Our Primary Tutors are all qualified & experienced. They are professional, energetic & keep up-to-date with the demands of the current Primary Curriculum. Primary tutors know the requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2, & how to prepare for SATs of course. We also have tutors who specialise in preparing students for 7+ & 11+ entrance examinations required for Grammar & Independent Schools.
Topics at primary level include
Maths
Addition & Subtraction
Multiplication & Division
Decimals & Fractions
Percentages
Shapes
Problem Solving
SATS Prep
English
Handwriting & Spelling
Punctuation & Grammar
Phonics
Comprehension
Creative Writing
SATS Prep
7+
Maths
English
Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning
GL & CEM Prep
11+
Maths
English
Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning
GL & CEM Prep
What your child should know
The national curriculum sets out the programmes of study and attainment targets for all subjects at all 4 key stages.
All local-authority-maintained schools in England must teach these programmes of study.
It was first introduced by the Education Reform Act 1988 and sets out to ensure all students in the UK learn the same things the same standard.
English
Phonic knowledge (sounds).
Letter sound correspondences.
Common exception words.
Familiarity of poems & stories.
Prefixes (e.g. ‘un’) and suffixes (e.g. ‘s’ and ‘ing’).
Joining words and capital letters.
Maths
How to count, read and write numbers to 100 in numerals; and how to count in multiples of 2s, 5s and 10s.
How to read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving addition (+), subtraction (−) and equals (=) signs.
How to add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20.
How to solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division using pictures and other visual aids.
How to recognise and name common 2-D and 3-D shapes, and the difference between a half and a quarter.
How to tell the time to the hour and half past the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times.
Science
Seasonal changes.
Everyday materials, different objects and the materials (e.g. wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock) from which they are made.
Animals – including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and humans. The names of a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
How to identify the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense.
Plants – how to identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees.
How to ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
English
Apply phonic knowledge to decode words.
Graphemes (written symbols that present sound e.g. ‘sh,’ ‘igh’ and ‘ai’).
Sequencing reading.
Linking meaning to vocabulary.
Retelling stories and reciting poems.
Prefixes (e.g. ‘un’) longer suffixes (e.g. ‘ment,’ ‘less,’ and ‘ful’).
Joining words and capital letters.
Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command.
Correct use of punctuation.
Past and present tenses.
Maths
How to count in steps of 2, 3, and 5 from 0, and in 10s from any number, forward and backward.
How to compare and order numbers from 0 up to 100; use <, > and = signs.
How to read and write numbers to at least 100 in numerals and in words.
How to solve simple problems in a practical context involving addition and subtraction of money of the same unit, including giving change.
How to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.
How to recognise, find, name and write fractions
1
/
3
,
1
/
4
,
2
/
4
and
3
/
4
How to choose and use appropriate standard units to estimate and measure length/height in any direction (m/cm); mass (kg/g); temperature (°C); capacity (litres/ml) to the nearest appropriate unit, using rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring vessels.
How to order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns and sequences.
How to interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and tables.
Science
Living things and their habitats.
Plants – how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants and stay healthy.
The basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air).
The importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene
How to identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses
How the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
How to observe closely, using simple equipment.
How to perform simple tests, identifying and classifying.
How to use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
How to gather and record data to help in answering questions.
English
A wide range of reading wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books.
How to use a dictionary to check the meaning of words.
Understanding text, drawing inferences and identifying themes.
How to identify how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning.
How to retell stories and recite poems.
Prefixes (e.g. ‘un’) longer suffixes (e.g. ‘ment,’ ‘less,’ and ‘ful’).
Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command.
Use of possessive apostrophe with regular and irregular plurals (e.g. girls’ and children’s).
Accurate use of pronouns in sentences.
Using verbs in the past and present tense.
How to compose sentences and organise paragraphs correctly.
How to use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause.
How to punctuate speech.
Maths
In Y3 the should count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100
In Y4 they should count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1,000.
The place value of each digit in a 3-digit number.
How to compare and order numbers up to 1,000 in Y3 then beyond in Y4.
How to add and subtract numbers mentally and add and subtract numbers with up to 3 digits in Y3 and 4 digits in Y4, using formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction.
How to solve problems, including missing number problems, using number facts, place value, and more complex addition and subtraction.
How to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables in Y3 and up to 12 times tables in Y4.
How to count up and down in tenths.
How to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator [for example,
5
/
7
+
1
/
7
=
6
/
7
] and compare and order unit fractions.
How to measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm); mass (kg/g); volume/capacity (l/ml) and convert between measurements and units.
How to measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes.
How to identify right angles and recognise angles in shapes.
How to interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables.
How to tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman numerals from I to XII, and convert between the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks.
Science
The different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers, how water is transported within plants and the life cycle of flowering plants.
In Y3 children learn that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement. In Y4 they learn the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans and the food chain, identifying producers, predators and prey.
How to compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties and describe how fossils are formed.
How to recognise that we need light in order to see things, notice that light is reflected from surfaces and recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect our eyes.
The two poles of magnets and how magnetic forces can act at a distance and attract or repel each other.
In Y4 students learn how to recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways in their local and wider environment and recognise that environments can change.
In Y4 students learn how to compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases.
That some materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C).
In Y4 students learn how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating.
c how to identify common appliances that run on electricity and construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers.
How to ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them, setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
How to use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.
How to gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help answer questions and record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables.
English
How to apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes.
How to identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing.
How to make comparisons within and across books.
How to provide reasoned justifications for their views.
How to spell some words with ‘silent’ letters (e.g. ‘write,’ ‘knight’ and ‘psalm’).
Morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically.
How to use a thesaurus.
How to write legibly and fluently, joining letters where appropriate.
How to write long passages using a wide range of vocabulary, grammar and building cohesion across passages
Consistent use of the correct tenses and verbs.
How to evaluate their own writing and the writing of others.
Maths
How to read, write, order and compare numbers to at least 1,000,000 in Y5 and 10,000,000 in Y6.
How to round up or down any whole number.
How to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers up to 4 digits.
How to identify multiples, factors and prime numbers.
How to recognise and use square numbers (²) and cube numbers (³).
How to divide proper fractions by whole numbers.
How to recognise mixed numbers and improper fractions and convert from one form to the other and write mathematical statements > 1 as a mixed number [for example,
2
/
5
+
4
/
5
=
6
/
5
=
1
/
5
]
How to read and write decimal numbers as fractions [for example, 0.71 =
71
/
100
] and round decimals to the nearest whole number.
How to understand that per cent (%) relates to ‘number of parts per 100’, and write percentages as a fraction with a denominator of 100, and as a decimal fraction. By Y6 they should calculate percentages of whole numbers.
How to calculate and compare the area of rectangles and irregular shapes, measure angles in degrees (°) and identify 3-D shapes.
How to convert between units of time.
Science
Living things and their habitats. In Y5 students should be able to describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird and describe reproduction in some plants and animals. In Y6 students should be able to describe how living things are classified into broad groups.
The changes as humans develop to old age. By Y6 pupils should identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood and recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function
Properties and changes of materials
How the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the sun in the solar system.
Forces – gravity and the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction.
In Y6 students learn how living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. How animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
In Y6 students learn light appears to travel in straight lines and explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye.
In Y6 students recognise symbols in a simple circuit. They associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches Use.
That scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of publishing and evaluating results.
Scientific methods and theories are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas.
What your child should know
The national curriculum sets out the programmes of study and attainment targets for all subjects at all 4 key stages.
All local-authority-maintained schools in England must teach these programmes of study.
It was first introduced by the Education Reform Act 1988 and sets out to ensure all students in the UK learn the same things to the same standard.
| English | Maths | Science |
| Phonic knowledge (sounds). | How to count, read and write numbers to 100 in numerals; and how to count in multiples of 2s, 5s and 10s. | Seasonal changes. |
| Letter sound correspondences. | How to read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving addition (+), subtraction (−) and equals (=) signs. | Everyday materials, different objects and the materials (e.g. wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock) from which they are made. |
| Common exception words. | How to add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20. | Animals – including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and humans. The names of a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. |
| Familiarity of poems & stories. | How to solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division using pictures and other visual aids. | How to identify the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense. |
| Prefixes (e.g. ‘un’) and suffixes (e.g. ‘s’ and ‘ing’). | How to recognise and name common 2-D and 3-D shapes, and the difference between a half and a quarter. | Plants – how to identify and describe the basic structure of a variety of common flowering plants, including trees. |
| Joining words and capital letters. | How to tell the time to the hour and half past the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times. | How to ask simple questions and recognise that they can be answered in different ways.
|
| English | Maths | Science |
| Apply phonic knowledge to decode words. | How to count in steps of 2, 3, and 5 from 0, and in 10s from any number, forward and backward. | Living things and their habitats. |
| Graphemes (written symbols that present sound e.g. ‘sh,’ ‘igh’ and ‘ai’). | How to compare and order numbers from 0 up to 100; use <, > and = signs. | Plants – how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants and stay healthy. |
| Sequencing reading. | How to read and write numbers to at least 100 in numerals and in words. | The basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air). |
| Linking meaning to vocabulary. | How to solve simple problems in a practical context involving addition and subtraction of money of the same unit, including giving change. | The importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene |
| Retelling stories and reciting poems. | How to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers. | How to identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses |
| Prefixes (e.g. ‘un’) longer suffixes (e.g. ‘ment,’ ‘less,’ and ‘ful’). | How to recognise, find, name and write fractions
1
/
3
,
1
/
4
,
2
/
4
and
3
/
4
|
How the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching. |
| Joining words and capital letters. | Identify and describe the properties of 2-D and 3-D shapes. | How to observe closely, using simple equipment. |
| Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command. | How to choose and use appropriate standard units to estimate and measure length/height in any direction (m/cm); mass (kg/g); temperature (°C); capacity (litres/ml) to the nearest appropriate unit, using rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring vessels. | How to perform simple tests, identifying and classifying. |
| Correct use of punctuation. | How to order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns and sequences. | How to use their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions. |
| Past and present tenses. | How to interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and tables. | How to gather and record data to help in answering questions. |
| English | Maths | Science |
| A wide range of reading wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books. | In Y3 the should count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100
In Y4 they should count in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25 and 1,000. |
The different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers,
how water is transported within plants and the life cycle of flowering plants. |
| How to use a dictionary to check the meaning of words. | The place value of each digit in a 3-digit number. | In Y3 children learn that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement. In Y4 they learn the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans and the food chain, identifying producers, predators and prey. |
| Understanding text, drawing inferences and identifying themes. | How to compare and order numbers up to 1,000 in Y3 then beyond in Y4. | How to compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties and describe how fossils are formed. |
| How to identify how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning. | How to add and subtract numbers mentally and add and subtract numbers with up to 3 digits in Y3 and 4 digits in Y4, using formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction. | How to recognise that we need light in order to see things, notice that light is reflected from surfaces and recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect our eyes. |
| How to retell stories and recite poems. | How to solve problems, including missing number problems, using number facts, place value, and more complex addition and subtraction. | The two poles of magnets and how magnetic forces can act at a distance and attract or repel each other. |
| Prefixes (e.g. ‘un’) longer suffixes (e.g. ‘ment,’ ‘less,’ and ‘ful’). | How to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables in Y3 and up to 12 times tables in Y4. | In Y4 students learn how to recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways in their local and wider environment and recognise that environments can change. |
| Sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command. | How to count up and down in tenths. | In Y4 students learn how to compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases. |
| Use of possessive apostrophe with regular and irregular plurals (e.g. girls’ and children’s). | How to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator. For example:
5
/
7
+
1
/
7
=
6
/
7
and compare and order unit fractions. |
That some materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measure or research the temperature at which this happens in degrees Celsius (°C). |
| Accurate use of pronouns in sentences. | How to measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm); mass (kg/g); volume/capacity (l/ml) and convert between measurements and units. | In Y4 students learn how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating. |
| Using verbs in the past and present tense. | How to measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes. | c how to identify common appliances that run on electricity and construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers. |
| How to compose sentences and organise paragraphs correctly. | How to identify right angles and recognise angles in shapes. | How to ask relevant questions and use different types of scientific enquiries to answer them, setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests. |
| How to use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause. | How to interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables. | How to use results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions. |
| How to punctuate speech. | How to tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman numerals from I to XII, and convert between the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks. | How to gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help answer questions and record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables. |
| English | Maths | Science |
| How to apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes. | How to read, write, order and compare numbers to at least 1,000,000 in Y5 and 10,000,000 in Y6. | Living things and their habitats. In Y5 students should be able to describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird and describe reproduction in some plants and animals. In Y6 students should be able to describe how living things are classified into broad groups. |
| How to identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing. | How to round up or down any whole number. | The changes as humans develop to old age. By Y6 pupils should identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood and recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function |
| How to make comparisons within and across books. | How to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers up to 4 digits. | Properties and changes of materials |
| How to provide reasoned justifications for their views. | How to identify multiples, factors and prime numbers. | How the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the sun in the solar system. |
| How to spell some words with ‘silent’ letters (e.g. ‘write,’ ‘knight’ and ‘psalm’). | How to recognise and use square numbers (²) and cube numbers (³). | Forces – gravity and the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction. |
| Morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically. | How to divide proper fractions by whole numbers. | In Y6 students learn how living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. How animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution. |
| How to use a thesaurus. | How to recognise mixed numbers and improper fractions and convert from one form to the other and write mathematical statements > 1 as a mixed number [for example,
2
/
5
+
4
/
5
=
6
/
5
=
1
/
5
] |
In Y6 students learn light appears to travel in straight lines and explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye. |
| How to write legibly and fluently, joining letters where appropriate. | How to read and write decimal numbers as fractions [for example, 0.71 =
71
/
100
] and round decimals to the nearest whole number. |
In Y6 students recognise symbols in a simple circuit. They associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
Use. |
| How to write long passages using a wide range of vocabulary, grammar and building cohesion across passages | How to understand that per cent (%) relates to ‘number of parts per 100’, and write percentages as a fraction with a denominator of 100, and as a decimal fraction. By Y6 they should calculate percentages of whole numbers. | That scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of publishing and evaluating results. |
| Consistent use of the correct tenses and verbs. | How to calculate and compare the area of rectangles and irregular shapes, measure angles in degrees (°) and identify 3-D shapes. | Scientific methods and theories are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas. |
| How to evaluate their own writing and the writing of others. | How to convert between units of time. |
How to ask questions, make predictionsuse appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory work, paying attention to health and safety. |