Primary Education
Key Stage 1
Age 5 - 7
English
Key Stage 1 is where the building blocks really come together. Children aged 5 to 7 (Years 1 and 2) take the early skills they picked up in the Foundation Phase and start to grow into confident readers, writers, speakers and listeners.
Alongside phonics, this is the stage where children build their vocabulary, learn to understand what they read, and begin writing with more purpose. They meet all sorts of texts, from stories and poems to non-fiction, and start to talk about what they've read: what happened, why, and what it might mean. It's a lot to take on in two short years, and children move at very different speeds.
That's where a little extra help can make a big difference. A tutor can give your child the calm, one-to-one attention that isn't always possible in a busy classroom, spotting exactly where they need support and building their confidence at their own pace. Whether your child is finding reading tricky or is ready to stretch further, the right tutor can turn "I can't" into "I can."
Maths
In maths, Key Stage 1 is all about helping children make sense of numbers in the real world. They learn to solve problems, think things through logically, and explain how they got their answer, using proper maths vocabulary as they go.
For some children this clicks quickly; for others it takes a bit longer, and that's completely normal.
A tutor can work through the tricky bits patiently, use everyday examples that make numbers feel less abstract, and help your child feel proud of what they can do. Small, steady wins at this stage build the confidence that carries them through the years ahead.
Key Stage 2
Age 7 - 11
English
Key Stage 2 covers Years 3 to 6, and it's a big stretch of your child's primary years. By now the focus moves from learning to read to reading to learn. Children are expected to understand more challenging texts, write at length and in different styles, spell more accurately, and get to grips with grammar and punctuation properly.
There's a lot packed in here: comprehension, creative and non-fiction writing, spelling patterns, vocabulary, and speaking confidently in front of others. Year 6 also brings the SATs, and for many families this is when 11+ or entrance exams come into view too. It's a stage where small gaps, in spelling or comprehension, say, can start to hold a child back if they aren't picked up.
That's where tutoring really earns its place. A tutor can find the specific things your child is stuck on, work on them patiently one-to-one, and build both skill and confidence at the same time. Whether you're preparing for SATs, entrance exams, or simply want your child to feel secure and capable in English, the right tutor gives them focused support that a busy classroom often can't.
Maths
In Key Stage 2, maths steps up. Children move on to bigger numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages, times tables at speed, and multi-step problems that ask them to really think rather than just calculate. They're expected to explain their reasoning and apply what they know to unfamiliar situations.
This is the stage where maths can either click into place or start to feel daunting, and once a child decides they're "not good at maths," that belief can be hard to shift. A tutor can catch those wobbles early, go back and fill any gaps from earlier years, and rebuild confidence one step at a time. With clear explanations, plenty of patience, and problems pitched at just the right level, your child can go into SATs, entrance exams, and secondary school feeling genuinely ready.