A headteacher at an independent Highgate primary school has warned parents of prospective pupils that they must not hire tutors to ensure their child gets a place at the school.

Louise Lawrance, headteacher of the all-girls Channing Junior School in Highgate High Street, joined eight other private school heads from across north London in condemning the practice last week.

Mrs Lawrance said that hiring tutors to prepare children for selective admissions tests at ages four or seven was counterproductive.

“We have a fantastic team of staff who are brilliant at their jobs so please don’t [tutor your children],” she said.

“We are selective but we are not about testing what they already know. We want to see how they interact with the world around them.”

The comments were made at an evening event for parents of pupils at Golders Hill School in Finchley Road, Golders Green, who are looking to send their children to another independent school after they leave the pre-preparatory.

Mrs Lawrance was not the only voice to speak out in the run-up to the admissions process at Hampstead and Highgate’s independent junior schools.

Several other headteachers, including the heads of City of London School for Girls and Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ and Girls’ Schools in Hertfordshire, joined her in warning parents against the practice.