Year 5: age, curriculum and assessments
Year 5 is the first year of upper Key Stage 2, and the main preparation year for the 11+.
The answer
Children in Year 5 are 9 or 10 years old. Year 5 is in Key Stage 2, and every child turns 10 during the year.
Year 5 at a glance
Year 5 is in Key Stage 2, in what schools call upper Key Stage 2. Key Stage 2 is Years 3 to 6, ages 7 to 11. Year 5 content gets denser: numbers to a million, long multiplication, primes and percentages. In selective areas it is also the year families prepare for the 11+ and register for it.
- Age
- 9 to 10
- Key stage
- Key Stage 2
- Where
- Primary school
- National assessments
- None
What children learn in Year 5
Taken from the national curriculum in England (2014), Year 5 programme of study for mathematics, the Years 5 and 6 programme of study for English, and English Appendix 2.
Maths in Year 5
- Read, write, order and compare numbers to at least 1,000,000, and round them to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000.
- Find multiples, factors and factor pairs, and know prime numbers, prime factors, square numbers and cube numbers.
- Multiply numbers up to four digits by a one-digit or two-digit number, including long multiplication, and divide numbers up to four digits by a one-digit number using short division.
- Multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10, 100 and 1,000.
- Compare and find equivalent fractions, convert between mixed numbers and improper fractions, and multiply fractions by whole numbers.
- Work with decimals to three places, and understand per cent as the number of parts per 100.
- Measure and draw angles in degrees, and know that angles on a straight line make 180° and angles round a point make 360°.
- Find the area of rectangles in cm² and m², read Roman numerals to 1,000 (M), and read line graphs and timetables.
English in Year 5
- Use relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose or that.
- Show how likely something is with modal verbs (might, should, will, must) and adverbs (perhaps, surely).
- Use brackets, dashes or commas for extra information, and commas to make meaning clear.
- Turn nouns or adjectives into verbs with suffixes such as -ate, -ise and -ify, and use verb prefixes such as dis-, de-, mis-, over- and re-.
- Link paragraphs with words for time, place and number, such as later, nearby and secondly.
- Read a wider range of books, including older fiction and books from other cultures, and talk about how authors use figurative language.
- Learn the statutory Years 5 and 6 spelling list, including words with silent letters, and use a thesaurus.
Tests and assessments in Year 5
There is no statutory assessment in Year 5. Many schools set their own end of year tests. In selective areas, Year 5 is the year of 11+ registration, which is covered below.
Where the 11+ fits in Year 5
Year 5 is the main 11+ preparation year. In most selective areas the test is sat in September of Year 6, so nearly all the preparation happens in Year 5.
Registration usually happens in the summer term of Year 5, and in most areas it is a separate form from the secondary school application. Missing the deadline can end an attempt before it starts, so check your own area’s dates.
Much 11+ maths is Year 5 content. Four Year 6 topics can appear before school has taught them: long division by two-digit numbers, ratio and proportion, simple algebra, and the volume of cubes and cuboids.
Reasoning is the real gap. School does not teach verbal or non-verbal reasoning, so that is where unfamiliar practice time is best spent.
Equivalent fractions on a fraction wall
Year 5 children find equivalent fractions from a picture, including tenths and hundredths. On a fraction wall, equivalent fractions line up.
An interactive example loads here in your browser.
Is your child in Year 5?
Enter a date of birth to see the year group today, and the dates that matter from Reception to Year 7.
A school year finder loads here in your browser: enter a date of birth to see the year group.
How to help at home in Year 5
- Keep times tables sharp: Year 5 uses them constantly in long multiplication, short division and fractions.
- Read widely and talk about unfamiliar words. Many 11+ papers test vocabulary directly.
- If the 11+ is a possibility, find out early in Year 5 when your area’s registration opens (usually in the summer term), and put the closing date in your diary.
- Try short, regular reasoning practice. School does not teach verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
Read next
Other year groups
Questions parents ask
What age is Year 5?
Children in Year 5 are 9 or 10 years old. Children in the same year group are born between 1 September in one year and 31 August the next, so each child turns 10 at some point during Year 5.
What key stage is Year 5?
Year 5 is in Key Stage 2, in what schools call upper Key Stage 2. Key Stage 2 is Years 3 to 6, ages 7 to 11.
When do you register for the 11+?
In most areas, during the summer term of Year 5, for a test in September of Year 6. Dates and forms vary by area, so check with your council or the schools you are considering.
Is Year 5 too late to start 11+ preparation?
No. Year 5 is when most families start, and it covers much of the maths the test asks about. Start early in the year and keep sessions short and regular.
Is there a national test in Year 5?
No. There is no statutory assessment in Year 5. The Key Stage 2 tests (SATs) come in May of Year 6.
Find out where your Year 5 child stands
The free diagnostic checks maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, and shows what to practise in the months before the 11+. No card is required.