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I write about the research behind SATs practice, plus the things I wish I had understood before my eldest reached Year 6.
KS2 SATs results reach schools on a Tuesday in early July. But there's an earlier date — and one date schools don't mention — that matters more.
Thirty fronted adverbial examples grouped by what they tell you, why children who know the definition still drop the mark, and a five-minute fix.
Writing this in August, there are 263 days until SATs 2027 and about thirty weeks of actual school. Only one of those numbers is worth planning around.
Your child starts Year 6 next month and sits SATs in May 2027. Three things worth doing in the autumn term, and one thing not to.
Same six papers, same four days, same scaled scores. What actually moves between years, what does not, and the test parents keep confusing with SATs.
Two children, same class. One gets a tutor in September, one in March. The gap that opens is mostly calendar, and calendar is free.
Parents assume Year 6 decides SATs. The evidence points earlier — to Year 5 and the foundation years. Here's why, and what to do about it.
New this month: Vault Breaker, a daily code-cracking game the whole family can puzzle over, and a spelling ladder in Brainwave that shows the words your child has truly mastered.
New this month: three free tools to plan revision, check SATs readiness and gauge reading — plus guides on the mistakes children make most and a Year 6 revision hub.
The early-start SATs advantage isn't bought with tutoring — it's four years of little-and-often. Here's the head start any family can give.
Your child sits the Multiplication Tables Check in Year 4. What it is, when it happens, how it's scored, and how to help them prepare without the panic.
Your child knows their tables but froze in the check? Tricks compute the answer; the MTC tests recall. Here's the difference — and how to bridge it.
Most children learn their times tables 1, 2, 3 in order, which is almost backwards. The right sequence clears half the grid fast and leaves only the hard bit.
Strip out the easy patterns and repeated facts and only six times-table facts are genuinely hard. They are the same for almost every child, and very beatable.
There's a new daily word game at SATs Arcade. It's free, there's a fresh word every day, and it teaches spelling as your child plays — at a level that suits them.
Inference is where Year 6 children lose the most reading marks — not because they can't read. Here's the simple home routine that builds the skill.
KS2 SATs are a four-year build, not a Year 6 sprint. Here's what to expect — and what actually matters — in Year 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Big news this month at SATs Arcade — there's something for every age. New practice modes for Year 3, 4 and 5, parent guides for SATs week, and 11+ Prep is now live.
The summer before Year 7 is the best time of your child's reading life — six weeks, no curriculum, no pressure. Here's how to make it count without making it feel like school.
From one teacher to fourteen. From a school bag to a locker. From the top of the school to the bottom. What actually changes in Year 7 — and what doesn't.
The six weeks of summer holidays before Year 7 are when the most important secondary school skills are built — and almost none of them are academic.
Six or seven weeks of Year 6 left after SATs. Many families assume it's a write-off. It's actually the most important part of the year — here's what it's really for.
Thursday afternoon, the final paper is done. The instinct is a big celebration. The right move is something quieter, warmer, and more memorable. Here's why.
Wednesday evening of SATs week. Maths Paper 1 is done. Papers 2 and 3 are tomorrow. Here's the short, specific routine that calms the brain and walks into Thursday warm.
Tuesday evening of SATs week. The reading paper is the hardest of the four for most children. If yours is quiet, that's not bad news — but the response matters.
Monday evening of SATs week. GPS Paper 1 is done. Reading is tomorrow. The single biggest mistake parents make tonight is asking about today. Here's what to do instead.
Sunday evening before KS2 SATs week. What to do in the last 12 hours that actually helps — and what to absolutely avoid, even though every instinct says otherwise.
A specific, practical equipment checklist for KS2 SATs week. What goes in the pencil case, what stays at home, and the one thing nearly every parent forgets.
The week before SATs is when most parents accidentally make it worse. Specific words to use — and specific ones to skip — across school runs, dinners and bedtimes.
There's no magic SATs breakfast. But there are real, boring, evidence-based decisions about food, sleep and screens that move the needle in the final days.
The last full week before SATs, day by day. A plan that does less than you think and more than it looks.
Not all revision meltdowns are the same. Some are tiredness. Some are tactical. And some are the brain saying 'I have nothing left' — and that one needs a completely different response.
Running a mock SATs at home is one of the highest-value things a parent can do — and one of the easiest to do badly. Here's the protocol that works.
The most valuable revision your Year 6 child does this term won't happen at the kitchen table. It'll happen in the car, on the walk, and while you're washing up. Here's how.
The Easter break is the last real block before SATs. How much should your child actually revise over it? Less than you think, and a different kind too.
They don't say much. That's not because they don't care. We've collected the things Year 6 children say about SATs — and the responses that land.
The KS2 reading paper isn't won on vocabulary. It's won on the four question types that most Year 6 children answer the wrong way round. Here they are.
Athletes don't train hardest the week before a race — they taper. With three weeks until KS2 SATs, here's how to apply the same principle to revision.
It's not attention. It's not laziness. It's activation energy — and once you understand it, you understand why the SATs revision sheet stays in the bag and the iPad doesn't.
53% of affluent families access private tutoring vs 31% of disadvantaged. The SATs gap starts at age 5 and never closes. Here's what actually works.
Distributed practice is rated HIGH utility. Cramming produces tears. Here's what 20 minutes of evidence-based revision actually looks like.
The EEF says digital learning adds +4 months of progress — but only when designed well. A systematic review of gamification research reveals what "well" actually means.
The largest ever survey of UK children. 368,000 voices. Their number one concern? Mental health. 61% feel their opinions aren't listened to. It's time to pay attention.
The most comprehensive review of learning techniques ever published rated highlighting LOW and practice testing HIGH. Here's what that means for your child's revision.
DfE research shows 93% of secondary schools use KS2 results to allocate Year 7 sets. Once placed, children rarely move up. Here's what parents need to know.
76% of primary teachers say SATs preparation increases pupil stress. But the problem isn't the test — it's how we prepare for it.
DfE research links KS2 SATs performance to a £157,500 lifetime earnings gap. We unpack the data and what it means for every Year 6 parent.
Your child can name every evolution chain but freezes at 7×8. It's not a memory problem — it's a design problem. Here's what gaming gets right that revision gets wrong.
SATs Arcade puts these ideas to work in short KS2 practice sessions. The parent dashboard shows where your child may need help.
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