KS2 SATs guides for parents
Straightforward answers about Year 6 SATs — what the papers actually involve, what the scores mean, and how to help your child without turning May into a crisis.
What are KS2 SATs?KS2 SATs are national tests taken in Year 6 in May, covering maths, grammar and punctuation, spelling and reading. Here is what they involve and what the results mean.KS2 SATs papers explainedAll six KS2 SATs papers broken down — arithmetic, two maths reasoning papers, grammar, spelling and reading — with timings and mark totals for each.SATs scaled scores explainedKS2 SATs raw marks are converted to a scaled score from 80 to 120, where 100 is the expected standard. Here is how the conversion works and why it changes each year.KS2 arithmetic practiceMaths Paper 1 is 30 minutes of pure calculation with no word problems. It is the most improvable KS2 SATs paper. Here is what it covers and how to practise it.KS2 maths reasoningThe KS2 reasoning papers test whether children can work out which maths a word problem needs. Here is how the papers are built and how to practise them.KS2 grammar, punctuation and spellingThe KS2 GPS papers carry 70 marks and reward knowing grammatical terminology precisely. Here is the vocabulary that comes up and how to revise it.KS2 reading comprehensionThe KS2 reading paper is 60 minutes, 50 marks and three texts. Most lost marks come from poor time management rather than poor reading. Here is how to practise it.KS2 SATs past papersKS2 SATs past papers are published free on gov.uk. Used well they are a diagnostic tool; used badly they are just repeated testing. Here is the difference.Running a SATs mock test at homeA well-run mock test builds familiarity and reduces exam-day anxiety. A badly run one does the opposite. Here is how to do it properly.Helping your child with SATsPractical, low-pressure ways for parents to support Year 6 SATs preparation — including what genuinely helps and what tends to backfire.A realistic SATs revision planA term-by-term SATs revision plan that fits around school and family life — what to focus on and when, from September through to May.Common KS2 SATs mistakesThe marks children most often drop in KS2 SATs, paper by paper — and what to practise so they stop dropping them. Start practising free ▶