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Subject tutoring · British primary

Primary maths tutor online for Years 1 to 6 (British and Cambridge)

Primary maths in British schools runs from Year 1 to Year 6 (ages 5 to 11). England's National Curriculum sets clear targets for each year: number bonds to 20 in Year 1, all times tables to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4, and fractions, ratio and simple algebra by Year 6. Schools in England check times tables in Year 4 and sit KS2 SATs in May of Year 6. Schools following Cambridge Primary teach Stages 1 to 6 and may use the Cambridge Primary Checkpoint at the end of Stage 6. Most children who struggle are missing one earlier step, so a tutor's first job is to find it and rebuild from there, in a way that keeps a young child engaged.

Facts checked:

At a glance

Ages
5 to 11, Years 1 to 6 (Cambridge Stages 1 to 6)
Times tables
All to 12 x 12 by end of Year 4
Year 4 check (England)
25 questions, 6 seconds each, from 7 June 2027
KS2 SATs maths (England)
Arithmetic and 2 reasoning papers, 12 and 13 May 2027
Cambridge test
Primary Checkpoint, end of Stage 6, scored 0 to 50

What children are expected to master each year

Key expectations from England's National Curriculum programmes of study. Cambridge Primary covers similar ground in Stages 1 to 6 under number, geometry and measure, and statistics and probability.

Year (age)Key expectations
Year 1 (5 to 6)Count to 100, number bonds to 20, add and subtract within 20, halves and quarters, simple shapes and measures
Year 2 (6 to 7)Place value to 100, the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, simple fractions, money, telling time to five minutes
Year 3 (7 to 8)Numbers to 1,000, column addition and subtraction, the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, tenths, perimeter, time to the minute
Year 4 (8 to 9)All times tables to 12 x 12, numbers beyond 1,000, decimals to hundredths, area, Roman numerals
Year 5 (9 to 10)Numbers to 1,000,000, long multiplication, short division, primes, adding and subtracting fractions, percentages
Year 6 (10 to 11)Long division, all four operations with fractions, ratio, simple algebra, area and volume, the mean, pie charts

Summarised from the statutory programmes of study. Schools may teach topics in a different order.

England's primary maths assessments in 2026-27

CheckWhoWhenFormat
Multiplication tables checkYear 42 weeks from Monday 7 June 2027On screen, 25 questions, 6 seconds each, about 5 minutes
KS2 maths Paper 1 (arithmetic) and Paper 2 (reasoning)Year 6Wednesday 12 May 202730 minutes and 40 minutes
KS2 maths Paper 3 (reasoning)Year 6Thursday 13 May 202740 minutes
KS1 testsYear 2Optional, May 2027Used at the school's choice

Source: GOV.UK primary assessments future dates and information for parents, checked 6 October 2026. KS2 results are scaled from 80 to 120, with 100 meaning the expected standard. These are statutory only in England; Gulf British schools choose whether to use them.

How primary maths is assessed in Gulf British schools

British schools in the Gulf follow the English or Cambridge curriculum, but England's statutory tests do not apply to them. Some use the SATs papers or the times tables check anyway; most rely on their own assessments plus external benchmarks. In Dubai, KHDA requires private schools to use external benchmark tests, and many British schools use GL Assessment's Progress Test in Maths and CAT4, which KHDA sets for Grades 3 and 5 (Years 4 and 6) in primary. Cambridge schools may enter Stage 6 pupils for Cambridge Primary Checkpoint in maths, reported on a 0 to 50 scale with six performance bands.

Ask your child's school which tests they use and when. The results, more than the report card, show where your child stands against the expected level.

How online maths lessons work for young children

Every LiveTutor lesson is 60 minutes, so for a 6 to 8 year old the tutor breaks the hour into short activities of around ten minutes: a quick warm-up game, a new idea shown with pictures and objects on the shared whiteboard, practice where your child writes or drags answers, a movement break, then a puzzle to finish. Children use a laptop or tablet; a headset helps, and a parent nearby for the first lessons makes setup easy. Older children in Years 5 and 6 can work for longer stretches on fractions, problem solving or SATs-style questions.

The tutor starts by finding the earliest gap, often place value, number bonds or times tables, and fixes it before moving on. Tell us what works for your child, such as a particular time of day or more games, and the tutor adapts. Parents see each lesson and progress notes in the parent account.

Signs your child could use support

  • Still counting on fingers for number bonds to 10 or 20 in Year 2 or 3.
  • Times tables slow or guessed by Year 4.
  • Confident with calculations but stuck on word problems.
  • Fractions avoided or treated as two separate numbers.
  • Maths anxiety: tears or avoidance at homework time.

Common questions

Is a 60-minute lesson too long for a 6 year old?

It can be if it is one long activity, which is why tutors split the hour into short, varied tasks with breaks. If your child needs a different rhythm, tell us and the tutor will adjust.

Do Gulf British schools sit KS2 SATs?

They are not required to, because SATs are statutory only in England. Some schools use them; others use GL Progress Tests or Cambridge Primary Checkpoint. Ask your school.

What should my child know by the end of Year 4?

England's curriculum expects all multiplication tables up to 12 x 12, which is what the Year 4 multiplication tables check tests.

Can the tutor follow my child's school scheme, such as White Rose or Cambridge?

Yes. Share the current topic or homework and the tutor will support it while closing earlier gaps.

What do primary maths lessons cost?

$15 a lesson, the same for every subject. Lessons are one to one and 60 minutes, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons 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.

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