KS2 Fractions — Everything Year 6 Needs to Know

Why Fractions Trip Up So Many Children

A fraction is two numbers pretending to be one. That alone makes it weird. Your child has spent years working with whole numbers where bigger always means more. Then along comes ¼ and ⅓ and suddenly “bigger number on the bottom” means a smaller piece. No wonder it gets confusing.

Most mistakes come from treating the top and bottom numbers separately — adding numerators and denominators as if they’re independent. They’re not. Once your child really understands that a fraction is one single value, everything else clicks into place.

The Basics Your Child Must Know

Before tackling calculations, make sure these are rock solid:

• Equivalent fractions — ½ is the same as 2/4, 3/6, 50/100. Multiply (or divide) top and bottom by the same number. It’s like zooming in on a pizza without changing how much you ate.
• Simplifying — Find the highest common factor and divide both parts. 8/12 becomes 2/3. Encourage your child to always check: “Can I make this simpler?”
• Comparing and ordering — Which is bigger: 3/5 or 7/10? Convert to the same denominator first. Or convert to decimals. Either way works.

If your child can confidently do these three things, the harder stuff becomes much more manageable.

Adding and Subtracting Fractions

Same denominator? Dead easy. 3/8 + 2/8 = 5/8. Just add the tops.

Different denominators? That’s where it gets tricky. You need a common denominator first. Here’s a worked example:

The trick is finding the lowest common multiple of the two denominators. For 4 and 3, that’s 12. Then convert each fraction. Once they’ve cracked this pattern, they can handle any addition or subtraction.

Multiplying and Dividing Fractions

Here’s a surprise: multiplying fractions is actually easier than adding them. Just multiply the tops together and the bottoms together. That’s it.

Dividing is the one that sounds scary. But there’s a neat trick: flip the second fraction and multiply. Teachers call it “Keep, Change, Flip”.

Think of it this way: “How many halves fit into three quarters?” One and a half. Makes sense, right?

Fractions in the SATs

On the arithmetic paper, fraction questions are straightforward calculations. Add these fractions. Multiply that. Simplify your answer. If your child knows the methods, these are free marks.

The reasoning papers are trickier. They wrap fractions inside word problems:

The maths is just 240 ÷ 8 = 30, then 240 − 30 = 210. But your child has to spot that “fraction of an amount” means divide. That connection is what practice builds.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Adding denominators — ⅓ + ¼ does NOT equal 2/7. This is the single most common fraction error.
• Forgetting to simplify — 4/8 is correct, but the mark scheme wants ½. Always check.
• Mixed number confusion — When adding 1¾ + 2½, some children add the whole numbers and fractions separately but forget to carry over when fractions total more than 1.
• Not converting for comparison — Guessing which fraction is bigger by looking at the numbers without finding a common denominator first.

How to Practise

Little and often beats marathon sessions every time. Ten minutes of fractions a day will do more than an hour at the weekend. Focus on the type they keep getting wrong — there’s no point drilling multiplication if it’s adding with different denominators that trips them up.

Start with visual models: pizza slices, chocolate bars, fraction walls. Once the penny drops visually, move to the abstract numbers. And always, always get them to check their answer makes sense. “Is 11/12 nearly a whole? Yes. Does ¼ + ⅔ look like nearly a whole? Yes. Good.”

SATs Arcade has hundreds of fraction questions at three difficulty levels, with instant feedback and worked explanations when your child gets one wrong. It’s a great way to build confidence without the stress of a worksheet.