We talk a lot about the brand-new starters in September, but spare a thought for the children moving up. From Reception into Year 1. From Year 2 into Year 3. Those jumps are bigger than people realise, and a child can feel the wobble even if they don't say so.
I'm Chloe, a primary school teacher and mum of four, and I've watched these step-ups from both the classroom and my own kitchen table. The good news? A relaxed bit of summer prep makes the move so much smoother. And, this is the important part, it's not about teaching next year's work in advance. It's about keeping last year's skills steady, so your child starts the new year on solid ground instead of rusty.
What actually changes when they move up?
Into KS1 (Year 1). This is the big one after Reception. The day gets more structured. More sitting and focused work, proper phonics, number bonds, the start of real writing. Children who've kept their early skills ticking over the summer settle far more quickly. The ones who've done nothing can find that first half-term a shock.
Into KS2 (Year 3). Another real step up. The work gets more independent and more demanding. Times tables become a serious focus (with the Year 4 check coming), writing gets longer, and spelling and grammar move up a gear. A summer keeping those fresh genuinely pays off.
In both cases, the trick is the same: keep the foundations warm so there's no cold start in September.
How to help over the summer (without it being a slog)
Keep the foundations fresh. A bit of number bonds, times tables or tricky-word practice stops things slipping. That's all it needs.
Little and often. Ten minutes, a few times a week, woven into the holidays. Not a summer of worksheets and tears.
Talk up the new year. A new teacher and a new classroom can feel daunting. Calm, excited chat about it does a lot of quiet good.
Shore up any wobbles. If something was tricky last year, the summer is a brilliant, pressure-free time to firm it up before it matters.
What I'd reach for, by stage
Match the resources to the stage your child's moving into, or topping up from:
- Heading through KS1 (5 to 7): our KS1 Maths Bundle keeps number bonds, money and time fresh, while the KS1 English bundles (by year) keep phonics, tricky words and writing ticking.
- Heading through KS2 (7 to 11): our KS2 Bundle covers times tables, spellings, SPAG and common exception words, exactly the skills that step up in Years 3 to 6.
And if your child just needs to firm up one thing, those times tables, say, or spellings, every component's available on its own, so you can target it with flashcards or a single mat. Everything's made by me, a real teacher, gloss film laminated and reusable year after year, so a bundle bought for moving up carries your child right through the key stage and then passes to a sibling.
A note on ages and years: these stages are a guide, not a rule. Children move up at their own pace and may still be securing earlier skills as they enter a new year. That's completely normal, and that includes children with additional needs. Support where your child actually is, not just where the year label says they should be.
Moving up is a milestone in its own right, and it deserves a bit of gentle attention. Keep those skills warm over the summer, talk about the new year with a smile, and your child will step into it confident and ready for whatever's next.