2. Mathematics SAT parent meeting
Aims:
We want you to have a better understanding of what your children will be expected to do in the 2017 Mathematics SATs.
We want you to be aware of:
How they are different to SATs prior to 2016
Example questions
How you can support your child
We will also happily take questions at any time.
We are all in this together!

3. In the second week of May, your children will be sitting a week of tests.
On the Wednesday of that week, they will sit an arithmetic and a reasoning paper.
The following day they will sit the second reasoning paper.
Last year, the arithmetic paper was made up of 36 questions to be completed in 30 minutes.
(That is only 50 seconds per question!)
The reasoning papers were made up of 20 questions per paper to be completed in 40 minutes.
(That is 2 minutes per question)

5. So what’s inside the papers?

7. What is arithmetic?
We are teaching children to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers mentally and by using formal written methods.
Essentially, children must be secure in the four operations when working with whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages.

9. What is reasoning?
We are teaching children to reason mathematically. This requires them to read a problem in an attempt to understand what they need to do in order to solve it.
They will need to identify which of their mathematical skills and knowledge the question is requiring them to apply.
(or, in the words of Luka in 6S:
“If arithmetic is adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, then reasoning is all the other stuff!”

10. For example, Roman numerals. You just have to know them!

11. This is a typical “reasoning” multi-step problem.

12. So is this. It is just a little bit harder.

14. Other areas addressed in the reasoning paper might include:
Measure Algebra Properties of shape Position and direction Ratio and proportion Statistics Number, place value, approximation and estimation/rounding Calculations Fractions, decimals and percentages

15. How you can help your child:
Remind them that although the SATs are important, they are not everything
Support and encourage them with their homework
Mathletics
Reading
Study guides (we have some to sell at cost price and can be purchased via parentpay)

16. You can find all the papers on the DfE website: www. gov
You can find all the papers on the DfE website: We will make this web link and presentation available on the school website shortly.