Primary School – Chester

Year 6 Maths Baseline

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“This combination of a carefully designed baseline assessment, mark scheme and comprehensive analysis has become an invaluable part of our Year 6 planning process. For any school looking to maximise outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2, it is an invaluable tool.”

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When pupils arrive in Year 6 each September, SATs may feel a long way off. However, the foundations for success in May are often built during those first few weeks of the autumn term. Precious teaching time can be spent revisiting content unnecessarily, while genuine gaps remain hidden until much later in the year.

One primary school wanted to avoid that scenario.

Their aim was simple: gain an accurate picture of the mathematical knowledge pupils were bringing into Year 6 and use that information to maximise progress ahead of the KS2 SATs. To achieve this, they used the DAISI Year 6 Maths Baseline Assessment and Analysis.

Unlike traditional assessments, the bespoke baseline paper focuses on the essential knowledge and skills pupils should have secured throughout Years 3, 4 and 5. Combined with a detailed curriculum-linked mark scheme and comprehensive analysis, it provided immediate insight into the areas that would have the greatest impact on future attainment.

As a Headteacher, one of the most important questions at the start of the academic year is understanding precisely where our Year 6 pupils are in their learning and what we need to do to ensure they are fully prepared for the KS2 SATs at the end of the year. The Year 6 Maths Baseline Analysis gave us that clarity almost immediately.

The bespoke baseline paper was a real strength. By focusing specifically on the key knowledge and skills from Years 3, 4 and 5, it provided a much more meaningful picture than a standard assessment. It allowed us to identify gaps in learning before they became barriers to progress and gave teachers a clear understanding of the foundations that needed strengthening ahead of SATs preparation.

The curriculum-linked mark scheme was equally valuable. Every question was linked back to specific areas of the curriculum, enabling us to pinpoint exactly where pupils were secure and where further teaching was required. The level of detail was outstanding and provided insights that would have been incredibly difficult and time-consuming for staff to generate themselves.

What impressed us most was the quality of the analysis. We could quickly identify patterns across the cohort, compare performance between classes and understand the needs of different groups of pupils. Instead of spending hours working through spreadsheets, staff were able to focus on planning effective teaching and interventions.

Most importantly, the analysis helped us understand not just how pupils had performed, but why they had performed that way. Those insights shaped our curriculum planning, informed our intervention strategy and gave us confidence that we were focusing on the right priorities from day one.

By the time we reached our mock SATs, there were very few surprises because we already had a detailed understanding of our pupils’ strengths and areas for development. The baseline analysis gave us a roadmap for the year ahead and helped ensure that every decision we made was driven by evidence.

This combination of a carefully designed baseline assessment, mark scheme and comprehensive analysis has become an invaluable part of our Year 6 planning process. For any school looking to maximise outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2, it is an invaluable tool.”

Headteacher – Primary School, Cheshire

The DAISI Year 6 Maths Baseline Analysis helps schools move beyond simple attainment measures and uncover the information that drives improvement. When schools understand exactly what pupils know, what they have forgotten and where misconceptions exist, they can intervene earlier, teach more precisely and use valuable Year 6 time far more effectively.

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How did we create this Analysis?

Strong SATs outcomes start with a clear understanding of pupils’ starting points. To provide that insight, we combined a bespoke assessment with detailed forensic analysis and practical recommendations.

The process outlined below shows how we did this…

  1. A Purpose-Built Baseline Assessment: The School administered our bespoke Year 6 Maths Baseline Assessment, designed to assess key knowledge and skills from Years 3, 4 and 5.
  2. Data Collection and Processing: Once assessments were completed and marked, schools submitted the results to our team for analysis, saving valuable staff time. By sending the assessment marks to us, they enabled our team to conduct a thorough forensic analysis, identifying trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. 
  3. Forensic Analysis: We examined every response in detail. This included identifying trends, pinpointing areas of strength and weakness, and comparing performance across different groups of students.
  4. Leadership and Teacher Reports: The findings were presented in clear, easy-to-use reports for school leaders and teachers, including visual summaries and Individual Pupil Profiles.
  5. Actionable Insights: The reports provided actionable insights, such as specific areas where students need additional support, effective teaching strategies, and recommendations for curriculum adjustments.

By combining a bespoke assessment, curriculum-linked mark scheme and detailed analysis, we helped schools move beyond scores and percentages to gain a clear understanding of what pupils know, what they have forgotten and what they need next.

How Can We Help?

Our Year 6 Maths Baseline helps schools:

  • Identify gaps in Year 3, 4 and 5 curriculum knowledge
  • Target interventions from the start of Year 6
  • Prioritise teaching ahead of SATs
  • Save hours of staff analysis time
  • Understand the reasons behind pupil performance
  • Track the impact of teaching throughout the year
  • Build a clear evidence-based strategy for improving KS2 outcomes

Start Year 6 with the clarity needed to make every teaching week count before SATs.

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