For many Hackney families, KS2 SATs are the first time their child faces formal, timed assessments. Our teaching team help children prepare calmly and effectively — covering the arithmetic, reasoning, reading comprehension, and GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) papers with structured practice that builds both knowledge and exam stamina.
The Arithmetic Test
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 teaching team in Hackney 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.
Getting Started
SATs preparation works best when it's calm, structured, and focused on real gaps. Contact us to find the right tutor for your young person in Hackney.
Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling
The GPS paper tests grammar terminology (subordinate clauses, modal verbs, relative pronouns) alongside spelling and punctuation. It's often the paper that children in Hackney find most unfamiliar, because the metalanguage can be confusing. Our teaching team 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.
How We Track Improvement
Progress should be visible, not assumed. For Hackney 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 Hackney children find the final text challenging — it's often a pre-1900 extract or a piece of non-fiction with unfamiliar language. Our teaching team 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.