Year 5 • Maths
Ages 9–10 • Key Stage 2 (Upper)
Focus
Deepen fractions–decimals–percentages, multi-step problem solving, tidy working, and early ratio/proportion language.
Assessments
School topic tests and end-of-year exams. No statutory external test in Y5. Y6 SATs next year.

Overview

Year 5 is where KS2 maths starts to stretch. We secure the core (place value to large numbers, written methods, FDP links) and push into richer reasoning: multi-step word problems, interpreting information carefully, and explaining methods clearly. Strong habits here make Year 6 SATs and any 11+ aims far smoother.

Curriculum priorities

  • Number & calculation: place value to 1,000,000; mental strategies; written +/−/×/÷ with tidy layout; factors, multiples & primes.
  • Fractions, decimals, percentages: compare, order, add/subtract fractions; decimal–fraction conversions; percentages as “out of 100”.
  • Ratio & proportion (early language): scaling up/down, unitary thinking in simple contexts.
  • Measures: time, perimeter/area, metric conversions; money problems with two-step reasoning.
  • Geometry: properties of 2D/3D shapes, angles at a point/on a line, coordinates (first quadrant), symmetry.
  • Statistics: tables, line graphs, dual axes reading; extracting and comparing data.
  • Problem solving: choose operations, show method, check reasonableness, and manage working space.

Year 5 assessments

  • School-set tests: topic quizzes, termly assessments, and an end-of-year paper to check progression.
  • Y6 SATs are next year: see our SATs guide and format for what’s coming in Year 6.
    View KS2 SATs format.
  • If aiming for 11+: baseline in late Y5 helps plan a balanced route (Maths/VR/NVR/English) before the Y6 autumn test window.

11+ pathway

For families considering grammar or independent schools, Year 5 is the prime time to build fluency and exam craft without sacrificing school curriculum depth. We blend curriculum mastery with 11+-style problem solving, so students develop both understanding and speed.

  • Balanced prep: curriculum-first teaching with weekly 11+ question types (reasoning, multi-step arithmetic, puzzles).
  • Early diagnostics: identify strengths and gaps across Maths, VR/NVR and English to tailor prep.
  • Timed practice: short, regular timed sections to build calm speed and accuracy.

How we help

  • Concept → application: teach, model, then apply in mixed and word problems to lock in understanding.
  • FDP fluency: daily mini-drills on fraction/decimal/percentage links and estimation.
  • Working quality: layout, units, and line-by-line reasoning for method marks (great for SATs later).
  • Personalised routes: consolidation for security or stretch for depth and 11+ readiness.
  • Parental clarity: simple feedback on focus topics and at-home habits that move the dial.

Looking ahead

Year 5 is the decisive preparation year. We secure upper-KS2 skills — multi-step word problems, fractions/decimals/percentages, ratio methods and early algebra — so pupils enter Year 6 confident for SATs. If 11+ is a goal (autumn of Year 6), this is when steady, structured practice makes the difference.

Other Year 5 subjects

Start your child’s Year 5 journey with us

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