How to Assess KS2 Learning Gaps in Maths Early in The Term

If you’re looking to identify or assess pupils’ learning gaps in maths, many teachers will introduce a quick gap analysis. This enables you to pinpoint individual learning needs for the term, and also identify those common areas of the curriculum that pupils in the class struggle with.

This is often introduced into class once the getting to know you activities have been completed, and you’ve eased pupils back in to maths lessons with some fun maths activities. 

We’ve tried to make things a bit easier for you this term by doing the legwork on the assessment and analysis for you.

All our online maths tuition programmes start with some form of diagnostic assessment so we can support schools in assessing where a child struggles in any topic and what their misconceptions might be. To give you an idea of how powerful these kinds of assessments can be we’re offering all schools now for free an entire diagnostic maths quiz to use at the start of term to find out your own pupils’ gaps.

Common misconceptions in primary Maths

From our experience dealing with hundreds of primary schools every week who are seeking a KS2 Maths intervention, certain areas are highlighted time and again as stumbling blocks for pupils. Often this is not because the topic is intrinsically difficult (although that can be the case) but instead, it tends to be topics and concepts that are essential steps on the journey to greater depth and mastery in Maths.

An example of this Number and place value which is requested time and again by schools using our one-to-one tutors. By Year 6 of course, if a pupil still struggles with place value, then we believe that the sort of personalised intervention we provide is one of the best ways to get them up and running, and build their confidence, well before the national assessments.

Identify and assess your own pupils’ learning gaps in Maths

To help you make the most of your planning for the term (whether or not you have access to one-to-one support) we’ve created these diagnostic quizzes for Years 3, 4, 5, and 6.  They were originally designed as a back to school activity but you can use it any point you feel you need more clarity on pupils’ understanding. Questions cover addition and subtraction, fractions including decimals and percentages, multiplication and division, and of course number and place value.

Lesson slides and an answer sheet are also provided. Each answer clearly states the broader and more specific gap identified. eg the answer to question 15 is given as:
22,155 [Number—multiplication and division: Multiply numbers up to 4 digits by a one-digit number using formal written methods]

Read more

• Formative and Summative Assessment – What’s the difference
• How To Use Diagnostic Assessment To Inform Your Teaching
• Your Intervention Must-Have: A Formative Maths Diagnostic Test

Do you have pupils who need extra support in maths?
Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of pupils across hundreds of schools with weekly online 1-to-1 lessons and maths interventions designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 we’ve helped over 150,000 primary and secondary school pupils become more confident, able mathematicians. Learn more or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.