Year 6 Maths Curriculum

Learn what’s taught in Year 6 maths across the subjects of number, algebra, ratio, geometry, measure, and statistics.

headshot of Robyn Oliver

Author
Robyn Oliver

Published
October 2025

Year 6 Maths Curriculum

Learn what’s taught in Year 6 maths across the subjects of number, algebra, ratio, geometry, measure, and statistics.

headshot of Robyn Oliver

Author
Robyn Oliver

Published
October 2025

Year 6 Maths Curriculum

Learn what’s taught in Year 6 maths across the subjects of number, algebra, ratio, geometry, measure, and statistics.

headshot of Robyn Oliver

Author
Robyn Oliver

Published
October 2025

Key takeaways

  • Children in year 6 will soon be transitioning to high school and learning new subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, and Economics, all of which require a solid understanding of mathematical concepts and rules.
  • The Year 6 maths curriculum is full of practical life skills! 
  • Doodle Maths can be used online or offline! Perfect for on-the-go families or for those long sibling waits during sports practice.
  •  

Year 6 is the last year of primary education in Australia. This means for many students it’s the last opportunity to build a deep foundation of understanding, before moving to high school education, where the curriculum becomes more complex. The expectation of a high school student is higher than that of a primary student, and along with these higher expectations, new subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, and Economics all require a solid understanding of mathematical concepts and rules. As your child prepares for high school, the content can feel heavier. This is where some children start to worry or become disheartened if they are not receiving the results they desire. By offering your child the chance to practice their skills on the Doodle maths app, you can support your child in developing their mathematical confidence, independence, and resilience. The maths practice app can be used online or offline! Perfect for on-the-go families or for those long sibling waits during sports practice! 

 

During their Year 6 maths lessons, students will be exploring:

Number

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Number and Place Value:

  • Recognising the properties of prime, composite, square, and triangular numbers.
  • Using negative numbers in number lines and in real-life contexts, for example, using a thermometer to display temperature.

Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division:

  • Using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using whole and decimal numbers. 
  • How to use the multiplication and division rules of powers of ten. 
    • Multiplication: Move the decimal point to the right to match the same number of places as the number of zeros (or the power of 10).
    • Division: Move the decimal point to the left to match the same number of places as the number of zeros (or the power of 10).

Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages:

  • How to make connections between equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages.

Eg., 8/10 = 0.8 = 80%

  • How to solve complex Fractions, students will learn how to find the common denominator to help them solve an equation.

Ratio and Proportion:

  • There are 3 main ratios that year 6 students will use:
    • Part-to-part ratio
    • Part-to-whole ratio
    • Equivalent ratios
  • How to use the proportion rule, proportion in the year 6 curriculum means to find an unknown quantity based on a conversion rate, e.g., Oranges cost $5.00 for 10 oranges, what would be the cost of 4 oranges? A student must first work out how much a single orange is using division, $5.00 ÷ 10 = 50c per orange, 4 x 50c = $2.00.

Master Year 6 Maths with Doodle!

DoodleMaths is an award-winning maths app that’s aligned to the Year 7 maths curriculum and proven to double a child’s rate of progression with just 10 minutes of use a day!

Filled with fun, interactive questions covering the whole curriculum, it creates each child a unique work programme tailored to their needs, boosting their confidence and skills in maths. Try it for free today!

Algebra

Number Sequences and Patterns

  • How to create and continue sequences involving whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.

Simple Equations and Unknowns

  • How to solve problems when looking for an unknown number. Students will be able to recall the relationship between multiplication and division and use this rule in their learning. 

Use of Formulae

  • Using and exploring brackets within equations, remembering the rule that brackets can change the natural order of a number problem.

 

  • Learning and using mathematical rules to work out calculations. 

E.g., Solve the equation: 9 × (7−2) + 5 = 50

Brackers must be solved first (5), then the multiplication 9 x 5 = 45 + 5 = 

The rule: brackets (8−2=6) first, then multiplication (5×6=30), and finally addition (30+1).

Measurement

Conversions of Units

  • Using length, mass, and capacity conversions, multiplying by 10 and dividing by 10.  

Area and Perimeter of Shapes

  • Calculating the perimeter and area of 2D shapes.
  • Learning to understand volume vs capacity.

Volume of Cubes and Cuboids

  • Learning to understand the differences between measuring a cube and measuring a cuboid. 

Elapsed Time and Timetables

  • Working out the time between something starting and ending. Eg., The movie started at 12:45 PM and ended at 2:20 PM. How much time elapsed?
  • Interpreting timetables, such as bus or train times, which is another practical life skill.

Space and Geometry

Properties of 2D and 3D Shapes

  • Organising and sorting shapes based on their characteristics.
  • Constructing a pyramid or prism by first creating the 2D net and then folding it to form a 3D shape.

Angles, Lines, and Circles

  • Using prior knowledge of angles and areas to solve equations without a protractor. 
    • Angles on a point: The angles that meet on a point and form a circle around the point must add up to 360°.
    • Vertically opposite angles: The angles opposite each other are always equal. 
    • Angles on a line: The angles that meet on a line must add up to 180°.

Position on the Coordinate Plane

  • Learning that X and Y represent an ordered pair of coordinates, following the rule, “along the corridor and up the stairs”.
    •  X is the first number and will be positioned on the grid horizontally.
    •  Y is the second number and will be positioned on the grid vertically.

Transformations: Reflection, Rotation, and Translation

  • Exploring transformations, a shape can be moved in several ways, but the shape remains the same size and shape! 
    • Reflection:  A mirror image of the original shape! 
    • Rotations: Clockwise or anti-clockwise, by 90°, 180°, 270°, 360°.
    • Translation: Moving a shape up or down, left or right.

Statistics

Data Collection and Interpretation

  • Reading and understanding the given data and creating their own data! 

Graphs: Line, Pie, Bar, and Dot Plots

  • Using a variety of graphs to plot collected data!

Mean, Mode, and Range

  • Using the mean, mode, and range rules within their calculations to assess the collected data. 
    • Mean: The value you get when you divide the total value by the number of values. 
    • Mode: The number that appears the most within a set of numbers. 
    • Range: Finding the largest number and subtracting the smallest number.

Conclusion

Maths for Year 6 students can feel like hard work! But the maths skills your child develops this year are incredibly important! Successfully conquering the Australian Curriculum maths year 6 content will build their confidence and resilience skills, which are transferable to all areas of the curriculum and skills that will, in turn, make the transition to high school smoother! Setting them up for long-term academic success.

Parents, sign up for a DoodleMaths subscription and see your child become a maths wizard!

Lesson credits

headshot of Robyn Oliver

Robyn Oliver

Robyn is a teacher, educational content creator, and mum to three. After completing a Bachelor of Childhood Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Perth, WA, and has spent her career working in a range of early childhood services and schools. These days, she mixes relief teaching in local schools with creating practical, engaging resources and mentoring early childhood services. Her work is driven by a genuine passion for supporting children to grow and learn, and helping educators feel confident and inspired in what they do.

headshot of Robyn Oliver

Robyn Oliver

Robyn is a teacher, educational content creator, and mum to three. After completing a Bachelor of Childhood Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education, she moved to Perth, WA, and has spent her career working in a range of early childhood services and schools. These days, she mixes relief teaching in local schools with creating practical, engaging resources and mentoring early childhood services. Her work is driven by a genuine passion for supporting children to grow and learn, and helping educators feel confident and inspired in what they do.

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