Key Stage 2 is the period beginning at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils reach the age of eight. It ends at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils attain the age of 11.

Why have targets and tests?
Schools use them to see where children need to improve, so that they can tailor their teaching.
Children get a sense of achievement from a milestone and going beyond it.
The government uses them to see how many children are making the right kind of progress (especially in English, Maths and Science, where children take National Curriculum tests at age 11).
The 'targets for every child' in each subject describe what children should be able to do and know. Level 4 is the target for 11 year olds.

The aim of the targets is to give a level that most children should have reached by a certain age. There will always be some children below and others beyond the target. If your child finds their work easy, talk to their teacher about what target they should be aiming for - they may need to aim higher. If your child is likely to find level 4 hard when they get to age 11, the school will tell you in good time. Every school must give parents an annual report on how their child is progressing in each National Curriculum subject. (The school is not obliged by law to give a level for each subject in this annual report, but some will.)

If the school says that your child is likely to find it hard to reach the target, remember: children develop at different rates. Some may not reach the level at the given age, but will catch up later at the moment, however, your child may need extra help from their school and from you. Talk to their teacher about how you can help.

Help your child discover

Homework is important – but it is also important that it doesn’t turn your child off school. The idea is that your child feels better about school, not worse. It is important to try not to turn homework into a battleground.

Fortunately, there are places where you can find materials that can help your child gain knowledge. A great place to start your search is with the ‘Help Your Child Discover’ series.

‘The Help Your Child Discover’ series of leaflets has been designed to support you in helping your child with homework. You can print copies of a whole leaflet for any subject: Art and Design, Design & Technology, Geography, History, ICT, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education and Science.

Each subject will be divided into sections: at school, at home and out and about. Topics include: how to make and investigate objects, how to make your own orchestra, learning history from home and much more.