Year 6Ages 10 to 11

Year 6: applications, SATs and the move to secondary

Written by A Dagdelen · Reviewed

Year 6 packs three events into one year: the secondary application in the autumn, offers in March and the SATs in May. Knowing the order takes most of the stress out.

Photo: note thanun on Unsplash

  • 31 Octsecondary applications close
  • 1 Maroffer day
  • MaySATs, less than four hours of tests in total
  • JulySATs results come home

What this year is for

  1. Autumn: apply. Applications usually open on 1 September and close on 31 October. You apply through your own council and rank your schools. Late applications are less likely to get a first choice.
  2. Spring: offers and decisions. Offers go out on 1 March. Accept the place by the date in the letter. If you want a different school, join its waiting list or appeal.
  3. May: SATs. Children sit reading, grammar and punctuation, and maths tests. Writing and science are assessed by the teacher. Results arrive in July, long after offers were made.
  4. Summer: the move. Secondary schools invite new pupils to visit. Children often worry about size, getting lost and making friends. Talk it through early.

What to do at home

Keep SATs low-key

Short, regular practice is enough. Tell your child the tests help the school, not decide their future.

Build the Year 7 routine now

Practise the journey, packing a bag the night before and keeping a planner.

Read and talk

Reading for pleasure and a daily chat about the day help more than extra worksheets.

Look after the whole child

Sleep, play and time with friends matter in a big year.

Practise and explore on Quizo School

Questions parents ask

Do SATs decide which secondary school my child goes to?

No. Offers are made on 1 March, before the tests, on each school's admission rules.

How do we prepare without making it stressful?

A few short, regular sessions and a calm tone are enough. Practise arithmetic and reading, and keep evenings free.

My child is anxious about moving up. What can I do?

Visit together, ask the new school about transition support, and meet one or two future classmates before September.

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Applying for secondary school

How to apply for a Year 7 place: apply through your council by 31 October of Year 6, rank your schools, understand admission rules and what happens on 1 March.

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What happens on secondary offer day, what to do if you did not get your preferred school, how waiting lists work and the appeal timeline, checked against GOV.UK.

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