The 2027 Year 6 SATs will take place from Monday 10 May to Thursday 13 May. The best approach is to begin calmly in September, identify your child’s gaps, and build knowledge and confidence step by step rather than leaving revision until the final weeks. By May, your child should be practising papers, checking mistakes and arriving at school feeling prepared.
This month-by-month plan shows what to focus on, when to increase practice and how to keep preparation manageable at home.
When are Year 6 SATs in 2027
The statutory KS2 SATs will take place on these dates:
- Monday 10 May 2027: English grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Tuesday 11 May 2027: English reading
- Wednesday 12 May 2027: Mathematics arithmetic and reasoning
- Thursday 13 May 2027: Mathematics reasoning
The expected standard is linked to a scaled score of 100 or above in each test. However, the raw marks needed can change from one year to another, so it is more helpful to focus on secure understanding than on chasing a particular number of correct answers.
You can check the latest KS2 test dates on GOV.UK.
September to October: find the gaps
The first two months should be about finding out what your child knows already. Do not begin with long revision sessions or a full set of formal papers. Instead, look at recent school work, homework and teacher feedback.
Focus on:
- Place value and the four operations
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Spelling, punctuation and grammar
- Reading comprehension
- Times tables and mental calculation
A short, informal check can show which topics are secure and which need more attention. Ask your child to explain how they reached an answer. A correct answer is useful, but the explanation often shows whether the understanding is strong enough to use in a different question.
This is also the right time to create a simple sats revision timetable. Two or three short sessions each week are usually more effective than one long session at the weekend. Keep a record of topics that need work, but avoid presenting the list as a set of failures. These are areas for growth.
November to December: build the basics
Once you know the gaps, use November and December to strengthen the underlying skills. Your child will find reasoning questions much easier when the basic methods are secure.
For maths, practise fractions, written methods, ratio, measurements and common problem-solving vocabulary. For English, work on sentence structure, punctuation, spelling patterns and understanding unfamiliar words.
A useful weekly routine might include:
- One short arithmetic practice
- One reading passage with questions
- One spelling or grammar activity
- One review of a maths topic that needs more practice
Mark work together where possible. Do not only correct the answer. Ask, “What made this question difficult?” or “Which part could you try again?” This helps your child learn from mistakes and become more independent.
Reading should remain part of normal family life. Ten to fifteen minutes with a novel, newspaper article, information book or biography can develop vocabulary and attention without making every activity feel like exam preparation.
January to February: reasoning and reading
From January, begin applying knowledge to more demanding questions. SATs do not only test whether your child can remember a method. They also test whether they can select the right method, understand the wording and work carefully under time limits.
In maths, introduce multi-step problems and questions that use more than one area of the curriculum. Encourage your child to underline important information, estimate an answer and check whether the final result makes sense.
For reading, practise finding evidence in the text. Your child should be able to explain which words or sentences support an answer. Work on inference, vocabulary, retrieval and summarising. If a question feels difficult, return to the passage rather than guessing from memory.
A SATs tutor can help at this stage by identifying whether a difficulty is caused by subject knowledge, reading the question, working method or confidence. Each cause needs a different response. Personalised feedback prevents your child from spending weeks practising the wrong skill.
March to April: timed papers
Timed papers become more useful when your child has covered the main content. They should not be the only form of revision, but they can show how well your child manages concentration, pace and checking.
Begin with one section at a time. Review every question afterwards and sort mistakes into categories:
- Did your child not know the method?
- Did they misunderstand the question?
- Did they make a calculation error?
- Did they run out of time?
- Did they fail to check the answer?
This process is more valuable than simply recording a score. A paper should lead to targeted practice, followed by another opportunity to use the skill.
Keep sessions calm and realistic. Your child does not need to complete a full paper every day. One or two timed sections each week, combined with focused practice, is usually a more productive approach. Include breaks, movement and ordinary family time so that preparation remains balanced.
May: the exam week
During the first week of May, avoid trying to teach a large number of new topics. Review key methods, practise a few questions and encourage your child to explain what they already know.
The evening before each test should be quiet and familiar. Prepare school items, allow enough time for sleep and provide a normal breakfast. Reassure your child that they only need to answer one question at a time.
During the week, avoid detailed conversations about marks or comparing answers with friends and siblings. The papers are spread across several days, so your child needs to recover between tests. Praise careful effort, sensible checking and the courage to keep going when a question is difficult.
The purpose of preparation is not to make your child anxious about performance. It is to help them feel familiar with the subjects, understand the question styles and trust the methods they have practised.
How our SATs tutors help
Our SATs tutors start by finding out what your child can do and where they need further support. We then create a structured programme around their individual strengths, areas for development and goals.
Sessions may include:
- Targeted teaching for specific maths or English topics
- Guided practice using SATs-style questions
- Reading and reasoning strategies
- Time-management and checking techniques
- Regular feedback for your child and you
- Ongoing monitoring so the programme changes as progress is made
Our qualified teachers and expert tutors provide patient, focused support in small groups or through one-to-one lessons. We are proud that 100% of our SATs students meet or exceed the expected standard, based on our 2025 cohort of 560 students across all four branches.
Our four branches are Hayes, our Leyton centre at 439 to 443 High Road Leyton, London E10 5EL, Whitechapel and Ilford. We also provide live online learning, although free assessments are available in-centre only.
A free assessment gives us a clear starting point. It is a relaxed, approximately 30-minute assessment with no obligation to enrol, allowing us to recommend support that matches your child rather than offering a generic programme.
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2027 SATs?
The 2027 KS2 SATs will run from Monday 10 May to Thursday 13 May. English grammar, punctuation and spelling will be tested on Monday, reading on Tuesday, and mathematics across Wednesday and Thursday. Schools will provide practical information about arrangements closer to the time.
What is the expected standard in SATs?
The expected standard is normally represented by a scaled score of 100 or above in an individual test. The raw mark required can vary between papers, so preparation should focus on understanding, accuracy and applying knowledge rather than aiming for one fixed raw score.
How many hours a week should a Year 6 child revise?
There is no single correct number of hours. Begin with two or three short sessions each week, usually 20 to 30 minutes, then increase practice gradually if your child remains comfortable. Regular reading, school homework and focused topic practice are more useful than exhausting revision marathons.
Book your free assessment at progresslearningcentre.com/booking/.