4+ assessments at private schools

[verystressed2011]

Does anyone know any tutor for 4+ assessments in north london? My DD is a summer born and was refused a place at 3+ due to her "AGE". I am super stressed!!!

[Michaelahpurple]

You can't tutor for assessment for these, and, whilst I totally understand your concern, you shouldn't try to. Any tutor who offers to is a charlatan.
The whole assessment thing is a nightmare and is really an expression of insufficient supply. Once you get to 4+ (ie reception entry) any decent school should be aiming to get a spread of ages though the year, so will be adjusting for the summer babies (our school tries to schedule them by age if they can).
The schools are truly not looking for the early readers etc, so no benefit in trying to push them too early if they aren't ready.
The "due to age" may well (should) have been a view that she wasn't ready for the more formal second hear nursery offering that some schools have, and would be better staying a proper nursery school for that second year - I think this true for most children as school nursery years tend often to be "reception lite" and as such too rigid fof the age group.
I assume she is in first year of nursery now - keep her in nursery, relax, enjoy it, apply to lots of reception classes as the whole thing is a lottery. Near the time, encourage her to shake hands, make eye contact, share toys, and play constructively, and you will have done everything you can.

good luck

[allag]

i have found the whole process totally awful - we've just been through it. I completely agree that tutoring is totally pointless. The best you can do is to make sure your DD is as happy and relaxed and positive as she can be when she goes in there.In the ONLY bit of feedback that i got afterwards (most of the time you really have no idea what goes on in there)they implied that they really want a positive attitude and a willingness to get on with things. So if you can get her excited the whole thing, this really will be the best you can do. Best of luck!

[verystressed2011]

Thanks for your reponses. Yes, I also agree that tutoring a 3 year old is nasty idea. But I hear these stories from people that summer borm kids are at a disadvantage and must be at par with the older autum born kids as they will be competing with them!!

Well, I think we all know that its a lottery at the end of the day. And no matter how intelligent your child is, if the school only has a certain number of places to offer, you are not left with much choice.

[allag]

it's a toughie with the summer borns but schools claim they allow for age differences, and some group them in assessments by age as Michaela said. dont worry - it is a lottery, it is not at all about ability and ultimately you will get a place - even after all the assessments have finished there are places coming up all the time. it's a horrible game but as someone said to me a couple of weeks ago, there aren't many people who dont' get a place at a good school in the end - there will be someone good who wants your money!!! :)

[missfairlie]

DD's school (GDST) grouped by age - they see the August girls first - and weight the data, so they claim. There is a reasonable spread of age in DD's reception class.

[sometimesinthefall]

I agree with previous posters - good schools do take into account the age differences at every stage and will normally do assessments separately for each age group. One headmistress told me that the differences induced by age usually even out by the end of pre-prep.

As for the assessments, I also agree that the idea is tutoring a three-year-old is odd and actually quite embarrassing. I certainly didn't get my DD tutored, but I get the impression, both from people I've met and previous threads, that a lot of families do it. If you decide to get your DD tutored, I would recommend someone who is familiar with the schools you are applying to and knows what they expect (and may also act as a 'recommendation' to the school), otherwise it's not worth it.

In my small experience, the assessments range from normal/nice (checking that your DD is sociable and enthusiastic and has basic literacy and numeracy skills along with a good attention span) to plain weird (looking for fluent readers/writers, and I am not joking).

It's a bit of a cliche, but do make sure that the ones you go for are right for your DD. I think that if you start tutoring at age 3, your DD may well end up in a very competitive and high-pressure school, which may or may not suit her (and you).

And as Allag said, places do come up all the time and I am still to meet someone who didn't get a place when willing to pay. But of course the competition for the best schools is just ruthless.

[WelliBob]

Well you should have waited until January to TTC, shouldn't you?