KS1 · Ages 5–6
What should my Year 1 child know?
Year 1 is the year reading moves from decoding individual sounds to reading whole sentences without stopping. Most of the year rests on two things: phonics and number bonds to 20. Everything else is exposure rather than mastery.
First, the bit that takes the pressure off
If you home educate in England, the National Curriculum does not legally apply to you. You are required to provide an education suitable to your child's age, ability and aptitude — not to teach a particular list in a particular order. Your child does not have to be "on track" with anything below.
The list is here because it is genuinely useful to know what most children this age are doing, not because you owe anyone a match.
The step up from Year Reception
The jump from Reception is more about stamina than content. A Year 1 child is expected to sit with a task for longer, not to know dramatically more.
Milestones you can actually check
Not exhaustive, and not a test. A child ahead in one area and behind in another is the normal case, not a warning sign.
English
- Blend sounds to read unfamiliar words
- Read common exception words (the, said, one)
- Write a sentence with a capital letter and full stop
- Retell a familiar story in order
Maths
- Count forwards and backwards to 100
- Number bonds within 20
- Add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers to 20
- Recognise halves and quarters
- Tell the time to the hour and half hour
Science
- Name common plants and animals
- Describe the seasons
- Sort materials by their properties
- Ask a simple question and look for an answer
The full subject list for Year 1
Most UK children in Year 1 cover these 11 subjects. You do not have to teach all of them, and plenty of home-educating families deliberately do not.
- English
- Maths
- Science
- History
- Geography
- Art & design
- Design & technology
- PE
- PSHE
- Religious education
- Islamic RE (optional)
If it is the planning you are dreading
Knowing what a Year 1 child covers is one thing. Deciding what to do on a Tuesday morning, every week, for a year, is the part that actually wears people down.
StudyDen sequences Year 1 into 688 lessons across 11 subjects, week by week, built on Oak National Academy's curriculum. You open it and the day is already planned.
See how it works — 7-day free trialEngland-focused. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own curricula and their own home-education rules. This is information, not legal advice.