Highgate 4 Plus Preparation
The Highgate 4 Plus is one of the main entry points into Highgate and one of the most competitive 4 Plus assessments in London, reflecting that Highgate is one of the top academically achieving schools in the country. In common with other schools in Hampstead and North London, there is a two-stage assessment process. Timings are similar to other schools such as NLCS or Habs, allowing parents to make comparative decisions.
Our Highgate Expertise
We have worked with former Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 teachers from Highgate and other similar North London schools to understand the Highgate 4 Plus process. We developed our 4 Plus programme with the help of teachers who had previously taught at Highgate and / or worked directly on the Highgate 4 Plus, giving us in-depth knowledge of how to succeed.
Our Success Rate at Highgate 4 Plus
We typically get in around 60% of our applicants for the Highgate 4 Plus. This year we had 15 applicants to Highgate and 11 of them received offers. Highgate generally accept around 10% of applicants – making it harder to get into than comparator schools such as Channing or Habs. There are some important differences between the Highgate assessment and that of other schools in the area. Our mock assessments are a good predictor of whether Highgate is suitable for you.
What is on the Highgate 4 Plus?
Highgate wants children who have the maturity to handle the high academic pace. The Highgate 4 Plus process has traditionally been less nurturing than schools such as Channing, as the school creates a more challenging atmosphere in the 4 Plus assessment. In 2025, Highgate made steps to address this concern – the separation moment was made much more relaxed for children and parents were told explicitly that the separation was not part of the assessment. However, the ability to settle after separation is still a relevant factor for performing well. Children need resilience to handle what is clearly a tougher process. Whereas other schools give tricky critical thinking or spatial reasoning tests, some of the Highgate tests are deliberately designed to test perseverance in the face of adversity. Children for the Highgate 4 Plus need to be operating 12-18 months ahead of national average in their phonics knowledge. This year they reintroduced gross motor skills testing. However, this is not purely an academic hothouse. There are tasks which seem on the surface to be testing something academic, but on closer inspection, are actually designed to test collaboration and sharing skills. In our view, Highgate is the hardest of the North London 4 Plus assessments to pass.
Our Highgate 4 Plus Preparation and Assessment
We start with an assessment of where your child is, based on our knowledge of what the Highgate 4 Plus assessments are looking for in successful applicants. We do this through a review of the nursery report; academic tests conducted in conjunction with Cambridge and Oxford Universities by our teachers; and full mock assessment with a 4+ specialist teacher which replicates the Highgate approach.
We will then give you detailed feedback on your child’s performance. We tell you what exercises you should expect and what they are looking for with each exercise. In short, we will give you the inside track on the day. We tell you how your child did and give you some exercises you can do with each exercise to assist her to give of her best on the day. We will be open and honest with you and tell you if we believe your child is on track for a positive assessment.
We then work with you over five different sessions to help prepare your child. Some of these sessions are with just the child and some with the parents in the room. We see ourselves as helping coach and support parents to help their child pass the 4+. We use a range of experts for this, including teachers, teaching assistants, registrars and play specialists – all the people involved in the assessment.
As the programme progresses we do further mock assessment. This can be either an individual assessment or a group based assessment as appropriate.
Programme Pricing and Booking
Our core Preparation and Assessment Programme is £2,000. This includes an initial behavioural assessment, two academic assessment sessions, five coaching sessions, and parental coaching webinars.
Being realistic, a competitive Highgate 4 Plus application is challenging and most parents spend around £3,000 – £5,000 with us to be confident that their child is in a good place for success. This would include behavioural sessions, phonics and numeracy classes, group activities and mock assessments. However, each child is different and has their own journey.
If you are unsure but want to reserve a slot with us, you can register for £100 and we will make sure you are in our cohort. After you have booked, our course manager will be in touch to book you in for your first assessment dates.