What children learn in Year 2
Year 2 is the last year of Key Stage 1. Most children start the year aged 6 and turn 7 during it. Here is what the national curriculum sets out for maths and English in Year 2, the national checks that fall this year and simple ways to help at home.
Daily challenges that keep pace with your child's school year
For Years 1 to 6, with an 11+ track when you're ready.
Maths in Year 2
- Number and place valueTens and ones to 100. Comparing and ordering numbers to 100. Counting in 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s. Odd and even numbers. Numbers to 100 in words.
- CalculationNumber bonds to 20 and 100. Adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. Missing number problems. Word problems. Adding and subtracting as opposites. The 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Sharing and grouping.
- Fractions, decimals and percentagesThirds, quarters and three quarters.
- MeasurementPounds and pence. Length in centimetres and metres. Mass, capacity and temperature. Time to five minutes.
- Shape and positionProperties of 2D and 3D shapes. Position, direction and turns.
- StatisticsTallies, pictograms and block diagrams.
Many schools teach maths in the order set by White Rose Maths. See the Year 2 blocks term by term.
Source: National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study (Department for Education).
English in Year 2
- ReadingReading and understanding. Word meanings and groups.
- SpellingPhonics: other ways to spell sounds. Year 2 spelling rules. Words that sound the same.
- Grammar and punctuationStatements, questions and exclamations. Past and present tense. Joining words. Nouns, verbs and adjectives. Describing words and noun phrases.
Source: National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (Department for Education).
National checks in Year 2
Children who did not meet the standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 take it again in Year 2.
Key Stage 1 tests in reading and maths are optional. Schools can still use them; for 2027 the recommended time is May.
Source: Phonics screening check: information for parents (Standards and Testing Agency); Primary assessments: future dates (Standards and Testing Agency, updated 12 October 2026).
Ways to help at home
Times tables
- Count pairs of socks in 2s, 5p coins in 5s and fingers in 10s.
- Chant the 2, 5 and 10 times tables in the car, then ask one out of order.
Time and money
- Read the time to five minutes on a clock with hands, morning and afternoon.
- Pay for something small with coins and count the change together.
Reading for meaning
- After a story, ask why a character did something, not just what happened.
- Talk about a new word: what it might mean, then check.
The CoachKite report shows which Year 2 topics your child has mastered and where they stand against their year. See what's in the report.
Daily challenges that keep pace with your child's school year
For Years 1 to 6, with an 11+ track when you're ready.