Key Stage 2 · Ages 9–10 · UK National Curriculum

Year 5 Maths — What Your Child Will Learn

Year 5 is the most important preparatory year for Year 6 SATs. Analysis of the 2025 KS2 SATs papers shows that only 38% of questions tested Year 6 content — meaning the majority of SATs marks come from Year 5 and earlier topics. Fractions, long multiplication, long division and percentages are all introduced or extended in Year 5 and tested heavily in SATs.

What Your Child Will Learn in Year 5 Maths

Numbers to one million Negative numbers Long multiplication (4-digit × 2-digit) Long division (bus stop method) Fractions (add, subtract, multiply by integer) Decimals to 3 decimal places Percentages of amounts Prime, square and cube numbers Angles in triangles and polygons Volume of cuboids Coordinates in all 4 quadrants Roman numerals to 1,000

What Children Often Find Difficult

What children struggle with

Setting out long division correctly with remainders
Adding fractions with different denominators
Negative numbers on a number line
Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages
Understanding that prime numbers have exactly 2 factors

Common mistakes to watch for

Adding both numerators and denominators: ⅓ + ¼ = 2/7 (incorrect)
Confusing volume (3D) with area (2D)
Treating −5 as larger than −2 on a number line
Saying 1 is a prime number (it has only one factor)
Scaling percentage errors (finding 10% then not multiplying correctly)

How You Can Help at Home

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Do not wait until Year 6

The 2025 SATs showed only 38% of questions came from Year 6 content. Year 5 topics are heavily tested. If your child is struggling with fractions or long division in Year 5, that is the time to act.

Long division — the bus stop method

Long division is introduced in Year 5 and is one of the most complex written methods in KS2. Children who master it in Year 5 enter Year 6 able to focus on reasoning, not catching up on method.

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FDP conversion — practise it weekly

Converting freely between fractions, decimals and percentages is tested in almost every KS2 SATs paper. A short weekly FDP drill from Year 5 makes a measurable difference by Year 6 revision.

Year 5 & KS2 SATs — Why This Year Matters Most

There are no SATs in Year 5. But FDP accounts for approximately 30% of 2025 KS2 SATs marks and calculations account for a further 29% — both dominated by Year 5 content. Gaps in long division and fraction addition cause significant difficulty in Year 6 SATs revision. The ideal time to close those gaps is Year 5.

No Year 5 SATs FDP = ~30% of 2025 KS2 SATs marks Calculations = ~29% of marks Year 5 content = majority of SATs questions

Example Homework Questions

Question

2,346 × 24 = ?

Expected Answer

56,304

Skill Tested

Long multiplication with working shown

Question

2/5 + 3/10 = ?

Expected Answer

7/10

Skill Tested

Adding fractions with different denominators

Question

What is 35% of 200?

Expected Answer

70

Skill Tested

Percentage of an amount

Year 5 Is the Year to Close the Gaps — Track It Now

With 62% of KS2 SATs marks coming from Year 5 and earlier content, Year 5 is when targeted practice makes the biggest difference. Out of School shows you exactly which topics your child has covered, where mistakes are happening, and what needs to be practised before Year 6 begins.

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Topic-by-topic tracking

See which curriculum areas are strong and which need work — broken down by individual topic, not just a single percentage.

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Homework visibility

Every piece of homework set is visible to parents in real time — questions, answers, and accuracy — as soon as the session ends.

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Tutor reports

After every session, parents receive a progress update covering what was covered, what went well, and what to focus on next.

Start 1 Month Free Trial — Track Your Child’s Year 5 Maths Progress

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