Key Stage 2 SATs are the first major assessment most children face, and for Richmond families they carry real weight. SATs results influence secondary school setting, and in some areas they affect school placement. Our dedicated educators 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.
Arithmetic Paper
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 Richmond 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. Send us a message to find the right tutor for your learner in Richmond.
The Reading Paper
The reading paper presents three texts of increasing difficulty and asks questions that test retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary. Many Richmond 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.
For Parents and Carers
Tutoring works best when there is clear communication between the tutor, the learner, and the family. In Richmond, we encourage parents to share what they observe at home — frustration with homework, avoidance of certain topics, comments about lessons. This context helps the tutor target the right areas. We also keep families informed of what is covered each week, so there is never any guesswork about whether things are on track.
Learning to Learn
Effective studying is a skill that many pupils were never explicitly taught. A good tutor does not just explain the subject — they model how to approach unfamiliar material, how to self-test, and how to manage time during revision. For Richmond learners, these habits compound over time, meaning the benefit of focused teaching extends well beyond the immediate grades.
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 Richmond 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.