Below is a guide showing one possible way of sequencing the teaching of skills within Key Skills Training Worksheets for a Year 7 Class.

It is likely that this will be a great support to teachers new to the program, though over time it is likely that teachers will want to make modifications to the sequence based on student data to ensure their teaching best meets the needs of the students in their class.

It is important to remember that learning is the priority of any teaching that takes place, consequently some skills may need to be taught over multiple lessons or revisited at a later date. The goal of the classroom teacher it is to improve students’ skills and pacing according to students’ needs is essential.

Note that skills come from KS1 and KS2 as it is hoped that most students will transition to KS2 sometime during Term 2.

Teachers are welcome to use the videos within each skill page as a guide for their explicit teaching of each skill. For more details on explicit teaching please refer to this web page containing a possible approach to whole class lessons.

Topic 1: Place value and the Algorithms

Rational: Many students start high school without competence in the algorithms for the four operations so this is a good starting point.

  • KS1 Skill 3 Base 10 Blocks
  • KS1 Skill 4 Addition Algorithm
  • KS1 Skill 6 Subtraction Algorithm
  • KS1 Skill 8 Multiplication Algorithm
  • KS1 Skill 9d Divisions with remainders
  • KS1 Skill 10 Division Algorithm

Topic 2: Primes, Factors and Multiples

Rational: This topic equips students with the knowledge required to complete questions involving fraction arithmetic. It also helps students see how important knowing their times tables is. While during this topic they can be supported with a times tables grid it is hoped that increased practice will help them develop the efficiency in which they can recall their times tables and/or motivate them to do additional work on these outside of class (a good free app is “10 minutes a day times tables”).

  • KS1 Skill 11 Missing number questions
  • KS1 Skill 12a Factors of a number
  • KS2 Skill 7a HCF
  • KS1 Skill 12b Multiples of a number
  • KS2 Skill 7b LCM
  • KS2 Skill 3 Powers and Square roots
  • KS2 Skill 4 Order of operations
  • KS2 Skill 5 Properties of numbers
  • KS2 Skill 6 Prime factorisation (expected to take at least 2 lessons)

Topic 3: Fractions

Rational: This topic bridges between foundation and core, with the bonus being that all core level fraction skills are contained in the core section within the foundation homework booklet. This topic is long so it might be worth splitting into two parts. For example, you could do all foundation skills first and then break and then do core skills.

  • KS1 Skill 13 Fraction models
  • KS1 Skill 14 Adding fractions with a common denominator
  • KS1 Skill 15 Fractions of an amount
  • KS1 Skill 16 Equivalent fractions
  • KS1 Skill 17 Simplifying fractions
  • KS2 Skill 8 Mixed numbers and improper fractions
  • KS2 Skill 7b Lowest common multiples (review from previous topic – I believe this is way to important to not cover again here)
  • KS2 Skill 9 Adding and subtracting fractions (expected to take at least 2 lessons, focusing on related denominators then unrelated)
  • KS2 Skill 10 Multiplying fractions (expected to take at least 2 lessons)
  • KS2 Skill 11 Dividing Fractions
  • KS2 Skill 12 Fraction arithmetic with mixed numbers

Topic 4: Decimals and Percentages

Rational: A good topic once fraction skills are established.

  • KS2 Skill 13a Place value of decimals
  • KS2 Skill 13b Rounding whole numbers
  • KS2 Skill 14 Comparing decimals
  • KS2 Skill 15 Multiplying whole numbers by 10 and 100
  • KS2 Skill 16 Converting between fractions decimals and percentages
  • KS2 Skill 17 Adding and subtracting decimals
  • KS2 Skill 18 Multiplying decimals
  • KS2 Skill 19 Dividing decimals (recommend 2 lessons)
  • KS2 Skill 20 Calculating a percentage of a number

Topic 5: Integers and Algebra

  • KS2 Skill 1 adding and subtracting positive integers
  • KS2 Skill 2 adding and subtracting negative integers
  • KS2 Skill 21 Substituting into a one-step expression
  • KS2 Skill 22 Solving one-step equations
  • KS2 Skill 23 Plotting coordinates

Topic 6: Angles

  • KS1 Skill 19Estimating and classifying angles
  • KS1 Skill 25 Part 1 Angles around a point
  • KS1 Skill 25 Part 2 Angles around parallel lines
  • KS1 Skill 26 Angles in a triangle and classifying triangles

Topic 7: Measurement

  • KS1 Skill 20 Perimeter and area of a rectangle
  • KS1 Skill 21 Volume of a rectangular prism
  • KS2 Skill 24 Using formulas in measurement (expected to take 3 lessons)

Topic 8: Probability and Statistics

  • KS2 Skill 27 Sample space and probability
  • KS2 Skill 28 Mean, median, mode and range  (expected to take 3 lessons)