England · Year 4 maths · ages 8 to 9

Year 4 maths tutor online

Most parents know Year 4 as the times tables year, and with reason: by the summer every child in a state school in England is expected to know the tables up to 12 × 12, and a short on-screen check in June asks them to prove it. But the tables are one line of a long programme. Year 4 also brings four-digit numbers, counting below zero, hundredths and decimals, Roman numerals to 100, the area of a shape and the first coordinate grid. This page covers the whole of Year 4 maths from the Department for Education's programme of study, what the 2027 check involves in brief, and how we tutor the year, with four examples of our own.

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Live teaching since 2020 · 10,000+ students · Built from the DfE Year 4 programme and STA 2027 dates

In short

Year 4 maths is the last year of lower Key Stage 2 in England's national curriculum, for children aged 8 to 9. Its best-known requirement is recall of every times table up to 12 × 12, checked in a statutory on-screen multiplication tables check held from 7 to 18 June 2027. The programme also adds four-digit place value, negative numbers, hundredths, Roman numerals to C, area by counting squares and coordinates. Modern Age Coders tutors Year 4 maths live online through its Mental Maths for Kids and Elementary Maths courses, one to one or in a class of 15 to 20. Your first class is free. We have no connection with the STA or any school.

Courses for Year 4

Three courses for a Year 4 child

The first is built around fast, secure number facts. The second covers the whole Year 4 programme. The third is for children who want the tables with a visual picture behind them.

Mental Maths for Kids course thumbnail

Y4 / 01

Mental Maths for Kids

Tables to 12 × 12, derived facts and mental calculation, the strand the June check looks at.

Open the syllabus →
Elementary Maths for Grades 1-5 course thumbnail

Y4 / 02

Elementary Maths

Every Year 4 strand: place value, decimals, measures, shape and data, at your child's pace.

Open the syllabus →
Abacus & Mental Maths for Kids course thumbnail

Y4 / 03

Abacus and Mental Maths

For children who think in pictures: beads first, then the same facts held in the head.

Open the syllabus →

Year 4 content

What is taught in Year 4 maths?

Seven strands, of which times tables are only one. The table lists the statutory Year 4 requirements in the DfE programme of study, shortened and grouped.

The lower Key Stage 2 introduction closes with the sentence that makes Year 4 famous: "By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work." The second half of that sentence matters as much as the first. Precision and fluency are asked for across all of Year 4, not just in the tables.

Year 4 maths in the national curriculum for England (statutory content, grouped and shortened)
StrandWhat Year 4 adds
Place valueFour-digit numbers; 1000 more or less; counting in 6s, 7s, 9s, 25s and 1000s; counting back through zero into negative numbers; rounding to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000; Roman numerals I to C
Adding and subtractingColumnar methods with up to 4 digits; estimating and checking with the inverse; two-step problems
Multiplying and dividingAll tables to 12 × 12; multiplying by 0 and 1; factor pairs; three numbers multiplied together; two- and three-digit numbers times a one-digit number in formal written layout
Fractions and decimalsFamilies of equivalent fractions; hundredths; decimal equivalents of tenths, hundredths, a quarter, a half and three quarters; dividing by 10 and 100; rounding one-place decimals
MeasurementConverting units such as kilometres to metres; perimeter of rectilinear figures; area by counting squares; money in pounds and pence; analogue and digital 12- and 24-hour clocks
GeometryClassifying triangles and quadrilaterals; acute and obtuse angles; lines of symmetry; coordinates in the first quadrant; translations left, right, up and down
StatisticsBar charts and time graphs for discrete and continuous data; comparison, sum and difference problems

Two notes in the guidance show how the year is meant to hang together. One says "Pupils are taught throughout that decimals and fractions are different ways of expressing numbers and proportions." The other gives the first algebra a child meets in primary school: "Perimeter can be expressed algebraically as 2(a + b) where a and b are the dimensions in the same unit." Year 4 quietly starts both the decimal system and the idea of a formula.

From the Year 4 programme of study and lower Key Stage 2 introduction in the DfE's mathematics programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2, read on 31 October 2026.

The June check

When is the 2027 multiplication tables check, and how much preparation does it need?

The 2027 check runs from Monday 7 June to Friday 18 June 2027 in state-funded schools. The STA tells parents no extra preparation is needed beyond the times tables practice teachers already set.

The 2027 check, from the STA's 2027 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements and its information for parents
Date in 2027What happens
Monday 26 AprilSchools can sign in to the MTC service and use the try it out area with pupils
Monday 7 June to Friday 18 JuneMTC administration period
Monday 21 June to Friday 25 JuneAbsent pupils, or those delayed by technical problems, take the check
Monday 28 JuneResults available to schools on the MTC service
After thatYour child's teacher shares the score with you; there is no pass mark

The check itself is short: the STA's leaflet for parents describes "25 times table questions", with "3 practice questions" first. Our sibling pages explain the timing and which tables carry the most weight: see the Year 4 multiplication tables check explained and our practice guide for the check. Here we only add the parts that matter for planning a Year 4 year.

What the STA tells parents

Asked whether parents need to prepare a child, the leaflet answers: "No, you do not need to do anything additional to prepare your child for the check."

It adds that teachers may ask you to practise times tables at home as part of usual practice. That is the right scale of help: a few minutes, often.

Independent schools

The 2027 arrangements state plainly: "Independent schools cannot participate in the MTC."

A Year 4 child at an independent school, or educated at home, will not sit the check, though the expectation in the curriculum is the same goal to aim for.

Is the check changing? The Curriculum and Assessment Review, published in November 2025, recommended keeping it: "We recommend retaining the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) in Year 4 as an important indicator of multiplicative competence." The government's response agreed that "The timed nature of the multiplication tables check is important to its purpose of assessing fluent recall of times tables", while promising to work with the STA to reduce any unintended effects. The DfE says arrangements for 2026 to 2027 are unchanged.

Sources: STA, 2027 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements; STA, Multiplication tables check: information for parents; Curriculum and Assessment Review final report and government response.

Beyond tables

What else in Year 4 maths do children find hard?

In our experience three things: decimals and hundredths, negative numbers, and telling area from perimeter. Each is new in Year 4, and none is touched by the June check.

Hundredths and decimals

Year 4 asks children to "recognise and write decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths" and to see what happens when a one- or two-digit number is divided by 10 or 100.

The hard part is that 0.4 is larger than 0.35, even though 35 is larger than 4. Children who understand tenths and hundredths as places, not as digits after a dot, get this right.

Below zero

The requirement to "count backwards through zero to include negative numbers" is a child's first meeting with numbers less than nothing.

We use a thermometer and a number line before any rule. A temperature that falls 7 degrees from 4 degrees lands at minus 3, which a child can see happen.

Area is not perimeter

Year 4 adds "find the area of rectilinear shapes by counting squares" alongside perimeter. Many children add the sides when asked for area, or count squares when asked for the distance round.

We ask one question every time: are we covering the shape, or walking round it?

Roman numerals to C

The curriculum asks pupils to "read Roman numerals to 100 (I to C) and know that over time, the numeral system changed to include the concept of zero and place value".

That second clause is the interesting one. Writing 94 as XCIV shows a child why a system with place value and a zero is such an advance.

The written method of the year deserves a mention too. Year 4 asks children to "multiply two-digit and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number using formal written layout", and the notes connect it to the distributive law with the example 39 × 7 = 30 × 7 + 9 × 7. A child who sees short multiplication as splitting a number into hundreds, tens and ones and multiplying each part is ready for long multiplication in Year 5.

Statutory wording and notes from the Year 4 programme of study, DfE.

Worked examples

Four Year 4 questions we wrote, with every step shown

All four use statutory Year 4 content and are our own questions, not items from the check or a school scheme.

1. Short multiplication with carrying

Question (ours). 247 × 6.

Ones. 7 × 6 = 42. Write 2, carry 4 tens.

Tens. 4 × 6 = 24 tens, plus the 4 carried, is 28 tens. Write 8, carry 2 hundreds.

Hundreds. 2 × 6 = 12 hundreds, plus 2, is 14 hundreds. The answer is 1482. Check by splitting: 1200 + 240 + 42 = 1482.

2. Dividing by 10 and 100

Question (ours). What is 47 ÷ 10, and 47 ÷ 100? Name the value of the 7 each time.

Divide by 10. Every digit moves one place to the right: 47 becomes 4.7, and the 7 is now 7 tenths.

Divide by 100. Two places: 47 becomes 0.47, and the 7 is 7 hundredths.

Why it helps. A child who says the digits move, not the decimal point, will not be confused when Year 5 brings thousandths.

3. Reading a Roman numeral

Question (ours). Write XCIV as a number.

Split into pairs and singles. XC and IV, because a smaller symbol before a larger one is taken away.

Value each part. XC is 100 take away 10, which is 90. IV is 5 take away 1, which is 4.

Add. 90 + 4 = 94. Now ask how to write 104 with no symbol for zero, and the reason the curriculum mentions zero becomes clear.

4. Same perimeter, different area

Question (ours). A rectangle is 7 cm by 3 cm. A square has sides of 5 cm. Compare their perimeters and areas.

Perimeters. Using 2(a + b): 2 × (7 + 3) = 20 cm, and 2 × (5 + 5) = 20 cm. They are equal.

Areas. Counting centimetre squares: 7 rows of 3 is 21, and 5 rows of 5 is 25.

The point. The same walk round can enclose different amounts of space. This is a stretch question that looks ahead to Year 6.

Practice set (ours, answers below). (1) 1000 more than 6482. (2) Round 3651 to the nearest 100. (3) 315 × 4. (4) Start at 6 and count back 10. (5) Write 63 hundredths as a decimal. (6) Write three quarters as a decimal. (7) Move the point (2, 5) three squares right and one square down. (8) 9 × 12 and 108 ÷ 9. Answers: (1) 7482; (2) 3700; (3) 1260; (4) minus 4; (5) 0.63; (6) 0.75; (7) (5, 4); (8) 108 and 12.

Our tutoring

How do we tutor Year 4 maths through the school year?

Tables early and steadily, so they are secure well before June, and the rest of the programme taught properly around them. The order below is ours and changes after the first class.

  1. A free first class. The tutor checks which tables are instant and which are counted, reads a four-digit number with your child and tries one short multiplication.
  2. Tables from autumn, not May. Two or three tables at a time, with their division facts, revisited every lesson. Factor pairs and commutativity halve the facts a child really has to learn.
  3. Place value past 1000 and below 0. Number lines that run in both directions, rounding to 10, 100 and 1000, and Roman numerals as a history lesson.
  4. Short multiplication as splitting. The written layout taught alongside the distributive law, so every answer can be checked a second way.
  5. Decimals as places. Tenths and hundredths on a place value chart, with lengths and capacities as real examples.
  6. Shape, area and coordinates. Classifying triangles and quadrilaterals, counting squares for area and plotting points in the first quadrant.

Group or 1-on-1 in Year 4?

A group of 15 to 20 Year 4 children works well for steady tables practice and a child who likes company.

1-on-1 is better for a child who freezes under a timer, has gaps from Year 3, or is ready to move faster.

What we will not promise

A full score in the check. There is no pass mark, and the score is for the school to see who needs help.

Any connection with the STA, the DfE or your child's school. We work for families only.

Progress

Four checkpoints across Year 4

We look for each in a short task during a normal lesson. They are our checkpoints, not a formal test.

Signs a Year 4 child is on track (our checkpoints, mapped to the programme of study)
CheckpointTypical termWhat we look for
1. Four-digit numbersAutumn termReads, orders and rounds numbers to 10 000, and counts back through zero
2. Most tables instantBy spring termRecalls the 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 tables without counting up
3. Decimals understoodSpring to summerWrites tenths and hundredths as decimals and divides by 10 and 100
4. Written and spatial workSummer termShort multiplication of three-digit numbers, area by counting squares, points plotted on a grid

Checkpoint two by spring

If the tables are secure months before June, the check becomes an ordinary morning rather than a target.

Families who want fluency without screens may like our maths tuition for kids page.

Checkpoint three is the Year 5 key

Year 5 brings thousandths and percentages, and both stand on Year 4 hundredths.

We can pause classes during school holidays.

Catalogue

Nine courses for eight and nine year olds

Number facts, the full primary programme, and a few courses that use maths to make things.

I

Number facts

The Year 4 headline

UK / Y41 / 01

Mental Maths for Kids

Tables to 12 × 12 and mental methods.

Open the syllabus

UK / Y41 / 02

Abacus and mental maths

A visual route to the same facts.

Open the syllabus
II

The whole programme

Every Year 4 strand

UK / Y42 / 01

Elementary Maths

Place value, decimals, measure and shape.

Open the syllabus

UK / Y42 / 02

Reasoning and Readiness

Puzzles and spatial thinking to age 9.

Open the syllabus
III

Make with maths

Outside the syllabus

UK / Y43 / 02

Problem solving for kids

Breaking a puzzle into steps.

Open the syllabus

UK / Y43 / 03

Early maths foundations

For rebuilding Key Stage 1 number.

Open the syllabus

Lessons

How Year 4 classes work

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Tutors teach from India, and the timetable we give you is in UK time.

Straight after school

Short, focused, tables first.

Later evening

After clubs and homework.

Weekend morning

Room for longer problems.

Tables all year

A few facts every lesson from September, never a cram in May.

Facts from facts

Factor pairs and doubling so each new table leans on an old one.

Number lines both ways

Negative numbers and decimals placed before they are calculated with.

Check another way

Each written answer tested by splitting or by the inverse.

Trial class, no fee

One whole live lesson before you decide.

Group or one child

A class of 15 to 20 Year 4 pupils, or private 1-on-1.

Student work

A few things students built with us

Everyday class projects, none of them graded. There are more in student labs.

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Fees

Fees for a Year 4 maths tutor

There is no charge for the first class. From then on you pay one fee a month, less for a group seat than for 1-on-1, and only after you have chosen a course and a weekly time. No contract ties you in.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A live Year 4 class
  • Tables and place value checked
  • Just a phone number to book
Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • 15 to 20 children in Year 4
  • The same tutor each week
  • Five-minute tables practice
  • A progress note each term
Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Private tutor for one child
  • Calm pace for anxious children
  • Gaps from Year 3 closed first
Enquire

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Year 4 questions

What parents ask about Year 4 maths

What maths do children learn in Year 4?

All the times tables up to 12 × 12, numbers to four digits, negative numbers, rounding, short multiplication, hundredths and decimals, Roman numerals up to C, perimeter and area, angles, symmetry, coordinates and bar charts.

Do Year 4 children have to know all their times tables?

Yes. The national curriculum says that by the end of Year 4 pupils should have memorised the tables up to and including 12, with the related division facts.

When is the multiplication tables check in 2027?

The STA's 2027 arrangements set the administration period from Monday 7 June to Friday 18 June 2027, with a catch-up week for absent pupils from Monday 21 June.

Do I need to prepare my child for the multiplication tables check?

The STA's leaflet for parents says you do not need to do anything additional, though teachers may ask you to practise tables at home. Short, regular practice is enough.

Is there a pass mark for the Year 4 times tables check?

No. The teacher shares your child's score with you, and the school uses the results to see which children need extra support.

Does my child sit the check at an independent school?

No. The 2027 arrangements say independent schools cannot participate in the check, so it is taken only in state-funded schools.

Why does my child find decimals hard in Year 4?

Usually because they read the digits after the point as a whole number, so 0.35 looks bigger than 0.4. Teaching tenths and hundredths as places on a chart, with measurements as examples, clears this up.

What comes after Year 4 maths?

Year 5 extends place value to a million and adds long multiplication, thousandths and percentages. A child in Year 4 during 2026 to 2027 sits the KS2 tests in May 2029, listed by the DfE for 14 to 17 May.

What time are Year 4 lessons?

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

Are you part of the STA or my child's school?

No. Modern Age Coders is a separate, independent online tutoring school. We follow the published curriculum but are not connected with the STA, the DfE or any school.

More for Year 4

Related pages for Year 4 families

The check, the key stage and what follows.

Tables check explained

How the June check works.

Tables check practice

Building recall, not just speed.

KS2 maths tuition

Years 3 to 6 as one stage.

KS2 SATs maths papers

Where Year 4 leads in Year 6.

Primary Maths Challenge

Puzzles for keen upper primary pupils.

Coding classes in the UK

Our UK hub page.

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

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Book a free Year 4 maths class

Give us a phone number and we will call at a UK time to suit you. During the class the tutor tries some tables, a four-digit number and one written multiplication, then tells you where to begin.

Want to look first? The Mental Maths for Kids course and the Elementary Maths course each publish their syllabus, and how we teach explains our approach.

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