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Does my child need a Maths tutor?

Does my child need a Maths tutor? There is a common misconception that it's only children who struggle that need a Maths tutor. This is not the case. The real question is, would my child benefit from a tutor? The answer is an absolute yes. Common problems preventing getting a Maths tutor. Of course, there's lots of factors that might make getting a maths tutor difficult in reality. Financial reasons, a lack of space to fit a tutor in your home, being unable to commit to a regular time slot with busy family schedules. The trick is to find a…

Should I use past SATs papers for revision?

Past SATs papers are available freely on the internet however it is debatable whether using them is beneficial for your child’s progress. While studying past papers for familiarity is good these can interfere with your child’s teacher being able to accurately assess their needs. They can (if not used in the correct way) actually damage confidence. However, using materials from past papers in the right way, can also increase confidence and prepare your child for the big day. Read on to learn more pros and cons and tips for utilising this freely available resource. Are past SATs papers used in…

5 reasons to fall in love with Maths

5 reasons to fall in love with Maths I fell in love with maths and I know many of you have too but maths really is the marmite of education- you either love it or you hate it! So many people say they hate maths or believe they’re not good at maths but it’s something I strongly disagree with. Nobody is intrinsically bad at maths. They may just not have had the right exposure, been shown enough ways or had the chance to spend the time needed to “get it” and fall in love with maths the way I did.…

Why is long division so hard?

Why is long division so hard?  There is something about division in general which just intimidates a lot of kids (and adults!). Then you throw in the “formal written method” of long division and it‘s enough to put the strongest of mathematicians to the test. The method is lengthy and requires a fair amount of prep and this tends to cause a lot of children to give up before they have even begun. It is also slightly different to the methods most adults were taught and so helping with homework can sometimes just reinforce the belief that it is a…

Year 6 2022 tips

Back to school tips for Year 6 2021

Is your child starting Year 6 this September? Read on for some tips to help ease the transition after a whirlwind 2 years of lockdowns, bubbles and home learning. Settling back into school after the six week holidays is never an easy adjustment, let alone after the chaos and unpredictability of partial school closures and bubbles being sent home. The Year 6's this year have experienced a particularly unusual time, having missed out on a large chunk of school time in Year 4 and then entering a completely unfamiliar learning environment in Year 5 with rows, no joint assemblies, bubbles and…

Year 6 SATs. What are they?

What are the Year 6 SATs tests? The Year 6 SATs tests are to assess your child’s understanding of Maths and English against the National Curriculum learning objectives from Key Stage Two (Year Three to Year Six). Primary school is split into two stages after Reception: Key Stage One and Key Stage Two. At the end of each key stage, children sit a SATs test. This stands for Standard Assessment Test which will cover Maths and English.  They include a reading paper, a grammar punctuation and spelling paper (often referred to as SPAG) and maths. In this article, I will be…

Five Top Tips to support Year 6 Maths

Do you want to help support your child with their Year 6 maths this year but you don't know where to start? Are you worried about interfering with the methods used at school? I'm going to give you my five top tips for how you can help support your child at home with Year 6 maths and be successful in the SATs. 1: Master the times tables. This is the building block for so many other skills, especially fractions and harder calculations. It's often the skill that is overlooked as all the times tables are expected to have been learned and secure…

How to catch up on missed maths during Year 5

Families of Year 5 children deserve a medal If you were a parent of a Year Five child during school closures, I take my hat off to both you and your child. So many children across the country missed out on as much as 6 months of school during lockdown. Whatever your circumstance was at home and however much effort you put in to balancing family and work responsibilities with the needs of home schooling your children, it is inevitable that your child has probably missed out on some maths that they need to know before they transitioned to Year…

How to tutor Year 6 maths SATs

How to tutor Year 6 maths SATs Are you about to tutor Year 6 maths SATs? Maths tuition in Year 6 is in big demand and if you are new to being a tutor for the Year 6 Maths SATs you will need to be prepared. Supplement your income Tutoring is a fantastic way to supplement your income and a great way to witness a real impact on a child’s progress. Private tuition is becoming an increasingly popular choice for families as they recognise the importance of supplementing their children's learning in the class. For tutors, it is a fantastic…

Do you teach Year 6 maths?

Do you teach Year 6 maths? The struggle is real If you teach Year 6 maths, and are preparing for SATs 2023, the pressure is intense. Nobody really understands it unless they've experienced it! The responsibility and accountability of getting 30 pupils with varied abilities and learning styles to reach their progress targets and age related expectations while ensuring breadth of curriculum, mental wellbeing and a love of school is huge. More recently with the added complication of children who have experienced 2 school years affected by the Covid 19 pandemic and the fact that SATS only came back last year,…

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