Focus areas ahead of the Key Stage 3 transition

Atom's Education Experts share their recommendations for a smooth transition into Year 7.

Mastering the Key Stage 2 learning objectives before Year 7 will help your child start secondary school with confidence. Here are the four areas our Education Experts recommend focusing on as your child approaches the end of Key Stage 2.

Reading 

"Reading is the most important thing to master as you leave Year 6." – Anna, Head of Education

By the end of Key Stage 2, your child should be reading to learn, not learning to read. That means reading aloud fluently and independently, and having the stamina to enjoy a wide range of fiction and non-fiction.

Why does this matter? Key Stage 3 reading is all about analysis rather than fluency. Regular reading is also the most effective way to build vocabulary, creative writing skills, and analytical thinking, all of which are central to secondary school learning.

💡 How to practise:

• Challenge your child to read a classic, a modern novel and a non-fiction text from Atom's Recommended Reading List
• Encourage them to keep a reading diary to record every book they finish

Spelling and writing 

Secondary school teachers expect strong spelling from day one, and Key Stage 2 writing skills won't be retaught in Key Stage 3. Your child should feel confident with the basics before they move up, ready for the more complex writing techniques they'll meet in Year 7.

💡 How to practise:

• Set practices in English topic areas on Atom to identify any learning gaps
• Watch Atom's creative writing and comprehension lessons in the Lesson Library
• Read words aloud from Atom's Key Stage 2 Statutory Spelling List for your child to write down

Number fluency

In Key Stage 3, teachers spend far less time on core number skills. Your child will be expected to:

• Solve problems with numbers confidently
• Do quick mental calculations with all four operations
• Know their times tables, plus multiplication and division facts
• Add two-digit numbers in under five seconds, and use strategies for three and four-digit numbers
• Judge when to work something out mentally and when to use a written method

💡 How to practise:

• Set practices for your child on Atom in Maths > Number > Operations.

Numerical reasoning

Numerical reasoning goes beyond arithmetic. It's the ability to interpret data, apply maths skills and draw conclusions. By the end of Key Stage 2, your child should have a strong grasp of this kind of problem-solving.

The best way to improve? Regular practice with questions that need logical thinking, not just calculation.

⭐️ Top tip: Encourage your child to explain their thinking out loud as they work through a problem. It strengthens understanding and helps them spot mistakes before they happen!

💡 How to practise:

Set practices for your child on Atom in:

• Maths > Ratio and Proportion > Ratio > Relative Quantities
• Maths > Number > Fractions > Intro to Fractions / Equivalent Fractions
• Maths > Algebra > Expressions > Forming Expressions
  
  

Don't forget the new Year 6 topics

These topics are introduced in Year 6, so your child will have had less time to practise them than other Key Stage 2 material. They come up often in Key Stage 3, so it's worth making sure your child feels confident with them before September:

• Order of Operations
• Multiplying Fractions 
• Dividing Fractions
• The Mean
• Pie Charts
• Similar Shapes & Scale factors 
• Calculating Percentages 
• Forming Expressions 

You can practise all of these by setting practices. Our Atom Learning Curriculum document will help you find each topic area.

Looking for an extra challenge? We also offer early Key Stage 3 maths topics on Atom to stretch your child ahead of secondary school. See the full list of maths extension topics here.

You may also find our article about Preparing for Year 7 on Atom Home helpful.