Year 6 Maths: Mastering Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Before SATs

Year 6 is an important year for building confidence with fractions, decimals and percentages. These ideas are closely connected, and pupils are expected to move between them, calculate with them and use them to solve problems. With calm, regular practice, children can strengthen their understanding before the Key Stage 2 SATs without turning every evening into a revision session.

What the Year 6 curriculum expects

The National Curriculum for England expects pupils in Year 6 to use common factors to simplify fractions, and to identify and use common multiples. They should compare and order fractions, including fractions greater than one, and use equivalences to put fractions in a common denominator when adding or subtracting.

Pupils also learn to multiply simple pairs of proper fractions, divide proper fractions by whole numbers, and calculate fractions of quantities. For decimals, they should multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1,000, including numbers with up to three decimal places, and multiply one-digit numbers with up to two decimal places. They are expected to divide numbers with up to two decimal places by one-digit whole numbers, giving answers to appropriate degrees of accuracy.

For percentages, children should recall and use equivalences between simple fractions, decimals and percentages. They should solve problems involving the calculation of percentages, such as 15% of 360, and use percentages to compare quantities. In practice, this means understanding not just a procedure, but why it works and when it is useful.

Build the links between the three forms

A strong starting point is to show that fractions, decimals and percentages are different ways of describing parts of a whole. For example, one half is 0.5 and 50%; one quarter is 0.25 and 25%; three quarters is 0.75 and 75%. Use a 100-square grid, a strip diagram or a shaded shape to make these relationships visible.

Encourage children to explain what each number means. In 0.35, the 3 represents three tenths and the 5 represents five hundredths. The fraction 35/100 describes the same amount, as does 35%. This place-value understanding helps prevent common errors, such as treating 0.4 as smaller than 0.35 because four is less than 35.

A simple matching activity can provide useful practice: pair cards showing a fraction, decimal, percentage and visual representation. Include less familiar examples, such as 3/5, 0.6 and 60%, once children are secure with the common equivalences. Ask them to justify each match rather than relying on memorised pairs alone.

Strengthen fraction fluency

When comparing or adding fractions, pupils need to recognise when denominators are different and find a suitable common denominator. For example, to calculate 2/3 + 1/4, they can rewrite the fractions as 8/12 and 3/12, then add the numerators to make 11/12. Remind children that the denominator tells us the size of the parts, so it cannot simply be added.

Simplifying is another key skill. Children can divide the numerator and denominator by the same common factor: 12/18 becomes 2/3 when both parts are divided by 6. Ask pupils to check whether their answer is in its simplest form and whether it makes sense compared with the original fraction.

For fractions of amounts, connect the method to equal sharing. To find 3/5 of 40, divide 40 into five equal groups, then take three groups: 40 ÷ 5 = 8, and 8 × 3 = 24. Counters, coins or quick sketches can support understanding before children move to written calculations. This also gives them a reliable strategy for unfamiliar questions.

Make decimal work about place value

A place-value chart can help pupils understand multiplying and dividing by powers of 10. When multiplying by 100, each digit’s value becomes 100 times greater; when dividing by 10, it becomes one tenth of its previous value. It is more accurate to talk about digits changing place value than simply “moving the decimal point”, which can encourage mistakes when zeroes are involved.

For example, 3.47 × 10 = 34.7, while 3.47 ÷ 100 = 0.0347. Ask children to estimate first: multiplying by 10 should make a positive number larger, and dividing by 100 should make it smaller. Estimation is a quick way to spot an answer that is out by a factor of ten or one hundred.

Money and measurement provide natural contexts for decimal calculations. Children might total prices, compare lengths such as 1.35 m and 1.5 m, or work out the cost of several items. Encourage them to line up decimal points when adding or subtracting and to use zeroes as placeholders where needed, as in 4.5 + 2.38 = 4.50 + 2.38.

Teach percentages through useful examples

The most accessible percentages are often those connected to familiar fractions: 10%, 25%, 50% and 75%. Children can find 10% by dividing by 10, then use that result to calculate other percentages. To find 15% of 360, for example, calculate 10% (36) and 5% (18), then add them to get 54. To find 5%, halve the 10% value.

Real-life contexts make percentage problems easier to picture. A 25% discount is one quarter off the original price; a 50% score is half of the marks available. Use sensible numbers first, then gradually introduce less convenient amounts. Ask whether the answer should be greater or less than the original quantity, and whether the result is reasonable.

It is also valuable to compare equivalent forms. If a child is asked which is larger, 0.7 or 65%, they can rewrite 0.7 as 70% and compare. Drawing a number line from 0 to 1, marked with tenths and familiar percentages, helps pupils see the relative size of each value.

Use SATs practice purposefully

SATs questions may combine skills, include unfamiliar wording or require children to explain their reasoning. Short, regular practice is usually more effective than a long session immediately before a test. A few focused questions several times a week can reveal which concept needs attention without overwhelming a child.

Choose worksheets that offer a gradual range of difficulty, including fluency questions, word problems and reasoning tasks. After each set, review errors together. Ask, “What did the question ask you to find?”, “Which representation might help?” and “Can you check the answer another way?” The aim is to understand the thinking behind a mistake, not simply correct it.

Keep revision balanced and age-appropriate. A ten-minute activity using shopping receipts, a recipe or a measuring tape can reinforce the same skills as formal questions. Praise careful checking and clear explanations as well as correct answers. If a child becomes anxious, return to a visual model or an easier example before moving on.

A practical way forward

Mastering fractions, decimals and percentages comes from seeing how they connect, practising core methods and applying them in meaningful problems. Parents and teachers can support Year 6 pupils with brief, consistent practice, clear models and patient discussion of mistakes. Use worksheets to identify gaps, revisit the relevant idea and build towards SATs-style questions. Confidence grows when children understand the mathematics, can explain their choices and know how to check that an answer makes sense.