At a glance
- EYFS
- Birth to 5; FS1 and FS2 (Reception) in schools
- Key Stage 1
- Years 1 and 2, ages 5 to 7
- Key Stage 2
- Years 3 to 6, ages 7 to 11
- England's checks
- Phonics (Year 1), times tables (Year 4), tests (Year 6)
- Next stage
- Key Stage 3 from Year 7
Year groups and ages
| Stage | Year group | Age during the year | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| EYFS | FS1 (Nursery), FS2 (Reception) | 3 to 5 | Language, social skills, early reading and number through play |
| Key Stage 1 | Year 1 | 5 to 6 | Phonics and early reading; number bonds and place value |
| Key Stage 1 | Year 2 | 6 to 7 | Reading fluency, sentences, addition and subtraction, early times tables |
| Key Stage 2 | Years 3 and 4 | 7 to 9 | Times tables to 12 x 12, written methods, paragraphs |
| Key Stage 2 | Years 5 and 6 | 9 to 11 | Fractions, decimals, percentages, reasoning; extended writing and grammar |
Gulf schools usually call the Reception year FS2. Some Cambridge schools label Years 1 to 6 as Cambridge Primary Stages 1 to 6.
What children learn
The Early Years Foundation Stage covers children from birth to age 5 and is organised in seven areas: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; physical development; literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design. Learning is mostly through structured play, and the end-of-year assessment at age 5 is made by teachers from classroom observation, not a test.
From Year 1 the national curriculum takes over. English, maths and science are the core, with design and technology, history, geography, art and design, music, physical education, computing and, at Key Stage 2, a foreign language. Gulf British schools also teach Arabic and Islamic Studies to the children required to take them by local regulations, so the school day is fuller than in England.
Many Gulf schools use the Cambridge Primary programme alongside or instead of England's national curriculum. It covers ages 5 to 11 and can end with Cambridge Primary Checkpoint tests in English, maths and science at the end of Stage 6.
How primary children are assessed
| Check | When | What it involves | Used in Gulf schools? |
|---|---|---|---|
| EYFS profile | End of Reception (age 5) | Teacher judgement against early learning goals | Many British schools use it or an equivalent |
| Phonics screening check | Year 1 (retaken in Year 2 if needed) | Reading 40 words aloud | Statutory in England only; some schools use similar checks |
| Multiplication tables check | Year 4 | 25 questions on tables up to 12, no pass mark | Statutory in England only |
| Key Stage 2 national tests | May of Year 6 | Reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, maths; under 4 hours in total | Statutory in England only |
| Cambridge Primary Checkpoint | End of Stage 6 | English, maths and science, marked by Cambridge | Optional, used by many Cambridge schools |
| CAT4 | Various years | Verbal, non-verbal, spatial and quantitative reasoning | Common in British and international schools |
Ask your school which external tests it uses and when results are shared. Reports usually say whether a child is working below, at or above the expected standard for the year.
The British primary in the Gulf
The British curriculum is the most common choice for young children in Dubai: of the 16 early childhood centres opening for 2025-26, 11 follow the UK Early Years Foundation Stage, and five of the six new schools follow the UK curriculum, according to Dubai Media Office. Across the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia, British primary schools are among the largest groups of international schools.
Many children in these classrooms are learning in English as a second or third language. That is an advantage in the long run, but it means early reading and spoken English can lag behind a child's real understanding, and gaps in phonics or vocabulary in Year 1 and Year 2 often show up later as "maths" or "comprehension" problems.
What parents often get wrong
- Assuming reading will "click" on its own. Phonics is taught in a sequence; a child who missed sounds in FS2 or Year 1 needs them taught directly.
- Pushing written methods before number sense. Children who cannot partition numbers or recall times tables struggle with long multiplication and fractions in Years 5 and 6.
- Reading the school report's "expected" as "fine". Expected means on track for that year; it does not show whether the foundations will hold in Key Stage 3.
- Using lots of screen-based drills instead of talk. Young children learn spoken English and reasoning best by explaining their thinking to an adult.
How one-to-one tutoring helps in the primary years
For younger children, short, frequent and warm beats long and intense. A primary tutor typically spends the first lesson listening to the child read, checking which phonics sounds and tricky words are secure, and finding out which number facts are automatic. Lessons then work on one or two clear targets at a time, such as blending, reading with expression, times tables, or a written method, with plenty of talk and quick games on the shared whiteboard.
LiveTutor lessons are one to one and 60 minutes long, in our own online classroom with video and a shared whiteboard. For children under 8 a parent nearby helps for the first lessons. Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, so ask when you book if a bilingual tutor would help your child.
Common questions
Is FS2 the same as Reception?
Yes. Gulf British schools usually call the two early years classes FS1 and FS2. FS2 is the same year as Reception in England, the year a child turns 5.
Do children in Dubai take the Year 6 SATs?
England's Key Stage 2 tests are statutory only in England. Gulf schools use their own assessments and international tests instead, such as Cambridge Primary Checkpoint or CAT4. Ask your school which ones it uses.
How do I know if my child is behind in reading?
Listen to your child read a book the school sent home. Frequent guessing, sounding out common words, or reading without understanding are all signs to raise with the teacher and to work on directly.
Are 60-minute online lessons too long for young children?
For many children aged 6 to 8, a 60-minute lesson works when it is broken into short activities with movement, talk and games. The tutor adjusts the pace to the child, and a parent nearby helps in the first few lessons.
How much do primary lessons with LiveTutor cost?
$15 a lesson, the same for every subject and level, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons a week billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial, one per household.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.