In Key Stage 2, mathematics builds on the knowledge and skills developed in Key Stage 1, enabling children to tackle more complex concepts with confidence and accuracy. The curriculum focuses on developing fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving across a broad range of topics, including number, calculation, fractions, decimals, percentages, measurement, geometry, and statistics.

Explicit teaching strategies ensure that children master key concepts and make steady progress. The concrete–pictorial–abstract (CPA) approach continues to be used, with practical resources such as base-ten blocks, fraction strips, and bar models helping children visualise and understand mathematical ideas before moving to abstract calculations.

Direct instruction and modelling play a central role, with teachers breaking down concepts into clear, manageable steps. Methods such as column addition, long multiplication, and division strategies are demonstrated and reinforced through guided practice, giving children immediate feedback and support before moving on to independent work.

In addition to daily maths lessons, children regularly practise core skills, including key fact recall, multiplication tables, and number operations, improving speed and accuracy during arithmetic sessions.

Reasoning and discussion are integral to learning, with teachers encouraging children to explain their thinking, identify patterns, and evaluate different problem-solving approaches. Cross-curricular links are included where appropriate, helping children see the relevance of maths across a wide range of subjects, such as calculating measurements in design projects or collecting and analysing data in science.

By the end of Key Stage 2, children develop strong mathematical fluency, logical reasoning, and the resilience to approach challenges confidently, fully preparing them for the demands of Key Stage 3 and beyond.