Choosing a first school: a calmer guide to the 4+

Look at the first year, not just the senior-school reputation

On a visit, begin in Reception. How do children move between activities? Who notices someone standing on their own? What happens if a child is tired, upset or unsure how to join in?

Find out how the adults divide their time. The headline class size is only part of the picture.

Our view: a school that fits your mornings, your child’s temperament and their support needs deserves more weight than an impressive promise about life at eighteen. The best fit may be a nearby primary school, a standalone pre-prep or the early-years department of a larger school.

“No separate entrance exam” and “every child has a guaranteed place” are not interchangeable. If the school ends at seven, eleven or thirteen, find out what help families receive with the next transition.

First, check which September you are applying for

“4+” is an entry-point label, not a requirement that your child has already turned four when you apply or visit. At the English schools discussed here it refers to Reception. Use the school’s date-of-birth window to establish the correct intake, then work backwards to its registration deadline.

For example, Highgate’s September 2027 intake is for children born from 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023. The application window is 7 September to noon on 25 September 2026. As of this guide’s 3 September review, it has not yet opened.

Keep three dates separate: when you register, when any selection happens and when your child starts. Add the date by which you would have to accept and pay. The word “2027” at the top of a webpage does not mean every deadline on it falls in 2027.

This guide uses English Reception examples. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own school-entry arrangements and terminology; do not transfer an English deadline or year-group assumption without checking.

Once you know the entry year, use our school profiles and local school guides to explore your options. Check the Reception route itself: a school with a nursery may also admit children directly at four.

A selective assessment

A school may meet children through play, stories and small activities, then decide whom to offer places. A relaxed-looking session can still be selective.

Highgate says it may shortlist if applications exceed its assessment capacity. Its first round is in November, with a further round in January for shortlisted children. Activities include stories, play and individual exploratory tasks. Outcomes follow in late January. The admissions page linked above gives the current sequence.

A ballot

Bute House uses a Reception ballot, drawn two years before entry. Sisters of existing pupils receive priority places; the ballot allocates the remaining places and establishes a waiting list. A ballot result is not an assessment of a child’s ability.

Its published registration deadline for September 2027 entry was 30 September 2025 and has passed. For September 2028 entry, it lists 30 September 2026. Do not confuse the two. Contact admissions about any remaining possibilities if your child’s ordinary deadline has gone; do not assume a late application can join the original draw.

With any school, ask what a registration payment actually secures: consideration, an assessment, a waiting-list position or something else. None of those should be mistaken for a confirmed school place.

What might an assessment morning look like?

Channing’s 4+ process offers one clear example. It invites all applicants to a one-hour, small-group session involving games and puzzles with a teacher. Parents wait separately. The school also requests a confidential nursery or childcare reference.

For September 2027 entry, Channing closes applications on 2 November 2026, holds assessments on 5–8 January 2027 and sends offers on 22 January. Acceptance is due by noon on 3 February. Your invitation should identify your child’s own appointment; the four listed dates do not mean four assessment visits.

Before the day, ask how separation is handled, whether you remain nearby, what to bring and whom to contact if your child is ill. Tell the school about relevant needs in advance. Do not arrive expecting staff to improvise arrangements they have never been told about.

A simple explanation is enough: “You’ll meet some teachers and children, do a few activities, and I’ll be waiting for you.” Avoid promising there will be no difficult moments. Reassure them about the things you can actually promise, including who will collect them.

Afterwards, allow a snack and an ordinary afternoon. You do not need a reconstruction of every question or a comparison with another child’s account. If something significant affected the session, contact admissions calmly and factually.

Preparation should make the day familiar, not scripted

We would not make intensive tutoring the default for Reception entry. Avoid buying a list of supposed requirements from someone who cannot show where the school published them.

Reading together, talking about pictures, playing a turn-taking game and following a simple shared activity can be enjoyable in their own right. You do not need to score the child afterwards. If the activity stops being enjoyable, you have not failed to complete an admissions assignment.

For a fictional example, make a small pretend shop together. Let your child decide what it sells, choose roles and explain an idea. There is no hidden checklist to tick off. This is a way to spend time together, not a reconstruction of any school’s assessment.

Do not assume your child needs independent reading, neat handwriting or mental arithmetic unless the school specifies them.

If you have concerns about development or learning, use the usual nursery, school or health-professional channels for advice. Admissions coaching should not substitute for understanding what support a child needs.

Work through a real week, including the awkward bits

Map the journey at the actual drop-off and collection times, not at a quiet weekend open day. Add siblings’ schools, work commitments and a contingency for delays.

Channing publishes wraparound provision from 7:30am to 6pm, but its late-collection arrangements are separate from booked after-school care. That distinction illustrates why “open until six” is not the only question. Confirm booking, availability, charges and what happens when plans change.

Will your child initially attend shorter sessions? When can they start after-school care? A school can offer a workable term-time routine while leaving a substantial gap at the beginning of term.

Highgate describes a staggered settling-in period during the first week, alongside summer welcome activities. Treat induction as part of your family plan, not an administrative detail to discover after accepting.

Also ask who manages food allergies, medicines, toileting help and a child who needs a quiet break. These are normal care questions. You should not have to choose between an academically appealing school and asking how everyday needs will be met.

Check what financial help exists at four

A school’s bursary programme may not cover Reception. Channing’s published policy does not offer junior-entry bursaries or scholarships. It describes exceptional help for existing junior families after significant changes in circumstances; that is not an entry-funding plan for a new applicant.

Do not budget on a future scholarship or assume help at eleven will cover the earlier years. Our fees and bursaries guide works through the wider questions.

Request the complete current bill, including VAT where applicable, meals, care, transport and compulsory extras. Keep registration charges, acceptance deposits and tuition separate. Ask what is refundable and in which circumstances; read the terms before paying.

If the longer-term plan works only by assuming fees and other costs never rise, pause and revisit the budget. A school choice should leave room for the rest of family life as well as for a child’s education.

Keep the state-school application on its own calendar

In England, private-school applications go directly to the school; a state primary application follows your local council’s process. Completing one does not complete the other.

The government gives 15 January as the primary application deadline, so the normal deadline for September 2027 entry is 15 January 2027. Check your council’s instructions, required evidence and any supplementary school forms. Do not wait for late-January private decisions before protecting a state-school option.

Visit realistic local alternatives with the same care you give private schools. A good alternative is not a consolation prize, and your child should not hear it described that way.

Our 7+ guide explains the move into Year 3. It is a separate future application, not an automatic second chance or a reason to neglect the school place your child needs first.