Primary Curriculum, Years 1–6 (England National Curriculum 2014)
No exam boards operate at this stage. Statutory assessments: Phonics Screening Check (Y1), KS1 assessments (non-statutory since 2023/24, so check the current guidance), Multiplication Tables Check (Y4), and KS2 SATs (Y6: Reading, Maths, Grammar Punctuation and Spelling (GPS), plus teacher-assessed Writing and Science).
Wales: map the content to the Curriculum for Wales Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs): Languages, Literacy & Communication; Mathematics & Numeracy; Science & Technology. NI: Language & Literacy, Mathematics & Numeracy, The World Around Us, plus Using ICT. Scotland: see 05_Scotland_SQA.
ENGLISH
| Year | Reading | Writing / Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling (GPS) | Key objectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | Phonics Phases 3–5, common exception words, retelling | Sentences with capital letters and full stops, joining with "and" | Decode words they haven't seen; pass the Phonics Check |
| Y2 | Fluency, inference from pictures and text, poetry | Expanded noun phrases, past/present tense, apostrophes for contraction | Write narratives and recounts; use suffixes such as -ness and -ful |
| Y3 | Book-talk, dictionary use, plays | Paragraphs, inverted commas, conjunctions, prefixes | Plan, draft and evaluate writing |
| Y4 | Inference and justification, non-fiction features | Fronted adverbials, possessive apostrophes for plurals, Standard English | Write cohesive paragraphs |
| Y5 | Comparing texts, themes, figurative language | Relative clauses, modal verbs, parenthesis | Adapt writing to purpose and audience |
| Y6 | SATs-style retrieval, inference, vocabulary and summary | Passive voice, subjunctive, semicolons and colons, formal register | Meet the expected standard in KS2 Reading and GPS |
MATHS
| Year | Number | Measures / Geometry / Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Y1 | Numbers to 100, adding and subtracting within 20, halves and quarters | Length, mass, time (o'clock), 2D/3D shapes |
| Y2 | Place value to 100, the 2/5/10 times tables, fractions ⅓ ¼ ½ ¾ | Money, time to 5 minutes, tally charts and pictograms |
| Y3 | Numbers to 1000, the 3/4/8 times tables, column methods, tenths | Perimeter, angles, bar charts |
| Y4 | Numbers to 10,000, all tables to 12×12 (Multiplication Tables Check), decimals to 2 dp, Roman numerals | Area by counting, coordinates in the first quadrant, line graphs |
| Y5 | Numbers to 1,000,000, primes, long multiplication, percentages | Converting units, reflex angles, translation and reflection |
| Y6 | Long division, the four operations with fractions, ratio, algebra | Area of triangles and parallelograms, volume, four-quadrant coordinates, pie charts, mean (SATs) |
SCIENCE (taught throughout: working scientifically, meaning asking questions, fair tests, recording and concluding)
| Year | Units |
|---|---|
| Y1 | Plants; Animals including humans; Everyday materials; Seasonal changes |
| Y2 | Living things and habitats; Plants; Animals including humans; Uses of everyday materials |
| Y3 | Plants; Animals including humans; Rocks; Light; Forces and magnets |
| Y4 | Living things and habitats; Animals including humans (digestion, teeth); States of matter; Sound; Electricity |
| Y5 | Living things and habitats; Animals including humans; Properties and changes of materials; Earth and space; Forces |
| Y6 | Living things and habitats (classification); Animals including humans (circulation); Evolution and inheritance; Light; Electricity |
COMPUTING
| Year | Computer science | Information technology / digital literacy |
|---|---|---|
| Y1 | Algorithms as instructions; Bee-Bot | Using technology safely; logging in |
| Y2 | Debugging simple algorithms; ScratchJr | Saving and retrieving work; online safety |
| Y3 | Sequence and repetition in Scratch | Networks basics; presenting information |
| Y4 | Selection, variables | The internet and the World Wide Web; evaluating content |
| Y5 | Combining sequence, selection and repetition; decomposition | How search engines work; spreadsheets |
| Y6 | Programs with variables, inputs and outputs; intro to Python or micro:bit | Data and databases; online safety and digital footprint |
EXAMPLE WORKSHEET: Year 4 Maths, Equivalent Fractions
LO: I can recognise and show equivalent fractions using diagrams.
- Shade ½ of a bar split into 4 parts. How many quarters is that? ____
- Fill the gaps: ⅓ = □/6 = 4/□
- True or false: 3/4 = 6/8. Draw a diagram to prove it.
- Reasoning: Amir says 2/5 = 4/8 because both numbers doubled. Is he right? Explain.
- Challenge: Find three fractions equivalent to 6/9.
Answers: 1) 2 quarters 2) 2/6, 4/12 3) True 4) No, only the numerator doubled; 2/5 = 4/10 5) e.g. 2/3, 4/6, 12/18