Birdwatch The progression of Counting and Understanding Number skills
Are any of the learning steps below relevant to the project for your class? Are children in your class exposed to the relevant objectives
for their ability in this strand, rather than their age/ general maths level?
Foundation
Year 1
Year 3
Read, write
and order
Count reliably at
whole
least 20 objects,
Read and write twonumbers to at
recognising that
digit and three-digit
Say and use
least 1000 and
when rearranged the numbers in figures and
number names
position them
number of objects
words; describe and
in order in
on a number
stays the same;
extend number
familiar
line; count on
estimate a number sequences and
contexts
from and back
of objects that can recognise odd and
to zero in
be checked by
even numbers
single-digit
counting
steps or
multiples of 10
Count up to 100 objects
by grouping them and
counting in tens, fives
or twos; explain what
Partition threeKnow that
Compare and order each digit in a two-digit
digit numbers
numbers
numbers, using the number represents,
into multiples
identify how
related vocabulary; including numbers
of 100, 10 and
many objects use the equals (=)
where 0 is a place
1 in different
are in a set
sign
holder; partition twoways
digit numbers in
different ways,
including into multiples
of 10 and 1
Continued…..
Year 2
Year 4
Recognise and
continue number
sequences
formed by
counting on or
back in steps of
constant size
Partition, round
and order fourdigit whole
numbers; use
positive and
negative numbers
in context and
position them on
a number line;
state inequalities
using the symbols
< and > (e.g. -3 >
-5, -1 < plus1)
Year 5
Count from any
given number in
whole-number
and decimal
steps, extending
beyond zero
when counting
backwards; relate
the numbers to
their position on a
number line
Year 6
Find the
difference
between a
positive and a
negative integer,
or two negative
integers, in
context
Year 6/7
Explain what
each digit
represents in
whole numbers
and decimals
with up to two
places, and
partition, round
and order these
numbers
Use decimal
notation for
tenths,
hundredths and
thousandths;
partition, round
Order a set of fractions by
and order
converting them to decimals
decimals with up
to three places,
and position them
on the number
line
Compare and order integers
and decimals in different
contexts
Page 2 Counting and Understanding Number
Express a smaller
whole number as
a fraction of a
Use decimal
larger one (e.g.
Round twonotation for tenths recognise that 5
Read and write
digit or three- and hundredths and out of 8 is ); find
Order two-digit
numerals from 0 to 20,
digit numbers partition decimals; equivalent
numbers and position
Count reliably up then beyond; use
to the nearest relate the notation to fractions (e.g.
=
them on a number
to 10 everyday
knowledge of place
10 or 100 and money and
, or
= 1 );
line; use the greater
objects (EOY)
value to position these
give estimates measurement;
relate fractions to
than (>) and less than
numbers on a number
for their sums position one-place their decimal
(<) signs
track and number line
and
and two-place
representations
differences
decimals on a
number line
Read and
write proper
fractions (e.g.
,
),
interpreting
the
denominator
as the parts of
Say the number that is
a whole and
Estimate how
Estimate a number of
1 more or less than
the numerator
many objects they
objects; round twoany given number,
as the number
can see and
digit numbers to the
and 10 more or less
of parts;
check by counting
nearest 10
for multiples of 10
identify and
estimate
fractions of
shapes; use
diagrams to
compare
fractions and
establish
equivalents
Express a larger
whole number as
a fraction of a
smaller one (e.g.
recognise that 8
slices of a 5-slice
pizza represents
or 1 pizzas);
simplify fractions
by cancelling
common factors;
order a set of
fractions by
converting them to
fractions with a
common
denominator
Understand
Express one
percentage as the quantity as a
number of parts in percentage of
every 100 and
another (e.g.
express tenths
express £400 as a
and hundredths as percentage of
percentages
£1000); find
Recognise the
equivalent
equivalence
percentages,
between decimal
decimals and
and fraction forms of
fractions
one half, quarters,
tenths and
hundredths
Use ratio notation,
reduce a ratio to its
simplest form and
divide a quantity into
two parts in a given
ratio; solve simple
problems involving
ratio and direct
proportion (e.g.
identify the quantities
needed to make a
fruit drink by mixing
water and juice in a
given ratio) (EOY)
Recognise
approximate
proportions of a
whole and use
fractions and
percentages to
describe and
compare them, for
example when
interpreting pie
charts
Page 3 Counting and Understanding Number
Count aloud in
ones, twos, fives
or tens
Use language
such as 'more' or
'less' to compare
two numbers
Use ordinal
numbers in
different contexts
Recognise
numerals 1 to 9
Find one half, one
Use the vocabulary of
quarter and three
halves and quarters in
quarters of shapes
context
and sets of objects
Use diagrams to
identify equivalent
fractions (e.g. and
, or
and
);
interpret mixed
numbers and
position them on a
number line (e.g. 3
) (EOY)
Use the vocabulary
of ratio and
proportion to
describe the
relationship
between two
quantities (e.g.
'There are 2 red
beads to every 3
blue beads, or 2
beads in every 5
beads are red');
estimate a
proportion (e.g.
'About one quarter
of the apples in the
box are green')
Use sequences to
scale numbers up
or down; solve
problems involving
proportions of
quantities (e.g.
decrease
quantities in a
recipe designed to
feed six people)
Solve simple
problems involving
direct proportion
by scaling
quantities up or
down