SATs results in Devon determine how children are grouped when they start secondary school. For Okehampton pupils, our dedicated educators 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.
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 Okehampton find most unfamiliar, because the metalanguage can be confusing. Our dedicated educators 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.
Early vs Late Preparation
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 Okehampton 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.
Inference and Deduction
The reading paper presents three texts of increasing difficulty and asks questions that test retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary. Many Okehampton children find the final text challenging — it's often a pre-1900 extract or a piece of non-fiction with unfamiliar language. Our dedicated educators 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.
Working Around Your Schedule
We arrange tutoring at times that suit Okehampton families — after school, early evenings, or weekends. If commitments change, rescheduling is straightforward. Most families settle into a regular weekly slot, but we also offer intensive blocks during school holidays or the weeks before major exams. The goal is consistent, manageable progress without adding stress to an already full week.
Number Skills
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 dedicated educators in Okehampton 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.