# Year 4: What to Expect (England) — Age, Curriculum & | Clever Mum

> Year 4 in England's state school system — what to expect, which statutory checks happen (if any), and what to focus on at home.

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# Year 4

 
The Multiplication Tables Check — a low-stakes, single-skill check in June

   [ CM ](/authors/editorial-team/)  
 By [ Clever Mum Editorial ](/authors/editorial-team/) · Editorial standards 

 
 Published 11 July 2026  

      
 
Quick answer — What should I expect in Year 4? 

 
The Multiplication Tables Check — a low-stakes, single-skill check in June. Year 4 continues Lower Key Stage 2, building on Year 3 with more complex subject content across the curriculum. This covers England's state school system — every child and school is different.

    
## What to expect

 
Year 4 continues Lower Key Stage 2, building on Year 3 with more complex subject content across the curriculum.

 
## Statutory checks and assessments

 
The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is statutory for all Year 4 pupils in state-funded schools in England. It's a short, on-screen check: 25 questions covering times tables up to 12×12, with 6 seconds allowed per question, usually administered in a June testing window. Importantly, there's no pass or fail — it reports a score, not a standard met or not met, so it's a lower-stakes check than it sometimes gets built up to be.

 
## Home life & homework

 
Regular, short times-tables practice in the run-up to June (a few minutes daily rather than long sessions) is genuinely useful preparation, since the check rewards quick recall over working things out under time pressure.

 
## Social & emotional

 
Most Year 4 children are comfortable with school routines and increasingly able to manage their own organisation, though support with organisation and time-keeping is still developmentally appropriate.

 
## What to focus on

 
Keep times-tables practice low-pressure — since there's no pass mark, framing the MTC as 'let's see how quick you are' rather than a test to fear tends to work better than heavy formal revision.

   
## When to check in with the school

 
If your child finds times tables genuinely difficult despite regular practice, flag it to the teacher — extra support is more useful found early than left until Year 6.

   
## Year 4: common questions

    What should I expect in Year 4?   
 The Multiplication Tables Check — a low-stakes, single-skill check in June. Year 4 continues Lower Key Stage 2, building on Year 3 with more complex subject content across the curriculum. This covers England's state school system — every child and school is different. 

   Are there any tests in Year 4?   
 The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is statutory for all Year 4 pupils in state-funded schools in England. It's a short, on-screen check: 25 questions covering times tables up to 12×12, with 6 seconds allowed per question, usually administered in a June testing window. Importantly, there's no pass or fail — it reports a score, not a standard met or not met, so it's a lower-stakes check than it sometimes gets built up to be. 

   What should I focus on at home during Year 4?   
 Keep times-tables practice low-pressure — since there's no pass mark, framing the MTC as 'let's see how quick you are' rather than a test to fear tends to work better than heavy formal revision. 

     
## 
Sources & further reading

 
 *  [ School starting age ](https://www.gov.uk/schools-admissions/school-starting-age)  — GOV.UK 
*  [ Primary assessments: future dates ](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/primary-assessments-future-dates)  — GOV.UK / Standards and Testing Agency 
 
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This covers England's state school system only — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run
          different systems. This is general information, not advice for your specific child; your
          child's school and teacher are the best source for anything specific to them. Reviewed August 2026.

    
## Year 4 at a glance

   Age range Age 8-9  Stage Key Stage 2 (Lower KS2)