Brainhub guide
SATs English: the reading and grammar papers explained
What is in the reading paper and the two grammar, punctuation and spelling papers, how they are scored, and what helps most at home.
Key takeaways
- Year 6 English SATs are three papers: reading (50 marks), grammar and punctuation questions (50 marks) and a 20-word spelling test.
- In 2026, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and 74% in grammar, punctuation and spelling.
- In 2026 a child needed 25 out of 50 in reading, and 34 out of 70 in grammar, punctuation and spelling, to reach the expected standard.
- Writing has no test. Teachers judge it from your child’s work across the year.
1. The English papers at a glance
English SATs are part of the key stage 2 tests that children in England take in Year 6. There is a reading test and two grammar, punctuation and spelling papers. In 2027 the grammar papers are on Monday 10 May and reading is on Tuesday 11 May.[1]
The lengths and marks below come from the Standards and Testing Agency’s test frameworks, the official descriptions of each test.[4]
2. The reading paper
The reading paper gives children a booklet of texts to read, between 1,500 and 2,300 words in total, and asks questions about them. The questions test understanding: finding information, explaining what words mean, working out what a character thinks and why, and summing up what a passage is about.[5]
The hour includes reading time, so children have to keep moving. A child who reads fluently has more time left to think about the questions.[5]
Talk about books: Ask why a character did something, or what a new word might mean from the sentence around it. That is the thinking the reading paper rewards.
3. Grammar, punctuation and spelling
Paper 1 has short questions on grammar, punctuation and vocabulary, such as choosing the right verb form, adding a comma or naming a word class. It lasts 45 minutes and is worth 50 marks.[4]
Paper 2 is a spelling test. The teacher reads out 20 words in sentences and children write each missing word. It is worth 20 marks and takes about 15 minutes, but it is not strictly timed.[4]
Both papers count together as one subject, out of 70 marks.[7]
4. Scores and the 2026 results
Marks in each subject are turned into a scaled score from 80 to 120. A score of 100 or more means your child met the expected standard.[6]
In 2026 a child needed 25 marks out of 50 in reading to reach 100, and 40 marks for a score of 110. In grammar, punctuation and spelling they needed 34 out of 70 for 100, and 55 for 110. These marks change a little each year.[7]
Nationally in 2026, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, the same as in 2025, and 74% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, up from 73%.[3]
5. Writing is judged by teachers
There is no writing test. Your child’s teacher looks at their writing across the year and reports whether they are working towards, working at, or working at greater depth within the expected standard. In 2026, 73% of pupils were working at the expected standard or above.[2]
Writing and grammar help each other. Children who can use commas, apostrophes and verb tenses correctly on the grammar paper should be using them in their own stories too.
6. How to help at home
Read together most days, even with confident readers, and talk about what you read. Short, regular reading builds the speed the reading paper needs.
Try ten spellings a week, said aloud in a sentence, the same way the spelling test works. Spot grammar in the books you share: why is there an apostrophe here, why did the author start a new paragraph?
GOV.UK publishes past papers. One section now and then, in the real time limit, makes the layout familiar. Our Year 6 SATs guide covers dates, results and access arrangements.[2]
Fluent readers have time left to think.
7. How Brainhub can help
Brainhub teaches one-to-one primary English, live online across the UK, from £25 an hour, and in schools through our partnerships team. A tutor can work on reading, grammar or spelling gaps at your child’s pace. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment.
Try it now
Test yourself on this page
Answer in your head first, then check.
-
1. How many marks is the reading paper worth?
-
2. How many words are in the spelling test?
-
3. What score means a child met the expected standard?
Your next steps
- Read with your child for ten minutes most days and talk about the story.
- Try ten spellings a week, read aloud in a sentence.
- Book a free 45-minute assessment to find the gaps.
Sources
- GOV.UK. 2027 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements. gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements-ara/2027-key-stage-2-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements
- GOV.UK. 2027 key stage 2 national curriculum tests: information for parents. gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-national-curriculum-tests-and-results-information-for-parents/2027-key-stage-2-national-curriculum-tests-information-for-parents
- Department for Education. Key stage 2 attainment: national headlines, academic year 2025/26 (published 10 September 2026). explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment-national-headlines/2025-26
- Standards and Testing Agency (2016). Key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test framework. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82cc1ded915d74e34039f1/2016_KS2_EnglishGPS_framework_PDFA_V9.pdf
- Standards and Testing Agency (2016). Key stage 2 English reading test framework. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82454eed915d74e3402a2a/2016_KS2_Englishreading_framework_PDFA_V3.pdf
- GOV.UK. Understanding scaled scores at key stage 2. gov.uk/guidance/understanding-scaled-scores-at-key-stage-2
- GOV.UK. 2026 key stage 2 scaled score conversion tables. gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-tests-2026-scaled-scores/2026-key-stage-2-scaled-score-conversion-tables
This guide is general study advice. Every student is different. A teacher can help you work out what fits.