Number, shape and data — counted, weighed and measured with animals.
Maths is everywhere at PawSteps. We count paws and whiskers, weigh guinea pigs, measure enclosures and share treats fairly between friends. From very first numbers all the way to fractions, money and telling the time, every skill is practised with the animals you love — so the sums always feel real and never dull.
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🎓 Deeper learning
Number, reasoning and real problem-solving — modelled, practised and checked. Built for the National Curriculum, from first numbers to GCSE.
💭 How mathematicians think
Maths is more than sums. These are the real ways of thinking behind every activity.
⚡ Fluency
Knowing number facts quickly and accurately.Try: recall your 5× table without counting.
💭 Reasoning
Explaining why an answer is right, not just what it is.Try: prove that 7+8 must be odd.
🧩 Problem-solving
Using maths to solve real situations.Try: work out enough food for 6 rabbits.
🖼️ Represent it
Drawing or modelling a problem to understand it.Try: draw a bar model for sharing 12 treats.
🔎 Spot patterns
Noticing rules and what comes next.Try: continue 2, 4, 6, 8, …
✅ Estimate & check
Guessing sensibly, then checking your work.Try: estimate 19×3, then work it out.
📚 Key words to know
A knowledge organiser: the important maths words and what they mean.
Digit
A single number symbol, 0 to 9.
Place value
What a digit is worth by its position (tens, units…).
Sum
The answer when you add.
Difference
The answer when you subtract.
Product
The answer when you multiply.
Quotient
The answer when you divide.
Factor
A number that divides exactly into another.
Multiple
The answer in a times table (e.g. 12 is a multiple of 3).
Numerator / denominator
Top / bottom number of a fraction.
Perimeter
The distance all the way around a shape.
Symmetry
When both halves match like a mirror.
Estimate
A sensible guess close to the real answer.
🧮 Worked example & practice
See a method modelled step by step, then try real problems. Turn on Challenge tasks for the harder two.
📝 Worked example — do it like a mathematician
Problem: A vet weighs three guinea pigs: 820 g, 910 g and 760 g. What is their total mass in kilograms?
Step 1 — add the grams: 820 + 910 + 760 = 2490 g
Step 2 — convert: 1000 g = 1 kg, so 2490 g = 2.49 kg
Step 3 — check: estimate 800+900+800 = 2500 g. 2490 is close, so it looks right. ✅
🎓 Challenge — reason it out: a fourth guinea pig weighs 950 g. What is the new total in kilograms? (2490 + 950 = 3440 g = 3.44 kg.)
Q1. Gary the hedgehog eats 5 mealworms twice a day. How many is that in one day?
Answer: 5 × 2 = 10 mealworms.
Q2. A dog walk is 1.5 km each way. How far is it there and back?
Answer: 1.5 × 2 = 3 km.
Q3. 24 treats are shared equally between 4 dogs. How many treats each?
Answer: 24 ÷ 4 = 6 treats each.
Q4. A collar costs £6.50 and a lead costs £4.75. What is the total?
Answer: £6.50 + £4.75 = £11.25.
Q5. A pet shop opens at 08:45 and closes at 17:30. How long is it open?Challenge
Answer: From 08:45 to 17:30 is 8 hours and 45 minutes.
Q6. Three-quarters of a 20-treat bag is eaten. How many treats are left?Challenge
Answer: ¼ of 20 = 5, so 5 treats are left (15 eaten).
👩🏫 For teachers & parents — curriculum links
This section adds rigour to the animal-themed activities: the three National Curriculum aims (fluency, reasoning, problem-solving) plus modelled methods and practice with answers.
Number & calculation: place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages (KS1–KS2).
Measurement & geometry: length, mass, money and time; properties of shape and symmetry.
Statistics: reading and drawing simple tables and graphs.
Working mathematically: fluency, mathematical reasoning, and solving problems — the three statutory NC aims — with worked models and retrieval practice built in.