[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][image_with_animation image_url="1264" alignment="center" animation="Fade In" border_radius="none" box_shadow="none" max_width="100%"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][image_with_animation image_url="1265" alignment="center" animation="Fade In" border_radius="none" box_shadow="none" max_width="100%"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_text_separator title="Download Articles"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/6" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/6" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/6" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][nectar_btn size="small" button_style="regular" button_color_2="Extra-Color-3" icon_family="none" url="http://sheducationconsultancy.co.uk/daily-telegraph_07-07-2023_features_1st_p5-2/" text="Article 1"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/6" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][nectar_btn size="small" button_style="regular" button_color_2="Extra-Color-3" icon_family="none" url="http://sheducationconsultancy.co.uk/daily-telegraph_07-07-2023_features_1st_p4-2/" text="Article 2"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/6" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/6" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" overlay_strength="0.3" shape_divider_position="bottom"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_position="all" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" width="1/1" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]Having helped families prepare for the 11+ for over 12 years, I have seen a huge variety in approaches.  However, whichever you decide upon, there is no escaping the fact that it is a hugely stressful time for everyone involved and the very first point I will always discuss is that you need to watch your child like a hawk.  Frustration, tears, and exhaustion now seem to be par for the course, but it is important to make sure no long-term anxiety sets in.  No school is worth that, and while it doesn’t feel like it, there are enough private school places in London to fulfil the demand.  Your child will always get in somewhere.  Furthermore, there is always movement in schools and if you haven’t got one of your preferred choices at the 11+, you can look at occasional places and moving them again at sixth form.  In addition to this, some schools have entry points in other years.  

So how and when should you start preparing?  There is no exact formula for this, and it will depend on motivation, aspirations, current attainment and of course funds.  Additional support and online resources can get extremely expensive, and you may want to work with your child yourself to keep the costs down.  Most schools advise against additional prep and in an ideal world everyone would follow this advice to create a level playing field.  However, the reality is if every other child in the year is receiving one to one support, they are going to be at an advantage and performing strongly in class.  This has the dual benefit of potentially springboarding them into a higher set and impacting the all-important Head’s report.  If they have been acing tests for the last 18 months, how can it not.  

In general, most of my clients begin in Year 5 (although some do start in Year 4, with some very light support).  Of course, there will always be those who hire tutors as early as Reception, but Sabine and I feel that unless there is a specific reason, this is far too early and your little one’s time would be better spent in extracurricular activities.  Having begun then in the preceding September to the exam, many will focus in on the weaker subject and either hire a private tutor for an hour/two hours a week or sign up their child to one of the group courses provided by companies such as The Shine Academy or Yellowbird Education.  Others will coordinate support in all areas of the exams, Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.  Whether you child is at a private or state school will have a significant impact on how much you need to do.  Even within the private school sector the amount of prep different schools do varies hugely.   

By the end of the summer term of Year 5, your child is in an excellent position if they have covered the curriculum and different concepts needed to answer the various types of 11+ questions, as they can then start practising papers.  Of course, you don’t want to burn your child out by making them take multiple exams well into the night, however consistently working through past papers on a little and often basis does help familiarise them with what they will get given.  Now that most of the exams involve some kind of online component with a strict time limit, familiarity is extremely helpful.  You can purchase a huge variety of online tests, specific to the schools your child is trying for, on platforms such as Atom, BOFA or Pre-Test Plus.  There are also many websites where you can access past school specific paper-based exams (11plusguide.com) and workbooks with sample exams published by CGP and GL Assessment.  

In addition to the academic element of the assessment process, many families are now signing their children up for interview practice sessions, either independently or in small groups.  You can help your child here by accessing a list of past interview questions and discussing them at the dinner table.  Some families enjoy doing this so much that they continue the often-heated debates well past interview dates.  The Junior Lawyers Club has also become popular, as a means of helping your child excel in the interview and small group work part of the 11+.

When I first started working in the world of the 11+, I was astonished at what a intense process it could be for the children.  Over a decade later, I wish we could rewind the clock to those halcyon days!  It can now be such a gruelling process for children and parents alike if you are aiming for one of the more popular schools.  My one word of advice is, try not to listen to the hoopla at the school gates, trust your instinct and if your child comes through it with a smile on their face, that’s the best result you can get.   

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The Key Clinic

The highlight of our year so far has undoubtedly been meeting the inspirational Sarah Warley, who founded The Key Clinic.   I first came across the Key Clinic a few years ago when I was working for a family who were looking for an alternative to medicating their daughter for attentional problems.  After six months, her focus and concentration were unrecognisable, and she was able to read books independently for the first time.  By the time I had witnessed the transformation of another two children that I worked closely with, I was convinced that it was somewhere I wanted to take my own four-year-old son, who was often distracted and could have terrible meltdowns over the smallest problem.  Tests showed that he had PyrolleDisorder which meant that his symptoms were being fuelled by a severe and dual deficiency of vitamin B-6 and zinc.  Three months later he was a different child and life was much easier for everyone!  What Sabine and I love about the Key Clinic is that it aims to find the root causes of a child’s symptoms, rather than immediately resort to medications.

If you have a child that has been given a diagnosis of dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD or is suffering from anxiety or depression, it may be worth having an initial consultation to see if Sarah and her team can help.

If you are interested in contacting The Key Clinic, there is a link below, or if you would like to hear her speak, here she is being interviewed by Liz Earle.

The Key Clinic - Unlocking Key Potential

Understanding learning and behaviouraldifficulties with Sarah Warley - Liz Earle Wellbeing

My wife and I were nervous about the 4+ assessment for prep school given the relatively few numbers of places available, compared to the number of applicants. It left us unsure whether our son was suitable or prepared. Fortunately, my wife found Sabine, who was incredible. She visited our home and my son immediately gravitated towards her five her warm nature. She assessed him through a number of education techniques and gave us a very comprehensive account of his strength and weaknesses. Sabine gave us the assurance we were not wasting our time applying for prep schools. We cannot recommend Sabine highly enough.

~Shazia and Nabeel

Chloe is a godsend.  She makes learning fun through a magical combination of kindness, fun and never-ending encouragement.  I doubt anyone else would have coaxed such a positive response (and result) from our daughter.

~Emily, Chiswick

Chloe has done a marvellous job in tutoring my son in English in preparation for his 11+ exams.  He went into the exams with confidence, knowing exactly what he needed to do in order to achieve high marks in both his comprehension and creative writing papers.  Chloe was consistently kind, patient and encouraging with my son – even on the days that his enthusiasm for tutoring was a little low!

Chloe also assisted us in preparing Joseph for his 11+ interviews, again building his confidence and highlighting exactly which sorts of questions might come up so that he could talk through his answers with her beforehand.  I would highly recommend Chloe’s tutoring to anyone seeking an 11+ tutor.  She has been a delight to work with.

~Lucinda, Barnes

Chloe works with two of my children.  Chloe was a god send to my eldest daughter and her 11plus maths!  In Flora’s own words, “Chloe teaches me maths, she doesn’t just tell me about maths.”  Flora’s confidence is maths has soared and even with the 11plus over, Flora wanted to keep on seeing Chloe to help her grow in her learning and love of maths.

My second daughter, Violet is highly dyslexic and knowing that Chloe was a SEN teacher, I asked Chloe if she would help Violet with her maths.  When Violet finished her first session with Chloe, Violet skipped out of Chloe’s house stating that she had loved her hour session.  This was music to my ears and brought tears to my eyes as very, very rarely do I hear these words come from Violet’s mouth in regard to her learning.

~Sophie, Chelsea

If your child is studying for the 11+ this year, the words ‘verbal reasoning’ and ‘non-verbal’ are likely to elicit in you either total boredom or overwhelming anxiety. These cognitive ability tests were originally brought in to try and ‘tutor proof’ exams, however children are now spending hours and hours on Atom prepping for these tests, and VR and NVR half term courses are booked up months in advance. For some children the system works. They thrive at deciphering number codes and folding up small nets of cubes in their heads. Others find the tests a slow form of torture and progress is at a snail’s pace. Interestingly, the research on the usefulness of these tests is changing as a new understanding of ‘intelligence’ is becoming widely recognised in academia.

A definition of these tests

Tests of general ability are tests that ‘are designed to measure underlying general cognitive ability (‘intelligence’) or specific cognitive ability using tests of general knowledge reasoning, problem solving and memory rather than measures of what a test-taker has learnt from his/her curricular experience.’ They consist of a set of standardized tests or subtests, the scores of which are then combined to provide one single IQ score.
General tests of ability are said to be useful in several ways. Firstly, they are believed to allow the assessor to build up a profile of a learner’s cognitive strengths and relative difficulties. This profile is set to be predictive of a learner’s future academic performance. Secondly, this process of collecting data allows teachers, parents or workplaces to make arrangements to accommodate areas of weakness in a person’s profile and build on their strengths.

The History of Intelligence Tests

Intelligence testing began in the first few years of the 20th century when Alfred Binet developed the Binet Scale to identify children with learning difficulties who would benefit from being educated separately from the mainstream. What is interesting is that the father of IQ testing explicitly stated that its purpose was not to give someone an exact score of intelligence, because ‘the scale, properly speaking, does not permit the measure of intelligence,’ and that, ‘an individual’s intelligence is [not] a fixed quantity, a quantity that cannot be increased.’
Two ideas are relevant here, firstly that the scale does not permit the measure of intelligence and secondly, that intelligence is not a fixed measurement.

Can Intelligence be Measured?

Since Gardner’s work on multiple intelligence in the 1980s, there has been an increasing tendency to view intelligence as a broader set of abilities rather than understanding it as solely based on the cognitive abilities assessed in intelligence tests. Howard Gardner’s idea of multiple intelligence spearheaded this way of thinking, identifying eight categories that a person could be intelligent in: bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematic, musical, spatial and naturalistic.
Following on from Gardner’s work, Robert Sternberg took a more radical approach. He focused on three distinct strands of intelligence which included practical intelligence (the ability to do well in informal and formal educational settings), experiential intelligence (the ability to deal with novel situations and think in novel ways) and componential intelligence (the ability to process information effectively.)
My preferred understanding of intelligence comes from Lucas and Claxton’s book ‘Being Intelligent’ which argues that intelligence is not knowing lots, ‘it is how you think , feel and behave at the moments when you’re accumulated store of knowledge and skill doesn’t give you a ready answer, and you have to ‘think on your feet.’ This makes sense to me as what point is there in having sky high scores if you cannot thrive in the real world.

Intelligence is Not Fixed

The second point highlighted by Binet is that intelligence is not a fixed measurement. Carol Dweck’s famous theory of Growth Mindset supports this view. Her research demonstrated that an individual’s learning is shaped by whether they believe their intelligence is fixed or can be changed. While Dweck’s work is not without its detractors, her findings coupled with changes in our understanding of intelligence suggest that IQ tests might no longer have the usefulness we once thought they did.

Why this Matters

While it doesn’t look like intelligence testing in the 11+ is going anywhere anytime soon, understanding the nuances of intelligence testing is vital for parents. I have noticed an increasing tendency for students to say things like ‘I/she/he is not smart,’ because of their performances in these 11+ CATs tests. The fact that there are many types of intelligence not assessed in these computerised tests, and that furthermore, all the evidence points to the fact that it is not a fixed entity anyway, suggests that both educators and parents need to be extremely careful with the language used around this process. One of my fondest memories from tutoring is of a mother and daughter collecting an enormous black bin bag of 11+ materials from a family friend. The size of it was so enormous, that after they had hauled it up three flights of stairs, they both had to lie down on the floor laughing. Humans do crazy things all the time, but I can’t help wondering whether making a child do a hundred hours of reasoning practice might be the maddest of all, and when it’s my son’s turn, I hope that I too can let the humour of the situation reduce me to tears.

In cosmopolitan London pretty much anything goes around the dinner party table, except that is, the admission that you tutor your child. Parents agonise over whether to begin this expensive habit having already spent a small fortune on their child’s private school, and there is no right or wrong answer.

If you are considering getting extra help for your child, read our blog for the main points you should consider in the hiring process.

This month our spot light is on Bute House as the enormously charismatic Head, Helen Lowe’s headship comes to an end. Ms Sian Bradshaw (previously Head of Ewell Castle Prep School and deputy head of Orchard House) will be taking over and we are pleased to hear that she has no plans to radically change the direction of the school. Located in Brook Green, west London, Bute House is well known as one of the highest attaining girl’s junior schools in London and an unofficial feeder for St Paul’s Girls.

Why we love Bute House

Having 20 of years experience between us working in education, in both a teaching and consultancy capacity, Sabine and I are incredibly conscious of the enormous pressure that primary aged children are put under in the years leading up to the 11 plus. This pressure can come from several sources including the exam itself, parents, peers, and the school they attend. While many schools acknowledge the damage that constant testing and ranking of children can have, few have really been able to commit to creating an environment that is both stimulating, dynamic and noncomparative. Bute House is well and truly a non-competitive academic environment.

What does a non-competitive environment mean?

The school has strict rules on sharing attainment information and this does mean that the school is not for everyone. Children do not take exams until Year 5 and parents are not given the results of cognitive ability tests or behind the scenes assessment until the summer term. Working out which set your daughter is in is also not an option as they do not stream the children believing that it is up to the teacher to cater for a mixed ability class. This may not seem like an issue in Reception however, as the 11+ draws near, many parents do struggle to wait until this point in the year before they can really begin planning secondary school options. In addition to this, there are no senior leadership positions such as prefects or head girl so before deciding on Bute House as an option parents need to decide this is the system for them. Our opinion is that having watched endless children struggle with their own self-worth as a result of continuous class examination this system sounds like heaven and a space where girls really can 'run their own best race.'

Entrance

At 4+ it is by ballot - so called 'golden ticket’ which is drawn 2 years before entrance and can offer a maximum of 22 places. The good news is that siblings have guaranteed places. At 7+ 200 girls sit the assessment for around 44 places. This year’s 7+ assessment was completed specifically by Atom Learning- no decision has yet been made on how it will be assessed but it will be based on the Year 2 curriculum and include some English and maths. One thing comes across loud and clear and that is the school’s take on tutoring; they repeatedly tell parents not to tutor. In the most recent open morning Bute House emphasized that they are not looking for girls who can already do lots and are working above their expected stage. They are looking for girls who are curious, keen to have a go, not worried about making a mistake. Bute House girls are those who ask questions, have energy, a sense of humour (even a tiny bit of cheekiness) and are interested in learning and being taught.

Exit 2020

Always majority of girls moving onto St Paul’s Girls School with a good amount going onto other local favourites, Latymer and Godolphin and Latymer. For full results:
https://www.butehouse.co.uk/moving-on/senior-school-destination-trends.html

4, 7, 8 , and 11+ assessments during covid- what’s changed?

Read our most recent blog on changes to the assessment process during 2020 and 2021. Despite all the challenges this year, children we have assessed and worked with have gained places at UCS, Channing, Falkner House Girls, St Christopher’s, Highgate, North London Collegiate, Notting Hill and Ealing, ASL, DPL, Forest Hill, DUCKs, The Harrodian, St Paul’s Cathedral School, Ibstock Place, City of London Girls, Godolphin & Latymer, Francis Holland Sloane Square and Francis Holland Regent’s Park, Thomas’s, Wimbledon High, Hampton and Putney High. We congratulate them all!

SH Education services:

We offer teacher led assessments in preparation for the 3, 4, 7, 8, and 11+ assessments as well as occasional places into all primary year groups. Read more about our bespoke assessment packages developed to give parents/ carers or tutors the most thorough and constructive information, next steps and recommended acitivites and resources to support their child.

15% off all consultations when you refer a friend to us!

Rufus is one of the founders of the hugely successful children’s exercise classes that have been taking west London by storm. Rufus is a former household cavalry officer who created these classes for one and half to eight year olds, with the desire to ‘maximise development while growing their concentration, co-ordination and communication skills.’ TARKA offer termly classes that last 45 minutest to 1 hour and range from £20 - £26 per session. TARKA also offer holiday camps, birthday entertainment and private sessions

What sparked the idea for Tarka London?

I had just left the Army and suddenly wasn’t doing as much exercise as I had always done since the age of 7 at school / the Army and I remember thinking ‘why aren’t I as happy as before?’ and it was because I wasn’t doing any physical exercise. I have always known that exercise is good for you, but never really realised it so concretely until I was on the other side of it. Exercise is so key to happiness, your mental state, your physical well-being, your outlook on life etc etc that I then wanted to imbue that into young children who are increasingly sedentary and living lives in front of screens. And rather than just doing ‘exercise’, why not make it educational and try and teach children through movement whilst their brains are so much more receptive to learn. I gained a huge amount of belief in what I was thinking from reading and studying the way a lot of Scandinavia countries educate young children and how they are leading the way in early years education. I would also like to add that early years teachers are 95% female and this didn’t seem right to me. Young children need attention and love from men too which is why over 60% of the staff at TARKA are men. I’m all part of the #metoo movement!! I'm very proud that TARKA must be the only educational institution to have such a balance of male and female instructors.

What skills are your classes aimed towards developing in children?

The core element of TARKA will always be about movement, making children subliminally love exercise because they don’t view it as just exercise but as a fun game. If you were to watch a class, it may look like a bunch of children charging around but when you look closer, you’ll see that TARKA is working on their balance, fine and gross motor skills, teamwork, understanding of others, confidence and general core strength. A lot of these elements I’ve just mentioned are key values in the Army, which again I am so grateful to have as part of my DNA for life and something which I believe are very good values to live by and for any human to have.

What changes do you see in children over a term/year of classes?

A love for life. Confidence. Happiness. Physical development. Teamwork.

Your classes go up to six years old. What do you recommend parents do to maintain the Tarka ethos once their children leave? Have you got any future plans to extend your age range?

So much of TARKA’s success is down to energy and enthusiasm. Children can’t get enough attention and if you give it to them, they’ll hero worship you and want to do well. Maybe I'm making it sound easy, but so far it seems to work for us!

And with regards to doing classes for older children, we do have classes already for children up to 8 years old and send plenty of instructors around London to do private classes and mentoring for children up to the age of 16.

Many of our readers leave outside of your Notting Hill and Chelsea catchment area. Can North London and South of the river look forward to accessing your classes?

I hope! We’ve been terribly careful to not loose quality by being greedy and expanding too quickly.

If you had five minutes with the Minister for Education what advice would you give him?

The sheer importance of early years education. And the importance of giving children role models to look up to. You wouldn’t go to a hairdressers if the hairdresser himself had a bad haircut! Nor would I want to send my child to a school where the teachers were lazy, overweight and didn’t love what they do.

Chloe was a great help in preparing my daughter for her 11+.  I would highly recommend her.

~Alegria, Parent

Chloe Berry and Sabine Hook are the wizard’s of the London/ UK school system. They are both experienced consultants and qualified teachers with a wealth of experience of both the independent and state school system. They are the power houses behind SH Nursery Consultancy which provides support to parents trying to navigate nurseries, schools and the general education system. Not only did they help me find a brilliant prep school for my little girl (against all odds and considerable time pressure), they are a wealth of information and knowledge.

~Miriam Cooper of Mimi's Bowl

If there is one thing you do with your child and nothing else, make it reading!

Reading is crucial for child development on so many levels. At it's most basic level it provides a quiet time for parent and child to share together and will encourage your child to focus and listen. However reading regularly and widely with your child aids comprehension, extends vocabulary, supports speech and language development and engages your child's imagination. There is no limit to how many books you can share with your child in a day and it is certainly shouldn't be limited to just a bed-time activity. Not every book will spark your child's interest so join your local library and experiment with lots of different texts, try to figure out what books capture your little ones attention. Some children are less interested in fiction and more engaged by information books especially if they have a particular interest like animals, vehicles, dinosaurs or space. Many children love to read one particular book over and over again (for my two children it was 'The Tiger who came to Tea' by the wonderful Judith Kerr). This desire to repeat a text is very normal and important in laying connections between words and pictures and building on a child's knowledge of a text so do keep repeat reads if that is what your child wants.  If the text is too complex for your little one then leave it out and use your own words to retell events in the story or comment on the pictures.

Here are a few of my favourite picture books for 2-4 year olds

1. Anything by Julia Donaldson who is a genius at creating wonderful stories with repeated refrains and rhyming text. See particularly, 'The Gruffalo', 'A Squash and a Squeeze', 'Stickman', 'Zog','The Snail and the Whale' and 'The Smartest Giant in Town'. For smaller children (18 months to 3 years) the lift the flap books 'Postman Bear', 'Rabbits nap' and 'Fox's Socks' are a perfect introductions into Donaldson's work.
2. Anything by Judith Kerr who illustrates all her books and weaves her only particular magic into each story. I have yet to come across a child who is not fascinated by the story of the tiger from 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea' who ate up all the food and drank all the drink so that Sophie could not have her bath or supper! Also highly recommend the 'Mog' series; a wonderful selection stories of varying complexity about a rather grumpy cat.
3. 'Pip and Posy' series by Axel Scheffler- these are particularly good for 2- 3 year olds who delight in the relatable stories following the two friends.
4. 'Paddington' by Michael Bond- the language is a little complex for little ones but from 4 year olds plus these wonderfully humorous stories are perfect for extending vocabulary and comprehension.
5. The Storm Whale by Benji Davies- a beautifully illustrated story about a lonely little boy who befriends a baby whale.  A perfect book to initiate discussions on feelings and relationships.
6. Anything by Jill Murphy but specifically her baby bear series 'Peace at Last' and 'Whatever Next' and the brilliant Mr and Mrs Large books; ' 5 Minutes Peace',  'All In One Piece' and 'Mr Large in Charge'.  All these books perfectly record the reality of family life and will make parents and children giggle in recognition.
7. Richard Scarry books; What Do People Do All Day' and 'Best Word Book Ever'. These funny and brilliantly illustrated books are a particular hit with boys and are a wonderful way of extending children's vocabulary. My children must have read the 6 pages detailing 'how to build a road' over a hundred times.
8. 'Owl Babies' by Martin Wadell- a classic story perfect for a child going through a mummy phase!
9. 'Handa's Surprise'- Eileen Browne. Another classic story and a favourite in schools and nurseries. The story of Handa's journey to a nearby village provides opportunities to recognise fruit, animals and to discuss different parts of the world and what they look like.
10. 'The Night Gardener' by The Fan Brothers. This is another one for the 4 year olds and a relatively new book given to my eldest son by a friend. Beautifully bound and illustrated this mysterious and magical story is open to interpretation and will intrigue children and invites discussion.

• The newly named St James Preparatory School will be welcoming children turning three in September 2019 in a new state of the art nursery building located in in the former lodge in Marcus Garvey Park.

https://www.stjamesschools.co.uk/prepschool/new-nursery-2019/

• Knightsbridge School and all four Miss Daisy's Nursery have all joined Dukes Education as of September 2018. These two establishments join existing Dukes schools such as the Lyceum School and Eaton Square Schools and Nurseries. The four Miss Daisy Nursery schools will join Little Dukes, the early years wing of the company, which will be headed up by Daisy Harrison.

https://dukeseducation.com/miss-daisys-nursery

• Peregrines Pre prep (Part of the Falcon's School for Girls) have created an alliance with the new Wetherby-Pembridge School in New York as part of the Alpha Plus Group of Schools.

https://www.wetherby-pembridge.org

Sabine has a lovely, approachable manner and we have found her to be highly knowledgeable about pre-school teaching. She has provided us with invaluable advice and tools to help get our child ready for school since her current nursery is great with pastoral care but not very academic. Our child has progressed very rapidly with her phonics and numeracy skills by just implementing a few of the play-based suggestions Sabine made.

~Mr & Mrs L, South-East London.

We were so lucky to meet Sabine after having a horrible experience with a nursery in 2014. My son was just turning 2 at the time and we were really panicking about not choosing the right nursery for him. We understood that nursery is so important as the first step of education and will result in a happier and more successful child. Sabine met with our son and understood immediately what we were looking for and after a while my little son was in an amazing nursery which he was happy and confident in. Now we live in Dubai and returning to London soon. Sabine again helped us to find a primary school and a nursery for our second child. We fully trust her and we now have places for both my kids in amazing schools. We can not recommend her enough and are so grateful for all her help and continuous support.

~Ozge and Cem Orekli W12

What are the 4+ Assessments?

Independent junior schools are divided into those that assess for entrance into Reception class and those that don’t. There are even some independent schools with nursery classes that assess for entrance when children are only 2 years old! Thankfully assessing this young is a rarity but 4+ assessments are common and vary substantially from school to school. Academic girls schools often assess for more specific fine motor skills such as how controlled pencil and scissor use is, as well as being able to write names from memory and what numbers they can recognise and write. However the majority of schools are looking less for a specific set of skills and more for general readiness to learn and ‘teachability’. Some London schools assessing at 4+ include: Thomas Battersea, Kensington Preparatory School, Glendower Preparatory School, North London Collegiate, Falkner House Boys and Girls, Wimbledon High and St. Christopher’s School.

4+ assessments generally take place in the morning within small groups of 4-12 children the October-February before September entrance. The rooms will be set up with a selection of learning activities (drawing, puzzles, books, small world play) and children will be observed in the way they focus on activities as well as how effectively they work alongside and with other children and adults. Children should be able to show a good level of focus and concentration and follow instructions without problems (e.g. tidying up, sharing and taking turns.) Teachers from the schools early years department will also take time to sit with your child and complete an activity together, this could be a drawing, puzzle, matching game etc. Teachers will be looking especially at communication skills, how confidently and clearly children can respond and how well they engage with the activity. There is often also a story read to the group and teachers will look out for children who have good levels of comprehension and can make comparisons to their own experiences, retell events or identify their favourite parts or characters. Some schools are looking for how engaged and curious a child is,how quickly they absorb new ideas as well as their resilience in learning. Others are looking for how focused children are and how well they concentrate and follow instructions. Generally these are not skills you can specifically tutor for and should be developed by day-to-day interactions with parents and carers or within an outstanding nursery environment.

How to handle them

• Don't build them up to your child, tell them they are going for a play date in a new school to see if they like it there.
• Make sure they are well rested and have had enough to eat that morning.
• Don't arrive too early (or too late!) as hanging around for more then 5/10 minutes before the session will probably effect the enthusiasm with which the child participates in activities.

Games and activities to help prepare for 4+ assessment:

* Talk, talk, talk! Encouraging communication skills and modelling language are one of the most crucial areas a parent can help develop. Modelling and extending language where you can, for example you child says ‘I drinked my juice’ you say ‘yes you drank all of the juice in your glass.’

*If you are concerned about language delay consult a speech and language therapist. On of the most effective methods for enriching and supporting language development is commenting on shared play with your child. It need only be 5 minutes a day but fully engaging in your child’s imaginative play with cars, dolls, role play, train set can be extremely beneficial. There is a skill to it though- no questioning, try to comment and describe what your child is doing in simple phrases. For example “Daddy cooks in the kitchen”, “the car goes up the slide”.

* Books are essential in developing higher-level comprehension and language skills. Reading with your child every night will ensure a love and enjoyment of books, which will aid their learning for years to come. Try and develop discussions and open-ended questions about the texts, e.g. What happened at the beginning? How do you think this character is feeling now? What part of the story did you enjoy most…why? Model your own thoughts and feelings about the book too. Studies have shown that children of 3- 4 years olds are recommended to share 12 books every day.

*Audio books on car journey or before bed time are also an excellent tool for developing language comprehension.

* Recognising and ordering numbers 1-10. Draw your child’s attention to numbers in the world around them: door numbers, car registration plates, page numbers etc. Role play washing line with numbers cards and pegs and encourage children to pin numbers up in order starting with 0-5 and then extending to 10 or 20. Play dice games like snakes and ladders as a good way of recognising number value, counting accurately using 1:1 correspondence and recognising numerals.

* Play games and turn taking activities- simple games like lotto or matching pairs work wonderfully at encouraging children to wait their turn and helps them deal with not always winning!

* Practice hearing sounds in words- I spy with my little eye is a wonderful game for isolating first sounds in words and an excellent pre-phonics reading and writing skill.

"We got in touch with Sabine when we started looking for schools for our daughter, who was at the time just over one year old. We were almost panicking as friends were telling us we were so behind in choosing a school for her. Sabine was what we needed to stop worrying and start finding our feet in the complicate (at least for us!) British school system. She was highly professional and knowledgeable, she gave very valuable input but without influencing decisions that must be taken only by parents. I would definitely recommend her and not hesitate to resort to her for any further advice."

~Mrs Elisei SW6

"I contacted Sabine as I needed early years advice regarding my 2½ year old son.
Sabine was helpful, informative and I highly recommend her for the excellent pre-school advice that she gave me. This has noticeably had effective results and he is a very confident young boy."

~Deborah Butler W14

"We cannot thank Sabine enough for the solid, sage advice and counseling she has provided us. She was referred to us by a friend when I was 6 months pregnant with our first child in 2014. As expats, we were completely unsure of how to decipher and navigate the English school system, and having heard horror stories from friends in other "competitive" cities like LA and New York, we were very concerned about making any missteps or missing any deadlines. Sabine patiently walked us through the different types of English schools, all the way up to university, so that we understood what we were working with, and explained what required nearer-term application and what would wait. She then carefully listened to our preferences, and compiled a workable list from us to choose schools for nursery and Reception applications.

But most of all, Sabine put our minds at ease, and held my heavily-pregnant hand to whittle down my options, fill out applications, and get everything ready to go before birth. She was even able to squeeze in a nursery visit 6 weeks before I delivered! She also handled compiling and mailing all the applications for us so that we could concentrate on being brand new parents.

Sabine later served as an amazing sounding board, happily answering questions about the various school options, and guiding me as to when and how to approach the nurseries regarding tours and waiting lists. The nursery where I had my pre-birth visit was by far our top choice, and when we had to make our final decision and put down a deposit, Sabine helped me confirm my instinct that this school was indeed the one for us. Most importantly, since starting in April, our son has absolutely adored this nursery, and we have been thrilled with the caring and ever-cheerful staff, excellent curriculum, and lovely parents' community. Our younger child will be attending the school as well next year. We could not be happier there, and we owe it all to Sabine!

I know that I can trust Sabine's judgment and advise 110%, and when the time comes for Reception, I am sure she will once again have incredible insight and guidance as to our options. We are so, so grateful to Sabine, and words cannot adequately express how much we recommend her!!!!"

~Mrs S Rifaat SW7

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the first part of the National Curriculum for children aged 3-5, therefore covering both Nursery and Reception. During those years children will be assessed regularly in seven areas of learning: three ‘prime’ areas (Communication, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development) and a further four‘specific’ areas (Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and Design). The priority is for children to be secure in the ‘prime’ areas so that they are able to progress onto the more ‘specific’ ones. There are a number of crucial skills children will be expected to have mastered before entering the more formal world of Key Stage One, and a selection of these are listed below!

By the end of Reception, teachers are hoping to have helped develop confident, independent and expressive five-year-olds. Children should be able to negotiate spaces effectively and move in a variety of ways including running, hopping, skipping and jumping with control. At this point, children should be confidently separating from carers, able to select resources and investigate their interests independently. Crucially, children should be able to take others into consideration in their behaviour, consistently taking turns and sharing as well as communicating their feelings, likes and dislikes to other adults or children.
In terms of the two core areas of learning at Key Stage One – Literacy and Mathematics – there are certain expectations of children:

Mathematics:

• Rote counting to at least twenty, and counting up to ten (or preferably twenty) objects accurately.
• Recognising and ordering numerals 1-10, and be working on 10-20.
• A rudimentary understanding of addition and subtraction, and should be able to calculate one more or one less than any number up to ten.
• Identifying and naming common 2D and 3D shapes.
• Observing and recreating repeating patterns and numerical sequences.

Literacy:

• Knowing the sounds of all twenty-six letters, as well as some digraph sounds(such as, th, sh, ng).
• Reading and writing simple CVC – consonant-vowel-consonant – words (such as ‘hat’ and ‘pig’) and attempting more complex ones.
• Recognisable and clear written letters, with clear finger spaces between words.
• Demonstrating the beginnings of basic punctuation.
• Communicating clearly in sentences and exploring new and more complex vocabulary.

Reception teachers assess children on these criteria regularly, estimating whether they are “Emerging”, “Expected” or “Exceeding” in each of these areas.
Whilst I have listed some of the curricula expectations above, it is common that a child might be “Exceeding” in Mathematics or Literacy, and yet they could easily be below the “Expected” level in Personal and Social Skills or Creative Development.
Any areas requiring improvement will, therefore, be of particular focus either in the next term or academic year.

• Attend all open mornings, fêtes or events happening in the new school to familiarise your child with their new environment.
• Support your child with preparation for phonics by playing games such as ‘I spy…’ to encourage them to hear the initial sounds in words.
• If your child is a “picky eater”, opt for packed lunches rather than a cooked lunch (at least for the first term).
• Familiarise your child with dealing with containers, drinks and thermos’s in their lunchbox by using them on outings, picnics or family and friends’ houses.
• Reception classes expect children to be independent and manage their own belongings, which makesit essential that everything is clearly labelled! Make sure your child is aware of what they have with them each day.
• Get children used to the contents of their new uniform or PE kit by laying them out and practicing changing in and out of them a few times. Make it fun by using a timer and suggest a reward for changing before the buzzer goes!

Whether its your third time round or a precious eldest child, the transition to nursery is often an emotional experience for both child and parent. Working a s a nursery and reception teacher there were numerous occasions I would comfort a weeping parent as an even more hysterical toddler was peeled away from their mothers arm’s with a scream that could shatter glass! In the position of teacher, I was totally confident that within the next few weeks that child would be happily walking into the classroom with a quick hug and barely a backward look.

Often within ten minutes of a parent leaving the room the majority of unsettled children were happily engaged with an activity and they would only start crying again at the end of the session on seeing a parent came back for collection. We would often send photos to parents of their children happy and engaged to prove that once separated they quickly settled into the nursery day and that often the continued presence of a beloved parent did more harm then good in the settling in process.

Having recently settled my eldest son into his first nursery experience I saw the whole thing from the other side and sympathized deeply with the feeling of helplessness you experience seeing your child struggling with separation. It is often the first time a child has been away from a family member or familiar adult but if handled calmly and confidently this needed be the tear soaked experience many parents endure.

Ways a nursery can support this transition

• Many outstanding nursery environments make an effort to do home visits before a child starts in the school. This is an incredibly helpful tool as it allows teachers and key workers to see the child’s home environment and to already build a bond by seeing special toys and people connected to the child.
• Nurseries that use their key workers effectively can greatly lessen the trauma of parental separation. The purpose of a key worker is for parents and children to have a special point of contact within the busy classroom environment. Most key workers will have between 6 and 15 children they look out for and this allows for a greater connection with families and the individual child and another valuable point of contact if the class teacher is busy or unavailable.
• Sensitive settling in procedures can also have a very positive impact. With very little ones starting nursery keeping the first few visits short and slowly building up to the full session can make all the difference.

Ways parents can support the transition

• Giving children clear guidelines to when they will be picked up and then ensuring that is stuck to will give them the security to know that mummy will be back when she says she will. For example “mummy is going to have a cup of coffee and after you have your snack/ tidy up/ play I will be back to pick you up.”
• Bringing a special toy, comforter, book into nursery as a tool that the staff can use to settle an unhappy child and give them something familiar and comforting to focus on.
• If your child’s speech is still relatively undecipherable and unclear then give staff information on any key phrases or words your child may use so they know what children are saying, for example your child’s words for water, loo, granny, coat etc.
• Ask the nursery for the name and photo of your child’s class teacher/key worker before you start nursery. I used this with my son over the Christmas holidays so that he recognized his key worker on his first day and knew how to say her name.

"Sabine’s incredible knowledge and passion for children’s education is very impressive. She guided our family throughout the entire nursery school and pre-prep application process and continues to be a sounding board for us! We are so grateful for all of her help and support."

~ Mrs Triebel, W8