Progression
Foundation Stage:
DIVISION
Children in the Foundation Stage start division in the
summer term. They are introduced to the concept of division
as ‘sharing’.
Year 1:
Children learn division as sharing and grouping. They solve
word problems involving sharing and grouping. These problems
are represented visually and children are able to move
objects/counters to solve the division problems.
Underlying skills
 Understand sharing as
everyone having the
same.
 The physical process of
sharing: one for you, one
for me.
 Knowing to count how
many in a group to find
the answer.
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Understand grouping as
groups being the same
size.
The physical process of
grouping: putting objects
into a group of a given
number.
Count forwards in steps
of single digits
accurately.
Know multiplication
facts.
Success criteria
 Take the number of
objects.
 Share the objects
equally between the
number of people.
 Count how much each
person gets, this is
the answer.
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Take the number of
objects.
Put the objects into
groups of the given
number.
Count how many
groups there are, this
is the answer.
Progression
Year 1:
DIVISION
Underlying skills
Understand inverse
relationships between
multiplication and
division – fact families.
Know multiplication
facts.
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Understand 14÷2=7 is
the same as 14÷7=2,
(commutative).
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Understand inverse
relationships between
multiplication and
division – fact families.
Know multiplication
facts.
Count in 2s, 5s, 10s.
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Arrays
Division is formally recorded in a number sentence
e.g. 14 ÷2 = 7. They use arrays to represent ‘groups of’.
14
÷
2=7
14
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÷ 7=2
Year 2:
Children also use their fingers to represent ‘groups of’.
They count in multiples of the number they are dividing by.
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Success criteria
Take the large
number of objects.
Lay them out in
vertical groups of the
given number.
Count how many
groups there are, this
is the answer.
Count in multiples of
the number they are
dividing by.
When they reach the
number they are
dividing, count the
number of fingers
they have used.
The number of
fingers is the answer.
Progression
Year 2:
Concept Counters 75 ÷ 5 =
DIVISION
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Number line: children use a number line to solve division
problems. 36 ÷ 3 = 12
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Underlying skills
Understand dividing as
sharing.
Understand inverse
relationships between
multiplication and
division – fact families.
Know multiplication
facts.
Understand one ten is
ten units.
Be able to decompose
numbers 50+20+5=75
Understand inverse
relationships between
multiplication and
division – fact families.
Know multiplication
facts.
Add multiples.
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Success criteria
Make the larger
number using concept
counters.
Share the counters
out between the
smaller number of
groups.
Exchange tens for
ones when the tens
cannot be shared
equally.
Count how much is in
each group, this is the
answer.
Draw a number line with 0 at
the beginning and the target
number at the end of the line
(38).
Make jumps forwards along
the number line in multiples
of the number you are
dividing by (10x3, 2x3).
Put a circle around the
multiples you have jumped
(10,2).
Add together the numbers
circled (10+2=12).
Progression
DIVISION
Year 2/ 3:
Use repeated subtraction to divide.
12 divided by 4.
Underlying skills
 Understand inverse
relationships between
multiplication and
division – fact families.
 Know multiplication
facts.
 Subtract mentally
Success criteria
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Can I make a group of 4?
Can I make another group of 4?
3 groups of 4
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Year 3 / 4:
Short division (bus shelter method)
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Understand inverse
relationships between
multiplication and division –
fact families.
Know multiplication facts.
Use known number facts to
derive others.
Mental subtraction.
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Write the number you are
dividing under a bus
shelter with the smaller
number in front.
Subtract groups of the
smaller number from the
number under the bus
shelter.
Continue subtracting
groups of the smaller
number until you can’t
take away any more.
Count how many groups
you have taken away, this
is the answer.
Write the number you are
dividing under a bus shelter
with the smaller number in
front.
Count how many of the
divisor number (number in
front of bus shelter) are in
the 1st digit (10s), write how
many above the bus shelter.
Write the amount left over in
front of the units.
Count how many of the
divisor number are in the
units, write how many above
the bus shelter.
The number above the bus
shelter is the answer.
Progression
DIVISION
Year 5:
Short division with remainders (bus shelter method)
Underlying skills
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Understand
inverse
relationships
between
multiplication and
division – fact
families.
Know
multiplication
facts.
Use known
number facts to
derive others.
Mental
subtraction.
Success criteria
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Year 5 / 6:
In addition to short division for 1-digit numbers: long division
(chunking) for 2 digit numbers.
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Understand
inverse
relationships
between
multiplication and
division – fact
families.
Know
multiplication
facts.
Use known
number facts to
derive others.
Mental
subtraction.
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Write the number you are dividing under a
bus shelter with the smaller number in front.
Count how many of the divisor number
(number in front of bus shelter) are in the 1st
digit (100s), write how many above the bus
shelter.
Write the amount left over in front of the
tens.
Count how many on the divisor number are in
the tens, write how many above the bus
shelter.
Write the amount left over in front of the
units.
Count how many on the divisor number are in
the units, write how many above the bus
shelter.
The amount left over is the remainder.
The number above the bus shelter is the
answer.
Write the number you are dividing under a
bus shelter with the smaller number in front.
Use times tables to find a multiplication fact
as close to the number being divided as
possible, (15x10=150, 15x20=300), write it
below the number being divided.
Write the multiplication fact in brackets to
the right.
Subtract the multiplication fact from the
number being divided, write the answer below
the line.
Repeat taking away multiplication facts until
you cannot take away any more, this is the
remainder.
Count how many multiples of 15 have been
taken away, this is the answer.