For parents

Plain guides to the bits of primary school that are hard to find a straight answer about: phonics, times tables, SATs, screens, and what the checks and the letters actually mean. Everything here is built on published UK government guidance, and every page says where its facts come from.

The guides

Written to be read once and come back to.

• Starting school: what to practise before September

  • The government's own list of what helps a child start school is about looking after themselves, not about letters and numbers.
  • Getting dressed, using the toilet alone and opening a lunch box matter more in week one than knowing the alphabet.
  • Children start school at very different stages. That is normal, and teachers expect it.

• Phonics, explained without the jargon

  • Phonics means teaching children the sounds that letters make, then joining those sounds up into words.
  • When your child gets stuck on a word, help them sound it out — do not tell them to guess from the picture.
  • Ask your school which phonics scheme they use, and follow it. Different schemes teach the sounds in a different order.

• The Year 1 phonics check: what happens, and what the letter means

  • It happens in June, in Year 1, and it is 40 words.
  • Some of the words are made-up on purpose. That is not a trick.
  • If your child does not meet the standard, they take it again in Year 2. Nobody is held back.

• Reading with a child who can already read

  • Most parents stop reading aloud once their child can read alone. That is the moment it starts to matter most.
  • A few minutes a day does more than a long session at the weekend.
  • It does not have to be books. Comics, recipes, football programmes and magazines all count.

• Times tables, and the Year 4 check

  • Almost every Year 4 child in England does a times tables check in June. It is 25 questions and takes about five minutes.
  • There are six seconds per question. So it is testing whether your child knows the answer, not whether they can work it out.
  • There is no pass mark. The government has not set one.

• Handwriting, and how children hold a pencil

  • Hand strength comes before neat letters. A child whose hand tires quickly will struggle however hard they try.
  • Comfortable and readable is the goal. Beautiful is a hobby.
  • Ten minutes of playdough is often better practice than ten minutes of copying.

• Clocks, coins and kitchen scales: the maths that lives at home

  • Telling the time on a round clock, and handling real coins, are both on the curriculum — and both have almost disappeared from daily life.
  • Your kitchen is better equipment than anything you can buy.
  • Ten seconds of maths, often, beats a session at the table.

• Year 6 SATs, and what the score actually means

  • Three subjects tested: spelling and grammar, reading, and maths. Four days in May.
  • The score is not a percentage. It is a scaled score between 80 and 120, and 100 is the expected standard.
  • Writing and science are not tested. The teacher judges those.

• Screen time

  • There is official advice for children under 5. It was published in March 2026.
  • For ages 5 to 16 there is no official advice yet. It was promised for autumn 2026.
  • The clearest finding so far is not about how long. It is about what, and who with.

• Is my child too ill for school?

  • Most mild illness is not a reason to stay off. A cough or a runny nose is usually fine.
  • If your child has a high temperature, the NHS says keep them off until it goes away.
  • If you are unsure, the NHS has a page for exactly this, and your school office has seen it all before.

Recent posts

Shorter, and tied to what is happening in the school year right now. See all posts.

• Half term without a screen fight

  19 October 2026

  • There is official advice for under-5s. For ages 5 to 16 there is none yet — it was promised for this autumn.
  • The clearest evidence is not about how long. It is about what, and who with.
  • A finish causes fewer arguments than a limit.

• Secondary applications close on 31 October — and it is a Saturday

  12 October 2026

  • If your child is in Year 6, the deadline is 31 October. This year that falls on a Saturday.
  • Do not assume you get the Monday. Check what your council says.
  • Missing it does not mean no school. It means your application is looked at after everyone else's.

• Five minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday

  5 October 2026

  • Short and often beats long and occasional, for reading, tables and spellings alike.
  • Five minutes you actually do is worth more than twenty you plan.
  • Pick a time that already exists in your day rather than making a new one.

• What the reception baseline assessment is

  28 September 2026

  • It happens in the first six weeks of reception. Your child will barely notice it.
  • It is not a test of your child. It is a starting point for measuring the school.
  • There is no score, no pass, and nothing for you to prepare.