Based on our Year 2 SATs preparation training session, we wanted to put together an action plan in a blog format that you can return to in preparing your pupils for KS1 SATs success, as well as providing a video recording of a session and our training slides to share with colleagues. The blog post will provide:
- Why it’s key to prepare pupils to score marks based on their recent learning in Year 2
- The importance of arithmetic for meeting National Standard in the KS1 SATs
- Where to prioritise revision by blocks / areas of learning in mathematics for SATs success and how MathShed’s digital Lessons can support this
- Arithmetic practice as part of your class’s daily routine and how MathShed’s Quick Maths is perfect for that
- Downloadable worksheet or online self-marking practice papers from MathShed
- Using MathShed’s digital fluency games to consolidate key procedures and concepts, like times tables and number bonds
- How to use MathShed to collate evidence to prove children achieving goals towards meeting the National Standard
- A video recording of our Year 2 SATs webunar
- A takeaway CPD presentation to download and share all this information with your colleagues!
Importance of recent and current learning
As the chart shows, in all the years that data is available for, to meet the National Standard for age-related expectations (ARE) in their KS1 SATs children must have a strong grasp of Year 2 content, as Year 1 content accounts for less than 20% of marks across both papers.
Importance of arithmetic fluency
To meet the National Standard in Maths children need to score between 34 and 36 marks out of 60 in total across both papers, which is 57-60%.
Paper 1, Arithmetic by itself is 25 marks.
Also, these skills with conceptual variation are covered heavily in the reasoning paper, Paper 2.
As the bar chart shows, a good score of 90+% of marks from Paper 1 alone will get children over halfway towards meeting the National Standard.
Marks by block/unit of learning
Four Operations tend to make up a mean of about 54% of all marks across both papers, together with Number & Place Value it is closer to 72% of marks.
Fractions makes up an average of under 10% of marks. Measurement has a similar proportion of marks from year to year.
Properties of Shapes, Position & Direction and Statistics each account for approximately 3% of marks each.
Clearly, Four Operations and Number & Place Value is a key area of focus for KS1 SATs success.
Example Lesson sequence to prioritise based on scoring for SATs success
- Exploring multiplication facts using arrays (shed.ly/LIZTRXB)
- Number & place value, counting up to 100 (shed.ly/LHGXTEW – FREE)
- Adding two 2-digit numbers with exchanging (shed.ly/LEXGMOJ)
- If you still have any children who are struggling with any of their number bonds or times tables, that is a key fix.
Using MathShed’s Quick Maths to support the learning of key skills for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Quick Maths, is our daily arithmetic fluency scheme, for all years from Year 1 to 6.
All of the Year 2 Quick Maths weeks in the Spring and Summer terms, in the run-up to the SATs, are based on past papers. (Free sample)
MathShed’s Quick Maths provides spaced repetition for rapid recall
From our experience, it is best to do this when children are settling into the school day in the morning or after break or lunchtime. Try to have the questions up on the board and give each child scrap paper or jotters to do their arithmetic practice.
If you do so, children will benefit from covering similar questions each week.
MathShed’s fluency games
If you identify weakness with times tables, number bond recall or mental addition and subtraction, you could use our abstract fluency games.
If you find that there are particular questions children struggle with you could then set them the corresponding Lesson or question set on MathShed.
If there are many gaps, refer back to the prioritised list of objectives to cover based on the historical allocation of marks in SATs papers.
How can you use MathShed to support problem solving and reasoning for Paper 2?
As with Paper 1, we also have practice Paper 2 question sets modelled on each of the sample and past papers that can be either produced as PDFs and completed on paper or completed online, that way it is self-marking and the data feeds into our curriculum competency reporting dashboard. (Paper 2, 2018-inspired)
Using MathShed to collate evidence
- Use the ‘Quick Maths’ slides as a way to independently apply previous learning and self mark. Try to do so daily.
- End of Block and End of Term assessments.
- Use the quizzes independently in class to prove understanding, could set from topics taught two weeks ago. View answers on pupil page.
- Print out activities/ plenaries to demonstrate reasoning – on stickers, write answers in sentences.
- Observe day-to-day discussion to make notes (stickers always handy).
Thanks for reading and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any further advice or support from any of the EdShed team in helping your pupils’ journey to SATs success!
Webinar Video Recording
If you would like to share these insights with your colleagues, please download our Engaging and Effective Year 2 SATs Preparation presentation!