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Everything you need to know about what’s covered in the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum, from Year 3 all the way through to Year 6!
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
April 2024
Everything you need to know about what’s covered in the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum, from Year 3 all the way through to Year 6!
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
April 2024
Everything you need to know about what’s covered in the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum, from Year 3 all the way through to Year 6!
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
April 2024
Key takeaways
Table of contents
The Key Stage 2 maths curriculum is the programme that students follow through most of their primary school journey. It can be split into two halves, a lower stage and an upper stage, and covers a total of nine maths topic areas! These areas are:
The lower-stage years focus on teaching the fundamental skills learners need in these topics, while the upper-stage years aim to progress those skills and develop students’ ability to apply what they’ve learned independently.
The main goal of Year 3 maths is for learners to become confident in working with whole numbers across the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). They’ll be working with numbers up to 1,000, so having a good understanding of place value for units, tens and hundreds is really beneficial.
In Year 3, children become more accurate in telling the time as they learn how to do this to the nearest minute, as well as calculating amounts of money and learning to give change. Students also learn to draw a variety of 2D shapes and craft 3D shapes from building materials.
Learners also explore statistics as they learn how to create their own charts and graphs and use information from these to answer questions and solve problems.
To find out more, check out our Year 3 maths curriculum overview!
One of the most important focuses of Year 4 maths is learning multiplication tables up to 12. This is in preparation for June when all Year 4 students sit the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC).
Students spend time in Year 4 continuing to develop their skills across the four operations, as well as tackling some more complex fractions concepts. They learn how to convert common fractions into decimal numbers and how to add and subtract fractions.
In Year 4, children also learn how to convert units of measurement and calculate the area and perimeter of a range of shapes. They also delve deeper into the world of geometry as they explore different classifications of angles and learn how to reflect shapes in four directions using a grid.
For a full overview of what’s covered, take a look at our Year 4 maths curriculum overview!
Things take a bit of a step up in Year 5 maths as students are encouraged to tackle aspects of their work more independently. Most aspects of maths this year include a problem-solving aspect that children will need to apply their skills to!
Working with numbers up to 1,000,000, learners should be able to recognise decimal place values and work with negative numbers. Their biggest challenge this year across the four operations will be the introduction to long multiplication.
Children learn how to work with a range of different fractions and decimal numbers, and how to write these as percentages.
In Year 5, students also learn how to calculate the area and perimeter of simple shapes and work confidently with angles. By the end of the year, they’ll be able to name different types of angles, as well as draw and measure these themselves.
For a more detailed look at what children learn in Year 5, take a look at our Year 5 maths curriculum overview!
Year 6 is the final year of primary school and is when students sit their end of Key Stage 2 SAT assessments in May. As you’d expect, this means that there’s quite a lot to cover!
Learners continue to practise all the skills they’ve learned in the four operations and also learn how to complete long division and divide fractions. By the end of the year, they’ll also be able to simplify fractions and find percentages of amounts (e.g. 20% of 50).
In the area of geometry, Year 6 students are taught how to calculate the area of more complex shapes like triangles. They’re also shown how to determine the size of angles within shapes using existing information.
Finally, in preparation for secondary school, children are introduced to using simple formulae to solve algebra problems.
To find out what children learn in Year 6, check out our Year 6 maths curriculum overview!
Looking for more KS2 maths practice? DoodleMaths is an award-winning app that’s filled with thousands of questions and games exploring multiplication, division and more!
Designed by teachers, it creates each child a unique work programme tailored to their needs, doubling their progression with just 10 minutes of use a day. Try it for free!
As they complete the national KS2 maths curriculum, students will be continuously assessed by their teachers. This ensures that they’re on track with their learning and that they receive support when necessary.
In addition to informal assessments, there are two statutory maths assessments that students will sit throughout their KS2 journey. These are the Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) and the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC).
The Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) are statutory tests that are completed in May when learners are in Year 6. Year 6 SATs are used to track learners’ attainment and can be used to compare school performance.
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a test that is administered to all Year 4 students, usually within the first few weeks of June. This test checks children’s ability to recall their multiplication tables up to 12 x 12.
There are lots of ways you can help your child with their Key Stage 2 maths curriculum journey at home. The best way is to make maths fun for them!
By using games and showing your kiddos all of the ways they can use maths in the real world, you’ll be showing them all the ways they can use maths to have some fun!
The DoodleLearning maths app has thousands of interactive maths games that will help your learners develop their skills. The app is fully aligned with the national curriculum and will create a completely personalised programme of work for each child!
Regardless of where your child is in their Key Stage 2 journey, there’s certainly a lot to cover. There’s no doubt that this is an important time in their maths learning journey, but by mastering the skills outlined above, they’re sure to be on track for success!
Lesson credits
Mhairi Sim
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
Mhairi
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
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