SATs tutors: choose the right help for Year 6

In England, Year 6 SATs assess national curriculum learning at the end of Key Stage 2. Preparation needs to cover the relevant English and maths skills, including foundations taught before Year 6. The tests are set nationally; you do not need to choose a GCSE-style exam board.

The official parent guidance explains the assessments and the school’s role. Ask your child’s teacher which areas need attention before choosing a tuition focus.

One short task can make a parent’s concern more specific. Ask: A box holds 28 pencils. Three quarters are blue. How many are blue? One quarter is 28 ÷ 4 = 7; three quarters is 7 × 3 = 21.

If your child cannot calculate 28 ÷ 4, revisit the division. If they calculate 7 correctly but stop there, ask what that number represents: it is one quarter, not three. If they can do both steps when prompted but cannot choose them alone, discuss applying the method to a problem.

These are different teaching priorities, even when the final answer is wrong in each case. Share what your child attempted with the teacher or tutor rather than describing the whole of maths as a weakness.

A child can read a passage aloud accurately and still find a question about it difficult. Check unfamiliar vocabulary first, then ask which words support their answer.

For example, in the invented line “Leila gripped her notes before walking onto the stage”, “gripped” suggests she held them tightly. Nervousness is a possible interpretation, but claiming she has forgotten her speech adds information that is not given. Ask the tutor whether the main need is understanding vocabulary, finding a clue or explaining the link between that clue and an answer.

For fuller maths, reading and punctuation demonstrations, see the KS2 SATs practice examples.

If school feedback mentions punctuation, ask for an example of the mistake and how it affects meaning. A question about an apostrophe may call for teaching ownership and singular or plural nouns; an unfinished sentence needs a different explanation.

Keep writing in the conversation even though it is teacher-assessed rather than a separate Year 6 national written test. A useful brief might be “can explain an idea aloud but loses the sentence when writing”, rather than a request to work through another spelling paper.

Start with the school’s account of the difficulty and the help already being provided. If you choose tuition, agree what it will add and how you will judge whether it is useful. The aim can be one well-defined skill rather than a programme covering every SATs topic.

Look for relevant KS2 English or maths teaching experience and a clear way of explaining mistakes. Latimer offers a free introductory meeting to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements. Use that conversation to check the following points.

Latimer provides online one-to-one tuition. Microsoft Teams is the default lesson platform, and you can agree another platform with the tutor. Have paper and a pencil ready, test the connection and agree how your child will show written working. In-person lessons need an individual arrangement with the tutor.

Each tutor sets their own hourly rate, shown on their profile. Lessons are invoiced after they take place on a pay-as-you-go basis. When comparing options, agree the lesson length, a manageable schedule and what practice or feedback is included. Choose a review point so you can judge the work your child can now do and decide whether to continue or change the focus.