SATs results in Hampshire determine how children are grouped when they start secondary school. For Fareham pupils, the educators we work with focus on the specific skills each paper demands — from multi-step arithmetic problems to inference questions in reading — ensuring children feel prepared rather than pressured.
Year 5 vs Year 6
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 Fareham 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 exam readiness rapidly. But earlier is always better, especially for children who find reading or maths genuinely difficult.
Getting Started
If your child in Fareham is approaching SATs, we can help them feel ready. Give us a ring to discuss where they are now and what support would make the most difference.
The GPS Test
The GPS paper tests grammar terminology (subordinate clauses, modal verbs, relative pronouns) alongside spelling and punctuation. It's often the paper that children in Fareham find most unfamiliar, because the metalanguage can be confusing. The educators we work with teach this vocabulary explicitly, using examples and practice questions to make abstract concepts concrete. Spelling lists are practised regularly, and common patterns are taught systematically.
A Note for Parents
Families know their children better than anyone. That insight is valuable — and we use it. At the start, we ask parents to share their observations: which subjects cause stress, when homework becomes a battle, what has worked or not worked before. Throughout the process, regular updates ensure families in Fareham always have a clear picture of progress and next steps.
The Reading Paper
The reading paper presents three texts of increasing difficulty and asks questions that test retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary. Many Fareham children find the final text challenging — it's often a pre-1900 extract or a piece of non-fiction with unfamiliar language. The educators we work with 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.