Overcoming barriers in mathematics – Level 2 / 3
Support for Year 2 teachers – Challenging more able pupils
The PNS Overcoming barriers in mathematics – level 2/3 are to support Year 3 and Year 4 teachers, using Year 3 and Year
4 objectives. These materials could also be used by Year2 teachers to challenge more able pupils and support them in
achieving level 3 at the end of KS1. The following guidance has been put together by leading teachers to allow this to
happen.
BLOCK A UNIT 1 (autumn) 2 weeks - Counting partitioning and calculating
Year 2
Objectives
Children’s learning outcomes in italic
Present solutions to puzzles and problems in an organised
way; explain decisions, methods and results in pictorial,
spoken or written form, using mathematical language and
number sentences
I can explain to others how I solved a problem
Year 3
Objectives
Children’s learning outcomes in italic
Overcoming barriers sequences
Describe and explain methods, choices and solutions to
puzzles and problems, orally and in writing, using pictures
and diagrams
I can explain how I solve problems
Calculating (5th arrow)
Can I identify the calculation needed to solve a word
problem?
Can I identify the stages involved in a two-step
problem?
Can I explain and record my methods and solutions?
Count up to 100 objects by grouping them and counting in
tens, fives or twos; explain what each digit in a two-digit
number represents, including numbers where 0 is a place
holder; partition two-digit numbers in different ways,
including into multiples of 10 and 1
I can count objects by putting them into groups
I can partition numbers
Estimate a number of objects; round two-digit numbers to
the nearest 10
I can round numbers to the nearest 10
Partition three-digit numbers into multiples of 100, 10 and 1
in different ways
I can split a number into hundreds, tens and ones
I can explain how the digits in a number change when I
count in 10s or 100s
Counting and understanding number (1st arrow)
Can I round whole numbers to 1000 to the nearest 10
or 100?
Can I read, write and partition whole numbers to
1000?
Can I order two-digit and three-digit numbers and
position these on a number line?
Read and write two-digit and three-digit numbers in figures
and words; describe and extend number sequences and
recognise odd and even numbers
I can read and write two-digit numbers
I know which numbers are odd and which are even
Order two-digit numbers and position them on a number
line; use the greater than (>) and less than (<) signs
I can write numbers in order and position them on a
number line
I can use the greater than and less than symbols to
show that one number is larger or smaller than another
Add or subtract mentally a one-digit number or a multiple of
10 to or from any two-digit number; use practical and
informal written methods to add and subtract two-digit
numbers
I can add and subtract some numbers in my head
Understand that subtraction is the inverse of addition and
vice versa; use this to derive and record related addition
and subtraction number sentences
I know that addition and subtraction ‘undo’ each other
I can write three other related number sentences for
6+3=9
Read, write and order whole numbers to at least 1000 and
position them on a number line; count on from and back to
zero in single-digit steps or multiples of 10
I can read and write numbers to 1000 and put them in
order
Derive and recall all addition and subtraction facts for each
number to 20, sums and differences of multiples of 10 and
number pairs that total 100
I know the sum and difference of any pair of numbers to
20
I can add and subtract multiples of 10 or 100 in my head
Knowing and using number facts (1st arrow)
Can I recall and use addition and subtraction facts
to 20?
Can I find pairs of numbers that total 100?
Add or subtract mentally combinations of one-digit and twodigit numbers
I can add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers
in my head
(e.g. 62 + 7, 7 + 45, 48 – 6, 60 – 8)
BLOCK A Unit 2 (spring) 2 weeks
Year 2
Year 3
Objectives
Children’s learning outcomes in italic
Objectives
Children’s learning outcomes in italic
Overcoming barriers sequences
Present solutions to puzzles and problems in an organised
way; explain decisions, methods and results in pictorial,
spoken or written form, using mathematical language and
number sentences
I can explain how I solved a problem and say why I did it
that way
Describe and explain methods, choices and solutions to
puzzles and problems, orally and in writing, using pictures
and diagrams
I can explain how I solve problems
Calculating (5th arrow)
Can I identify the calculation needed to solve a word
problem?
Can I identify the stages involved in a two-step
problem?
Can I explain and record my methods and solutions?
Count up to 100 objects by grouping them and counting in
Partition three-digit numbers into multiples of 100, 10 and 1
Counting and understanding number (1st arrow)
tens, fives or twos; explain what each digit in a two-digit
number represents, including numbers where 0 is a place
holder; partition two-digit numbers in different ways,
including into multiples of 10 and 1
I can explain what each digit in a two-digit number
stands for
I can partition numbers in different ways
in different ways
I can split a number into hundreds, tens and ones
I can explain how the digits in a number change when I
count in 10s or 100s
Can I round whole numbers to 1000 to the nearest 10
or 100?
Can I read, write and partition whole numbers to
1000?
Read and write two-digit and three-digit numbers in figures
and words; describe and extend number sequences and
recognise odd and even numbers
I can read and write numbers up to 1000 in figures and
in words
I know which numbers are odd and which are even
Can I order two-digit and three-digit numbers and
position these on a number line?
Round two-digit or three-digit numbers to the nearest 10 or
100 and give estimates for their sums and differences
I can round numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 and estimate
a sum or difference
Add or subtract mentally a one-digit number or a multiple of
10 to or from any two-digit number; use practical and
informal written methods to add and subtract two-digit
numbers
I can add and subtract some numbers in my head
Derive and recall all addition and subtraction facts for each
number to 20, sums and differences of multiples of 10 and
number pairs that total 100
I know the sum and difference of any pair of numbers to 20
I can add and subtract multiples of 10 or 100 in my head
I know number pairs that sum to 100
Knowing and using number facts (1st arrow)
Can I recall and use addition and subtraction facts
to 20?
Can I find pairs of numbers that total 100?
Add or subtract mentally combinations of one-digit and twodigit numbers
I can add or subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers in my
head
(e.g. 62 + 7, 7 + 45, 48 – 6, 60 – 8)
Calculating (1st arrow)
Can I subtract mentally combinations of one-digit
and two-digit numbers?
Can I say a subtraction fact that is the inverse of an
addition fact, and vice versa?
I can add and subtract bigger numbers using practical
equipment or by
writing notes to help me
Use the symbols +, –, ×, ÷ and = to record and interpret
number sentences involving all four operations; calculate
the value of an unknown in a number sentence (e.g.
Knowing and using number facts (2nd arrow)
Can I recall multiplication and division facts for the 2,
 ÷ 2 = 6, 30 –  = 24)
I know how to write number sentences using the
symbols +, –, ×, ÷ and =
3, 4, 5 and 10 times-tables?
Can I use understanding of multiplication
and division to solve problems?
I can explain what different number sentences mean
Multiply one-digit and two-digit numbers by 10 or 100, and
describe the effect
I can multiply by 10 or 100 and say what happens to the
number I multiply
Derive and recall multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and
10 times-tables and the corresponding division facts;
recognise multiples of 2, 5 or 10 up to 1000
I know my tables for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10
Calculating (2nd+3rd arrows)
Can I multiply one-digit and two-digit numbers by 10
and 100?
Can I multiply a two-digit number by a one-digit
number?
Can I divide a two-digit number by a one-digit
number and explain any remainders?
BLOCK A Unit 3 (summer) 2 weeks
Year 2
Year 3
Objectives
Children’s learning outcomes in italic
Objectives
Children’s learning outcomes in italic
Present solutions to puzzles and problems in an organised
way; explain decisions, methods and results in pictorial,
spoken or written form, using mathematical language and
number sentences
I can show and explain clearly how I solved a problem
Solve one-step and two-step problems involving numbers,
money or measures, including time, choosing and carrying
out appropriate calculations
I can solve a problem by writing down what calculation I
should do
Read and write two-digit and three-digit numbers in figures
and words; describe and extend number sequences and
recognise odd and even numbers
I can read and write numbers up to 1000 in figures and
in words
I can explain the pattern for a sequence of numbers and
work out the next few numbers in the list
Count up to 100 objects by grouping them and counting in
tens, fives or twos; explain what each digit in a two-digit
number represents, including numbers where 0 is a place
holder; partition two-digit numbers in different ways,
Overcoming barriers sequences
Calculating (5th arrow)
Can I identify the calculation needed to solve a word
problem?
Can I identify the stages involved in a two-step
problem?
Can I explain and record my methods and solutions?
Counting and understanding number(1st arrow)
Can I round whole numbers to 1000 to the nearest 10
or 100?
Can I read, write and partition whole numbers to
1000?
Can I order two-digit and three-digit numbers and
position these on a number line?
including into multiples of 10 and 1
I can use partitioning to help me to carry out calculations
Order two-digit numbers and position them on a number
line; use the greater than (>) and less than (<) signs
I can write numbers in order and position them on a
number line
I can use the greater than and less than symbols to
show that one number is larger or smaller than another
Estimate a number of objects; round two-digit numbers to
the nearest 10
I can say roughly how many there are in a group of
objects
Round two-digit or three-digit numbers to the nearest 10 or
100 and give estimates for their sums and differences
I can use rounding to estimate a sum or difference
Counting and understanding number (1st arrow)
Can I round whole numbers to 1000 to the nearest 10
or 100?
Add or subtract mentally a one-digit number or a multiple of
10 to or from any two-digit number; use practical and
informal written methods to add and subtract two-digit
numbers
I can add and subtract two-digit numbers using practical
equipment or written notes to help me
Add or subtract mentally combinations of one-digit and twodigit numbers
I can find the sum of or difference between one-digit and
two-digit numbers in my head (e.g. 7 + 45, 45 – 7)
I can add several one-digit numbers in my head
Calculating (1st arrow)
Can I subtract mentally combinations of one-digit
and two-digit numbers?
Can I say a subtraction fact that is the inverse of
an addition fact, and vice versa?