Tell and write the time to the nearest minute past and to
I can tell and write the time to the nearest minute ‘past’ and ‘to’
Tell and write the time to the nearest minute past and to
I can tell and write the time to the nearest minute ‘past’ and ‘to’
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- When the minute hand has gone beyond the 6, we count the minutes left to get to the next hour.
- The minute hand shows how many minutes past the hour it is.
- Between the hours on the clock face the scale also shows five minutes.
- After half past the hour we give the time as minutes to the next hour.
Keywords
Minutes past - How many minutes have gone by since the last hour.
Minutes to - How many minutes there are until the next hour.
Common misconception
When showing times on clocks (for example drawing hands onto blank clock faces or manipulating mini-clocks with movable hands) pupils may not consider the position of the hour hand.
Frequent exposure to both examples and non-examples (such as those in the slide deck) will help pupils to see that the hour hand will not be in an 'o'clock' position if it is ___ minutes to ___.
To help you plan your year 3 maths lesson on: Tell and write the time to the nearest minute past and to, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 3 maths lesson on: Tell and write the time to the nearest minute past and to, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 maths lessons from the Tell the time to the nearest minute and compare units of time unit, dive into the full primary maths curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many minutes are there in an hour?
Q2.What do you add to 30 to make 60? 30 + = 60
Q3.What do you add to 40 to make 60? 60 = 40 +
Q4.What do you add to 35 to make 60? + 35 = 60
Q5.How many minutes past the hour is this? It is minutes past the hour.

Q6.How can you describe the position of the minute hand? Select all that apply.

Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the stem sentence: If it is 42 minutes past the hour, it is minutes to the next hour.

Q2.How many minutes to the hour is being shown on this clock?

Q3.How many minutes to the hour is being shown on this clock? minutes to

Q4.Match the ‘minutes past’ times with the correct ‘minutes to’ times.
20 minutes to
23 minutes to
13 minutes to
Q5.The clock is showing minutes to 5

Q6.Match the ‘minutes past’ times with the correct ‘minutes to’ times.
10 minutes to 3
10 minutes to 2
24 minutes to 5
24 minutes to 4