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Steps to succes in Year 6 maths 22-23 Session 2

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Use gap analysis to see what they need to know
Boosters for children who are on the cusp are happening at the moment, after spring it will be for those who need more support in arithmetic.
Maths meetings three times a week.
1:1 intervention to address misconceptions in the afternoon.

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Some booster groups before or after school.
Groups to push children on and also to help working towards children with arithmetic questions etc. Some started now and then can focus on others after Christmas.

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Guidance for headteachers, teachers and test administrators involved in administering the key stage 2 national curriculum tests.

Use this information to:

check important dates for the key stage 2 test cycle

understand your statutory requirements for the key stage 2 tests

use appropriate access arrangements

administer the tests

keep test materials secure

access your school's test results

Your school will also receive printed copies of the test administration instructions with the test materials. These are not available on GOV.UK as they contain live test material. Details on the format, equipment and assistance that must be used for each test is available in the test administration guidance.

You will also receive the 'Attendance register and test script dispatch instructions' with your stationery pack .

Key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements

Keeping materials secure

Access arrangements

Test administration

Maladministration

Planning

Monitoring visits

Results

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National curriculum assessments: key stage 2 tests

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Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

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Choose a learning objective for the week...

Complete the daily task and check the answers...

Support & develop learning providing daily intervention in preparation for the following day's task...

Build pupil understanding, application and confidence using the week's 5 daily mini-maths tasks.

⬤ Choose a learning objective for the week...

⬤⬤ Complete the daily task and check the answers...

⬤⬤⬤ Support & develop learning providing daily intervention in preparation for the following day's task...

⬤⬤⬤⬤ Build pupil understanding, application and confidence using the week's 5 daily mini-maths tasks.

Collect 1 Mission Credit for each correct Fluency answer or solution...

Collect 3 Mission Credits for each correct iQ answer or solution...

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Year 6 maths questions with 1000s of free resources at MyMiniMaths

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Improve Year 6 understanding, application and confidence in maths with the free daily tasks. 1000s of quality Year 6 maths questions available.

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Opportunities in Norfolk during maths week

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Opportunities in Norfolk during maths week

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In collaboration with Maths Week England (14th November - 18th November), we are excited to announce a range of events and activities which we will be running to enthuse primary and secondary students in Norfolk about the wonders of studying maths.

R ead below for more information about the events and how you can register.

Origami Competition (KS2 and KS3)

Create your own display of space using origami. Students are invited to build stars, planets and solar systems using origami and are encouraged to be as creative as they like. When schools register to enter the competition they will be sent a pack of all the resources needed to design the space display including instructional videos created by our expert team of teachers. Prizes will be on offer to the best 3 displays in both Primary & Secondary school categories. The deadline for schools to register to take part in the competition is Friday 4th of November, there are a limited number of packs so register without delay.

To enter the competition and receive your free pack, complete the form below. The deadline to submit your entry and email to outreach@isaacnewtonsixthform.co.uk is Friday 25th of November.
Click here to register. Origami Competition Poster
Primary Maths in Space Day (KS2)

On Thursday 17th of November, we will be hosting a day of mathematics themed around space. Students taking part will visit a variety of space stations where they will complete enriching mathematical tasks and join together to design a space themed object using origami. The event will be hosted at the Inspiration Trust Teaching School Hub (NR1 2RN), this is to allow schools to park for free at the site. You are invited to join us for one of the following two sessions:

Morning Session (9:30 - 11:45) Afternoon Session (12:30 - 14:45)

Each school can bring up to 8 students from key stage 2, there are a limited number of spaces available for each session, register early to avoid disappointment.
Click here to register. Primary Maths in Space Day (KS2) Poster
Maths in Space Open Evening (KS2)

Students who aren't able to join us for the "Maths in Space Day" are welcome to attend our "Maths in Space Open Evening" on Wednesday 16th of November. Parents and students are invited to visit to take part in a range of activities based on the theme of space. We will be open 4:30 - 6:30 for students to drop in and take part in our activities, each of these events will be aimed at students who are in key stage 2 but siblings of other ages are welcome to join. The event will be hosted at the Inspiration Trust Teaching School Hub (NR1 2RN). Parents who would like to attend are being asked to register their interest for the event and they can do this at the following link.
Click here to register. Maths in Space Open Evening (KS2) Poster
Enrichment Lessons (KS2 and KS3)

During "Maths Week England" our expert teachers are offering visits to schools in Norfolk to deliver lessons on enriching maths. These lessons can be delivered to schools during maths lessons or after-school and will be tailored to match the age range and ability of the students. We only have a limited number of lessons available so please register early to avoid disappointment. If we are unable to deliver a lesson live to your school, all of the lessons will be available on our website for you to access during the week.
Click here to register.
See below for details on the enrichment lessons available.
Exploring patterns which are commonly seen in mathematics and how these can lead into the wonderful world of fractals. Learning to play the game created by John Conway & Michael Paterson, students will discover the maths behind the game and where this maths can lead. Investigating a branch of mathematics called game theory and how it relates to a variety of games leading to the famous prisoner's dilemma. A horse race based on dice rolls and outcomes, which horse is lucky and whether this always holds true. Students will look into probability, but understand it cannot always be guaranteed.
The Maths Behind Encrypted Messaging
Discovering how prime numbers are used to allow money and messages to be sent securely over the internet. Students will also explore the mathematics of modular arithmetic.

If you have any further questions, please contact our Outreach Team at outreach@isaacnewtonsixthform.co.uk.

If you are a teacher and would like to be the first to hear about upcoming outreach opportunities, you can sign up for our mailing list via the link below.

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Origami Competition (KS2 and KS3) Create your own display of space using origami. Students are invited to build stars, planets and solar systems using origami and are encouraged to be as creative as they like.

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ATM experts are sharing ideas through Maths Snacks videos, to support children and parents whilst children are away from school for whatever reason or for use in the classroom. The videos are a mix of tasks, puzzles, challenges and games; selected to support and enrich mathematics taught at school.

Many videos can be accessed by very young children, with a little bit of adult support, and all are relevant to pupils across the school age range. There's hardly ever a single right answer and there are many ways of working on tasks. The videos are designed to entice and to focus on working in the ways mathematicians do; such as exploring situations, looking for patterns and rules, asking questions and seeking answers, and trying out and testing ideas.

If you find these videos useful and want to support our work you can become a member, or make a donation via our Paypal link

Accessible for all

Accessible for those who have a little mathematical experience

Parents can work with their children. All family members can join in. This isn't cheating! Encourage children to have a go; ask them what they are noticing and what they have found out, ask them if there are more ways of completing the task. Why not make another similar task using different shapes or numbers? Make their maths snacking enjoyable!

Maths Snacks can supplement the work being sent home from school or, for those unable to access the work from school, these Maths Snacks provide a healthy alternative. Children will need a pencil and paper; and they might need a pair of scissors, dice, counters or buttons and a calculator.

By keeping mathematically fit, children on their return to school will be in good mental shape to reconnect and progress with their school mathematics courses. Who knows? They may continue maths snacking!

Thank you for choosing to use these materials in your organisation. These videos are Copyright 2020 by the Association of Teachers of Mathematics, and they are free to use and redistribute under the terms of the CC-BY-3.0 licence (see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ for full details). In particular, you must ascribe the source of these materials; you can do this by quoting the italicised text below.

A small group of people, Geoff Faux, Pip Huyton, Peter Lacey, Mike Ollerton, Colin Taylor and Helen Williams, all of whom are members of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics, voluntarily created a collection of 2-minute videos, which the ATM have freely circulated; they were initially for use during COVID-19 Lockdown. However, because of the positive responses the ATM have received, we believe the videos might also be used as resources in mathematics classrooms. If you like these then why not join with us in the ATM community at www.atm.org.uk/Membership-Types Any feedback about how children work on these snacks would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you to the following for their contribution to Maths Snacks.

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ATM experts are sharing ideas through Maths Snacks videos, to support children and parents whilst children are away from school for whatever reason or for use in the classroom. The videos are a mix of tasks, puzzles, challenges and games; selected to support and enrich mathematics taught at school.

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[FREE] 20 Best KS2 SATs Papers & SATs Revision Resources

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SATs 2020 update of this list of the best free KS2 SATs papers and Year 6 SATs revision resources. As chosen by Year 6 teachers and Maths Leads.

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diagnostics questions - great for hinge questions

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diagnostics questions - great for hinge questions

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Sign in with your Diagnostic Questions account or Google, Microsoft, Twitter or Facebook.

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Updated for 2021 - Resources Spreadsheet (based on WR)

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Download Year 6 SATs papers for FREE from SATs-Papers.co.uk

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Introduction

Key stage 2 (KS2) tests should be administered to the whole cohort on the days specified in the statutory timetable (section 3 of the KS2 assessment and reporting arrangements).

Under no circumstances should a test be administered before the day specified in the statutory timetable.

In limited circumstances, pupils may be able to take a test at a different time, or on a different day, from the rest of the cohort. In exceptional circumstances, a school may need to reschedule a test for the whole cohort to a different day.

Administering a test in multiple sittings on the scheduled day

Schools can administer a test in multiple sittings between 7am and 7pm on the scheduled date without seeking approval from the Standards and Testing Agency (STA). Schools should be prepared to explain the arrangements if they receive a monitoring visit from the local authority (LA).

Schools may vary the start time of a test on the scheduled day if:

the school needs to stagger the administration to accommodate the availability of staff or facilities to maintain social distancing

the school has a large cohort and needs to administer the test in 2 or more sittings

there are pupils who need readers, prompters, signers, translators or scribes and there are not enough staff to support them to take the test at the same time

a pupil is not going to be in school at the time the rest of the cohort is taking the test

a pupil is unwell when the rest of the cohort takes the test, but is in a fit state later in the day

a pupil arrives late in school

arrangements need to be made to support a pupil who arrives in school with an injury that affects their ability to take the test with the rest of the cohort

In all these circumstances, the headteacher must ensure that pupils taking tests later in the school day do not have any opportunity to access test materials or discuss test content with other pupils or staff who have been involved with earlier sittings of tests.

Administering a test after the scheduled day

Schools must submit an application for a timetable variation on the Primary Assessment Gateway (PAG) to seek permission to move a test up to 5 school days after the date specified in the statutory timetable.

Schools are encouraged to submit applications for known, authorised absences as early as possible.

The application form will be available from Monday 13 February to Thursday 18 May (the final date that schools can administer mathematics paper 3 with an approved application for a timetable variation).

We will consider an application if a pupil:

has an important appointment that cannot be rearranged, for example a hospital appointment, a court appearance, national or international sports participation or a funeral

is observing a religious or cultural festival

We will also consider applications if the school:

is being used as a polling station for local or general elections and it is not possible to continue with test administration in another part of the school

must deal with an unforeseeable problem, for example flooding

has a short working day, for example is a pupil referral unit

We will not allow timetable variations for:

unauthorised absences

staff absences

family holidays

school activities, for example staff training events or field trips

temporary exclusions during the test period

a pupil who started but did not complete a test, and has left test conditions

If the headteacher has not authorised the absence, the application will not be approved.

In exceptional circumstances where a test is being rescheduled for the whole cohort, the headteacher must ask parents to help protect the confidentiality of the tests by ensuring that pupils do not have contact with pupils from other schools who have already taken the test or have access to test content via the internet or social media.

Pupil absence on scheduled test days

If a pupil is absent on the day of the test, headteachers may wish to take steps to ensure that the pupil does not have contact with others, for example by speaking to the pupil's parents about how they can help prevent contact with other pupils who have already taken the test, or about entry arrangements for the day the pupil returns to school.

If a pupil is absent on the day of a test because of illness, the school should wait until they have returned before making an application. This is to ensure the pupil is in a fit state to take the test on the day and time stated.

If a pupil returns to school during test week or the timetable variation period following an absence, the school must ensure the pupil is supervised so there is no opportunity for the pupil to discuss test content.

If an individual pupil is absent on the rescheduled test date, the school can reschedule the test for that pupil again, if it is still within the timetable variation period for the affected test. The school should administer the rescheduled test as soon as is practical after the pupil returns to school.

In the case of twins, or 2 pupils living in the same household, if one pupil is absent on the day of a test but their sibling is in school (and the school intends to administer the test to both pupils), the school should consider delaying the test for both pupils. This is to ensure the integrity of the test is maintained.

If one sibling, or a pupil from the same household has taken the test, and the other has not, the school may need to work with parents to ensure that the pupils do not have any opportunity to discuss the test content if a timetable variation application is planned.

If the pupil attends an alternative provision (including pupil referral units) for some days of the week the maintained school or academy where they are registered may have to apply for a timetable variation to enable the pupil to sit the test as soon as is practical when the pupil is back in school. Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the integrity of the test is maintained.

In all the above circumstances, if the headteacher can guarantee that no test content has been discussed and the pupil was supervised at all times, a timetable variation application can be submitted, selecting 'No' in answer to question 1 in the application.

Making an application (Monday 13 February to Thursday 18 May)

Headteachers who apply to vary the test timetable will be asked to confirm that they believe:

the content of the tests has remained confidential

the pupil has not had opportunity to talk to any pupils who have already taken the tests

the pupil has not had access to the test materials, for example via the internet or social media

the pupil is in a fit physical and mental state to take the tests, particularly in cases where the pupil is returning to school after an illness or injury

If the headteacher is aware of any reason why these conditions cannot be confirmed, the application will not be approved, and the pupil must not take the test.

Headteachers must ensure that when making an application for a timetable variation, the pupil who has not taken the tests has not been in contact or discussed test content with pupils who have already taken the tests.

During test week and the timetable variation period, schools should allow up to one hour for an application to be processed.

The rescheduled test must not be administered until an application has been approved.

If a timetable variation application is rejected, the pupil must not take the test.

An email will be sent to the school when the application has been reviewed. Schools should log in to the PAG to check the status of the application as they may be asked to provide more information.

Completing the attendance register

If a pupil is absent on the day of a test and does not return within 5 school days, the school must mark the pupil as 'Absent' (A) on the test attendance register.

If an application is not approved, the pupil must not take the test and should be marked as 'Absent' (A) on the test attendance register.

Pupils taking the test with a timetable variation should be marked as 'Attended' (✔) on the test attendance register once the test has been administered. They should not be marked as 'Absent' (A) or 'Taking the test in a future year' (F).

Please see the guidance on returning test scripts for further instructions on attendance codes and how to store, pack and send timetable variation scripts for marking. If you have administered a test following an approved timetable variation, the test scripts and attendance register for the rest of the cohort taking that paper must not be sent for marking until the last pupil has taken the test.

Failure to follow this guidance could result in a maladministration investigation.

Help and support

There is a step-by-step video tutorial on how to make a timetable variation application on STA's YouTube playlist.

For general enquiries about timetable variations, contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 or email assessments@education.gov.uk.

For further advice about how to use timetable variations to meet a pupil's specific needs, schools can use the 'Message us - access arrangements' form which can be found in the PAG.

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Key stage 2 tests: varying the test timetable

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Key stage 2 (KS2) tests should be administered to the whole cohort on the days specified in the statutory timetable (section 3 of the KS2 assessment and reporting arrangements). Under no circumstances should a test be administered before the day specified in the statutory timetable.

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Published

Last updated

Release type

National statistics ?

This publication provides revised attainment and progress statistics for key stage 2 national curriculum assessments. It is an update to the provisional statistics published on 6 September 2022 and extends the Key stage 2: National headlines

at national level, broken down by the following pupil characteristics: gender, disadvantage, free school meal eligibility, ethnicity, special educational need status, first language and month of birth;

at national level, broken down by the following school characteristics: school type, school phase, cohort size and school religious character;

at regional and local authority level, broken down by gender;

at local authority level, broken down by pupil characteristics.

statistics published on 5 July 2022.
It includes statistics for pupils in schools in England:

Some of these breakdowns are not discussed in the text but can be accessed via the table tool or downloading the data files.

All gaps and percentage point differences are calculated from unrounded figures.

Related information

Releases in this series

View releases (1)

Methodologies

Headline facts and figures - 2021/22

These statistics cover the attainment of year 6 pupils who took assessments in summer 2022. These pupils experienced disruption to their learning during the pandemic, particularly at the end of year 4 and in year 5.

These statistics have now been updated with revised data.
In individual subjects, attainment increased slightly in reading and fell in all other subjects compared to 2019 at both the expected and higher standard.
75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, up from 73% in 2019. 28% of pupils reached the higher standard in reading, up from 27% in 2019.

71% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, down from 79% in 2019. 23% of pupils reached the higher standard in maths, down from 27% in 2019.

69% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, down from 78% in 2019. 13% of pupils reached the higher standard in writing, down from 20% in 2019.
Attainment in reading, writing and maths (combined) has decreased compared to 2019 at both the expected and higher standard.
The Department for Education considers meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths to be key for success in secondary school and beyond. Therefore, in addition to attainment in individual subjects, we report on the proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in all three of these subjects.

59% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, down from 65% in 2019.

7% of pupils met the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, down from 11% in 2019.
The disadvantage gap index has increased from 2.91 in 2019 to 3.23 in 2022.
The disadvantage gap index reduced between 2011 and 2018 - indicating that the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils was becoming smaller - before remaining at a similar level between 2018 and 2019. The index has increased in 2022 to the highest level since 2012, suggesting that disruption to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils.

Attainment has fallen compared to 2019 for both disadvantaged pupils and other pupils at the expected and higher standards in all subjects except for reading. However, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has fallen further than for other pupils, increasing the disadvantage attainment gap.

In reading, attainment remained stable for disadvantaged pupils at 62% and increased from 78% to 80% for other pupils. In writing, attainment fell from 68% to 55% for disadvantaged pupils and from 83% to 75% for other pupils. In maths, attainment fell from 67% to 56% for disadvantaged pupils and from 84% to 78% for other pupils.
Attainment fell among both girls and boys in all subjects except reading, however the fall was slightly larger for girls. Girls continue to outperform boys in all subjects except maths.
55% of boys met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), down from 60% in 2019. 63% of girls met the expected standard in all three subjects, down from 70% in 2019.
Girls made more progress than boys in reading and writing, while boys made more progress in maths.
In 2022, girls had positive progress scores in reading (0.86) and writing (0.89) and a negative progress score in maths (-0.79). In contrast, boys had negative progress scores in reading (-0.75), -0.77 and writing (-0.77) and a positive progress score (0.83) in maths.
Attainment fell among pupils with English as their first language and pupils with a first language other than English in all subjects except reading, however the fall was larger for pupils with English as a first language.
61% of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), down from 64% in 2019. 58% of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be English met the expected standard in all three subjects, down from 65% in 2019.

Explore data and files used in this release

View tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from open data using our table tool

Browse and download open data files from this release in our data catalogue

Learn more about the data files used in this release using our online guidance

Download all data available in this release as a compressed ZIP file

All supporting files from this release are listed for individual download below:

These statistics update and extend those published in the Key stage 2 (provisional) statistics in September. These statistics are now revised.

Impact of missing results on data quality

In 2022, there were unexpected difficulties during the collection and processing of key stage 2 assessment data. As a result, there were larger volumes of missing data than in previous years for the provisional statistics. Additional checks were carried out by analysts to ensure the quality of the statistics. Levels of missing data for this revised release are similar to the revised release in 2019. Test and teacher assessment volumes in 2022 compared to revised data in 2019 are summarised in the table below. These figures are based on the data extract used for these statistics, which was taken on 16 October 2022.

Volumes of test and teacher assessment data in revised 2019 and 2022 data (%)

The table below summarise the rates of missing data by key pupil and school characteristics that are related to attainment.

Rate of missing data by assessment in revised 2022 statistics by pupil and school characteristics

Rate of missing data for local authority

West Sussex is now the only local authority with high levels of missing data for teacher assessment, defined as missing more than 1.5% of data.

Local authority code

Local authority name

Writing teacher assessment

Science teacher assessment

938

West Sussex

1.8

1.8

The methodology used to create these statistics remains the same as in previous years. The treatment of missing data in these statistics differs by assessment type (test or teacher assessment) and the level of data (national or regional/local authority):

National level statistics: missing data is excluded from the measures in all subjects.

Regional and local authority level statistics: missing data for test subjects (reading, maths andgrammar, punctuation and spelling) is excluded from the measures. For teacher assessment data (writing and science), pupils with missing results are included in the measures as not meeting the expected standard.

Further detail on the methodology used to create these statistics can be found in the accompanying methodology document.

Measures for test subjects (reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling) are considered of sufficient quality at national and regional level as the rates of missing data for these subjects is low and similar across pupil and school characteristics.

As in previous years, there have been small changes between provisional and revised data, but these changes are similar in scale and direction across pupil and school characteristics.

Measures for teacher assessment subjects (writing and science) are considered of sufficient quality at national level. At regional and local authority level, users are advised to exercise caution when using these measures for West Sussex (including measures for all of reading, writing and maths). This is because West Sussex is missing 1.8% of both writing teacher assessment and science teacher assessment.

The Department for Education considers meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths to be key for success in secondary school and beyond. Therefore, we report on the proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in all three of these subjects.

In 2022, 59% of pupils met the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths, down from 65% in 2019. At the higher standard, 7% of pupils met this in all of reading, writing and maths, down from 11% in 2019.

Attainment in all of reading, writing and maths is not directly comparable to some earlier years (2016 and 2017) because of changes to writing teacher assessment frameworks in 2018. This is signified by the dotted lines on the chart. The dashed lines between 2019 and 2022 signify the break in the assessments due to the pandemic, though 2019 and 2022 data is comparable.

This decrease in attainment in all of reading, writing and maths is due to a fall in attainment in writing and maths (see 'Attainment in individual subjects' section).

Earlier this year, the Department announced a Levelling Up mission for 90% of pupils to meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2 by 2030.

Attainment at the expected standard

In the reading test, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in 2022, up from 73% in 2019.

In the writing teacher assessment, 69% of pupils met the expected standard, down from 78% in 2019. Attainment in writing is not directly comparable to some earlier years (2016 and 2017) because of changes to writing teacher assessment frameworks in 2018. This is signified by the dotted lines on the chart.

In the maths test, 71% of pupils met the expected standard, down from 79% in 2019.

Among reading, writing and maths, attainment is now highest in reading. This is a reversal from previous years (2016 to 2019) when attainment was lowest in this subject. Of these three subjects, attainment is now lowest in writing.

In grammar, punctuation and spelling,72% of pupils met the expected standard, down from 78% in 2019. This is the lowest figure since new assessments were introduced in 2016, when 73% of pupils met the expected standard.

In science teacher assessment, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in 2022, down from 83% in 2019. Attainment in science is not directly comparable to some earlier years (2016, 2017 and 2018) because of changes to science teacher assessment frameworks in 2019.

Among all subjects, the largest fall in attainment compared to 2019 was in writing (9 percentage points), followed by maths (7 percentage points), grammar, punctuation and spelling (6 percentage points) and science (4 percentage points).

The dashed lines between 2019 and 2022 signify the break in the assessments due to the pandemic, though 2019 and 2022 data is comparable.

Attainment at the higher standard

In reading, 28% of pupils met the higher standard in 2022, up from 27% in 2019.

In writing teacher assessment, 13% of pupils met the higher standard, down from 20% in 2019. Attainment in writing is not directly comparable to some earlier years (2016 and 2017) because of changes to writing teacher assessment frameworks in 2018. This is signified by the dotted lines on the chart.

In maths, 23% of pupils met the higher standard, down from 27% in 2019.

Among reading, writing and maths, attainment at the higher standard is highest in reading. From 2016 to 2018, reading was also highest. In 2019, reading and maths were highest at 27%. Attainment of the higher standard in these three subjects remains lowest in writing.

In grammar, punctuation and spelling, 28% of pupils met the higher standard, down from 36% in 2019.

There is no higher standard for science.

The dashed lines on the chart between 2019 and 2022 signify the break in the assessments due to the pandemic, though 2019 and 2022 data is comparable.

We use scaled scores to report the results of tests so we can make accurate comparisons of performance over time.

In reading, the average scaled score is 105, up from 104 in 2019.

In maths, the average scaled score is 104, down from 105 in 2019.

In grammar, punctuation and spelling, the average scaled score is 105, down from 106 in 2019.

The average scaled score is the mean scaled score of all pupils awarded a scaled score. It gives us a measure of the typical performance of a pupil taking the tests. It is affected by the performance of pupils at all points in the range of scores. By contrast, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard focuses on the proportion of pupils above or below one particular score (100).

This section looks at key stage 2 attainment in reading and writing by prior attainment in phonics. Pupils with an eligible KS2 reading test result and either a valid year 1 or year 2 phonics record are included.95% of pupils with an eligible KS2 reading test result successfully matched to either a valid year 1 or year 2 phonics record.

Key stage 2 reading attainment by prior attainment in the phonics screening check

As in previous years, pupils who performed well in the phonics screening check went on to do well in the key stage 2 reading test. In 2022, 85% of pupils who met the phonics standard in year 1 in 2017 met the expected standard in reading at the end of key stage 2, unchanged from 2019. Of those pupils who met the expected standard in phonics by the end of year 2 in 2018, but not in year 1, 51% went on to meet the expected standard in reading at the end of key stage 2. This was down from 56% in 2019. Of those pupils who did not meet the phonics standard by the end of year 2 in 2018, 18% went on to meet the expected standard in reading at the end of key stage 2. This was down from 23% in 2019.

Key stage 2 writing attainment by prior attainment in the phonics screening check

For the first time we have also published statistics looking at the relationship between attainment in the key stage 2 writing teacher assessment and prior phonics attainment. In 2022, 81% of pupils who met the phonics standard in year 1 in 2017 met the expected standard in writing at the end of KS2, down from 91% in 2019. Of those pupils who met the expected standard in phonics by the end of year 2 in 2018, but not in year 1, 38% went on to meet the expected standard in writing at the end of KS2. This was down from 62% in 2019. Of those pupils who did not meet the phonics standard by the end of year 2 in 2018, 11% went on to meet the expected standard in writing at the end of KS2. This was down from 23% in 2019.

Key stage 2 attainment by prior attainment in key stage 1
Pupils are categorised based on their key stage 1 attainment as having high, medium or low prior attainment and these groups are not of equal size. Definitions for high, medium and low prior attainment can be found in the Primary accountability guidance.

Pupils who performed well in key stage 1 went on to do well in key stage 2 reading, writing and maths (combined). In 2022, 93% of pupils who had high attainment in key stage 1 in 2018 met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2. Of those pupils who were middle attainers in key stage 1, 60% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2. Of those who were low attainers in key stage 1, 11% went on to meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2.

Similar patterns are seen when looking at individual subject attainment in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2 by prior attainment in key stage 1.

At the higher standard, 21% of those who were high attainers in key stage 1 went on to meet this in reading, writing and maths (combined) in 2022. Of those pupils who were middle prior attainers in key stage 1, 1% met the higher standard in 2022. Of those who were low attainers in key stage 1, 0% met the higher standard at key stage 2.

Key stage 2 Transition Matrices and Ready Reckoner tools

We have moved our transition matrices and ready reckoner tools into look up tables to make them more accessible. The files are available in the supporting files section of this publication. For guidance on how to use the files, please see the annex F in the methodology section.

Transition Matrices

Transition matrices show KS2 pupil outcome distributions in reading, writing, and maths for 2022, by prior attainment group.

KS2 2022 transition matrices are available as a single data file in the supporting files section.

Ready Reckoners

The ready reckoner tools are available for the sole purpose of allowing the user to calculate their schools progress score in reading, writing and maths. Attainment data for all pupils at a school, including 2022 KS2 outcomes and prior attainment for those pupils at KS1 in 2019, will be required to calculate a schools' progress score.

KS2 2022 ready reckoners are available as a collection of five data files in the supporting files section.

For more details on prior attainment group assignment, or on KS2 outcomes please see the 'Calculating a school's progress scores' section of our Primary school accountability in 2022: technical guide.

This section looks at key stage 2 attainment by gender, disadvantage, special education need (SEN) status, first language, month of birth and ethnicity. Further information is available via the table tool and data files, including attainment by free school meal eligibility.

Note that the statistics on disadvantage in this publication update the provisional statistics by including pupils in the care of the local authority for a day or more in the last year unless they were eligible for free school meals during the last 6 years, or they have ceased to be looked after in the last year.

Attainment and progress by gender

Attainment has fallen compared to 2019 for both boys and girls in all subjects except for reading, where attainment at the expected standard increased from 69% in 2019 to 70% in 2022 for boys and increased from 78% to 80% for girls. In writing, attainment fell from 72% to 63% for boys and from 85% to 76% for girls. In maths, attainment fell from 79% to 71% for girls and to a lesser extent for boys, from 78% to 72%.

Girls outperformed boys in all subjects in 2022 except for maths, where boys performed better than girls at both the expected and higher standard. Among individual subjects, the biggest attainment gap between boys and girls remains in writing at 14 percentage points (in favour of girls).

In reading, writing and maths (combined), 63% of girls met the expected standard compared to 55% of boys, a gap of 9 percentage points, down from 10 percentage points in 2019. This slight narrowing of the gender gap is due to a slightly larger fall in attainment for girls than boys: the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard fell by 7 percentage points for girls and 6 percentage points for boys compared to 2019.

In 2022, 9% of girls achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), down from 13% in 2019. Among boys, 6% achieved the higher standard, down from 9% in 2019.

Progress scores showed a similar pattern to attainment, with girls making more progress relative to boys in reading and writing. Boys made more progress in maths.

Disadvantage gap index

The disadvantage gap index reduced between 2011 and 2018 (indicating that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils was becoming smaller) before remaining at a similar level between 2018 and 2019. The disadvantaged gap index increased from 2.91 in 2019 to 3.23 in 2022, increasing to the highest level since 2012. This suggests that disruption to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils.

The disadvantage gap index summarises the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and all other pupils

The gap index is more resilient to changes to assessment and therefore offers greater comparability between years. The index ranks all pupils in the country. A disadvantage gap of zero would indicate that there is no difference between the average performance of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. We measure whether the disadvantage gap is getting larger or smaller over time.

Comparisons are made by ordering pupil scores in reading and maths assessments at end of key stage 2 and assessing the difference in the average position of disadvantaged pupils and others. The mean rank of pupils in the disadvantaged and other pupils groups are subtracted from one another and multiplied up by a factor of 20 to give a value between -10 and +10 (where 0 indicates an equal distribution of scores).

The 2022 statistics are now based on revised data. The figures first shown in this publication in September were provisional and did not include pupils in the care of a local authority unless they were eligible for free school meals during the last 6 years or ceased to be looked-after in the last year.

The dashed line between 2019 and 2022 signifies the break in the assessments due to the pandemic, though 2019 and 2022 data is comparable.

Attainment and progress by disadvantage status

In 2022, 30% of pupils at the end of key stage 2 were considered disadvantaged.

Attainment has fallen compared to 2019 for both disadvantaged pupils and other pupils at the expected and higher standards in all subjects except for reading. However, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has fallen further than for other pupils, increasing the disadvantage attainment gap.In writing, attainment fell from 68% to 55% for disadvantaged pupils and from 83% to 75% for other pupils. In maths, attainment fell from 67% to 56% for disadvantaged pupils and from 84% to 78% for other pupils. In reading, attainment remained stable for disadvantaged pupils at 62% and increased from 78% to 80% for other pupils.

In reading, writing and maths (combined), 43% of disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard in 2022 compared to 66% of other pupils, a difference of 23 percentage points. This is an increase from 20 percentage points in 2019, when 51% of disadvantaged pupils and 71% of other pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

In 2022, 3% of disadvantaged pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), down from 5% in 2019. Among other pupils, 9% achieved the higher standard, down from 13% in 2019. This means that, although the attainment at the higher standard of both groups decreased, there was a smaller fall for disadvantaged pupils(2 percentage points) than other pupils (4 percentage points).

Disadvantaged pupils make less progress in each of reading, writing and maths than all other pupils with similar prior attainment. Disadvantaged pupils made the least progress in maths (-1.15), whilst those pupils not known to be disadvantaged made most progress in maths (0.54).

Definition of disadvantage

Disadvantaged pupils are ordinarily defined as: those who were registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, children looked after by a local authority or have left local authority care in England and Wales through adoption, a special guardianship order, a residence order or a child arrangements order.

As noted above, the statistics about disadvantage in this publication update the provisional statistics by including pupils in the care of a local authority. These pupils were included in the provisional release if they were also eligible for free school meals during the last 6 years or ceased to be looked-after in the last year.

Attainment and progress by Special Education Need status

In 2022, 20% of pupils at the end of key stage 2 had a special educational need (SEN). Pupils with SEN either have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or receive SEN support. In 2022, 4% of all pupils had an EHCP and 15% were on SEN support.

In 2022, 18% of pupils with SEN reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), compared with 22% of pupils SEN in 2019. Of those pupils on SEN support, 21% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), whilst 7% of those pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan met the standard.

Pupils with SEN made the least progress in writing (-2.10) and the most progress in maths (-1.54), though all were negative progress scores. For those with a EHC plan, least progress was made in reading (-4.49) and the most progress was made in maths (-3.88). For those on SEN support, like the overall group, least progress was made in writing TA (-1.55) and most progress was made in maths (-0.91).

Attainment and progress by first language

In 2022, 21% of pupils at the end of key stage 2 had a first language other than English.

Attainment has fallen compared to 2019 for both pupils with English and a language other than English as their first language at the expected and higher standards in all subjects except for reading. However, the attainment of pupils with English as their first language has fallen further than for pupils with a first language other than English.In writing, attainment fell from 77% to 70% among pupils with a first language other than English and from 79% to 70% among pupils with English as their first language. In maths, attainment fell from 80% to 75% among pupils with a first language other than English and from 78% to 71% among pupils with English as their first language

As a result of these shifts in attainment, the attainment of pupils with a language other than English as their first language at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) is now greater than that of pupils with a first language of English. This follows several years of the attainment gap between these groups of pupils narrowing. In 2022, 58% of pupils with a first language other than English met the expected standard in all three subjects (down from 65% in 2019) compared to 61% among pupils with English as their first language (down from 64%).

In 2022, 8% of pupils with a language other than English as their first language achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), down from 11% in 2019. Among pupils with English as their first language, 7% achieved the higher standard, down from 11% in 2019.

Pupils with a language other than English as their first language made more progress than their peers at a similar starting point in reading (0.88), writing (1.16) and maths (2.01). Pupils with English as their first language made less progress than their peers at a similar starting point in reading (-0.16), writing (-0.22) and maths (-0.43).

Attainment and progress by ethnicity

Attainment at the end of key stage 2 varies by pupil ethnicity.

Indian pupils are the highest achieving group in all of reading, writing and maths (74% of pupils met the expected standard), followed by Chinese pupils (70%). Gypsy/Roma pupils are the lowest performing group (15% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), followed by Traveller of Irish heritage pupils (16%).

Chinese pupils made the most progress in reading (1.40), writing (2.02) and maths (4.68). Gypsy/Roma pupils made the least progress in reading (-2.79) and maths (-2.43), whilst traveller of Irish heritage pupils made the least progress in writing (-2.40).

Following feedback from users, we have included Chinese pupils in the Asian ethnic group in this publication for the first time. This is a change from previous years when Chinese pupils were reported separately. This change has been backdated to 2016 to allow comparisons over time. Figures for Chinese pupils only are still available via the table tool (within subject 'Key stage 2 attainment by pupil characteristics') and the data file 'ks2_national_pupil_characteristics_2016_to_2022_provisional.csv.'

Attainment and progress by month of birth

In 2022, as in previous years, pupils born in September were the highest achieving group in all of reading, writing and maths (66% met the expected standard), while pupils born in August were the lowest achieving group (51% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)).

However, pupils born in August made the most progress in reading (0.54), writing (0.42) and maths (0.71). Pupils born in September made the least progress in reading (-0.32), writing (-0.28) and maths (-0.49). This follows a similar pattern to progress in 2019 and suggests that month of birth has a reduced effect on attainment over time.

Further information is available via the table tool and data files, including attainment by phase, school religious character and cohort size.

Attainment and progress by school type

There were 15,336 state-funded mainstream primary schools with key stage 2 results in 2022.

Since 2016, there have been substantial changes to the makeup of school types in England. The proportion of LA maintained schools decreased from 82% in 2016 to 61% in 2022. There have been corresponding increases in the proportion of sponsored and converter academies to 11% and 27% respectively.It should be noted that the conversion of schools from one type to another means that the headline figures capture not only change in performance but also change in school type. While the number of free schools has increased to 174, free schools make up a very small proportion of schools.

See the accompanying methodology and quality information document for details about different types of school.

Similarly to 2019, attainment levels in mainstream academies and free schools as a group in 2022 is broadly similar to those in local authority maintained mainstream schools.

Among academies, converter academies had a broadly similar proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard as all state-funded mainstream schools. Attainment in sponsored academies is below the average for state-funded mainstream schools.

Pupils in free schools made more progress in reading and maths than pupils with similar prior attainment in other types of schools. Pupils in converter academies made more progress in writing than pupils with similar prior attainment in other types of schools.

Pupils in sponsored academies made less progress in reading and maths than pupils with similar prior attainment in other types of schools.

Data quality

Users are advised to exercise caution when using writing and science teacher assessment measures, including reading, writing and maths (combined) measures for West Sussex. This is because 1.8% of writing teacher assessment and 1.8% of science teacher assessment is missing for this local authority. Please refer to the section on 'Data quality' for more information.

Attainment and progress by region

Attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) has fallen in every region since 2019.

London was the highest performing region in 2022, as in previous years, with 66% of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. In all other regions, attainment in reading, writing and maths at the expected standard ranged between 57% and 60%.

Attainment at the higher standard in reading, writing and maths was also higher in London than in all other regions, with 11% of pupils in London meeting the higher standard compared to 6% or 7% in all other regions.

Progress was highest in London for each of reading (0.75), writing (0.89) and maths (1.16) in 2022. Progress in reading (-0.32) and writing (-0.37) was lowest in the East of England, whilst progress for maths (-0.48) was lowest in the South West.

Attainment and progress by local authority

The map below shows the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) by local authority. This map shows a complex picture of attainment across England, with a range of high and low attainment in different areas.

Attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was highest in Richmond upon Thames (76%) and Kensington and Chelsea (73%) and lowest in the Isle of Wight (46%) and Portsmouth (49%).

Progress was highest in reading and writing in Camden and highest in maths in Harrow. Progress was lowest in reading in Central Bedfordshire and then Northumberland and was lowest in maths in Northumberland and then Central Bedfordshire. Progress in writing was lowest in Portsmouth.

Progress data for each local authority can be found in the underlying data.

The below chart shows the relationship between local authority results in reading, writing and maths (combined) in 2019 and 2022.

The black dotted line indicates achieving the same result in 2022 as in 2019. Local authorities which fall below the black dotted line had lower levels of attainment in 2022 than in 2019. This shows that attainment fell between 2019 and 2022 in almost all local authorities. Hackney, the local authority above the line, improved compared to 2019 (66% in 2019 to 69% in 2022).

The blue line indicates the line of best fit. This line indicates that local authorities with lower attainment levels tended to see similar changes in attainment since 2019 than those with higher attainment levels i.e. the gap between the black line and the blue line is similar at lower and higher attainment levels.

Note that more than one local authority may fall onto a single point on the figure and so the number of points do not sum to the number of local authorities.

School distribution

The below chart shows how the distribution of attainment at school level has changed since 2019. In 2019, more schools had a high proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths i.e., the blue line showing 2022 attainment has shifted to the left.

Note that the below chart uses smoothed lines.

This publication provides revised attainment and progress statistics for key stage 2 national curriculum assessments. It provides statistics on:
Reading, writing and maths (combined) attainment
Pupils who meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) are those who meet the expected standard in all three subjects. The expected standard in reading and maths is a scaled score of 100 or above. The expected standard in writing is a teacher assessment of 'working at the expected standard' (EXS) or 'working at greater depth' (GDS).

Pupils who reach the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) are those who achieve a scaled score of 110 or more in reading and maths and are assessed as 'working at greater depth' (GDS) in writing TA.
Reading test attainment
Pupils who meet the expected standard in reading are those who achieve a scaled score of 100 or above. Pupils who meet the higher standard in reading are those who achieve a scaled score of 110 or more.
Writing teacher assessment attainment
Pupils who meet the expected standard in writing are those who achieve a teacher assessment of 'working at the expected standard' (EXS) or 'working at greater depth' (GDS).

Pupils who reach the higher standard (referred to as greater depth) in writing are those who are assessed as 'working at greater depth' (GDS).
Maths test attainment
Pupils who meet the expected standard in maths are those who achieve a scaled score of 100 or above. Pupils who meet the higher standard in maths are those who achieve a scaled score of 110 or more.
Grammar, punctuation and spelling test attainment
Pupils who meet the expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling are those who achieve a scaled score of 100 or above. Pupils who meet the higher standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling are those who achieve a scaled score of 110 or more.
Science teacher assessment attainment
Pupils who meet the expected standard in science are those who achieve a teacher assessment of 'working at the expected standard' (EXS) or 'working at greater depth' (GDS).

Pupils who reach the higher standard (referred to as greater depth) in science are those who are assessed as 'working at greater depth' (GDS).
Progress measures - reading, writing and maths (individual subjects)
The progress measures aim to capture the progress that pupils make from the end of Key Stage 1 to the end of primary school. They are a type of value-added measure, which means that pupils' results are compared to the actual achievements of other pupils nationally with similar prior attainment.

Progress scores are calculated for individual pupils for the sole purpose of constructing a school progress score. Pupil scores are calculated separately for English reading, English writing and mathematics. Pupils who do not have Key Stage 1 data for all of English reading, English writing and mathematics (for example, those who entered a school from another jurisdiction, or who were absent at the time of the Key stage 1 assessments), cannot be included in the progress measures.

Pupil characteristics breakdowns at local authority level

Local authority level data with pupil characteristics breakdowns - including data broken down by gender, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, special educational needs provision and disadvantage - will be published is available in the underlying data. You can access this via the 'data download' section at the top of the page.

Local authority district and constituency level, including local authority district breakdowns by pupil characteristics

Local authority district level data with pupil characteristics breakdowns - including data broken down by free school meal eligibility and disadvantage - and constituency level data is available in the underlying data. You can access this via the 'data download' section at the top of the page.

Attainment for other key stages

Data on other key stages can be found at the following links:
Early years foundation stage profile Key stage 1 Multiplication tables check
Key stage 4
16-19 attainment

We will not publish key stage 2 data for academic year 2021/22 in performance tables (also known as Compare School and College Performance). The Department will, however, still produce the normal suite of key stage 2 accountability measures at school and multi-academy trust level and share these securely with primary schools, academy trusts and local authorities to inform school improvement discussions.

Help and support

Methodology

Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.

National statistics

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority designated these statistics as National Statistics in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Designation signifying their compliance with the authority's Code of Practice for Statistics which broadly means these statistics are:

managed impartially and objectively in the public interest

meet identified user needs

produced according to sound methods

well explained and readily accessible

Once designated as National Statistics it's a statutory requirement for statistics to follow and comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics to be observed.

Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance.

If you have a specific enquiry about Key stage 2 attainment statistics and data:

Primary Attainment Statistics

Email: Primary.ATTAINMENT@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Lauren Snaathorst
Telephone: 01174 711744

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

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If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

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Key stage 2 attainment, Academic year 2021/22

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This publication provides revised attainment and progress statistics for key stage 2 national curriculum assessments. It is an update to the provisional statistics published on 6 September 2022 and extends the Key stage 2: National headlines statistics published on 5 July 2022.

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Ncetm ready to progress
Ncetm prioritisation
White Rose
Pixl
Base line assessments
Nrich

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How to support all children with different attainments

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How to support all children with different attainments

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Times tables
Fractions
Measure
Covid gaps
Some more optimistic than last year, if teaching in year 6 last year.

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We follow the White Rose structure but use Classroom Secrets to resource and teach.

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Group of chn working at y7 and others at y3

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How to effectively plug gaps and teach year 6 content in time for SATs.
What should be prioritised.

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How are people assessing maths throughout KS2? 

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How are people assessing maths throughout KS2? 

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WRM resources . NCETM.     Set own medium term plan 

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WRM resources . NCETM.     Set own medium term plan 

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Some use of everyone does the same but they get to different points
Simplifying tasks for pupils who are struggling
Scaffolding
some different style questions but same LO to meet needs
Taught in sets

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It won't be long in your teaching career before you're seeking out maths challenges at KS2 to stretch your more able pupils.
Particularly once you get to Year 6, the maths challenges that may have previously kept them busy will no longer be stretching them. At least this is what I found out recently.
Where this list of mathematical challenges for able pupils came from

Usually, applying knowledge and using transferable skills is enough to keep a class ticking over; extending their understanding beyond number. But in some cohorts there will be a child who completes the 'challenges' we set with relative ease; they aren't taken out of their comfort zone or rarely make mistakes.

Some children will readily grasp the concepts being shown to them and will be ready to apply their strategies and understanding to further reasoning and problem solving questions.

Every child deserves maths challenges that stretch them

This year I had a child like this in my class, and I found stretching his abilities a struggle as I didn't have access to enough resources to give me, or him, variety.

I'd be helping one child grasp long multiplication - or something similar - when a shadow would loom over my shoulder. Turning around, he'd be there, telling me he had finished. Often, he had finished a year 6 maths challenge which I was sure would last for the whole lesson. Looking at the clock, 40 minutes of the lesson remained.

You are not alone looking for KS2 maths challenges for high attainers

His abilities stretched beyond any child I had previously had in my class. So, I reached out to Twitter to discover some new ways to include maths challenges for more able pupils in my lessons.I was especially looking for work which he could pick up and use independently, if he had managed to complete the tasks already set.

After the responses on Twitter, it was clear to see I wasn't not the only person left scratching my head in this kind of situation, wondering what resources I can turn to.

So, to help you find even more challenges for your greater depth pupils quickly and easily, we've put together this list of activities, categorised for ease of use.

You can find the original tweet here. It's worth a read; the thread is packed with lots more ideas than I was able to include on this blog!

Top 6 Maths Challenges For Primary School Pupils

1. I See Reasoning UKS2 - Gareth Metcalfe

Prep: Find the activity you want, photocopy (and maybe some guillotine-ing!)

Who it's for: Although this is the Upper Key Stage 2 version, it is available for Lower Key Stage 2 too!

Cost: You will need to purchase the 'I See Reasoning' resources.

This resource is full of a huge range of activities which push children to think beyond numbers and begin to use mathematical language to explain.

Each activity requires children to display their understanding of what they have already learnt, and build upon their knowledge in order to describe what they notice or know.

This document covers the whole of the maths curriculum, including not only problems relating to number, but also geometry, shape and statistics.

I also love that this really clearly includes the answers, which makes it so simple to use!

Each activity has its merits, but the three I find particularly useful are:
Explain the Mistakes
Children are shown mistakes and are required to explain why the diagrams/calculations are wrong.

They must use mathematical language and previous knowledge to first understand, then explain their thinking to show what would need to change in order for there to be a correct solution.
'I know...so...'
This activity models to children how to link ideas and get them reasoning, building on what they know already.

Once they have seen this model in 'I See Reasoning' they will then begin to use this phrase within the classroom, not only when speaking to the teacher but also to their peers.
Different Ways
This activity requires children to understand that their can be different variations. They can then explain how they know that these answers all work, and why.

Child Review: This was challenging as when you understand number so easily, it can be trickier to explain exactly how you know a fact is true. There was some element of challenge because of the range of different activities.

2. Nrich

Prep: Just print and go! (Unless they've already done the challenge in a previous year group...!)

Who it's for: There are activities for all primary age ranges.

Cost: FREE!

I have to admit, this is my absolute go-to for mathematical challenges (as I'm sure it is for many of you out there!).

The huge range of challenges that are available can be easily searched so you can find the activity which is perfectly suited to the topic you're doing,

They are also labelled with which age range the problem is most suited for (and can be adapted if you want to).

However, because Nrich is so popular I often find that the children have already accessed problems the previous year, meaning that inevitably they no longer pose any challenge to them, or it takes extra time to plan as you need to consult previous teachers.

My favourite challenge so far this year from Nrich is:

This activity really challenged my whole class. They worked in groups to discover the answer and there were cries of 'noooo' when we started running out of time for them to solve it (which inevitably led to another lesson being abandoned to let them have more time to work it out!)

This was an activity I thought would be completed quickly, but really challenged the all the children.

Child Review: This activity was really challenging as it used lots of logic. You had to use what you knew about number, use trial and error and really understand how the strategy works! I like these types of problems as they make me think.

3. Third Space Learning

Prep: Access to a computer and a headset.

Who it's for: Years 2 to 7

Cost: Bespoke to each school, on average £15 per pupil per week.

Some of you might already be using Third Space Learning's one-to-one online maths interventions with your lower attaining pupils or as part of your Pupil Premium budget. But these interventions can also be an excellent way of further stretching most able pupils.

Third Space's highly targeted initial diagnostic assessment identifies maths strengths as well as weaknesses. With higher attaining pupils, Third Space tutors can create lesson plans aimed at engaging and developing these strengths, introducing them to concepts and topics that will challenge and motivate them.

An example question from Third Space's diagnostic assessment

Third Space also provides an online Maths Hub full of premium and free maths resources, such as the one below, that you can use in lessons to continue challenging your more able pupils.

Child Review: "I enjoy coming here every Friday to do Third Space Learning! It makes me happy every time I come to school!" - Katie, Third Space pupil

Link: Find out about the maths interventions (or call 0203 771 0095)

4. Peter Dickinson - Reasoning Club

Prep: Print and go!

Who it's for: Year 5 and 6.

Cost: There is a cost for these resources. You will need to contact Peter directly to enquire.

Peter Dickinson has created a range of reasoning resources which really require children to think and apply their knowledge.

Each challenge explicitly targets a different aspect of maths, as well as requiring the children to transfer a range of different skills to help them solve the problem.

For example, in the 'Multiplication Square' children have to not only use multiplying knowledge, but also that of decimals and place value.

I've found that these reasoning word problems cover a lot of the curriculum, particularly number, which allow a really wide range of maths challenge for the class.

The best part of these, is that it's really useful to laminate them within the classroom in order to use over and over again; because of the level of challenge, sometimes they don't get finished and it enables the child to continue another time before passing them on to someone else.

Child Review: I really like that these are usually laid out in familiar ways and full of lots of different types of challenges. Some of them really make me think and use lots of logic - I enjoy that they actually challenge me!

Link: Peter can be found on Twitter at @2358Peter

5. Royal Institute of Science - Maths Masterclass

Prep: There are quite a few downloads to prepare for the session, but they also have PowerPoints to help with you explanation.

Who it's for: Year 5 and 6, although they may also link to some topic work in a lesser capacity lower down.

Cost: FREE!

I was really disappointed I hadn't come across these resources before (thanks for the suggestion @Glazgow/@racheldorris1)!

They cover a range of topics including (but not limited to!) fractions, shape, number patterns and reflections.

Each of these are also linked to a science element (and in some cases, some history or art too!) providing a range of curricular links you can also build into your lessons.

Each 'off the shelf' lesson is fully planned and resourced for you, which means it is easy to prep for the children (although I do recommend reading through it all first - some lessons have quite a few downloads you need to use whereas some need equipment!).

The topics are all very interesting and are some you may not come across or think of having not discovered them on the Royal Institute of Science site. One example of this is creating colours through using fractions and proportion.

These sorts of cross-curricular activities are also excellent evidence to show off during Ofsted inspections!

Child Review: These challenges are really interesting because they involve different parts of the curriculum too! We have only done one of these, but I really look forward to doing more!
Link: Royal Institution Maths Masterclasses
6. Transum

Prep: Some printing may be required!

Who it's for: KS2 - there are a range of different challenges.

Cost: FREE!

This resource was kindly suggested by @ianr73 and I am very glad it was! Transum has a range of features which are really useful to use in class.

Firstly, they have a range of daily challenges which are puzzles for the children to complete and challenge a different area of their maths knowledge each day.

In this example, it focuses on time and has a range of different examples for them to work on. I have this on my board at some point each day to expose the class to new ideas and maths puzzles!

Also, as you might expect, they have a range of maths challenges on their site too. There are a wide range of problems to choose from - I found them to be quite like Nrich in their style which meant they were easy to begin using in the classroom.

There were also the options of outdoor maths, riddles and a range of online maths games to use too!

Child Review: I really enjoy the daily maths puzzle that we can have as it shows lots of different types of maths I might not otherwise get to see. The challenges are fun, and can be done in different ways too.

Favourite Maths Challenges Recommended By Primary School Teachers

Gone through all of the challenges above and still need more? These are some of the other maths challenges that were recommended on the Twitter thread:

7. NACE (National Association for Able Children in Education)

What it is: An association which specifically focuses on how to challenge more able children in a range of different ways.

8. Maths Bot

What it is: These are a range of maths challenges in different formats (including exam style questions) which can be used in different year groups (as well as going through Secondary).

9. Craig Barton - Same Surface Different Deep

What it is: These problems are based around the concept that children should be revisiting different areas of maths constantly. If they do problems based around just the topic being studied they aren't effectively applying their knowledge.

10. Dr Frost Maths

A range of problem solving activities which children can use to extend their reasoning understanding.

21. Mastering Mixed Ability Maths

What it is: A free Third Space Learning resource with 8 mastery-based maths activities, all designed to be 'low threshold/high ceiling' - relatively easy to pick up, but with lots of room to stretch more able pupils.

Link: Mastering Mixed Ability Maths Resource

12. Parallel Maths

What it is: These are challenges which are used to stretch children. They are aimed for Year 7 up, but might be used to stretch children in Year 6 as an extra 'weekly challenge' if the topic matches!

13. TED Airplane Riddle

What is is: A riddle which children will need to apply their knowledge and maths logic to solve the problem.

14. Times Tables App

What it is: A challenging app to speed up times table recall knowledge, which can be done on a phone or tablet.

15. Fibonacci Rabbit Sequence

What it is: This is using mathematical discovery (trial and error) rather than allocation of knowledge. It is a really good challenge for children (especially Year 5/6 )

16. Open Middle

What it is: A site that promotes problem solving over worksheets, allowing children to work in a more practical manner.

17. Daily Rigour Articles

What it is: This is a free newspaper that puts maths problems into a real life context. It is full of interesting ideas to get children using challenge!

18. Total Maths

What it is: Tara Loughran (@MathsMummy) is a maths consultant who has created a range of problem sheets which stretch children across a range of topics in the maths curriculum.

19. Maths in Sport

What it is: A range of maths problems which are also linked to sport. Curated by University of Cambridge, it covers KS1 and KS2!

20. Wild Maths

What it is: This is a similar site to Nrich which has a range of activities, stories and maths puzzles to challenge your children.

11. White Rose

What it is: A scheme of work which moves from fluency to reasoning in all areas of the maths curriculum.

Maths Challenge Books

A few books were suggested for Maths Challenges too!

Maths No Problem

Kjartan Poskit books - Murderous Maths

Alex's Adventures in Numberland - Alex Bellos

The Number Detective: 100 Number Puzzles to Test Your Logical Thinking

These KS2 maths challenges have really allowed me to go deeper with certain children within maths lessons (and even during particular topics!) within the classroom.
Read more:
Having a wider range of maths challenge resources makes it much easier to ensure that you are deepening maths mastery in a way that is meaningful and encourages children to use logic.

To find more challenges you can use with the greater depth children in your class, check out these other TSL blogs:

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The 21 Best Maths Challenges At KS2 To Develop Your More Able Pupils

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It won't be long in your teaching career before you're seeking out maths challenges at KS2 to stretch your more able pupils.Particularly once you get to Year 6, the maths challenges that may have previously kept them busy will no longer be stretching them. At least this is what I found out recently.

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We've brought together 24 of the best KS1 maths games to give teachers and parents some new ideas on how to improve pupils' numeracy in and out of school.
At KS1 maths games are a great way to motivate, engage and inspire children while still having fun. Children in key stage 1 are ready to start practising and developing a whole range of maths concepts and skills, particularly their fluency and strategic thinking.

Inevitably, some people consider these sorts of educational games to be an 'end of term' or 'filler' activity in the classroom, when they are actually an excellent way of helping children learn basic number facts and explore fundamental number concepts at any time.

When searching for fun maths games on the internet, a large number of search results are often for digital online games. While these too have their place, they aren't always practical to manage with a class of 30.

In this blog, I will be introducing a range of non-digital games that are interactive in a different sense. While all these maths games are all suitable for primary school children in key stage 1, you'll find, as with many maths activities, they aren't restricted to one year group and can be easily adapted to suit children of different ages.

Don't forget to download the printable resources required for a few of the KS1 maths games.

Maths games for year 1

In year 1, children continue learning to count to 100, represent numbers in different ways and read and write numbers to 20. They are encouraged to learn their number bonds to 20, alongside the corresponding subtraction facts. Many of the games in year 1 are aimed at improving fluency and the learning of basic maths skills.

1. Number game: battleships

In year 1, children need to be able to read and write numbers to 100. This is a great game for developing number sense and practising reading numbers.
What you will need to play:

How to play:
2. Number game: total of 10

This is a simple KS1 maths game to help children practise their number bonds to 10 and number bonds to 20
What you will need to play:

1 or more players

A pack of cards with the picture cards removed. Ace is worth 1.

How to play:
3. Number bonds game: make 10 pyramids

This is another fun KS1 maths game for practising number bonds to 10.
What you will need to play:

1 or 2 players.

A pack of cards (with picture cards removed) Ace is worth 1

How to play:

This game can be played individually or against another player.

Shuffle the cards and set out in the shape of a pyramid, with 6 cards on the bottom, up to 1 card at the top. Make sure the cards are overlapping, as in the picture below.

The aim of the game is to remove all the cards which make 10. This can be 10 on it's own, or 2 cards which add up to 10.

Only cards which aren't covered by another card can be removed, so players have to start with the bottom row.

If a pair of cards which add up to 10 can't be made, the player takes a card from the pile at the side.

If they still can't make a pair, they put the card in the discard pile and take another card from the face down pile.

If playing with another player, each person takes it in turns to try and make 10. If playing alone, keep on going until all the cards have been used.

4. Mental addition and subtraction game: bowling

This is a fun, active way of practising subtraction using subitizing and mental addition.
What you will need to play: How to play:
5. Place value game: sorting and matching

In year 1, children need to be able to identify and represent numbers using objects and pictorial representations. This sorting and matching activity is a good way to practise this skill.
What you will need to play: How to play:
7. Addition and subtraction game: grab

In this KS1 maths game, children use concrete resources to practise their addition and subtraction skills. They also get to practise writing out number sentences.
What you will need to play: How to play:
8. Addition game: 'pig'

This is a simple KS1 maths game for practising mental addition skills.
What you will need to play: How to play:
Maths games for year 2

In year 2, children are expected to read and write numbers to 100 and recognise the place value of each digit in a 2-digit number. Children will continue to build upon the addition and subtraction skills gained in year 1 and build on their understanding of basic fractions. For our games in this section, we'll be focusing on place value, basic addition/subtraction and simple fractions.

Interactive learning is encouraged through Third Space Learning's interventions

9. Place value two digit number game: in the bucket

In year 2, children are expected to identify and recognise each digit in a 2-digit number. This game is great for helping children to understand place value.
What you will need to play: How to play:

Player one takes a 2-digit number card

The aim of the game is to use bean bags to make that 2-digit number.

The 2 boxes/buckets represent the tens and the ones. Children need to try and get the correct number of beanbags into each box, to represent the tens and the ones.

If the card selected has 54 on it, the player needs to attempt to get 5 bean bags in the 'tens' box and 4 bean bags in the 'ones' box.

Players score a point if they get the bean bags into the correct boxes.

This game can also be played as a relay race with 2 teams competing against each other.

This video shows an example of how this game can be played at KS2 for numbers greater than two digits. Please note that for KS1 this game would only require 2 buckets as you would only be working with 2-digit numbers.

10. Addition maths game: skunk

This is another great KS1 maths game for practising addition skills, whilst getting children to think about the best strategy.
What you will need to play: How to play:
11. Addition maths game: make 20

This KS1 maths game is great for practising addition of numbers up to 20. The speed element helps children work on their fluency.
What you will need to play: How to play:
12. Maths fluency game: maths fact top it

This is another good KS1 maths game for building fluency of addition and subtraction facts.
What you will need to play:

2 or more players

A set of maths fact flash cards which you can create yourself based on children's prior knowledge of addition or subtraction up to 20 Eg. 7 + 5, 9 + 6, 2 + 11

How to play:
13. Addition and subtraction game: guess my number

In this game, children use information available to them to work out their mystery number. This is a fun way to practise missing number addition and subtraction.
What you will need to play:

3 players - 2 playing and 1 leading

A set of 1-10 digit cards

How to play:
14. Shapes game: what shape am I?

In year 2, children learn to identify and describe the properties of 2D shapes and 3D shapes. This game is good for practising this and can be played as either a 2D or a 3D shape game.
What you will need to play?

2 or more players.

Pictures of 2D or 3D shapes for children who need them.

How to play:

Each player chooses a shape and writes 5 statements about their shape.

The aim of the game is to be the person who asks the least number of questions to work out the other player's shape.

Players need to make their first statements vague, to encourage the other player to ask more questions. E.g. 'My shape is 2D', 'my shape has 3 sides', 'my shape has 6 faces' etc..

After a player receives a statement on the mystery shape, they can choose to make a guess, or ask for another statement. If they guess correctly after the first statement, they get the full 5 points. If they guess after two statements, they get 4 points, and so on...

If they make a guess and it is incorrect, they receive 0 points for that round.

The aim of the game is to be the player with the most points at the end of the game.

15. Maths dice game: ten sided dice rounding game

This simple Ks1 maths game helps children to understand the concept of rounding up and down.
What you will need to play: How to play:
16. Maths fractions game: snap

In year 2, children learn to recognise the fractions 1/3, 1/4, 1/2, 2/4 and 3/4. This game is a fun way of practising this.
What you will need to play:

2 players

A set of fraction cards (see downloadable resource pack)

How to play:
More useful year 2 resources: Year 2 Curriculum Toolkit

Mental maths games KS1

Mental maths games are great for building fluency. Many of these games need minimal or no resources and are quick and easy to set up. They can be played at any point during the maths lesson, or as a filler activity at any point in the school day.

17. Addition war

By the end of KS1, children should be able to use and recall addition and subtraction facts to 20. This game is a fun way of practising this skill, with the speed element enabling children to work on fluency.
What you will need to play:

2 players

A set of playing cards with the picture cards removed (Ace is worth 1)

How to play:
18. Times tables game bang bang

This is a fun KS1 maths game for practising times tables (in this case the 5 times table). It can be adapted to suit other times tables or mental maths skills, such as addition and subtraction of numbers to 20 or number bonds to 10 or to 20.
What you will need to play:

2 players at a time, but a whole class game.
How to play:
19. Maths, paper, scissors

This is a KS1 maths game that requires no set-up and is great for building fluency with addition and subtraction facts.
What you will need to play: How to play:

Both players stand facing each other.

Similar to the traditional game of 'paper, scissors, stone', players hold one hand out in front but this time call out 'maths, paper, scissors'. On 'scissors', they hold out any number of fingers.

Players then have to race to add together the number of fingers they are holding out to the number of fingers the other player is holding out.

The winner is the first player to call out the total.

This can be adapted by having both children using 2 hands, to make larger numbers.

The game can also be played as a subtraction game, subtracting the smallest from the biggest number.

20. The yes / no mental maths game

This is another quick and easy KS1 maths game to set up and can again be played at any time, when there's a spare few minutes.
What you need to play: How to play:
21. Number bond bingo

This is another fun KS1 mental maths game which gets children practising number bonds to 10 and to 20. It is a good game for playing as a whole class.
What you need to play:

3 or more players (can be played as a whole class)

A piece of paper and pen for each player

How to play:
22. Target 50

This is another KS1 mental maths game which is quick and easy to set up and great for practising addition fact fluency.
What you need to play: How to play:
More mental maths resources

Problem solving games KS1

Problem solving games are a great way for children to deepen their mathematical understanding. These games require children to think strategically and to approach problems in different ways.

23. Addition turnover

This KS1 maths game is great for developing addition skills, whilst encouraging children to think strategically.
What you need to play: How to play:

This game can be played individually or against a partner.

Shuffle the cards and lay 18 cards out in front, at 3 rows of 6.

Throw 2 dice and add the numbers together.

Turn over the playing cards to match the total on the dice. For example, if a 5 and 4 are thrown, the player needs to turn over cards which total 9. This could be 1 or more cards.

The other player then does the same.

The aim of the game is to be the player with the most cards once all the cards have been cleared.

Players need to think tactically when playing, using the combination of cards which enables them to remove the most cards in one go.

24. Number 4 in a row

This KS1 problem solving game enables children to practise their addition and subtraction skills and encourages them to think tactically, not only about their own counters but also about those of their partner's
What you need to play:

How to play:

The first player throws the 2 dice and adds the 2 numbers together. They then place a counter or colour in a square containing that number.

The 2nd player does the same, placing a different coloured counter on the grid, or colouring in with a different colour.

The aim of the game is to be the first player to cover 4 squares in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally).

Children aren't only thinking about how to make a line of 4 themselves. They also need to think about blocking the other player from making a row of 4.

Looking for more fun games to boost pupils' learning? Look out for our top 25 maths games you can do at home, 26 KS2 maths games as well as our favourite times tables games and place value games.

Hopefully this blog has given you some ideas for games you could play in your classroom. Most are easy to adapt, to suit any age or the topic you are covering. Don't just adapt the maths games yourself. Give children the opportunity to adapt and think up their own rules too.
Download your free KS1 Maths Games Printable Resource Pack here!
If you want to engage children more fully with maths, Third Space Learning's online maths lessons provide one to one support that's personalised to children's needs. Tutors make lessons fun, and match the interests and previous maths experience of the child being taught.

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24 Fun KS1 Maths Games And Activities To Play At Home And School

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We've brought together 24 of the best KS1 maths games to give teachers and parents some new ideas on how to improve pupils' numeracy in and out of school. At KS1 maths games are a great way to motivate, engage and inspire children while still having fun.