Latest Info on the new Westminster Under 4+ Assessments

[MyTwoDads]

Very little clear info has been released on the new 4+ assessment that WUS are going to be holding this autumn, so I spoke to them to find out some more info (why not go straight to the source!). I explained I am a tutor and some of my parents are going for the 4+ assessments this autumn or thinking about it, but are unclear about content, dates, number of places they have etc.

These are the main points:

It will be capped at 500 applications. This is a lot! But they said they are almost reaching this number now (so apply if you haven't already)

They have 32 places available (this was not on the website as all)

There will be 2 classes of 16 pupils starting Reception 2026. Each class will have one teacher and one TA (this is a good ratio)

There will be two rounds (they call them stages) and will be similar in format to other schools that do 2 rounds for their 4+.

Offers will be made at the end of Jan 2026 and they will take into consideration birth month, EAL and proximity to the school.

At least we have some clearer info on numbers now and what the Pre-Prep will look like once it gets going!

@chelseamom2026 I simply disagreed with your premise that everyone 'tutors' and is dishonest about it. Surely you can concede that some people tutor, some people don't. And neither approach guarantees a favourable outcome due to the unpredictability of 3 and 4 year olds.

If your definition of 'tutoring' is now expanded to include absolutely any kind of support or enrichment of your child's development by a parent at home and/or in a formal setting such as nursery. Then absolutely yes, majority will do that - in which case and by definition, it's not really an 'advantage' is it?

Our school seems to have chosen the older children and they are all similarly confident and outgoing. So they definitely have a 'type' that they are looking for. I'm sure all the schools do and it will vary. It's hard not to take it personally, I have been on both sides. But at the end of the day it is a selection process, and they will have to include or exclude based on some criteria. You will either meet it, or you don't.

We didn’t hire a tutor for 4+ and dc still received multiple offers and a place on the WUS waitlist. At an open day, Kensington Prep specifically advised against engaging in the 4+ tutoring industry, noting they are actually more concerned than impressed when children appear heavily coached. WUS similarly explained that their assessments are organised by birth month and focus on curiosity and willingness to learn rather than existing knowledge.

We also know families whose daughters received an offer this year from only one of Falkner House, Glendower, Kensington Prep or WUS, despite being offered places elsewhere. I truly think this reflects the different criteria between schools, limited places, and the inherent unpredictability of 3 and 4 year olds.
They are all lovely, bright, sociable girls and I’m sure they will do well whichever school they attend.

Furthermore, I also know parents that have moved their daughters out of the ‘holy trinity’ schools (FH, KP and Glendower) for various reasons. School selection is very personal.

I hope everyone is happy with their choice of school and good luck to anyone reading this in preparation for future 4+ assessments. It was far more stressful than I anticipated!

I also wasn’t particularly impressed by what I saw at the open days for FH or Glendower, though I can’t comment on Bute. That’s just my personal preference, likely influenced by having attended a co-ed school with much larger facilities. That said, the exit results for both FH and Glendower are excellent, so they clearly work very well for families who feel those schools are the right fit for their daughters.

Sending kids to an academic nursery/pre-school is definitely not the majority! Most children are in 8am–6pm daycares that run all year round.
Let’s not focus on private tutors - that’s a bit misleading. The point is that getting into top selective preps usually requires extra parental effort. Academic nurseries aren’t an easy option for parents - especially working parents - so that is extra effort.

And let’s be realistic: happy and confident kids don’t just magically know CVC words or subtraction without being taught. Please just be honest about that!

You raise some valid points and concerns, but I feel there is some hyperbole in saying that parents of girls will have to take a "huge leap of faith". Yes, there will be some growing pains with going coed, but is it really that insurmountable of a challenge? Also, who cares if they haven't already recruited the second reception teacher. I really don't think WUS will have difficulty recruiting top-tier talent, and that's evidenced by the senior staff who are already on board and appear to be very capable.

Just to add - I have a daughter at one of the "holy trinity" schools, and the culture around the 11+ is just awful. And unfortunately, the stress (and anticipatory stress) of it cascades down to the early years. Girls begin getting aggressively tutored in Year 1, as many decide to go for the 7+ (and even the ones that aren't, decide to tutor just to keep up with those that are). So, yes, while WUS doesn't guarantee every child to go all the way from 4-18, the majority will benefit from a smoother, more natural progression through their school years than they would at one of the traditional 4-11 prep schools.

My personal take away from WUS 4+ experience (for context we did zero prep or tutoring, not our first choice, passed 2nd round but no offer)
— everyone I know who got an offer has external tutors, most of them for a very long period of time (eg since they were 2). I personally find it very upsetting an I know for sure it is not the case in schools like Falkner/ Glendower/ Ken Prep etc but it happened and it is what it is. It’s up to parents to decide if this is the environment they want to put their children in and if they are ready for 14 years of intense keeping up with the Jonses.
— the school received a surprising amount of rejected offers so if you are on the waitlist and keen on the school - don’t despair

As MyTwoDads mentioned, the pros and cons to tutor could be debated at length and probably deserves its own thread. We are discussing 4+ entry for WUS so I felt it was appropriate to add my experience that we didn’t need to hire a tutor. Stating that a tutor wasn’t essential to pass the two rounds and receive a spot on the WL is useful IMO. There’s a big difference in saying something is not essential versus it being abhorrent. I personally would hire a tutor for DC in the future if I believe it’s necessary, but not specifically for 4+. I didn’t mean to cause any offence. Simply sharing my experience.

Also, I’m wondering why parents that are so convinced an alternative school is better would spend so much time on this thread. Is this a strategy to keep the WL moving 😝

Completely agree that a school like Westminster comes with its own unique stress. The pressure to keep up and not fall behind will be high. I also know lots of boys that went there, and I've heard the stories. At the same time, don't underestimate the stress that comes with going to one of the 4-11 preps. They're built to feed children into the exact same type of machine as Westminster. That means the anxiety of being at the bottom of the class is still present (even if being managed out isn't a risk), tutoring is omnipresent even in the early years, and the build-up to the 11+ exam is very intense (in which entry into a senior school depends entirely on how one has performed on a single day, rather than what a child has been able to demonstrate day-in / day-out over several years).

how are the WUS facilities compared to Glendower and Kenprep? Falkner has basically no facilities.