From June 2020 the Government announced a new test for Year 4 children called the “Multiplication Tables Check”. 

Under the National Curriculum, primary school children are expected to know their times tables up to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4. The purpose of the check is to determine whether your child can fluently recall their times tables up to 12 which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will also help us to identify if your child may need additional support.

The check itself:

· will take place in the summer term in June within the three-week period from Monday 5th June 2022;

· is done online using a computer or tablet;

· can be done one pupil at a time, in groups or as a class;

· will take no longer than 5 minutes;

· will feature 25 questions and children will have 6 seconds to answer each question;

· there’s no problem solving or division, just simple “3 x 4 = ?” type questions;

· during the test there will be an emphasis on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables, which will form the majority of the questions.

How will the results be used?

The results are for the teachers. There is no pass or fail mark. The results of the test are not published publicly. They are for us to use so that we can provide the appropriate support where necessary. Your child’s score will be given to you in a letter. I am sure that along with you, we do not want our children worried or stressed about the check. The Government has called it a “check” rather than a “test” or “exam” for a reason.

Practice at home: as maths is such a big subject, and we will of course continue to teach the full curriculum, we will need your continued support to help practice the times tables with your children.

Some easy ways to do this include:

· asking questions such as “what’s 7 x 8?”

· reciting times tables by rote (4 times 1 is 4, 4 times 2 is 8, etc)

· using apps and games to improve rapid recall

· singing times tables songs (there are loads online)

Why do we learn times tables?

In primary school, times tables knowledge is vital for quick mental maths calculations and problem solving, as well as for many of the topics children learn in Years 5 and 6 (division, fractions, percentages). Please also remember to make use of TT Rock stars to further support your child. Can I take this opportunity to remind you that TT Rock stars has replaced our previous homework and all children are expected to log in regularly each week to earn coins and work towards becoming a Times Table Rock Star. The heatmap feature on TT Rock stars is checked by your child’s teacher weekly to check for engagement and to help set future times tables.

If you require any support with practicing these calculations at home, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher. For further information about these tests please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/multiplication-tables-check