Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when the pupils are aged between 7 and 11 years.
The term is defined in the Education Act 2002 as the period beginning at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in a class attain the age of eight and ending at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in a class attain the age of eleven. This Key Stage normally covers pupils during junior schools, although in some cases part or all of this stage may fall in a middle, or a through primary school.
The term KS2 is used to define the group of pupils who must follow the relevant programmes of study from the National Curriculum. All pupils in this Key Stage must follow a programme of education in these 12 areas:
English Mathematics Science Design and Technology History Geography Art and Design Music Physical Education (PE) including swimming Computing Ancient and Modern Foreign Languages Religious Education*
Schools must provide Religious Education but parents can ask for their children to be taken out of the whole lesson or part of it. Optionally at this Key Stage, schools often teach Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) and/or citizenship.
At the end of this stage, pupils aged 11 or almost age 11– in Year 6 – are tested as part of the national programme of National Curriculum Tests, colloquially known as SATs in England. These tests cover English and Mathematics. The tests are externally marked, with results for each school being published in DfE performance tables. In Wales since 2013, pupils sit annual numeracy and literacy tests called National Tests.
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