What Should My Child Know by the End of Year 1?

Year 1 covers a lot of ground, and it's easy to feel like you need an exact checklist to know how things are going. In reality, teachers assess progress across a whole year through everyday classroom work, not a single moment where a child is judged "ready" or "not ready". This guide gives you a general sense of what Year 1 typically covers, so you know roughly what to expect — not a test to measure your child against.

Year 1 English

English in Year 1 generally continues building on Early Years foundations, with a strong focus on phonics, alongside:

• Phonics — building a wider range of letter-sound combinations, including common digraphs like sh, ch and ai.
• Reading — reading simple, decodable books with growing fluency, and beginning to talk about what's happened in a story.
• Writing — writing simple sentences, usually with support, using capital letters and full stops.
• Spelling — spelling many words phonically, alongside learning a set of common "tricky" words that don't always follow regular patterns.
• Speaking and listening — talking clearly about their ideas and listening to instructions and stories.

Year 1 Maths

Maths in Year 1 broadens number work considerably, along with an introduction to several new areas:

• Number — counting, recognising and ordering numbers, generally within 100.
• Addition and subtraction — using objects, pictures and simple written methods.
• Early multiplication and division foundations — counting in twos, fives and tens, and sharing groups of objects equally.
• Measurement — comparing length, weight, capacity and time using everyday language.
• Shape — recognising and naming common 2D and 3D shapes.

10 Things You Might Notice Your Child Doing

Rather than formal assessment language, here are some everyday signs of Year 1 progress you might spot at home:

How to Help at Home

Short, regular moments beat long sessions almost every time at this age:

• Read together most days, even briefly — enjoyment matters as much as decoding practice.
• Use everyday maths — sharing snacks, counting stairs, checking the time.
• Practise a small number of tricky spelling words at a time, rather than a long list at once.
• Let your child explain their thinking out loud — it builds confidence and reveals what they understand.

Don't Worry About…

Common Questions

Is Year 1 the first year with formal assessment?

Year 1 includes the phonics screening check, usually taken in June, alongside ongoing teacher assessment across the year rather than a single formal exam.

My child seems behind in one area but ahead in another — is that normal?

Yes, this is very common. Children rarely progress at exactly the same pace across every subject and skill at once.

Should I be worried if my child isn't writing full sentences yet?

Writing tends to develop a little later than reading for many children, since it involves several skills at once — spelling, handwriting and forming ideas. If you have specific concerns, your child's teacher can give you the clearest picture.