What children learn in Year 4
Most children start Year 4 aged 8 and turn 9 during it. Here is what the national curriculum sets out for maths and English in Year 4, 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 4
- Number and place valueNumbers to 10,000 and rounding. Negative numbers. Roman numerals to 100.
- CalculationAdding and subtracting up to four digits. Times tables to 12 × 12. Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and a one-digit number.
- Fractions, decimals and percentagesEquivalent fractions, adding and subtracting. Tenths, hundredths and decimals.
- MeasurementArea and perimeter. Money with pounds and pence. Converting units of time.
- Shape and positionAngles, triangles and symmetry. Coordinates and translations.
- StatisticsBar charts and line graphs.
Many schools teach maths in the order set by White Rose Maths. See the Year 4 blocks term by term.
Source: National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study (Department for Education).
English in Year 4
- ReadingRetrieval, inference and summarising. Word meanings in context.
- SpellingYear 4 spelling rules. Homophones.
- Grammar and punctuationFronted adverbials and noun phrases. Apostrophes and commas. Standard English and pronouns.
The words children learn to spell in Years 3 and 4 are listed on the Year 3 page.
Source: National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (Department for Education).
National checks in Year 4
Every Year 4 pupil takes the multiplication tables check in June: 25 times tables questions on screen, with 6 seconds to answer each one.
In 2027, schools give it in the two weeks from Monday 7 June.
Source: Multiplication tables check administration guidance (Standards and Testing Agency); Primary assessments: future dates (Standards and Testing Agency, updated 12 October 2026).
Ways to help at home
All the times tables to 12 × 12
- A few minutes most days beats a long session. Mix the order once the tables are known.
- Turn facts round: if 7 × 8 = 56, what is 56 ÷ 8?
Decimals, money and area
- Round shop prices to the nearest pound and estimate a total.
- Count squares on squared paper or floor tiles to find the area of a shape.
Writing that flows
- Start sentences with "Later that day," or "Without a sound," and notice the comma after them.
- Find apostrophes in signs and decide whether each shows belonging or a missing letter.
The CoachKite report shows which Year 4 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.