SATs are on 11-14 May 2026. Eight weeks away from now (mid March 2026).
Your child's school is ramping up revision. You're wondering: how much should they be doing at home? An hour every night? Two hours? Nothing at all?
Let me give you the honest answer, plus what you need to know about SATs week and how the grading works.
Research from the National PTA and National Education Association recommends Year 6 children do around 60 minutes total homework per night across all subjects.
Your child's school already assigns regular homework. SATs revision should sit within that 60-minute window, not on top of it.
After a full school day plus whatever SATs prep they're doing in class, your Year 6 child is tired. Their brain is full. Forcing another hour of revision at home creates stress, not progress.
Twenty to thirty minutes of focused SATs revision (as part of total homework time) beats two hours of miserable, unfocused slog every single time. More isn't always better.
SATs Week Timetable: What Happens Each Day
Knowing what's coming helps reduce anxiety. Here's exactly what will happen during SATs week:
Monday 11 May: Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Paper (45 minutes) and Spelling Test (20 minutes). Both in the morning. 65 minutes total.
Tuesday 12 May: Reading Paper (60 minutes). One hour to read three texts and answer questions.
Wednesday 13 May: Maths Arithmetic (30 minutes) in the morning, then Reasoning Paper 2 (40 minutes) in the afternoon. 70 minutes of maths total.
Thursday 14 May: Final paper. Maths Reasoning Paper 3 (40 minutes) in the morning.
Done by Thursday lunchtime. Four mornings. That's all SATs are.
This confuses everyone. You'll receive three numbers for each test:
Raw Score: The actual number of marks your child got. For example, 38 out of 50. Straightforward.
Scaled Score: This is the number that matters. Every raw score gets converted to a scaled score between 80 and 120. This allows fair comparison year to year, even if one year's test is harder.
100 is the magic number.
A scaled score of 100 or above means your child has reached the expected standard.
Below 100: Working towards expected standard
100-109: At expected standard
110+: Working at greater depth (exceeding expectations)
The scaled score exists because SATs difficulty varies. In an easier year, you need more raw marks to hit 100. In a harder year, fewer. The scaled score evens this out.
SATs measure your child's performance on one set of tests across four specific mornings. They don't measure intelligence or future success.
Secondary schools use SATs as a starting point but run their own assessments in Year 7 anyway. Your child's SATs results don't determine which secondary school they attend. They don't affect GCSE grades.
What SATs do show: where your child is right now in maths, reading, and grammar. That's useful information for teachers and parents.
Forget marathon sessions. Here's what works:
Little and often beats long and painful. Twenty minutes every day is more effective than two hours crammed into Sunday afternoon.
Mix up the topics. Monday: arithmetic. Tuesday: reading comprehension. Wednesday: spelling. Thursday: reasoning. Friday: whatever they find hardest.
Use past papers strategically. One past paper per week maximum. Use them to identify weak spots. When your child gets questions wrong, that's where the real learning happens.
Stop when they're tired. If your child is exhausted, resentful, or crying, stop. A burnt-out child retains nothing.
If your child is significantly behind and SATs feel impossibly stressful, read our guide on when to start SATs preparation.
For focused help in these final eight weeks, our Year 5-6 Tuition Clubs run weekly maths and English sessions with a qualified UK teacher. Small groups (maximum 5 children) mean personalised attention.
Targeted support now makes a difference.
Ease off. Light revision and plenty of rest. Cramming doesn't work.
Focus on early nights. Sleep matters more than last-minute revision. Keep meals healthy. Stay calm. Maybe one quick practice paper to keep sharp, nothing intense.
Give your child a proper breakfast. Porridge, toast, eggs. Slow-release energy. Avoid sugar spikes.
Arrive on time but not early. Too early means more nervous time.
Pack pencils, rubber, water bottle. Treat it like any other school day.
Results arrive in July. Whatever the results: your child is still the same person. SATs don't change who they are or what they're capable of.
Lower than expected? That's information to work with. Higher than expected? Celebrate. Either way, life continues.
Your Year 6 child needs balance. School is already doing SATs prep during the day. Home should add a small amount of focused, low-pressure revision.
Twenty to thirty minutes a night. Varied topics. Stop when they're tired. That's enough.
SATs are important, but they're not everything. Your child's wellbeing, confidence, and relationship with learning matter far more than a scaled score.
Eight weeks to go. Keep it calm. Keep it manageable. Your child will be fine.
