One of the most common questions parents ask is: "Is my child where they should be in maths?"
It's a fair question. You watch your child doing homework and you're not always sure if what they're doing is normal for their age, ahead, or a bit behind. And honestly, it's hard to know without a clear picture of what's expected when.
So here's a straightforward, year-by-year guide to what the national curriculum expects your child to know in maths, from Year 1 all the way through to Year 6.
This is where the foundations are laid, so don't panic if things seem very basic.
By the end of Year 1, your child should be able to count to 100 forwards and backwards, read and write numbers to 20, and understand what numbers actually mean (not just say them). They should know number bonds to 20, like 6 + 4 = 10, and be able to add and subtract numbers up to 20.
They'll also start halves and quarters (cutting a pizza into equal pieces is exactly this), tell the time to the hour and half hour, recognise basic 2D shapes like circles and triangles, and identify 3D shapes like cubes and spheres.
A 4-year-old is not expected to do any of this formally. If you're wondering what maths a 3 or 4-year-old should know, the answer is: counting objects, recognising numbers to 10, and simple sorting. Formal maths starts in Year 1.
Year 2 builds on Year 1 and introduces a bit more independence.
By the end of Year 2, your child should count in steps of 2, 3, 5, and 10, and understand place value in two-digit numbers (knowing that 47 means 4 tens and 7 ones). They should add and subtract numbers up to 100, recall multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5, and 10 times tables, and tell the time to the nearest 5 minutes.
They should also recognise and use symbols like £ and p, measure lengths and weights, and read simple data from charts and tables.
KS1 SATs in Year 2 are no longer compulsory as of 2024. Some schools still do them, but teachers now assess children informally throughout the year.
This is where primary maths starts to feel noticeably harder to many parents.
By the end of Year 3, your child should work confidently with numbers up to 1,000, add and subtract numbers with up to 3 digits using written methods, and know the 3, 4, and 8 times tables. They should understand fractions like 1/3, 1/4, 2/4, and 3/4, measure and calculate using different units (like mm, cm, metres, grams, kilograms), and tell the time accurately to the nearest minute.
If your child is struggling here, it's often because Year 2 number bonds or place value weren't fully secure. The gap starts to show in Year 3.
Year 4 is a big year. This is when the Multiplication Tables Check happens.
By the end of Year 4, your child should know all times tables up to 12 x 12. This is non-negotiable for Year 4. The Multiplication Tables Check takes place every June and tests instant recall of all tables. They should also work with numbers up to 10,000, add and subtract 4-digit numbers, understand decimal numbers to two decimal places, and convert between simple fractions and decimals (like knowing 0.5 is the same as 1/2).
On top of this, they should calculate area and perimeter of simple shapes and read information from graphs and charts confidently.
Things step up noticeably in Year 5. Children work more independently and problems become multi-step.
By the end of Year 5, your child should work with numbers up to 1,000,000, understand negative numbers (like -3 is less than -1), multiply numbers up to 4 digits by 1 or 2-digit numbers, and divide 4-digit numbers. They should work with fractions confidently (adding, subtracting, multiplying by whole numbers), convert between decimals, fractions, and percentages, and calculate the area of triangles and parallelograms.
This is often the year when children who have hidden maths gaps start to really struggle. If times tables aren't secure and place value is shaky, Year 5 can feel very overwhelming.
Year 6 is SATs year and the final year of primary maths. It brings together everything learned since Year 1.
By the end of Year 6, your child should work with numbers up to 10,000,000, use all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) fluently with large numbers, and solve complex problems involving fractions, decimals, and percentages. They should understand ratio and proportion, use basic algebra (like finding the value of n in 2n + 1 = 7), calculate areas, volumes, and angles, and interpret data from pie charts, line graphs, and tables.
Year 6 SATs take place in May and cover arithmetic and reasoning. The arithmetic paper is essentially testing whether everything from Year 1 to Year 6 has stuck.
First, know that being behind doesn't mean failing. It usually means there's a specific gap somewhere earlier, and gaps compound quickly in maths. A shaky grasp of place value in Year 2 shows up as confusion about decimals in Year 5.
The most common signs your child has a gap:
If this sounds familiar, small group maths tuition is often the most effective way to identify exactly where the gap is and fill it systematically. Our Year 1-6 maths clubs work with maximum 5 children per group, led by UK qualified teachers who know the national curriculum inside out.
Every year group builds on the last. The best thing you can do is know roughly what's expected, keep an eye on whether your child is keeping up, and act early if something seems off.
Don't wait until Year 6 to find out there's a gap from Year 3. The earlier you spot it, the easier it is to fix.
