In England, the Year 6 SATs happen every year during a specific week in May. It’s usually the second week of May, but you should always double-check your school’s calendar because life is full of surprises.
Think of it like Bank Holiday weekend for kids, except instead of relaxing, they’re showing off everything they learned in primary school. It’s just one week, and then it’s over. No homework during that week, by the way – that’s a rule!
For the 2026 school year, for example, the big week is from Monday 12th May to Thursday 15th May. Mark it on your fridge with a magnet, and then don’t panic. You’ve got this.
What’s Actually Happening Each Day?
It’s not one long, relentless test. It’s broken into small, manageable chunks, like eating a giant pizza slice by slice. The first day is always Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling (or GPS, which sounds like a sat nav for writing).
Then comes Reading on day two, which is basically a big comprehension test. It’s like asking your child to explain why that character was so grumpy in the book you read last night. Afterwards, there are two maths papers on day three – one for arithmetic (quick sums) and one for reasoning (word puzzles).
Finally, on Thursday, they sit one last maths reasoning paper. That’s it! By Thursday lunchtime, the SATs are a memory, and the kids are usually bouncing off the walls with relief. It’s basically a school party after that.
