Use knowledge of calculating any percentage of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts
I can calculate any percentage of a number and solve problems in a range of contexts.
Use knowledge of calculating any percentage of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts
I can calculate any percentage of a number and solve problems in a range of contexts.
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
- If I know 10% of a number, I can halve it to find 5%
- If I know 10% and 5% of a number, I can add them to find 15%
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division can be used to calculate a new percentage from known percentages.
Keywords
Percentage - A percentage is a proportion of a whole.
Common misconception
Pupils may confuse the numbers given and the percentages of them when calculating.
In the lesson, calculating with the numbers given (from 3 to 90) and the percentages of them (e.g. 1% to 30%) is often dealt with separately, looking at individual columns in a table. Columns can be covered when calculating to help focus attention.
To help you plan your year 6 maths lesson on: Use knowledge of calculating any percentage of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 6 maths lesson on: Use knowledge of calculating any percentage of a number to solve problems in a range of contexts, 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 Understanding percentages unit, dive into the full primary maths curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Find 10% of these numbers.
18
45
130
300
13
Q2.Find 25% of these numbers.
30
26
75
300
250
Q3.Find 75% of these numbers.
90
300
750
450
1,125
Q4.What number is 1% of 150?
Q5.Use this fact to calculate other percentages. 100% is 160 km
80 km
16 km
64 km
8 km
1.6 km
Q6.If 100% is 450 km, use an efficient method to find 60% of 450 km km
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How can you find the percentages of different numbers?
Divide by 10
Divide by 4
Divide by 100
Add 50% and 25% together
Halve 10%
Q2.If 100% is £400, find these percentages.
£200
£40
£4
£100
£300
Q3.Lucas needs to find the number of children who cycled to school. Look at the pie chart and complete each step of the table to calculate 21% of 300 children

Q4.Aisha’s battery has 69% of 600 minutes left. Complete each step of the table to calculate 69% of 600 minutes. minutes

Q5.Look at the table and find the missing percentage. 10 = % of 50

Q6.Use the table to calculate the missing percentage. 125 = % of 500
