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UPDATED 16/09/22: Changed the font and added solutions. Included pdf version of the task too. A Bronze/Silver/Gold differentiated resource where pupils are given a list of fractions and a square grid. They have to put the fractions in the grid so that every row and column is in ascending order. The suggested method for doing so is to find a common denominator. There are many possible solutions to the puzzles, but I have provided one possible set of solutions as this was requested in the comments. In all solutions, the smallest fraction must always go in the top left corner, and the largest in the bottom right.

6 questions I designed to stretch the most able in my Year 11 foundation group. I have provided an editable Powerpoint version of the worksheet, and a pdf which has 2 copies per A4 sheet. Answers are also provided.

A task I designed to make my lesson on the area of a parallelogram a little more interesting! Students are given a variety of parallelograms where the side lengths are algebraic expressions. Students are given 9 possible values for x and have to substitute these values into the parallelograms, and then calculate their areas. Their aim is to create parallelograms with given areas. Solutions are provided.

This resource could be used in either a lesson on Percentages of Amounts, or converting Percentages into Fractions (which is what I used it for). Students are given rectangular grids of various sizes, and must shade a given percentage of the grid. Solutions are provided (although obviously it doesn’t matter which of the boxes are shaded, just that the correct number are!)

A set of questions I designed for my foundation group on determining coefficients in order to produce identities. Answers are provided.

An activity that I designed to make ordering fractions a bit more challenging for the more able in my group. Pupils are given 4 algebraic fractions, and must order them by size for particular values of the unknown. Solutions are provided.

Students must use their knowledge of triangles and quadrilaterals to form and solve simultaneous equations. Answers are provided.

I designed this activity for my top set Year 10 class. It involves adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing numbers in standard form. It is designed to be done without a calculator! Initially, students are given 2 numbers in standard form, a and b, and must calculate other values such as a + b, a x b etc., but progresses onto skills such as, if you’re given b and a ÷ b, can you work out a? Good for a higher-attaining group I think! Solutions are provided.

Some questions on Bearings & right-angled Trigonometry that I designed for my Year 11 students. The worksheet is scaffolded - each question comes in a pair. In the first question, I have drawn the complete diagram for students. In the second question, the diagram has been drawn but not labelled - students must do this for themselves. Solutions are provided.

A simple worksheet - nothing fancy. Students are given 30 linear equations in a grid (all of the form ax + b = c), some of which have integer answers, and some of which have fractional answers. They have to solve the equations and colour in the boxes according to what type of solution the equation has. Like I said, this worksheet is nothing fancy so it doesn’t make a picture when they’ve finished colouring! I’ve provided answers as well.

Students must use their knowledge of similar shapes and linear equations in order to determine the value of an unknown. Solutions are provided.

Students are told the value of the top block in each pyramid. They have to create an equation to determine the value of x, by working their way up the pyramid - each block is the sum of the 2 below it. The first sheet contains only positive terms, but the second sheet introduces negatives. Solutions are provided.

These are sets of starter questions that I have used with my Year 11 (Foundation) and Year 10 (borderline Higher/Foundation) classes this year. Each set of starters contains between 5 and 10 lessons worth of starters that test the same topics each lesson. Solutions are provided to all questions. The cover image shows the format of all starters. Topics tested are: Year 11 Set 1: Expanding brackets, collecting like terms, solving equations, prime factorisation, nth term of arithmetic sequences, percentages of amounts, substitution & sharing in a ratio. Year 11 Set 2: Averages, rounding, division, FDP, multiplying and dividing fractions, sharing in a ratio, factorising quadratics, expanding double brackets, mixed numbers and improper fractions, fractions of amounts, simplifying fractions. Year 11 Set 3: Multiplying fractions by integers, column addition, exterior angles of polygons, ordering negatives, fractions of amounts, solving equations, ratio and probability. Year 11 Set 4: Simplifying expressions, expressing one quantity as a fraction of another, standard form, multiplying mixed numbers, recognising arithmetic and geometric sequences, recognising parallel lines, percentage increase. Year 11 Set 5: Finding and using the nth term of an arithmetic sequence, converting mixed numbers to improper fractions, expanding double brackets, solving quadratics, multiplying and dividing decimals, probability. Year 11 Set 6: Solving equations (xs on both sides), number facts, calculating with negatives, ratio problems, simultaneous equations. Year 10 Set 1: Substitution, expanding double brackets, solving equations, significant figures, simplifying expressions, estimating square roots, index laws. Year 10 Set 2: Angles in parallel lines, angles in polygons, averages, index laws, recurring decimals, solving equations. Year 10 Set 3: Volume of cuboids, geometric notation, simplifying expressions, calculating with negatives, percentage increase and decrease, algebraic fractions, ordering fractions, solving equations. Year 10 Set 4: Re-arranging formulae, standard form, sharing in a ratio, factorising quadratics, expanding single brackets, substitution, estimation, multiplying and dividing decimals, index laws, expanding double brackets.

I wanted something a little more challenging on the topic of Trapezia that still gave my students plenty of practice calculating areas, so I designed these questions. In each question, students are given a pair of trapezia and are told how their areas are linked (one is a multiple of the other). Students have to determine the area of one trapezium, use that to determine the area of the other one, and then finally use that to determine a missing value. Sheets I and II are very similar, but sheet III is a bit more challenging. Solutions are provided.

This was designed for my Year 11 Foundation class. It is a second lesson after students have already had an introduction to solving quadratic equations by factorising, All quadratics in this lesson can be solved by factorising - they just must be re-arranged to give a quadratic equal to 0. There are 3 examples to go through - one which is a recap of previous work, and 2 quadratics that need to be re-arranged. There are 20 fluency questions for students to work through. The bronze questions at the top only have positive terms in the quadratic, while the gold questions underneath introduce some negatives. There are 2 problem solving questions at the end as an extension, or to finish off the lesson. These are both based on past exam questions.

Students are given the beginning of a sequence and must determine the next 3 terms. They also need to classify the sequence as arithmetic, geometric or quadratic. Solutions are provided.

A Treasure Hunt based on finding the input value in a function machine when given the output. Print out the cards and stick them around the classroom. Students pick their own starting point, answer the question, and look for their answer at the top of a different card. This tells them which question to do next, and then they repeat the process. They should end up back at their starting point if they get all the questions correct. Solution provided.

Students solve quadratic equations by completing the square, giving their answers in both surd form and as decimals. The answers are all jumbled up, and students must match the answers to the correct quadratic equation. There are a couple of quadratics where the coefficient of x is odd, and some knowledge of simplifying surds will be required. Solutions are provided.

A problem solving task that gives students lots of practice finding the surface area of cuboids. Students are told what the surface area of each cuboid is, but are only given 2 of the 3 lengths needed to calculate the surface area - they must determine what the missing length is. All possible answers are given at the bottom of the page for students to cross off as they go. I designed this for a Year 7 mid-ability group who solved it through trial and error, however it could also be solved algebraically (using linear equations). Solutions are provided.

A Treasure Hunt on converting decimals to fractions ( which should be in simplest form). Print out the questions and place around the room. Students decide which card they want to start on. Students answer the question by converting the decimal to a fraction, and look for their answer at the top of a different card - this tells them which question to answer next. They then repeat the process, and if they’re correct, they should end up back at their starting point after 20 questions. Solution is provided.