Year 5 - Addition & Subtraction

These hands-on Year 5 maths lessons take addition, subtraction, rounding, and multi-step problem-solving outdoors. Through treasure hunts, natural materials, and real-world challenges, pupils strengthen computational skills, build confidence with formal methods, and see how maths connects to everyday life.

Lesson Plans

Adding numbers with more than 4 digits

In this hands-on Year 5 maths lesson, children take addition outdoors as they tackle numbers with more than four digits. Through activities like a place value treasure hunt and using natural materials to explore sums, pupils build confidence with formal written methods, strengthen their computational skills, and deepen their understanding of adding large numbers.

Learning objective:

To add numbers with more than 4 digits

Subtracting numbers with more than 4 digits

In this active Year 5 maths lesson, children take subtraction outdoors as they work with numbers beyond four digits. Through exciting activities and tackling inverse operations, pupils strengthen their computational skills, gain confidence with formal written methods, and deepen their understanding of subtracting large numbers.

Learning objective:

To subtract numbers with more than 4 digits

Rounding numbers and estimating answers

Take Year 5 pupils outdoors for an engaging maths lesson focused on rounding, estimating, and approximating numbers with confidence. Pupils learn to use rounding to check their calculations, make sensible estimates, and decide on appropriate levels of accuracy when solving problems.

Learning objective:

To round numbers, estimate answers and approximate

Solving multi-step addition and subtraction

Take your Year 5 pupils outdoors to explore multi-step addition and subtraction problems in real-world contexts. With clear success criteria, engaging resources, and opportunities to create, represent, and solve complex problems, pupils build confidence, develop flexible problem-solving strategies, and see how maths connects to everyday life.

Learning objective:

To create and solve multi-step addition and subtraction problems

Before you get started

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