Year 6 Rationale

Autumn 1

Number (Place Value)

The Autumn term begins with pupils reviewing the learning of Number and Place Value to 10 000, 100 000 and 1 million in Year 5 Autumn 1.  Now pupils apply their place value knowledge to gain a secure understanding of numbers to 10 million, before progressing onto comparing and ordering any given numbers.  Pupils build on their knowledge of rounding numbers to 10, 100 and 100 in Year 5 Autumn 1 to now round any given numbers to any place value.  This unit concludes with pupils deepening their understanding of negative numbers.

Number (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division)

Pupils apply their place value knowledge to the Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division of numbers.  In Year 5 Autumn 1, pupils added and subtracted whole numbers with more than four digits using the written column method. Now pupils apply this knowledge to adding and subtracting integers of increasing value. Once pupils are secure with this skill, they build on their knowledge of multiplying 4-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers, 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers and 3-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers in Year 5 Spring 1, to now multiply up to a 4-digit number by a 2-digit number using the most efficient written methods.  This leads into Autumn 2, when pupils continue to build on their Multiplication and Division knowledge.

Autumn 1 concludes with an end of term review of learning which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress to date, highlighting pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and who are to be targeted for intervention next half term.

Autumn 2

Number (Multiplication and Division)

Autumn 2 begins with a review of the Multiplication and Division learning in Autumn 1. Pupils build on their understanding of how to divide 4-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers and how to divide with remainders in Year 5 Spring 1, to now accurately answer short and long division calculations. Pupils build on their knowledge of factors to divide accurately and efficiently using factors. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they develop their fluency of identifying common factors, multiples, prime numbers, square numbers and cube numbers. Pupils then be introduced to the order of operations (BIDMAS). This unit concludes with pupils reasoning from known facts and developing a more secure knowledge of the most efficient methods to mentally calculate and estimate.

Number (Fractions)

Pupils consolidate and build on their knowledge of Fractions in Year 5 Spring 1, when they converted between improper fractions and mixed numbers and identified equivalent fractions. Now pupils simplify fractions, identify fractions on a numbers line and compare and order fractions using both the denominator and the numerator. Pupils progress onto applying their knowledge of the four operations to fractions and conclude this unit by calculating fractions of amounts and finding the whole.

Geometry (Position and Direction)

In Year 5 Summer 2, pupils developed an understanding of positions within the first quadrant. Now pupils progress onto understanding positions within all four quadrants, before reflecting and translating points and shapes within and across these quadrants with coordinates.

Autumn 2 concludes with an end of term review of learning which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress to date, highlighting pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and who are to be targeted for intervention next term.

Spring 1

Number (Decimals)

Pupils begin Spring 2 by building on their Decimals knowledge in Year 5 Spring 2, when they developed a secure understanding of decimals to 2dp and were introduced to thousandths (0.001). Now pupils gain a secure understanding of decimals to 3dp. Pupils improve their fluency of multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, when they either start with a decimal number or calculate a decimal as the answer.  Pupils then progress onto multiplying and dividing decimals by integers. Pupils also consolidate their knowledge of converting between fractions and decimals. This unit concludes with pupils applying their decimal knowledge to solve problems within real life contexts, when pupils independently select the appropriate knowledge and efficient methods to calculate answers accurately.

Number (Fractions, Decimals and Percentages)

Pupils build on their knowledge of Percentages in Year 5 Spring 2 to now develop a deeper understanding of converting between fractions and percentages and identifying equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto ordering fractions, decimals and percentages. This unit concludes with pupils calculating percentages of amounts and missing values.

Number (Algebra)

To conclude Spring 1, pupils are introduced to Algebra when they apply their knowledge of Number to identify one step and two step rules, before progressing onto forming expressions, making substitutions, using formulae and forming equations. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto solving one step and two step equations. This unit concludes with pupils investigating pairs of values.

Spring 1 concludes with an end of term review of learning which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress to date, highlighting pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and who are to be targeted for intervention next half term.

Spring 2

Measurement (Converting Units)

Pupils begins Spring 2 by consolidating and building on their knowledge of Converting Units in Year 5 Summer 2.  Pupils develop a deeper understanding of metric measures, converting between different units and accurately calculating with metric measures.  Once pupils are secure with these skills, they learn how to convert between miles and kilometres, before concluding the unit with developing a deeper understanding of imperial measures.

Measurement (Area, Perimeter and Volume)

Pupils consolidate and build on their knowledge of the Measurements of Area, Perimeter and Volume in Year 5 Autumn 2. Now pupils identify shapes with the same area, accurately calculate the area and perimeter of different shapes, with a focus on triangles and parallelograms. Once pupils have a secure understanding of these skills, they progress onto calculating the volume of cubes and cuboids by beginning with counting cubes.  Pupils apply their knowledge of volume in Year 5 Summer 2 to this new learning.

Number (Ratio)

Pupils conclude Spring 2 by being introduced to the new learning of Ratio. Pupils use ratio language, understand the relationship between ratio and fractions and develop a secure understanding of the ratio symbol. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto calculating ratios before applying this knowledge to solve problems with ratio and proportions in real life contexts.  This unit concludes with pupils using and calculating scale factors.

Spring 2 concludes with an end of term review of learning which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress to date, highlighting pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and who are to be targeted for intervention next term.

Summer 1

Number (Statistics)

Pupils begins Summer 1 by consolidating and building on the Statistics learning in Year 5 Autumn 1. Pupils now read, draw and interpret line graphs, before applying this knowledge to solve problems with line graphs in real life contexts. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto developing a secure understanding of circles, converting between the diameter and radius.  This leads into pupils reading, interpreting and drawing pie charts, before progressing onto understanding the relationship between pie charts and percentages.  This unit concludes with pupils calculating the mean average.

Geometry (Properties of Shapes)

Summer 1 concludes with pupils consolidating and building on their Geometry knowledge of Properties of Shapes in Year 5 Summer 1. Pupils begin by measuring angles accurately with a protractor, before progressing onto developing a deeper understanding of the different types of angles and their properties. Once pupils are secure with these skills, they progress onto identifying and calculating vertically opposite angles. Pupils apply their knowledge of angles to calculate the sizes of angles within triangles, quadrilaterals and regular polygons. This unit concludes with pupils using a protractor and ruler to draw shapes and nets of 3D shapes accurately.

Summer 1 is when pupils sit their Mathematics SATs examinations, which monitors pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of KS2. This data also informs the next academic year’s whole school areas for development, which is included within the Mathematics Action Plan.

Summer 2

Summer 2 is used to consolidate prior learning through a themed project, ensuring that every pupil is prepared for their transition to Year 7.