# School Year by Year: Reception to Year 6 (England) | Clever Mum

> The English state school system, year by year — Reception to Year 6. What to expect, which statutory checks actually happen (and which years have none), and

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# School year by year

 
The English state school system, year by year — Reception to Year 6. What to expect, which statutory checks actually happen (and which years have none), and what to focus on at home. England-specific.

    
 
Quick answer — Which school years have statutory tests in England? 

 

Not every year has a test, whatever it might feel like. Reception has two statutory checks
        (the Reception Baseline Assessment and the EYFS Profile), Year 1 has the Phonics Screening
        Check, Year 4 has the Multiplication Tables Check, and Year 6 has the KS2 SATs. Years 2, 3 and
        5 have no statutory national test — Year 2's old "SATs" became optional from 2023/24, and Years
        3 and 5 never had one. This covers England only; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run
        different systems.

    [   Reception  Age 4-5 · EYFS (final year)  → ](/family/school-year/reception/)[   Year 1  Age 5-6 · Key Stage 1 (first year)  → ](/family/school-year/year-1/)[   Year 2  Age 6-7 · Key Stage 1 (final year)  → ](/family/school-year/year-2/)[   Year 3  Age 7-8 · Key Stage 2 (first year)  → ](/family/school-year/year-3/)[   Year 4  Age 8-9 · Key Stage 2 (Lower KS2)  → ](/family/school-year/year-4/)[   Year 5  Age 9-10 · Key Stage 2 (Upper KS2)  → ](/family/school-year/year-5/)[   Year 6  Age 10-11 · Key Stage 2 (final year)  → ](/family/school-year/year-6/)  

This covers England's state school system only — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have
      different curricula, terminology and assessment calendars. This is general information, not
      advice for your specific child; your child's school and teacher are your best source for
      anything specific to them.