Questions parents ask us
These are the questions parents ask most often before their child starts, and after the report arrives. If yours is not here, email support@pennydropmaths.co.uk and a person will reply.
Before you start
The short version: the diagnostic is free, takes about 20 minutes, has no timer, and covers Years 4, 5 and 6. You need one parent account; your child does not need an email address. The full answers are below.
About the report and the plan
The report names the first skill to fix and explains why. The plan, if you subscribe, works on that one skill in short sessions and adapts as your child improves. How it works walks through all three steps.
Your child's data
Your child's learning information stays private to your household. It is never used for advertising and never sold. The full details, written for parents and separately for children, are in our Privacy Notice.
Common questions
How long does the diagnostic take?
About 20 minutes. It is around 30 questions with no timer, so your child can take a break and come back to it.
Is Penny Drop Maths free?
The diagnostic and the parent report are free. The personalised catch-up plan, with short teaching and practice sessions, is a paid subscription — you see a preview of the plan before deciding.
Which year groups is it for?
Years 4, 5 and 6 (ages 8 to 11), following the national curriculum for England. Every question is kept within your child’s year group or below.
What do I get at the end?
A plain-English report showing where your child is secure, where they are still developing, and the first skill to fix — with a short explanation of why that skill matters for what comes next.
Is my child’s information safe?
Yes. Your child’s learning information stays private to your household and is never used for advertising. There are no ads, no chat and no external links anywhere in the child’s screens.
Does my child need their own email address or account?
No. You create one parent account and add up to five children as profiles, each with a simple password. Children can only use the app on a device where you have signed in.
Can I use it for more than one child?
Yes. One parent account supports up to five child profiles, each with its own diagnostic, report and plan.
Is it suitable for a child with SEND or maths anxiety?
Many children who dislike timed tests find it calmer: there is no timer, no score on screen and no red crosses. If your child has specific needs, sitting with them for the first few questions helps.
Does it replace a tutor?
No. It tells you precisely where the gap is and gives structured practice on it. Some families use that on its own; others share the report with a tutor or teacher so their time goes on the right thing.
What if my child gets stuck on a skill?
The plan first looks for an earlier skill that is causing the trouble. If practice alone is not helping after several sessions, we say so plainly and suggest a conversation with their teacher.
Can I cancel?
Yes, at any time from your account page. Your child keeps access until the end of the period you have paid for.
Is it aligned with what schools teach?
Yes. The skills follow the national curriculum programmes of study for England, in the order schools teach them, with the same vocabulary your child hears in class.