Helping Your Child Navigate Year 6 Successfully

Year 6. The grand finale of primary school. A year filled with SATs, friendships, leavers’ hoodies, the 11+, and (for parents) the sudden realisation that your little one is not so little anymore. It’s exciting, emotional, and—let’s be honest—a little stressful. But with the right strategies, you can help your child not just survive Year 6, but thrive in it.

Here are some practical, parent-tested tips to steer the ship smoothly.

1. Understand the SATs without letting them dominate

SATs are designed to test how well schools are performing, not to define your child’s worth. Yes, they’ll practise reading comprehension, SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar—parents’ secret nemesis), and maths. But the key is balance:

• Don’t overhype it. If your child feels like SATs are the be-all and end-all, the pressure will only ramp up.
• Do practise smartly. Short, regular bursts of practice (10–15 minutes a few times a week) can be more effective than marathon sessions.
• Celebrate effort, not just results. Let your child know that resilience and perseverance matter as much as scores.

2. The 11+: Preparation without panic

If your child is taking the 11+, the extra layer of exams can feel daunting. A few things to remember:

• Make it manageable. Focus on the skills being tested (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, English) without overwhelming them.
• Turn it into a game. Puzzles, brain teasers, and logic problems can be genuinely fun (especially if you pretend not to know the answer and let them teach you).
• Avoid comparisons. Every child is different. What works for the neighbour’s kid doesn’t have to work for yours.

3. Keep routines strong

It’s tempting to let bedtime creep later and later as your child edges toward secondary school, but sleep is still the best revision tool they’ll ever have. Stick to healthy routines:

• Consistent bedtime (even if they insist they’re practically a teenager now).
• Regular meals and snacks. A hungry brain isn’t a productive brain.
• Screen-free downtime. Hard to enforce, but essential for calmer evenings.

4. Boost confidence and independence

Year 6 isn’t just about exams—it’s a stepping stone to secondary school. Help your child grow in independence:

• Encourage them to pack their own bag. (Yes, even if it means forgetting their PE kit once or twice.)
• Get them involved in planning their homework schedule.
• Let them take ownership of small decisions, from what healthy snack to bring to school to which project they want to tackle first.

5. Inject fun into the year

This is their last hurrah at primary school, so don’t let stress overshadow the fun bits:

• Celebrate milestones (finishing practice papers = pizza night).
• Get excited about leavers’ activities, school plays, and trips.
• Talk about secondary school with curiosity and optimism, not fear.

6. Look after yourself too

Supporting a Year 6 child is a team effort, and you can’t pour from an empty cup. Make time for your own downtime. Remember: if you’re calm, your child is more likely to be calm too.

Final Thought

Year 6 can feel like a juggling act between SATs prep or 11+ stress, and planning for secondary school. But with the right mix of structure, support, and humour, it can also be a year full of growth, resilience, and memories.

So, stock up on snacks, hide the SPaG flashcards before dinner, and remember: this year is as much about preparing your child for life beyond tests as it is about ticking the boxes.

You’ve got this. And so do they.