We know maths is an area where parents really want to support their children at home, but often worry about new methods and vocabulary. We want to make maths easier and more accessible for everyone and we know that you are key educators in supporting your child’s learning. 

Following the very successful 'Help your child with maths' sessions, the Bentley Calculation Progression is now available to be downloaded from the foot of this page.

 

Times Tables Scheme

The children work hard in class to master their times tables and they regularly take part in the Superhero challenge and try to reach the next level. 

We are keen for parents to help their children at home but would not encourage you to simply redo these challenges as it is important for the children to know all of their times tables and not just learn to master the challenge!  To help with that the teachers have put together their Top Tips for learning, which include some great online and smartphone games. 

Superhero Criteria

Each challenge is named after a superhero and the criteria for the challenges, along with sample questions are listed below.

Po - Number recognition to 10

Tigress - Number recognition to 20

Master Shifu – Number bonds to 5, eg 1 + ? = 5

Viper – Number bonds to 10, eg 2 + ? = 10

Oogway – Number bonds to 20, eg ? + 4 = 20, 20 - 4 = ?

Batman – 2, 5 and 10 times tables, eg 2 x 4, 5 x 10, 10 x 9, 2 ÷ 2, 10 ÷ 5, 100 ÷ 10

Hawk-girl – 4 and 8 times tables, eg 4 x 11, 4 x 9, 4 x 6, 36 ÷ 4, 16 ÷ 4, 36 ÷ 4

Thor – 3, 6 and 9 times tables, eg 3 x 3, 42 ÷ 6, 9 x 9, 72 ÷ 6, 9 x 12, 63 ÷ 9

Black Widow – 7, 11 and 12 times tables, eg 7 x 8,  14 ÷ 7, 12 x 6, 90 ÷ 10, 28 ÷ 7, 56 ÷ 8

Superman – Division facts, eg 56 ÷ 7, 54 ÷ 9, 20 ÷ 2, 16 ÷ 4, 56 ÷ 8, 11 ÷ 11

Spiderman – All multiplication tables and division facts, with missing numbers eg 6 x ? = 36, 11 x ? = 132, 7 x ? = 84

Catwoman – Applying place value  to multiplication and division eg 6 x 600, 900 ÷ 30, 70 x 800, 5.6 ÷ 0.7, 0.9 x 1000 

Ironman – Multiplication by one digit eg 5 x 45, 71 x 3, 99 x 3, 14 x 5, 123 x 8

Wonder Woman – Fractions, decimals and percentages of amounts eg 50% of 80, 3/5 of 60, 33.3% of 66, 0.6 of 90 

Beyond Superheroes – Mixture of arithmetic questions (based around KS2 Arithmetic SATs paper), eg 362 x 6, 3459 + 879, 8.93 + 0.0061, 1 6/15 + 7/8

 

Your child will be on track to meet age related expectations by the year end if they are on the following levels at the end of each school term:

Year R - Autumn on Po, Spring on Tigress, Summer on Master Shifu

Year 1 - Autumn on Master Shifu, Spring on Viper, Summer on Oogway

Year 2 - Autumn on Oogway, Spring on Batman, Summer on Hawk Girl

Year 3 - Autumn on Hawk Girl, Spring on Hawk Girl, Summer on Thor

Year 4 - Autumn on Thor, Spring on Black Widow, Summer on Superman

Year 5 - Autumn on Superman, Spring on Spiderman, Summer on Catwoman

Year 6 - Autumn on Catwoman, Spring on Ironman, Summer on Wonderwoman

 

Top tips for learning times tables

There are lots of websites and smartphone apps that offer interactive and fun ways for your child to learn their times tables.  We are very conscious that every child is unique and learns in a different way so our teachers have come up with a list, within which you should be able to find a way that engages your child. Or you can just chant them like we used to do in the 'old days'!

• Write them down - on paper, on a blackboard, on a whiteboard, in the sand, on the patio with pavement chalk!
• A little and often family quiz in the car
• Make up rhymes to help you remember some of them eg I ate and ate and was sick on the floor, 8 x 8 is 64
• Encourage the children to use key facts that they know well and build on them eg 7 x 7 = 49 and then add on 7 to make 8 x 7 etc
• Use division for inverse operation eg 3 x 4 = 12 and 12 ÷ 4 = 3
• Click on the link below and print off the times tables to put on the wall
• Do it every day!  Flex your muscle power :)

Online and Smartphone Apps

Hit the Button is an interactive maths game with quick fire questions on number bonds, times tables, division facts, doubling and halving, multiples, and square numbers. The games which are against the clock challenge and develop a child's mental maths skills.  Designed for 6 to 11 years olds, the activities can be matched to appropriate mathematical ability. Regular use of Hit the Button can help children to sharpen their recall of vital number facts in a fun way and learning multiplication tables need not be boring.  Hit the button can be played free of charge by clicking here or you can download the app to any smartphone.

Maths Rockx is an app for smartphones.   It is believed that children learn best through music; rhythm and beat, melody and sound. The music creates memory triggers for the lyrics. When you combine these with the visual cues, recalling the Times Tables will become an automatic response. Repetition is key. The Maths Rockx app has selected 11 fantastic songs, from some of the world's best artists; One Direction, P!NK, Will.i.am and Pharrell Williams - to name a few. The Times Tables fit perfectly and the songs sound brilliant!  This app isn't cheap - currently £9.99 to download - but it does work!  You can find out more by clicking here.

Squeebles Times Tables is a smartphone app that offers a fun way for children to learn and practise tables, helping Whizz to rescue 40 of the Squeebles from the nasty Maths Monster as a reward for their hard work. Featuring a great reward system, fun mini game, 8 tables modes, unlimited players and plenty of stats and reporting for you to see how your children are improving.  It is currently £2.99 to download and can also be bought as part of the full Squeebles app.  For more information, click here.