Everything you need to know about the WUS 4+

Since the Westminster Under School announced the exciting news that they will be going co-ed AND introducing a new Pre-Prep, there has been a huge buzz about this new era for WUS.

Once the dust had settled and parents earnestly thought about applying for a place their child, the excitement soon turned into worry and unease. The WUS has been very tight-lipped about the nitty gritty of the 4+ assessment and the structure of the new Pre-Prep. This is possibly due to them not yet knowing the full plan - after all, they do have another academic year to go.

Having said that, I don’t think it’s fair to expect parents to register without the full facts of how the Pre-Prep will work if their child was to be offered a place. With this in mind, I contacted WUS to gain some more insight into how things will be structured in the Pre-Prep and the 4+ assessment.

Adrian House

The site of the WUS and home for the new Pre-Prep

I did some research into the key facts that parents need to know and contacted WUS to fill in the gaps! Here is what I have found out…

Application Information and Pre-Prep Structure

• Closing date for applications for 2026 Reception entry is 30th September 2025.

• Applications will be capped at 500. They told me they are close to this number now (early August). So if you are thinking about applying - I suggest you do so quickly, or you might miss out. If you are thinking about 2027 entry to reception it might be worth submitting your application now too!

• They are looking for 32 pupils to join Reception in 2026

• There will be 2 classes of 16 pupils in the Pre-Prep. It will grow each year as the Reception year groups move up - meaning the Pre-Prep will be full in 3 years time with classes in in each group Rec-Year 2.

• Each class will have one teacher and one teaching assistant - this means adult:child ration of 1:8. This is very good. Not all Pre-Preps have this ratio.

Structure of the WUS 4+ Assessment

There will be two stages - similar to other comparable Prep Schools

The first stage will be ‘play-based classroom activities’. (They will be invited in to school in small groups of up to 8 children) This usually consists of opportunities for children to interact with each other and the adults in the room. Puzzles, role-play, drawing, cutting, construction, games etc. In this session, children will be observed by the adults who will make notes and will carry out some one-to-one tasks with the children, such as checking numbers, phonic sounds, writing name, fine motor skills etc.

Once all 500 (!) children have been seen, they will shortlist and invite some back for the next round.

Stage Two is usually more academic, they will go through more phonics, numbers, basic maths, some writing and reading. They will also talk to the children and assess their conversational skills. This will be where, as they say on their website: “we look for potential in the children, and for boys and girls who have natural ability and who will, therefore, thrive here”.

SEND and EAL applicants

If your child has a special educational need or disability then “reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure they can participate fully in the process.” This is common practise for schools and we suggest you inform the school as soon as you have submitted your application, so that can plan any adaptations they may need to make.

If English is not your child’s first language they will need to have basic grasp of English to be able to answer questions in the assessment. The WUS website states: “a pupil who does not speak good English could struggle, so proficiency in English will be assessed to ensure an applicant has the minimum necessary skills.”

Again, this is common for schools to bring this up. What I would say is, if English is not the language spoken at home, but your child does attend a nursery or preschool here, they may know more English than you think. Nevertheless this is something to think about for parents applying for 4+ assessments.

Important to note that WUS say: date of birth, EAL and proximity to the school will all play a factor in their decision to make an offer.

Scissor Skills

These are one of the fine motor skills tested

Key Dates to be aware of:

Mon 15th September: 4+ Open Afternoon

Wed 17th September: 4+ Open Afternoon

Tue 30th September: Closing date for 2026 Reception entry

Mon 13th Oct - First stage of 4+ assessments (will take approx. 4 weeks)

Jan 2026 - Second stage of 4+ assessments

End of Jan 2026 - offers sent out!

How we can support your 4+ preparation

I have been a teacher for over 20 years and have been closely involved in 4+ assessments. I know what to look for and how to support children and parents in their 4+ preparation. We may not know the exact content of the WUS 4+ assessment, but as I have said many times before, there is only so much you can ask a 3 year old! Meaning that the 4+ content across all selective schools is broadly similar. I am best placed to advise you in your preparation, whether it is answering questions about the process, or 4+ tutoring, or a one off practise 4+ assessment to give you a snapshot of where your child is and what you can work on between now and the real assessment.

We understand that you are investing a lot of money in your child’s future and want to get it right from the outset. We can work with you to get the right result!

Contact us now to find out more!