At the end of each key stage, each National Curriculum subject has a target: your child should have reached a particular level of skills, knowledge and understanding.

Why have targets and tests?

• Pupils get a sense of achievement from reaching each milestone in their learning, and going beyond it.
• Schools use them to check on pupils' progress, so that they can match their teaching to each pupil's needs and abilities.
• The government uses them to see how many pupils are making the right kind of progress (especially in English, maths and science, where pupils take National Curriculum tests at age 14).

Of course, some pupils may not make as much progress as others and some have special educational needs.

As a parent or carer, you have a very important role to play in helping your child learn. Some parents are afraid of doing the wrong thing. (If you are unsure about how to help, you can always ask your child's teachers.) The most important things you can do are:

• take an interest in what your child is learning at school, and encourage them to tell you about it
• praise them when they have done well
• give them a quiet space to do their homework.