosophy for Children and it is a big part of the 4+ Assessments at all schools.

P4C is enquiry based learning which simply means that children develop the ability to ask deeper questions based on the topic that they are exploring. It allows children the opportunity to explore their ideas and to not just accept an idea as a fact but rather develop the ability to question and offer their own opinions. P4C helps children to see that their ideas are valued and listened to and that what they say truly matters. It also helps them to see that the opinions of others are also valuable and helps them to develop the skills to be able to listen to the opinions of others too.

Through P4C children learn that they are not always right and that it’s ok not to be. It gives them the confidence to question what they are told and learn through having a deeper discussion about life and the world around them.

How will it be assessed in the 4+ Assessments?

It can be assessed in a variety of ways but here’s one to help you to understand better.

A stimulus will be chosen. For example let’s say a picture of a child crying. As a group or 1:1 (depending on the school) your child will be asked to ask a question about the stimulus.

Your child will need to come up with a question. Eg. Why is the child crying? How can someone help the child? I wonder why the child is so upset?

A discussion will then be held as a group or 1:1 to try to answer the question. Your child will give their own point of view but also listen to the points of views of others (if in a group) or the points of views of the assessor (if 1:1)

What is the point of P4C?

It supports students to think before they speak and to give a variety of reasons for what they have to say. It supports children to be respectful of others and their own personal points of views and to not always think that they are right. It also helps children to not be afraid to give their own points of views. It encourages children to generate lots of different ideas and supports children to become better listeners.

How can you support your child to be ready for this in their 4+ Assessments?

It’s really simple.

Pick a stimulus a day and have discussions about it!

Encourage your child to be inquisitive and make up their own questions. Keep a bank of all of the questions that they have come up with and over time you will have a whole page full of all of their questions that they have come up with.

Encourage your child to answer a variety of questions too. If your child is unsure, model to them how you would answer the same question.

We prepare all of our students to be ready for the P4C component of their 4+ Assessments. Need further support? Book your Sample Lesson today!

What you need is expert guidance from a teacher who knows each school that you are applying to.

I would say 50% of parents that I speak to fully understand what I offer. Fully understand the value in what I offer to all of my clients. Fully understand that for only £60 a week, they have 24/7 access to me for anything that they need in terms of their child’s education. Fully understand the amount of success that all of my students have had in these last 15 years!

The other 50% don’t fully understand what I offer. And it’s up to me to help them to fully understand. Otherwise I will continue to have parents call me each and every year after the 4+ Assessments and tell that their child was unsuccessful. Tell me about the horrible experience that they had. Tell me all the negative aspects of 4+ Assessment preparation.

My clients do not experience this. It has never happened to me. Not in 15 years.

I’m not a magician and not all children will get into all of the schools that they are applying to. No one can ever guarantee that your child will pass their 4+ Assessments. No one. That is ultimately up to your child.

But I do feel the need to shout from the rooftops how much success my clients have actually had over these last 15 years!

They have had tremendous success.

Their children have been successful at gaining entry to at least one school of choice. Most children are successful to way more than this! Most children are successful to their top school of choice!

Hear me when I say this.

You do not need a teacher to come physically into your home and have a cup of tea and a biscuit with you.

What you do need is this.

You need EXPERT guidance from a teacher who knows each and every school that you are applying to well. As in knows exactly what they will be expecting from your child. And then YOU need to take MASSIVE ACTION with your teacher and take your child’s learning to the next level. Watch with admiration as they learn to read, as they become masters in the maths curriculum, as they answer questions with ease, as they focus and concentrate in ways you’ve never seen before and as they start to write joyfully.

This is what we offer.

So when parents ask me ‘What is your hourly rate?’ that’s when I know I have work to do. I do not have an hourly rate. My clients have 24/7 access to me!

The value I offer to all of my clients is something that I am incredibly proud of.

I am at capacity for 2025 entry students but if you’d like help with supporting your child with their 4+ Assessments you have 2 options.

1. Book a lesson with a Senior Tutor.

2. Book your Curriculum Coaching Sample Week.

Get started today and take your child’s learning to the next level.

Know that you've done EVERYTHING in your power to prepare for the 4+ Assessments.

What we offer to our clients is far more than just one or two lessons per week.

Our clients can contact us at anytime and they will always receive an answer to their questions.

My personal clients contact me daily to ask me about things like:

Writing- How their child should be holding their pencil or tips for improving how they are writing their names.

Reading - They types of questions that they should be asking their children and tips about reading lists.

Maths - They type of maths their children will be asked to do in their 4+ Assessments.

The relationships I build with all of my clients is something that I am very proud of.

What sets my students apart from other students is that they know exactly what to expect from each Assessment that they will be attending.

They know exactly how to go in to each Assessment and be very successful.

It is very rare to be able to find a teacher who not only has over 15 years of experience teaching children for their 4+ Assessments but also knows what each and every single schools is looking for in their 4+ Assessments because she has prepared children for every single inner and outer London School over the last 15 years!

What I want my clients to know is that they have done EVERYTHING in their power to prepare their children to the highest of standards for their 4+ Assessments. To know that their children can go into any 4+ Assessment and complete everything incredibly well. To know exactly what the expectations are.

What I want my clients to know is that their children will actually go in and pass most of their 4+ Assessments because they have been prepared to the highest standard and because they have done everything in their power to prepare them to go in and be incredibly successful.

What does it mean to create your own 'Simple Summer Reset Plan' ?

Clarity

Lazer Focus

Awareness

Here’s what it has meant to my clients who have attended the Summer Reset Workshop.

‘It has allowed to to focus and be completely aware about what exactly needs to be covered in terms of curriculum.’

‘It is an extensive document which is very clear and simple to use.’

‘I now have the clarity and awareness that I was lacking before having it!’

If you attend my August Summer Reset Workshop, you will receive your very own tailor made 13 week Summer Reset Guide. I created this workshop initially for the month of June (hence the 13 weeks). However, it will still work perfectly well for August.

When you attend my Workshop, you will be allocated a 30 minute time slot. During that time, you will have plenty of time to ask me all of your questions about the schools that you are applying to and have all of your questions answered. Whilst you ask your questions, I will be busy creating your Summer Reset Guide which will be bespoke to the schools that your child will be applying to.

You also have 30 days of access to me in which you can contact me at any time to ask me anything you like! Incredible for only £59!

An very valuable resource I would say!

So don’t miss out and secure your place today. I have 6 places available and if you sign up before the 10th of August you will receive 3 incredible bonuses worth £300!

If you're preparing for the 4+ Assessments (2025 Entry) you will love my Summer Reset Workshop.

Here’s what some of my clients have told me about the Summer Assessment Reset Workshop.

‘So valuable!’

‘You have so much knowledge and it is clear to see that all you want is to help us parents to be successful!’

‘I was so confused before coming to the Reset Workshop, now I understand exactly what I need to do to help my child to actually go in and pass their 4+ Assessments!’

‘I love that you are just so honest.’

This August will be the FINAL 4+ Assessment Reset Workshop. September through December my one and only focus will be preparing my students for their Assessments!

It’s always my favourite time of year! My clients don’t feel the same and this is why they love working with me!

The Summer Reset Workshop will be the breath of fresh air that you need to help you to clearly understand everything that you need to understand about your child’s 4+ Assessments.

I make 4+ Assessment preparation fun, enjoyable and easy.

So if you are feeling lost, confused and anxious about your child’s 4+ Assessments, sign up today for only £59. You will leave the Reset feeling calm, supported and refreshed!

Book by the 10th of August to receive £300 worth of amazing FREE BONUSES!

3 ways to teach early writing that do not involve pencil and paper.

There are two types of students when it comes to early writing.

They either love it or they hate it.

My son is two years old and he is obsessed with writing. He calls pens ‘papers’ and is asking me throughout the day for ‘papers’. So I have no problem getting him to write. He tells me when he wants to write and we do it daily.

With my own 3+ and 4+ students it’s the same. Some love it and some don’t. Some will do it with enthusiasm and energy and others will not want to do it at all. Some get upset about it and walk away and some ask me to write numbers and letters.

Wherever your child is, there are ways to support them to build a love for writing that will help them to actually want to pick up the pen or pencil in their 4+ Assessments.

For most of the 4+ Assessments, your child will be observed writing so they must be able to go in and be able to write. And they must be able to write to a very high standard (correct letter formation and a decent size)

Here are 3 ways to teach early writing that do not involve pencil and paper.

1. Water tray writing

Fill a water tray with water and add lots and lots of bubbles. Add some lovely glitter to make it even more visually appealing! Ask your child to use their finger to form letters and numbers. Once they like this, ask them to pick up and pen and ‘write’ in the water.

2. Sand tray writing

As above but use sand.

3. Use a write board

You know how children love to write on walls? Well, now they can!

No more destroying your beautifully painted walls! When I used to do in person tuition, I used to always bring this with me and write on my client’s walls with their children!

Fun!

If after using these three methods, your child still doesn’t want to write, get in touch with me, I will be very surprised and happy to help you!

Do the opposite of what 70% of parents will do this summer!

If you are preparing for an Assessment for 2025 entry (any Assessment) let me tell you what 70% of parents will be doing this summer.

70% of parents will be taking a break.

I’m sure that you can guess what the remaining 30% will be doing

Now, hear me when I say that there is nothing wrong with taking a break. I am a firm believer in rest and relaxation. However, if your child is sitting an Assessment for 2025 entry, now is not the time for this.

Rest and relax but in a structured way.

Incorporate learning around your rest and relaxation.

Many of my clients up the intensity and frequency of their tuition over the summer months. Many of my clients are seeing me 2x/3/x/4x and even daily over the summer break. These are the students who will have the BEST results in their Assessments.

It makes no sense to me when clients come back to me after 2- 3 months of summer break and tell me this…

‘I don’t get it, it’s like they’ve gone backwards!’

What don’t you get?

Your child hasn’t opened a book for 3 months. Seems very logical to me.

Don’t undo months and months of hard work by taking the whole summer break away from learning.

What message are you sending your child if you do this?

That you don’t learn when you are relaxing and resting!

This is not the message I want to give to my students.

Will you be part of the 30%?

I hope so.

Introvert or Extrovert in the 4+ Assessments?

Why it just does not matter.

Many parents that I speak to on a daily basis fixate on this topic of their child either being an introvert or an extrovert.

Being an extrovert will not give a child the advantage over a child who is an introvert.

It’s helpful, sure.

But by no means will a school choose a child to come to their school purely on the basis of them being an extrovert.

It is far more complex than that.

These schools have a long list of criteria that your child needs to meet and being able to talk and answer questions is just one out of hundreds of things that they will be assessing.

The only downside of being a little more introverted at the ages of 3 and 4 is that your child might be that little bit more reluctant to answer the assessors’ questions.

However, if your child is more on the introvert side, fear not. They can still be incredibly successful.

I’ve worked with many children throughout the years who have been very able to articulate themselves, answer questions in great detail and have the confidence to go into their 4+ Assessments and talk to anyone who crossed their paths but there have been times that perhaps they did not know how to share. How to follow instructions. How to listen to the opinions of others. These are just a few examples for you.

I’ve also worked with many children who have been just as able to articulate themselves but perhaps were a little more shy or reluctant to speak to new and unfamiliar people who have been successful because together with the work done with me to support their ability to answer any question in their 4+ Assessments, they were also able to do many other things well. Eg. follow instructions, listen to others well and share kindly.

With only 2-6 months remaining until the 4+ Assessments, now is your time to get started!

Book your Sample Lesson Today!

Why you must tell your child exactly what to expect on the day of their 4+

Many parents tell me that they did not tell their child exactly what to expect on the day of their 4+ Assessments and those same parents tell me that they regret doing this.

Many parents tell me that their child won’t understand anyway or that it’s best they don’t know exactly what is happening or that they don’t want to worry them. I disagree with all of this.

Your child does fully understand what is going on.

Your child will fully know is happening on the day of their Assessment

They may or may not worry regardless of whether you tell them or not.

You must tell your child exactly what to expect in their 4+ Assessments if you would like them to actually pass their 4+ Assessments. Here is why…

1. They will be clear about the expectations.

By telling your child exactly what to expect, they will be clear about what is expected from them.

Telling them things like -

‘You will be collected by a teacher who works at the school and taken to a room/hall to take part in several different activities.’

‘You will follow their instructions and do exactly what they ask you to do.’

‘ You will be kind and polite to all adults and children in the room.’

‘You will share and take turns.’

etc.

2. They will be far less likely to not do what you don’t want them to do.

If you don’t tell your child exactly what to expect then don’t be surprised if they do go in and treat it like a ‘playdate’.

3. They will be 10x more confident

By knowing exactly what to expect your child will go in with 10x more confidence than if they didn’t know exactly what to expect.

Tell your child exactly what to expect on the day of the 4+ Assessments and if you don’t know what they will be expected to do, speak with someone who does.

Book your Sample Lesson today.