A clear start to the Medway Test in Year 5

Your child's entry year

Choose the right route

Schools near each other can use different tests. Pick the one your child will sit.

• Kent TestEnglish and maths.
• Medway TestThis page

Dates

What the test covers

• English, 30 minutes.

• Maths, 50 minutes.

• Reasoning, 45 minutes: spatial and non-verbal 20, verbal 25.

• No separate creative-writing task in the current official format.

Start free

• Our free first lesson

  Short, hands-on steps in the test's own subjects. No card needed.

  Start the free lesson →

• Official free material

  Published by the school, council or test provider. We link to their copy.

  Medway Council: the Medway Test →

• Every free official paper

  What each test's own publisher releases, and whether it comes with answers.

  Open the papers shelf →

Four weeks, one clear next step

An hour a week: two 15-minute skill sessions, two 10-minute reading sessions and a 10-minute review. Change the time to 30 or 90 minutes in the planner.

• Skill, 15 min
• Reading and words, 10 min
• Parent review

1. Week 160 min

   1. Skill · 15 minStarting check and first teaching stepTry a short set of questions together, then learn the first step of reading comprehension.Medway Test: free first lesson →
   2. Skill · 15 minPractise the first stepA few more reading comprehension questions on the step you just learned.This week's reading session →
   3. Reading and words · 10 minRead togetherRead a short passage together and record unfamiliar words.Reading session 1 →
   4. Reading and words · 10 minRead together, second goRead a short passage together and record unfamiliar words.Reading session 2 →
   5. Parent review · 10 minPick one topicChoose the one topic to work on for the next three weeks.

2. Week 260 min

   1. Skill · 15 minWorked practice on that topicWork through reading comprehension examples together. Say each step out loud.This week's reading session →
   2. Skill · 15 minMore worked practiceAnother worked example, then one your child leads.This week's reading session →
   3. Reading and words · 10 minUse five words in contextPut five new words into sentences of your child's own.Reading session 3 →
   4. Reading and words · 10 minUse five words in context, second goPut five new words into sentences of your child's own.Reading session 4 →
   5. Parent review · 10 minIdentify the method still needing helpFind the one step that still goes wrong.

3. Week 360 min

   1. Skill · 15 minFresh questions on the skillNew reading comprehension questions your child has not seen. Let them try first.This week's reading session →
   2. Skill · 15 minA second fresh setMore new reading comprehension questions. Note any that still go wrong.This week's reading session →
   3. Reading and words · 10 minPassage and evidence questionAnswer a question, then point to the evidence in the passage.Reading session 5 →
   4. Reading and words · 10 minPassage and evidence question, second goAnswer a question, then point to the evidence in the passage.Reading session 6 →
   5. Parent review · 10 minReview the explanationAsk your child to explain the method back to you.

4. Week 460 min

   1. Skill · 15 minShort mixed check and next lessonA short mixed set in English, maths and reasoning, then the next lesson.This week's reading session →
   2. Skill · 15 minThe next lessonStart the next lesson, or revisit the step that went wrong.This week's reading session →
   3. Reading and words · 10 minRevisit words and passageRedo an earlier session. Which of its words does your child still remember?Reading session 1 again →
   4. Reading and words · 10 minRevisit words and passage, second goRedo an earlier session. Which of its words does your child still remember?Reading session 2 again →
   5. Parent review · 10 minChoose the next focusKeep the topic, or choose the next one.

The full course