A set of 16 ‘top trumps’ cards with three sets of four-digit numbers describing the vital stats of a number of modern cars. Can be used in number of ways when learning about place value with 4-digit numbers: playing the traditional ‘top trumps’ game in pairs as a lesson starter, using one set of numbers (e.g ‘wheelbase’) to order the cards, comparing and ordering the numbers for one particular car, etc. The context is intended to engage those pupils who may not always see the relevance of mathematical concepts - hence the set includes plenty of luxury and sports cars as well as those more modest motors we teachers are likely to be spotted in!

A tarsia puzzle for practice with mentally adding/subtracting multiples of 1, 10, 100 and 1000. Can be used in pairs or individually. Includes missing number problems to challenge pupils’ reasoning. As an extension, why not challenge pupils to create their own puzzle with similar calculation problems?

These differentiated resources are ideal for lower KS2 children when you are teaching how to apply knowledge of rounding and using the inverse to check calculations. For each question, the numbers involved are represented pictorially and the line between green and yellow backgrounds helps pupils to see if they need to round up or down. Each question has these steps: Round the two numbers to the nearest 10 Add/subtract these rounded numbers in the space below (‘estimate’) Do the calculation using the actual numbers and see if the estimate was close Put the three numbers in the calculation into the ‘Singapore bar’ template in the third cell (largest number in the top cell). Do an inverse calculation to check For the ‘2 Chillies’ resource, there is no scaffolding for the children’s calculations.

This resource works best when enlarged to A3 and/or printed on card rather than paper. You then cut along the lines (or ask your TA very nicely!) to create a reasoning puzzle for your pupils. This puzzle can be done in mixed ability pairs or set as an extension. A great way to assess your pupils’ grasp of fraction-related content near the end of a unit, I’ve found tarsia puzzles to be great for engagement - and for those who complete it, perhaps they can create their own!

This resource is ideal for use when teaching lower KS2 pupils how to find fractions of a number. The ‘1chilli’ and ‘2 chillies’ activities are intended to be trimmed into three rectangles and stuck onto the template when completed. For example, a pupil may start with the ‘1 chilli - A’ activity, find they are ready to move onto harder work and so do the ‘two chillies - A’ activity next. The template has space for up to 3 activities. Additionally there are a pair of ‘chilli challenge’ cards that you could trim and laminate for use as an extension or to go in a ‘challenge area’ within your classroom. These challenges are ‘open-ended’ - there are a range of solutions and therefore should keep able Y3/4 pupils busy for some time!

A complete lesson for lower KS2 on recognising and describing unit fractions. The starter is based on using ‘playdough’ to give pupils a concrete reference for a ‘whole’ object and how dividing it into parts gives rise to fractions. If, however, you have access to other concrete manipulatives for teaching fractions you may prefer these as a way to keep mess to a minimum! The worksheets are differentiated two ways and both have an additional challenge for ‘fast finishers’. The plenary is discussion based and is an AfL opportunity to see how well your pupils understand that fractions must be equally-sized parts of a whole.

Use these differentiated resources in a practical 3D shape lesson in lower KS2 on prisms and non prisms. You will need to source the items for the children to investigate: balls Toblerone boxes Smartie boxes fruit cans or similar matchboxes teabags (the ‘pyramid’ (tetrahedron) kind) pencils ice cream cone wrappers toothpaste boxes There is a template that starts pupils off at the ‘1 chilli’ (i.e. easiest) level and allows them to choose how their level of challenge progresses from there. Ask your TA to trim the activities along the black lines into rectangles and pupils can come up to collect the one they want when ready!

This differentiated resource is intended for lower KS2 children learning about parallel and perpendicular lines. There is a template that starts pupils off at the ‘1 chilli’ (i.e. easiest) level and allows them to choose how their level of challenge progresses from there. Ask your TA to trim the activities along the black lines into rectangles and pupils can come up to collect the one they want when ready!

A complete lesson for lower KS2 to introduce the concept of multiplication and represent it as repeated addition using examples based on everyday objects. The resources comprise both a step-by-step powerpoint and 2-way differentiated worksheets (in the ‘make your own’ worksheet format). The latter are word documents are therefore editable should the format/style/sizes not suit you. In terms of strategy, the worked examples are calculated using ‘grouping’, which pupils can then apply themselves either with concrete manipulatives or jottings on a whiteboard. The worksheets allow for the calculations to be represented in the ‘bar method’ format as well if you require this.

A complete lesson for lower KS2 on telling the time to the nearest minute. The resources comprise a step-by-step powerpoint presentation, a laminatable sheet of blank clocks for pupils to use to represent the times given in the guided activities and three differentiated worksheets for the main activity. There is also a discussion-based plenary. Please note: pupils should already be able to read time to the nearest 5 minutes (lesson available at this link: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/tell-the-time-from-an-analogue-clock-nearest-5-mins-11909819?theme=0) before you teach this lesson and should know how many minutes are in one hour. It’s also recommended that you have teaching clocks with moveable hands for both the pupils and a larger one for you and/or your TA.

A complete lesson for lower KS2 on telling the time to the nearest 5 mins. The resources comprise a step-by-step powerpoint presentation, a laminatable sheet of blank clocks for pupils to use to represent the times given in the guided activities and three differentiated worksheets for the main activity. There is also a discussion-based plenary. Please note: pupils should already be able to read time to the nearest 15 minutes before you teach this lesson and should know how many minutes are in one hour. It’s also recommended that you have teaching clocks with moveable hands for both the pupils and a larger one for you and/or your TA.

A tarsia puzzle for practice with telling time from an analogue clock. The challenges comprise “o’clock”, “half-past”, “quarter to/past” times, as well as times to the nearest 5 minutes and nearest minute. In addition, there are added challenges that test pupils’ knowledge of certain ‘time facts’ (e.g that there are 24 hours in a day and 12 months in a year) that are on the LKS2 curriculum but best taught through continuous provision rather than discrete lessons. Can be used in pairs or individually. Includes missing number problems to challenge pupils’ reasoning. As an extension, why not challenge pupils to create their own puzzle with similar calculation problems? **Note: This puzzle works best when enlarged to A3 **

A complete lesson for lower KS2 that introduces subtraction with regrouping. The resources comprise a powerpoint with animated base-ten blocks to show what is happening when numbers are subtracted, a template for children to ‘create their own worksheet’ and 2-way differentiated activities that pupils can add to the template to suit their own level of challenge. The worksheets are uploaded as Word documents and are therefore fully editable - please feel free to replace ‘Mr Drakes’ and ‘Mrs Nichols’ with members of staff from your school! There was originally a separate set of resources for different partners within the class (hence the ‘blue’ and ‘yellow’ labels).

A Series of 3 lessons to guide lower KS2 pupils through learning their Roman numerals thoroughly from 1-50. The powerpoint covers all necessary input and includes whiteboard AfL activites, starters and plenaries. There are main activities for each day, differentiated two ways with additional challenges for early finishers. Also included is a pack of ‘snap’ cards comprising both Roman numerals from 1-50 and corresponding cards with the Arabic numeral representation on. The pupils can then pair up and play ‘snap’ to test their new knowledge of Roman numerals. For a slightly less competitive plenary/starter, you could simply use it as a matching activity for individuals, pairs or groups.

A complete lesson for lower KS2 to deepen understanding around the process of multiplication and the fact that it is not commutative. The lesson comprises a ‘diamond 9 starter’ that could be completed in pairs/groups. There are then some worked examples in the powerpoint using ‘Singapore bar’ representations and arrays to allow two different multiplication statements to be shown. The worksheets are differentiated 3 ways, with the ‘3 chillies’ sheet including a reasoning challenge at the end.