KS1 Maths Tuition Online | Years 1 and 2, Live and Playful

In short

KS1 maths is the Key Stage 1 mathematics programme of the national curriculum in England, taught in Years 1 and 2 to children aged about 5 to 7. Its main aim, in the Department for Education's words, is "confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value", and by the end of Year 2 children should know number bonds to 20. The end of KS1 tests are now optional for schools. Modern Age Coders teaches KS1 maths live online, in a group of 15 to 20 or 1-on-1, through its Elementary Maths course, starting with objects and pictures before symbols. The first class is free, and we are not part of any school or government body.

Courses for KS1

Three courses for children in Years 1 and 2

Elementary Maths is the main KS1 course. Early Maths suits the youngest Year 1 children, and Mental Maths is for a child who is secure and wants to go faster.

K1 / 01

Elementary Maths

Its first level covers the Year 1 and Year 2 ground: numbers, place value, adding, first multiplication, shape, time and money.

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$Early Math Foundations course thumbnail$

K1 / 02

Early Maths Foundations

Playful, concrete maths for ages 4 to 7, for a child still building counting.

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K1 / 03

Mental Maths for Kids

Number sense and quick recall for ages 5 to 10, built on understanding.

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Years 1 and 2

What should a child know in maths by the end of Year 2?

The national curriculum sets out what children should be taught in each year. These are the statutory expectations, summarised from the programme of study.

The Department for Education states the purpose plainly: "The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value." It sets one clear goal for the end of the stage: "By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency." Everything else in KS1 grows from those two ideas.

Key Stage 1 maths, year by year (from the national curriculum programmes of study)
Area	Year 1	Year 2
Counting and place value	Count to and across 100, forwards and backwards; read and write numbers 1 to 20 in numerals and words	Count in steps of 2, 3 and 5 from 0 and in tens from any number; tens and ones in two-digit numbers; compare with <, > and =
Adding and subtracting	Number bonds and subtraction facts within 20; add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20	Facts to 20 recalled fluently; add and subtract a two-digit number and ones, and two two-digit numbers
Multiplying and dividing	One-step problems with objects, pictures and arrays	Recall the 2, 5 and 10 times tables; know multiplication can be done in any order and division cannot
Fractions	Recognise a half and a quarter	Find one third, one quarter, two quarters and three quarters of a shape, set or quantity
Time	Tell the time to the hour and half past	Tell the time to five minutes; minutes in an hour and hours in a day
Money	Recognise coins and notes	Use the pound and pence symbols; give change
Shape and data	Name common 2-D and 3-D shapes; whole, half and quarter turns	Sides, edges, faces and vertices; pictograms, tally charts and block diagrams

The curriculum's notes describe how this should feel in practice. Children should "partition numbers in different ways (for example, 23 = 20 + 3 and 23 = 10 + 13) to support subtraction", and in Year 2 they meet three quarters as "the first example of a non-unit fraction". In geometry, the notes even suggest "programming robots using instructions given in right angles", which is where early maths and early coding meet.

Source: Department for Education, Mathematics programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2, read on 31 October 2026. The table summarises the statutory requirements; the full document has more detail.

The optional tests

Are KS1 SATs still happening in 2027?

Not as statutory tests. The end of KS1 tests are optional, and a school decides whether to use them. The Standards and Testing Agency recommends that schools that do use them give them in May 2027.

The Standards and Testing Agency says it directly: "National curriculum tests at the end of KS1 are optional." Schools can use them "to support their own measurement of pupil attainment", and although the results can help when reporting to parents, the agency adds that "there is no requirement for schools to do so". Some things are still statutory in Year 2. In the agency's words, "the following remain statutory: the phonics screening check annual reports for parents about each pupil's general progress in year 2", along with trialling for a small number of selected schools.

The optional KS1 maths test, 2026 to 2027 (STA guidance and scaled score notice)
Part	What it is	Time
Paper 1: arithmetic	A single test paper of calculations	Approximately 20 minutes
Paper 2: reasoning	A single paper, with an aural practice question and 5 aural questions read aloud	Approximately 35 minutes
Timing	"The optional KS1 tests are not designed to be strictly timed."	Recommended during May 2027
Scaled scores	85 is the lowest scaled score; 100 to 115 means the expected standard was met	Converted from the raw score

What this means for families

Your child's school may give the optional tests in May 2027, or may not. Either way, the school still reports each child's general progress in Year 2.

Ask the class teacher what the school uses to check maths at the end of Year 2, and what it shows. That conversation is more useful than any practice paper.

What is under review

The agency notes that "future assessment arrangements are under review" following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, published with the government's response in November 2025.

For this school year it is clear that "Assessment arrangements for the academic year 2026 to 2027 will remain unchanged."

The agency also says something parents rarely hear: its test frameworks are written for test developers, and "Teachers should not use the test frameworks to guide teaching and learning." The curriculum is the guide. That is the approach we take: teach the Year 1 and Year 2 content well, and any test that a school chooses to use will look after itself.

Sources: Standards and Testing Agency, optional key stage 1 tests, the 2026 to 2027 guidance and the 2026 scaled scores notice; DfE, Primary assessments: future dates. Read on 31 October 2026.

At home

What KS1 maths games can we play at home?

Five games of our own that need nothing more than a pack of cards, some coins or a clock. Each one practises a statutory KS1 skill.

Our kitchen-table games for Years 1 and 2
Game (ours)	What you need	What it practises
Make Ten	Cards 1 to 9	Turn two cards; keep them if they make 10. Later, make 20 with three cards. Number bonds to 10 and 20.
Tens and Ones Shop	Ten-pence and one-penny coins	Pay for items priced up to 99p using the fewest coins. Place value, and the pence symbol.
Clock Detective	A real analogue clock	One player sets a time to five minutes, the other reads it aloud. Year 2 time.
Share Fairly	Twelve small snacks	Share them into 2, 3 and 4 equal groups and name each fraction. Halves, thirds and quarters.
Robot Steps	A floor and a toy	Give instructions: forward 3, quarter turn right. Position, direction and turns.

Little and often works better than long sessions at this age. The curriculum's own advice is that "An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency", and in our experience five or ten minutes a day of a game a child enjoys does more for number bonds than a long weekend worksheet. Stop while it is still fun.

Signs a child may need more help

Still counting on fingers for bonds to 10 by the end of Year 1, or unsure that 23 is two tens and three ones in Year 2.

Finding it hard to tell the time to the half hour, or to say which of two numbers is bigger. These are the facts later years assume.

Signs a child is ready for more

Recalls bonds to 20 instantly, counts in 3s, and explains why 4 × 5 and 5 × 4 give the same answer.

For a confident child, the next steps are in our KS2 maths page, and for a child who loves puzzles, first competitions for primary children.

Worked examples

Four KS1 examples we use, step by step

Our own examples, written for a parent sitting beside a child. Each follows the curriculum's order: objects first, then pictures, then numbers.

1. Subtraction by partitioning (Year 2)

Question (ours). 34 − 18.

With objects. Make 34 from three ten-sticks and four ones. To take away 18, we need eight ones, but there are only four, so swap one ten-stick for ten ones: now 2 tens and 14 ones.

Take away. 14 ones minus 8 ones leaves 6 ones. 2 tens minus 1 ten leaves 1 ten.

Answer. 1 ten and 6 ones is 16. This is the curriculum's idea that 34 can be seen as 20 + 14 as well as 30 + 4.

2. Number bonds through 10 (Year 1)

Question (ours). 8 + 5.

Picture. Draw a ten-frame with 8 dots. Two more fill it. That uses 2 of the 5, leaving 3.

Numbers. 8 + 2 = 10, then 10 + 3 = 13.

Why it matters. Bonds to 10 turn every sum up to 20 into two easy steps, which is why the curriculum wants them known by heart.

3. The 5 times table on a clock (Year 2)

Question (ours). The minute hand points to the 7. How many minutes past the hour is it?

Count in fives. Each number on the clock is 5 minutes: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35.

Answer. 35 minutes past, which is 7 × 5. The curriculum links the 5 times table to "the divisions on the clock face" for exactly this reason.

4. Three quarters of a set (Year 2)

Question (ours). What is three quarters of 12 strawberries?

Share. Put the 12 into 4 equal groups: 3 in each. One quarter is 3.

Three quarters. Three of the groups: 3 + 3 + 3 = 9.

Answer. 9 strawberries. Sharing first makes it clear why three quarters is more than a half (6) but less than the whole.

Practice set (ours, with answers). (1) What must be added to 13 to make 20? (2) Write 47 as tens and ones, then as 30 and something. (3) 6 × 5. (4) Half of 18. (5) Which is more, 3 tens or 28 ones? (6) A lesson starts at quarter past 2 and lasts 30 minutes; when does it end? Answers: (1) 7; (2) 4 tens and 7 ones, and 30 + 17; (3) 30; (4) 9; (5) 3 tens, because 3 tens is 30; (6) quarter to 3.

Our KS1 classes

How does online KS1 maths tuition work for a six year old?

Short, lively and practical. Young children learn number with their hands and eyes before symbols, and online lessons can do that well when they are designed for it.

A gentle first class. The teacher plays a few number games with the child to see where they are with counting, bonds and place value. It is free and there is nothing to prepare.
Things to hand. We ask families to keep a small kit by the screen: counters or buttons, a few coins, and later a clock face. The child moves real objects while the teacher shows the same thing on screen.
Objects, pictures, then numbers. Each idea is met with objects, drawn as a picture, then written as a number sentence, the order the curriculum describes.
Short practice between classes. A five-minute game or a handful of questions for the days in between, never a long worksheet.
A note for parents. After each block of lessons, a short message on what the child can now do and what comes next.

Group or 1-on-1 at this age?

A group of 15 to 20 children gives energy and a sense of playing together, and suits a child who is broadly on track.

1-on-1 suits a very young Year 1 child, a shy child, or one who needs a particular gap closed before Year 3.

What we will not do

Drill a six year old on test papers. The tests are optional and the agency itself says its frameworks should not guide teaching.

Claim any link with a school, the Department for Education or the Standards and Testing Agency. We are an independent online school.

Progress

Four steps through Key Stage 1 maths

Each step is something a child can show at the table, not a score.

What a KS1 child should be able to do
Step	Usually by	What it looks like
1. Counting securely	Early Year 1	Counts objects one by one, and counts on and back to 100
2. Bonds to 10	End of Year 1	Knows pairs that make 10 without counting, and uses them to add within 20
3. Tens and ones	Middle of Year 2	Explains that 46 is 4 tens and 6 ones, and partitions it in other ways
4. Bonds to 20 and three tables	End of Year 2	Recalls bonds to 20 and the 2, 5 and 10 times tables

Step two is the turning point

Once bonds to 10 are known, adding and subtracting stop being counting exercises.

Children who enjoy giving instructions may like our KS2 coding lessons in a year or two.

Step four sets up Year 3

Year 3 brings the 3, 4 and 8 tables and written methods. They rest on step four.

Lessons pause in school holidays if families prefer.

Catalogue

Nine courses for young children

Maths first, with a few making and thinking courses for children who want more.

I

Early number

Ages 5 to 7

UK / K11 / 01

Elementary Maths

The KS1 ground, objects and pictures first.

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UK / K11 / 02

Early Maths Foundations

Counting and shape through play, ages 4 to 7.

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UK / K11 / 03

Mental Maths

Quick number facts that rest on understanding.

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II

Number sense

For keen counters

UK / K12 / 01

Abacus and mental maths

Place value made visible on the beads.

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UK / K12 / 02

Problem solving for kids

Patterns, puzzles and step-by-step thinking.

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UK / K12 / 03

KS2 SATs Maths

For later: the Year 6 course these years build towards.

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III

Making things

Maths through play

UK / K13 / 01

Coding for kids

Block coding, a natural partner to KS1 turns and directions.

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UK / K13 / 02

Scratch

Simple games for children ready to read instructions.

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UK / K13 / 03

App making for kids

First apps with blocks, for older KS1 children.

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Lessons

How KS1 classes run

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Our teachers are in India and every time we offer is in UK time, with short sessions for young children.

After school

A short session before tea.

Early evening

For families with later pick-ups.

Weekend morning

When young children are freshest.

Hands on

Counters, coins and clocks by the screen, so children move real objects.

Curriculum order

Objects, then pictures, then number sentences, as the programme of study describes.

Short and lively

Lessons sized for a five to seven year old's attention, with games built in.

Parents in the loop

A short note after each block of lessons on what has been learned.

First class free

One playful class to meet the teacher, with no payment.

Group or 1-on-1

A group of 15 to 20 children, or one child with their own teacher.

Student work

Things our younger students made

Simple projects from ordinary classes, none of them assessed. Student labs shows more.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Fees for KS1 maths classes

A free first class, then a monthly fee that is lower for a group place and higher for 1-on-1. We bill only once a course and a weekly time are agreed, and there is no contract.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

A playful first class
A view of counting and number bonds
Booked with a phone number

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

15 to 20 children in Years 1 and 2
The same friendly teacher each week
Short games to play between classes
A note to parents after each block

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One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

A teacher for one child
Paced to the child's attention span
Good for very young or shy children

Enquire

What families say

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Parents' Google reviews, word for word.

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"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

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"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

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Student

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"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

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Parent of Dhairya

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"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

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"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

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KS1 questions

What parents ask about KS1 maths

What maths should my child know by the end of Year 2?

The national curriculum expects number bonds to 20, a precise understanding of tens and ones, and recall of the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Children should also tell the time to five minutes and find simple fractions such as three quarters.

Are KS1 SATs still happening?

The end of KS1 tests are optional. Schools can choose to use them, and the Standards and Testing Agency recommends May 2027 for those that do.

What is in the optional KS1 maths test?

Two papers: arithmetic, about 20 minutes, and reasoning, about 35 minutes, including five questions read aloud. The agency says the tests are not designed to be strictly timed.

What do KS1 scaled scores mean?

The lowest scaled score is 85. A score between 100 and 115 means the child met the expected standard on that test.

Should my child practise KS1 past papers?

We would not drill them. The tests are optional, and the agency itself says its frameworks should not guide teaching. Games and steady practice of the curriculum facts help far more.

What KS1 maths games can we play at home?

Simple card and coin games work well: making 10 or 20 from playing cards, paying for things with ten-pence and penny coins, and reading a real clock to five minutes. Five or ten minutes a day is plenty.

Is online maths tuition suitable for a six year old?

It can be, when lessons are short, practical and designed for young children. We ask families to keep counters and coins by the screen so the child handles real objects.

When are classes?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. All times are UK time.

Which course should a Year 1 child start with?

Usually Elementary Maths. For a child still building counting, Early Maths Foundations comes first; the free first class helps decide.

Are you connected with my child's school or the STA?

No. We are an independent online school, separate from schools, the Department for Education and the Standards and Testing Agency.

More primary help

Other pages for primary families

What comes after KS1, and how primary maths is checked in England.

KS2 maths tuition

Years 3 to 6, from times tables to fractions.

Year 4 multiplication tables check

The June check that follows the 2, 5 and 10 tables.

KS2 SATs maths papers

The Year 6 tests, paper by paper.

Primary Maths Challenge

Puzzles for children who love maths.

KS2 coding lessons

A natural next step for young problem solvers.

Coding classes in the UK

Our UK hub, maths and coding.

Related pages in this guide

Part of the guide: UK maths year by year, Reception to Year 11

Primary, Reception to Year 6

Secondary, Year 7 to Year 11

Scotland

More guides: UK maths exam boards and specification codes · UK selective school maths tests: 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ · UK university admissions: maths tests and computing applications · UK maths enrichment, competitions and able pupils

Start here

Book a free KS1 maths class

Leave a number and we will call at a UK time that suits. The first class is playful: a few number games to see where your child is with counting and bonds.

Prefer to read first? The Elementary Maths course sets out its levels, and how we teach describes a typical class.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com

WhatsApp is the easiest way to reach us and is free from a UK mobile. Our team in India replies from a +91 number.

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.

Book a priority demo

Three courses for children in Years 1 and 2

Elementary Maths

Early Maths Foundations

Mental Maths for Kids

What should a child know in maths by the end of Year 2?

Are KS1 SATs still happening in 2027?

What this means for families

What is under review

What KS1 maths games can we play at home?

Signs a child may need more help

Signs a child is ready for more

Four KS1 examples we use, step by step

1. Subtraction by partitioning (Year 2)

2. Number bonds through 10 (Year 1)

3. The 5 times table on a clock (Year 2)

4. Three quarters of a set (Year 2)

How does online KS1 maths tuition work for a six year old?

Group or 1-on-1 at this age?

What we will not do

Four steps through Key Stage 1 maths

Step two is the turning point

Step four sets up Year 3

Nine courses for young children

Early number

Elementary Maths

Early Maths Foundations

Mental Maths

Number sense

Abacus and mental maths

Problem solving for kids

KS2 SATs Maths

Making things

Coding for kids

Scratch

App making for kids

How KS1 classes run

Hands on

Curriculum order

Short and lively

Parents in the loop

First class free

Group or 1-on-1

Things our younger students made

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees for KS1 maths classes

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

What parents ask about KS1 maths

What maths should my child know by the end of Year 2?

Are KS1 SATs still happening?

What is in the optional KS1 maths test?

What do KS1 scaled scores mean?

Should my child practise KS1 past papers?

What KS1 maths games can we play at home?

Is online maths tuition suitable for a six year old?

When are classes?

Which course should a Year 1 child start with?

Are you connected with my child's school or the STA?

Other pages for primary families

KS2 maths tuition

Year 4 multiplication tables check

KS2 SATs maths papers

Primary Maths Challenge

KS2 coding lessons

Coding classes in the UK

Related pages in this guide

Primary, Reception to Year 6

Secondary, Year 7 to Year 11

Scotland

Book a free KS1 maths class

Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo

Keep exploring Modern Age Coders

More maths tuition

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