Key Stage 2 SATs are the first major assessment most children face, and for Durham families they carry real weight. SATs results influence secondary school setting, and in some areas they affect school placement. Our specialists prepare Year 5 and Year 6 students for all four papers — arithmetic, mathematical reasoning (Papers 2 and 3), reading, and grammar, punctuation and spelling — building confidence alongside capability.
Preparation Timeline
Starting in Year 5 gives the most time to fill gaps — particularly in maths, where foundational weaknesses can be hard to fix quickly. Year 6 preparation then focuses on applying those skills under test conditions. For Durham families who come to us in Year 6, we can still make a significant difference by targeting the topics most likely to appear and building test-taking ability rapidly. But earlier is always better, especially for children who find reading or maths genuinely difficult.
Mental and Written Maths
The arithmetic paper tests calculation skills: long multiplication, long division, fractions, decimals, and percentages. There's no room for reasoning here — it's about speed and accuracy. Our specialists in Durham build these skills through regular practice, focusing on the methods children are expected to use and the common errors that cost marks. Fluent arithmetic is also the foundation for the two reasoning papers, so time spent here pays off twice.
How to Begin
If your child in Durham is approaching SATs, we can help them feel ready. Get in touch to discuss where they are now and what support would make the most difference.
How We Track Improvement
Progress should be visible, not assumed. For Durham families, our approach includes regular feedback — what was covered, what improved, and what the next priorities are. At exam level, we use marked practice papers to give parents and learners a clear picture of where grades stand. This transparency keeps everyone aligned and ensures that each week of work builds meaningfully on the last.
Reading Skills
The reading paper presents three texts of increasing difficulty and asks questions that test retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary. Many Durham children find the final text challenging — it's often a pre-1900 extract or a piece of non-fiction with unfamiliar language. Our specialists prepare students by practising with real SATs papers and teaching strategies for each question type: how to find evidence, how to explain an author's word choice, how to summarise a paragraph concisely.