Parents' Guide to SATs: Calm, Confident Support

SATs can make a child who is usually happy at school suddenly worry about getting an answer wrong. This parents' guide to SATs is here to put the tests in perspective and help you offer the kind of support that makes a genuine difference: calm encouragement, clear routines and confidence in their own ability.

For most children, SATs are one short part of their primary-school journey. They give schools a snapshot of progress, but they cannot measure curiosity, kindness, creativity, resilience or all the learning a child has done over seven years. Your child does not need a pressured household or hours of extra work. They need to feel prepared, understood and proud of their effort.

What SATs mean for your child

In England, the term SATs is most commonly used for the national curriculum assessments taken by pupils in Year 6. They usually take place during a set week in May, with dates confirmed by schools each year. The assessments cover English reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, plus maths.

Year 6 pupils complete a reading paper, a grammar and punctuation paper, a spelling test, an arithmetic paper and two maths reasoning papers. Their writing is assessed by their teacher over time rather than through a single test. Children may also hear teachers refer to science assessment, although science is not a test every Year 6 pupil sits in the same way.

The term is also sometimes used for assessments in Year 2. These are much lower-key and are intended to sit naturally within normal classroom learning. Your child's school will explain its own approach and what, if anything, is needed at home.

SATs results are reported using scaled scores. In the tested subjects, 100 is the expected standard. This can sound more intimidating than it is. A scaled score is not a percentage, and the number of marks needed to reach 100 can change from year to year. More importantly, a result is one piece of information alongside your child's daily classwork, teacher knowledge and wider development.

SATs do not decide which secondary school your child attends. Nor do they predict the limits of what they can achieve. They are a useful checkpoint for schools, but they are not a judgement on your child or on your parenting.

A parents' guide to SATs revision at home

The most effective revision is usually steady, specific and manageable. Start by finding out what your child already feels comfortable with and where they hesitate. A ten-minute conversation can reveal far more than asking them to complete a full paper at the kitchen table.

If they find maths reasoning difficult, the issue may not be calculation. They may need help reading multi-step questions, identifying the information that matters or explaining how they reached an answer. If reading feels hard, they may benefit from discussing unfamiliar vocabulary, retrieving evidence from a text or learning that it is acceptable to reread a question carefully.

Short sessions generally work better than long ones. Two or three focused activities across the week can build familiarity without turning every evening into test preparation. A little spelling practice, a few maths questions and shared reading are often enough when they are chosen with care.

It helps to keep practice papers in proportion. They can be useful for learning the layout and timing, particularly as test week approaches, but they should not become a weekly verdict on progress. Marking every answer in front of a child who is already anxious can reduce confidence. Instead, choose one or two questions to review together and praise the thinking that led them there.

Try language that keeps effort at the centre. Rather than asking, “What score did you get?”, ask, “Which question felt easier this time?” or “What did you do when you got stuck?” These questions help children notice progress and develop strategies they can use independently.

Build confidence without adding pressure

Children often take their emotional cue from the adults around them. If SATs are discussed as a huge event, they can begin to feel huge. Speak about them calmly and honestly: they are tests that will show your teacher what you have learned so far, and you only need to do your best.

Avoid comparing your child with classmates, siblings or a score you think they should achieve. Even well-meant comments can leave a child feeling that love or approval depends on performance. Praise persistence, concentration and willingness to have another go, especially when the work is challenging.

A predictable routine can also lower anxiety. Protect time for play, hobbies, sport and family life. Children revise better when they are rested, fed and able to switch off. In the final fortnight, adding more worksheets is rarely as helpful as reinforcing familiar skills and keeping bedtime consistent.

If your child says they are worried, resist the urge to immediately fix it with more work. First, listen. You might say, “It makes sense to feel nervous when something is new. We can practise a few questions together, and your teacher will help you on the day.” This acknowledges their feeling while reminding them that they are supported.

Practical support for test week

Test week does not need to feel different from any other school week. Prepare uniform, water bottle and breakfast plans the night before so mornings stay unhurried. A familiar, filling breakfast is a better choice than introducing a special food your child may not enjoy.

Encourage your child to listen carefully to instructions, read each question all the way through and move on if they are stuck. Teachers are experienced at helping pupils feel settled and will explain the arrangements clearly. Your role is simply to send them in knowing that effort matters more than perfection.

After each test, try not to conduct a detailed post-mortem. Children often focus on one question they think they got wrong while forgetting everything they managed well. A simple “Well done for giving it your best” followed by an ordinary afternoon is usually the kindest response.

When extra support may help

Some children need more than general revision advice. They may have gaps in core knowledge after illness or disrupted learning, find timed tasks overwhelming, or lack confidence despite working hard. Others may have SEND needs and benefit from learning approaches that better match how they process information.

Speak to the class teacher early if you are concerned. Schools can explain the support available, discuss access arrangements where appropriate and share the areas that would be most useful to practise. An individual plan is nearly always more effective than trying to cover everything.

One-to-one tuition can be helpful when it is personalised rather than simply more of the same. A skilled tutor can identify whether a child needs to revisit place value, build reading comprehension, strengthen grammar knowledge or learn practical ways to approach questions under time pressure. Just as importantly, they can create a calm space where a child is comfortable asking questions and seeing mistakes as part of learning.

At RWC Education, carefully matched tutors support children to make progress in English and maths while building the confidence that lasts beyond SATs. The aim is not to chase a number at any cost, but to help each child understand what they are learning and feel more capable in the classroom.

Keep SATs in their proper place

Your child will remember far more about how they felt during this period than the exact questions on a paper. Let them know you are proud of their effort before the tests begin, not only when results arrive. Keep expectations warm and realistic, celebrate small steps forward, and make room for the things that make them feel like themselves.

With patient support, SATs can become an opportunity for your child to recognise just how much they have learned - and to approach their next stage of education with greater confidence.