Homework help for parents
Plain-English guides to what your child learns at primary school in England, following the national curriculum and how schools teach it. Each guide is drafted and fact-checked with AI help against the sources it lists, and comes with free Pipkin puzzles to practise together.
Maths
- Maths · Reception and Year 1
Number bonds to 10 and 20: a guide for parents
What number bonds are, how Reception and Year 1 teach bonds to 5, 10 and 20, and simple games to practise number bonds at home. - Maths · Reception
What is subitising? Early maths in Reception
What subitising means, why Reception teachers talk about it, how it fits with counting to 10, and easy subitising games to play at home. - Maths · Years 2–4
How to help your child learn their times tables
Which times tables your child learns in Years 2, 3 and 4, how schools teach them, and short, calm ways to practise times tables at home. - Maths · Years 3–4
Column subtraction explained for parents
How column subtraction with exchanging is taught in Years 3 and 4, worked step by step, with the common slips and quick ways to practise at home. - Maths · Year 3
Equivalent fractions explained for parents
What equivalent fractions are, how Year 3 teaches them with diagrams, finding fractions of a set, comparing fractions, and easy activities at home. - Maths · Year 4
The Year 4 multiplication tables check explained
What happens in the Year 4 multiplication tables check, what it covers, how times tables are taught, and calm ways to practise at home.
From Pipkin
Practise maths with Pipkin
Short, calm puzzles that follow the UK curriculum. Free, with no sign-up.
Open Pipkin- Maths · Years 5–6
Fractions, decimals and percentages explained
How Years 5 and 6 link fractions, decimals and percentages, the equivalents worth knowing by heart, finding percentages of amounts, and ideas for home. - Maths · Years 5–6
Long multiplication explained for parents
How long multiplication is taught in Years 5 and 6, a worked example step by step, the usual slips, and quick ways to help at home.
English
- English · Reception and Year 1
How to help your child blend sounds to read
What blending means in phonics, how schools teach it in Reception and Year 1, the common sticking points, and quick ways to practise blending at home. - English · Reception
Phase 3 phonics sounds: digraphs and trigraphs
The Phase 3 phonics sounds your child meets in Reception, including digraphs like sh and ee and trigraphs like igh, with easy ways to practise at home. - English · Reception and Year 1
Phonics phases explained: a guide for parents
What the phonics phases are, what your child learns in each one through Reception and Year 1, and simple ways to support phonics at home. - English · Year 1
The Year 1 phonics screening check explained
What happens in the Year 1 phonics screening check, why it includes made-up words, how results are shared, and gentle ways to help at home. - English · Years 3–4
Homophones explained for parents
What homophones are, which ones children learn in Years 3 and 4, the mix-ups that catch lots of children out, and quick ways to practise at home. - English · Years 3–4
Possessive apostrophes explained for parents
Where the apostrophe goes to show belonging, for one owner and for more than one, how it is taught in Years 2 to 4, and quick ways to practise at home. - English · Year 4
What is a fronted adverbial? A guide for parents
What a fronted adverbial is, why it is followed by a comma, how Year 4 children learn about it at school, and quick ways to practise at home. - English · Year 5
What is a relative clause? A guide for parents
What a relative clause and a relative pronoun are, how Year 5 children learn to use them, the common mix-ups, and quick ways to practise at home. - English · Year 6
Active and passive voice explained for parents
What the active and passive voice are, how to spot a passive sentence, how Year 6 children learn to use it, and quick ways to practise at home. - English · Year 6
The KS2 SATs grammar test: a guide for parents
What is in the Year 6 grammar, punctuation and spelling test, how it is marked and reported, and calm, low-key ways to help at home.
History
- History · Years 1–2
The Great Fire of London: KS1 history for parents
The key facts about the Great Fire of London in 1666, how it fits into KS1 history, and gentle ways to talk about it with your child at home. - History · Years 3–4
The Romans in Britain: KS2 history for parents
The key dates and people of Roman Britain, from Julius Caesar to Hadrian's Wall, what the Romans changed, and easy ways to explore it at home.
Science
- Science · Years 1–2
How plants grow: KS1 science for parents
What Year 1 and Year 2 children learn about plants, the parts of a plant, what plants need to grow, and easy ways to explore plants at home. - Science · Year 4
Electrical circuits: Year 4 science for parents
What Year 4 children learn about simple circuits, switches, conductors and insulators, plus safe ways to explore electricity at home. - Science · Year 4
Solids, liquids and gases: Year 4 science
What Year 4 children learn about solids, liquids and gases, melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation, and simple kitchen activities to try. - Science · Year 5
The solar system: Year 5 science for parents
What Year 5 children learn about the Sun, Earth, Moon and planets, why we have day and night, and how to explore space safely at home.