For many Wells families, KS2 SATs are the first time their child faces formal, timed assessments. Our experienced educators 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.
Inference and Deduction
The reading paper presents three texts of increasing difficulty and asks questions that test retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and summary. Many Wells children find the final text challenging — it's often a pre-1900 extract or a piece of non-fiction with unfamiliar language. Our experienced 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.
Getting Started
SATs preparation works best when it's calm, structured, and focused on real gaps. Speak with our team to find the right tutor for your young learner in Wells.
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 Wells 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.
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 experienced educators in Wells 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.
What Families Should Know
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 Wells always have a clear picture of progress and next steps.
Beyond the Lesson
The aim of tutoring is not dependence — it is independence. Working with Wells learners always includes helping them develop effective study habits: how to plan a revision timetable, how to use active recall instead of passive re-reading, how to break large tasks into manageable steps. These meta-skills are as valuable as the subject knowledge itself, and they serve pupils long after tutoring ends.
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 Wells find most unfamiliar, because the metalanguage can be confusing. Our experienced 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.