United Kingdom Year 2 School Syllabus - Mathematics

The mathematics curriculum for Year 2 in the United Kingdom aims to build upon the foundation laid in Year 1, focusing on developing fluency with whole numbers and the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Students are also introduced to fractions and basic geometry and measurement concepts. The curriculum emphasizes practical application and problem-solving using concrete objects, pictorial representations, and mental methods.

Number

• Number and Place Value: Students learn to count forward and backward in steps of 2, 3, 5, and 10. They develop an understanding of place value in two-digit numbers (tens and ones), compare and order numbers up to 100 using <, >, and = signs, and solve problems using place value and number facts.
• Addition and Subtraction: Fluency with addition and subtraction facts to 20 is crucial. Students apply this knowledge to derive related facts up to 100. They add and subtract two-digit numbers mentally and using concrete materials, and begin to understand the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction. The commutative property of addition is introduced.
• Multiplication and Division: Students are introduced to the 2, 5, and 10 multiplication tables and learn related division facts. They use arrays, repeated addition, and mental methods to solve multiplication and division problems. The commutative property of multiplication is introduced.
• Fractions: Students work with halves, thirds, and quarters of shapes, objects, and quantities. They begin to understand fractions as numbers and learn to count in fractions up to 10.

Measurement

Students learn to choose and use standard units to estimate and measure length/height (m/cm), mass (kg/g), temperature (°C), and capacity (litres/ml). They compare and order these measures, and use symbols for pounds (£) and pence (p). Telling and writing time to five-minute intervals, including quarter past/to the hour, is also covered.

Geometry

• Properties of Shapes: Students identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes (number of sides, line symmetry) and 3-D shapes (number of edges, vertices, and faces). They compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes.
• Position and Direction: Students use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction, and movement, including turns (quarter, half, three-quarter) in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. They work with patterns and sequences of shapes.

Statistics

Students interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams, and tables. They answer questions about data by counting and sorting, and compare categories by quantity.