What did you do at school today?

Your guide to what's happening in your child's classroom and how you can help support their learning.

These pages will demystify the often complicated language and practice of schools. As well as offering you a guide to the year groups and Key Stages, we explain terms you might hear at school and provide a range of activity ideas that you can do with your child to supplement their learning. All activities are linked to the National Curriculum. We provide weblinks and reading suggestions that you can work through with your child.

Who teaches what and when?

The numeracy and literacy curriculums are divided up so children learn specific things in specific terms. Other subjects, such as history and geography, have to be taught, but individual schools can decide when this will be. Your child's school should let you know what they are teaching each year and some will break this down into individual terms. If you don't know what your child will be learning, you are quite within your rights to ask your child's teacher. That way you'll know for sure what they are learning, and when. Our activity ideas are based on key skills and topics some schools will tach in the summer term.

Levels

By the end of Key Stage 1, children should have reached level 2. By the end of Key Stage 2, most children should reach level 4.

Not all kids will reach these levels at these points in their education. If they haven't yet achieved the specified level, it could be that they will catch up, as children develop at different rates. If they have gone beyond the expected level their teacher will set them more challenging work.