A parent’s guide to every year of primary school
You’ve labelled all the pieces of uniform and joined the class WhatsApp group. But are you really ready for your child to start school or move up to the next stage? Some things have stayed the same — the loo roll animals, the artwork, the smell of plimsolls — but a lot has changed, from phonics to smartphones. My son is in year 4 now, but I’m still not sure I know what a digraph* is.
So how can you prepare for the next step? Of course, all schools are different and independent schools don’t have to follow the national curriculum, although many use it as a benchmark. Note too that a year-long review of the curriculum was published in November, with the government planning to overhaul primary school grammar lessons and design studies to better reflect the diversity of society. A review of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision is expected to be published in 2026.
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We have consulted teachers, head teachers, Send specialists and parents to find out what you should know about each stage, from reception to year 7. Here’s how best to prepare yourself and your child, so they can thrive and be happy at school.
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*A digraph is a combination of two letters representing one sound, such as “ph”.
Schools hold transition events before the academic year begins so that children and parents can meet teachers and look around. “Don’t get hung up on whether they can read or write their name, focus on the practical elements — putting on their own shoes, using the loo independently, eating with cutlery. This is the best possible preparation you can give your child,” Emma Goldsmith, head of Dragon School Oxford, says.
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Remember to be kind to yourself. “School transition is huge for parents too — it’s the end of a chapter of soft plays and hanging out together,” Carla Grant, a Brighton-based mum of three boys, says. “It hit me harder than I thought it would.”
Reception follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, which focuses on seven areas of learning: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive art and design, communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development. Play is a crucial part of a child’s growth so most learning will be introduced through a combination of carefully planned independent play and adult-led, focused activities.
Children are taught to read and write using phonics, a method based on building words from sounds. Typically schools hold a workshop for parents early in the year, and there are useful resources on the National Literacy Trust’s Words For Life website and at Oxford Owl.
School league tables 2026: the best UK primary schools revealed
Many schools teach the core subjects of literacy, maths and phonics in the morning, spaced with break times, then introduce wider curriculum lessons such as art, music, computing and religious education (RE) after lunch. This pattern tends to continue throughout the primary school years.
During the first few weeks of reception the teacher will carry out a baseline assessment to see what your child can do already. Towards the end of the year they will assess them again (this is known as the EYFS profile assessment).
Children will bring home a book geared to their phonics ability. Keep reading to them, even if they don’t want to do it some days and all you can manage is ten minutes. “It helps them so much with spellings, vocabulary, curiosity and bonding,” Grant says. “I wish I had invested more time at the beginning.”
“Schools are communities and there are plenty of ways for parents to get involved,” says Dawn Ferdinand, co-head teacher of The Willow Primary School in Tottenham, north London. As well as sports days and concerts, there will be assemblies, school trips and fundraisers. Teachers will communicate regularly with parents through emails, apps and at drop-off and pick-up times. No matter the age group they teach, they all say the same thing: if you have any concerns or important information to share about your child, communicate it as soon as you can.
Many schools make pastoral care a priority, and some have sensory rooms or a wellbeing dog. “Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) now assess personal development, which includes mental health and covers areas such as resilience, confidence and independence,” Melanie Sanderson, managing editor at The Good Schools Guide, says.
By the end of reception the teacher is looking for a child to be able to meet age-related expectations across five of the seven learning areas. “[Children] typically find writing most challenging, so a teacher would like them to be able to write a sentence independently that’s legible, with the letters mostly formed correctly, and that they can read back themselves,” says Natalie Poornomansy, EYFS lead and reception teacher at Outwood Primary Academy Woodlands in Doncaster. In maths, the average child should be able to read numbers 1-20, double and halve practically, and name some familiar 2D and 3D shapes.
Every school in England must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (Senco) who is trained to support children with Send. “There’s a focus on early intervention and getting children support as early as possible,” says Hannah Donnelly, associate Early Years Senco at Ernesettle Community School in Plymouth.
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Avoid comparing your child — or yourself as a parent — to others. “Children develop at very different rates, so the most important thing is celebrating individual progress and how they’re settling into school,” Donnelly says.
Year 1 (age 5-6)
Schools offer transition sessions for children and curriculum information events for parents at the start of the new academic year. “Keep working on practical skills at home to help their confidence,” says Emma Pallant, year 1 teacher at Wood Farm Primary in Headington, Oxford.
Children embark on Key Stage 1 of the national curriculum. There’s still plenty of play, but more focus on phonics and writing, with children expected to sit at a table for longer. Maths teaching will progress to numbers over 20 and addition and subtraction, and science lessons will begin.
In June all children will have a brief phonics screening check. The results are recorded for national standards but it’s mainly so teachers can identify those who may need extra support. “We do lots of practice in class and if they don’t manage to pass in year 1, they get another opportunity in year 2,” Pallant says.
Children will start to bring home spellings, which will be tested weekly in school, but reading is the main focus.
“The most important things a teacher will look for is that they have made progress in their reading and writing, and that they know their routines and are happy day to day,” Pallant says.
“Children are tired by the end of school so a question such as, ‘How was your day?’ is overwhelming,” Pallant says. “It’s better to ask specific questions such as what they ate for lunch. These are far easier to answer and might lead them to then open up.”
Year 2 (age 6-7)
“Parents should be positive about the new school year but don’t overemphasise the fun,” says Meshelle Headley, assistant head teacher and year 2 teacher at Sharnbrook Primary in Bedfordshire. “Of course they will enjoy themselves, but sometimes children come in so encouraged by their parents that they have unrealistic expectations.”
There will be a growing emphasis on using phonics to spell and children will be introduced to times tables. Key Stage 1 tests in reading, grammar, punctuation, spelling and maths are now optional, but many schools still use some or all of them to gauge children’s progress.
Reading aloud to a parent daily is still the most important element, but homework expectations start to increase this year, with spelling, English and maths tasks.
Your child will be increasingly independent and better able to coordinate movement, while their speech and language will become more complex and grammatically correct.
“A lot of children in year 2 want everything to be perfect, and we do a lot of work on accepting mistakes — whether that’s forgetting their PE kit or not getting all their spellings right — and using them as a positive part of the learning process,” Headley says.
Year 3 (age 7-8)
Entering Key Stage 2, children will be expected to be more independent and have less teacher input when carrying out classroom tasks. While typically homework moves up another level, some schools are recognising that a child’s brain needs rest. “Parents should ask what the homework looks like for each year and its purpose — repetition can be counterproductive,” Goldsmith says.
More focus is put on spelling, with statutory spellings introduced for years 3 and 4. There’s also an emphasis on creativity and writing styles in English, and it’s compulsory to start learning a foreign language from year 3.
In maths children will learn column addition and subtraction of three-digit numbers, as well as multiplication and division, fractions, angles, and area and perimeter. Times tables are a key focus; many schools use the Times Tables Rock Stars programme to help with this.
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It’s still important to listen to your child read regularly and help them practise their spellings and times tables.
Children are learning empathy and will do more pair and group work to encourage life skills such as collaborative working.
Formal dyslexia assessments usually do not take place until a child is at least seven, although some schools will offer screening at earlier ages. Since it is not a medical condition, it is not covered by the NHS, so most parents have to pay for this themselves.
Year 4 (age 8-9)
Help your child to practise their times tables on paper, verbally and on the computer too, because that’s how the assessment is conducted. It’s also important to address the issue of technology more generally. “Schools and parents need to be educating children about taking care of their digital health and how they manage their screen time,” Goldsmith says.
In June all year 4 pupils take the mandatory Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) online. There are 25 questions testing tables 2-12, and children have six seconds to answer each question. “It can feel daunting at first, but we practise throughout the year so that by the end many children will be answering all the questions in less than a second,” says Gosia Watts, assistant principal and year 4 teacher at Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill in Wakefield.
Many schools ask pupils to read for 20 minutes at home every day, and then give up to half an hour for maths, English or science.
Becoming more independent is crucial and children are given specific responsibilities. “Our year 4 pupils have jobs such as reading ambassador or restorative justice leader, where they are given training in how to help resolve disputes,” Watts says. “This is an important skill for this age group.”
“Give your child a job at home, like keeping the hallway tidy,” Watts says. “This gives them a sense of achievement and purpose.”
Year 5 (age 9-10)
If you haven’t already, this is the time to find out your school’s smartphone policy. Many don’t allow smartphones in school; if they do, phones must be switched off and handed to the teacher at the start of the day.
By the end of the year children are expected to know all the written methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and there’s more focus on problem solving. In English children are encouraged to edit and adapt their work.
“Class texts are more challenging in year 5 and there’s a big emphasis on comprehension skills, building up their reading stamina and reading for pleasure,” says Amy Earl, year 5 teacher at Newport Primary School in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
It is likely that your child will have their first sex and relationship lesson (PSHE) in year 5. Schools will advise parents what is planned in advance.
Generally pupils are expected to do half an hour of homework every evening, with longer tasks or projects at the weekend. It’s important to keep reading every day too.
Many schools run parent workshops in year 5 to focus on the methodology used in the Sats assessments in year 6. It’s also time to start thinking about secondary schools.
When it comes to technology, the most important thing a parent can do is to teach their child to trust their gut feeling, advises Grant, a regional leader for the Smartphone Free Childhood movement. “Teach them the Three Ts: Turn away, Tell someone, Turn it off. And don’t hesitate to set clear boundaries around devices before playdates.”
Year 6 (age 10-11)
The final year of your child’s primary education is important as you look towards secondary school. “We encourage children to start walking to and from school on their own as that’s what the majority of year 7 children do,” says Rachel Anderson, deputy head teacher and year 6 teacher at Wenlock CofE Academy in Luton. “Even if a parent walks ten steps behind, this develops their independence.”
The Key Stage 2 Sats take place in May, with one reading paper, three maths papers and two papers in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Papers are marked externally and your child’s raw score for each test is translated to a scaled score. Children need to achieve a scaled score of 100 to meet the expected standard. They will be given lots of preparation and practice papers to help them feel as relaxed as possible.
Most private schools conduct their own assessments and many pupils take exams such as the Common Entrance for independent senior schools, as well as having an interview. If children are applying for a selective state grammar school they sit the 11+ entrance exam, which takes place in the September of year 6 and tests English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning skills.
Online resources will be used but, since the Sats are written papers, there is still a focus on written work. Children are encouraged to continue reading aloud to parents from a variety of genres.
Supporting children to handle friendship issues is crucial, as is helping them to understand peer pressure and the differences between good and negative friendships.
If your child has special educational needs, see if the Senco will come with you to a secondary school open day. “They can help the parent ask the crucial questions that they might be unsure about,” Anderson says.
Year 7 (age 11-12)
Moving to a new school with a different layout, new rules, different teachers and hundreds of unknown children is a big step. Attend taster days and take opportunities to meet the staff before term starts. Unlike in primary school, children will move classrooms and have specialised subject teachers. “This specialised education is amazing because you’re taught by experts,” says Carina Bone, director of Steam (Science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) at Horris Hill School in Berkshire. “For a lot of pupils, this is where the spark for a subject is ignited.”
There will be curriculum meetings for parents at the start of the year to explain what will be taught in each subject. Lessons typically last about 40 minutes, with practical subjects such as science and PE often taught as a double lesson.
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The school will have your child’s year 6 Sats scores or Common Entrance results and their teacher assessments. Many schools also carry out their own assessment (such as cognitive abilities tests — “Cats”) at the start of the year to check what level a child is working at. Often there will be exams at the end of the summer term as well.
Homework expectations increase significantly in year 7 and often there will be different subjects set on different days. This can feel overwhelming at first, and if your child is spending hours on something, let the teacher know.
By the end of the year teachers will be looking for children to have achieved any specific set learning targets; developed independent organisation and time management skills; coped with increased homework; and generally settled well into the school.
“Help your child find the thing they’re good at and which gives them a sense of achievement, and nurture it,” Bone says.
School league tables 2026
Search for the best secondary schools and get tips for how to choose a good school