What Should a Year 4 Child Know in Maths? UK Curriculum Breakdown

Year 4 Maths Curriculum Overview

The Year 4 maths curriculum follows the National Curriculum for England and is typically taught through schemes like White Rose Maths or NCETM. It builds on Year 3 foundations whilst introducing challenging new concepts.

Most UK schools structure Year 4 maths around six core areas: number and place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, measurement, and geometry. Let's break down what your child should know in each area by the end of the year.

1. Place Value: Numbers to 10,000

By the end of Year 4, children should confidently work with numbers up to 10,000. This includes:

• Reading and writing numbers to 10,000 in numerals and words (e.g., "seven thousand, four hundred and twenty-three")
• Ordering and comparing numbers using <, >, and = symbols
• Rounding any number to the nearest 10, 100, or 1,000
• Counting in multiples of 6, 7, 9, 25, and 1,000
• Understanding place value of each digit in a four-digit number

Children also learn Roman numerals up to 100 (I to C), recognising years written in Roman numerals.

2. Addition and Subtraction: Four-Digit Column Method

Year 4 children should be able to add and subtract numbers with up to four digits using the formal written column method. This includes:

• Adding and subtracting four-digit numbers using column addition/subtraction
• Estimating and using inverse operations to check answers
• Solving two-step problems in context (e.g., word problems about shopping or time)

The key leap here is understanding when to exchange ("borrow" or "carry") across multiple columns, especially when zeros are involved.

3. Multiplication and Division: Times Tables to 12×12

This is the year when times tables become non-negotiable. By the end of Year 4, all children sit the Multiplication Tables Check (a quick online test of 25 questions).

Year 4 multiplication and division expectations include:

• Recall all multiplication tables up to 12×12 and the corresponding division facts
• Multiply three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers using formal written layout
• Multiply two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers (introduced, not yet mastery)
• Recognise and use factor pairs and commutativity (e.g., 4 × 5 = 5 × 4)

Most children find the 6, 7, 8, and 9 times tables hardest. Daily practice is essential—maths games for Year 4 can make this less painful than flashcards alone.

4. Fractions: Equivalent Fractions and Simple Operations

Fractions are a major focus in Year 4, and they're where many children hit their first real roadblock. Your child should be able to:

• Recognise and show families of equivalent fractions (e.g., 1/2 = 2/4 = 4/8)
• Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator (e.g., 3/8 + 2/8 = 5/8)
• Understand tenths and hundredths and their decimal equivalents (0.1, 0.01)
• Round decimals with one decimal place to the nearest whole number
• Compare and order fractions with the same denominator

The biggest misconception at this age is thinking that a bigger denominator means a bigger fraction (e.g., believing 1/8 is larger than 1/4). Visual models—pizza slices, bar models, number lines—are crucial. Our guide to fractions explained for kids offers practical strategies.

5. Measurement: Converting Units, Perimeter, and Area

Year 4 children should be comfortable converting between different units of measurement:

• Convert between units of length, mass, and volume: km/m, m/cm, cm/mm, kg/g, litres/ml
• Calculate perimeter of rectangles and simple shapes
• Find the area of rectilinear shapes by counting squares
• Estimate, compare, and calculate different measures (including money in pounds and pence)
• Read and convert time between analogue and digital 12- and 24-hour clocks

Real-world practice helps enormously here: cooking (converting ml to litres), reading bus timetables, measuring a room for furniture.

6. Geometry: Angles, Symmetry, and Coordinates

Geometry in Year 4 introduces:

• Identifying and classifying angles: acute, obtuse, and right angles
• Comparing and ordering angles up to two right angles (180°)
• Symmetry: completing a symmetric figure with respect to a specific line
• Coordinates in the first quadrant (positive numbers only)
• 2D shapes: quadrilaterals, triangles, polygons, and their properties

Children should be able to describe positions on a 2D grid as coordinates and translate simple shapes on a grid.

7. Statistics: Interpreting Charts and Graphs

By the end of Year 4, children should be able to:

• Interpret and construct bar charts, pictograms, and tables
• Solve comparison, sum, and difference problems using information presented in bar charts and tables
• Understand continuous data through time graphs

This is often taught through cross-curricular projects—science experiments, geography data, or sports statistics.

Common Year 4 Maths Misconceptions

Even bright children stumble on these predictable pitfalls:

• Place value with zeros: Confusing 4,007 with 4,070 or 47
• Fractions: Thinking 1/8 is bigger than 1/4 because 8 is bigger than 4
• Decimal ordering: Believing 0.5 is smaller than 0.12 because "12 is bigger than 5"
• Column subtraction: Forgetting to exchange when there's a zero in the middle digit
• Times tables: Knowing 7×8 but not 8×7 (not yet understanding commutativity)

If you spot these misconceptions, go back to concrete resources rather than just drilling more practice. Understanding beats memorisation.

How to Check If Your Child Is on Track

UK schools typically assess Year 4 maths through:

• Termly assessments (often White Rose or NFER tests)
• Multiplication Tables Check (statutory in June)
• Teacher observations during lessons
• End-of-unit quizzes

At home, you can informally check progress by asking your child to:

• Count backwards in 7s from 84
• Round 5,673 to the nearest 100
• Solve 1,357 + 2,846 on paper
• Recall 7×8, 9×6, 12×11 instantly
• Explain why 2/4 is the same as 1/2

If they can do these confidently, they're probably on track. If not, don't panic—but do have a chat with their teacher.

What If Your Child Is Ahead?

Some Year 4 children are ready for greater depth or Year 5 content. Look for schools offering:

• Problem-solving challenges (not just harder arithmetic)
• Reasoning questions that require explanation, not just an answer
• Cross-curricular maths projects

Resources like NRICH or UKMT Junior Maths Challenge papers can extend without accelerating too far ahead of their peers.

Supporting Year 4 Maths at Home

The best home support isn't "more school". Instead, try:

• Daily times tables practice (5 minutes, little and often beats marathon sessions)
• Real-world maths: cooking, shopping budgets, measuring for DIY, reading train timetables
• Board games that use strategy, counting, or money (Monopoly Junior, Rummikub, Uno)
• Online games aligned to the curriculum (TopMarks, Prodigy, MathCraft)
• Maths talk: "How did you work that out?" is more powerful than "Is that right?"

If you're following White Rose Maths at home, you'll find their parent resources align perfectly with school teaching methods.

Apps like MathCraft are designed to practise Year 4 topics through play—children work through multiplication, fractions, and place value whilst raising a virtual pet companion. It's a gentler way to reinforce school learning without the "another worksheet?" groan.

Year 4 Maths Resources (Free and Paid)

Here are some parent-recommended resources:

Free Resources

• BBC Bitesize KS2 — Videos and quizzes by topic
• White Rose Maths home learning — Worksheets and videos
• TopMarks — Interactive maths games
• Hit the Button (times tables speed drill)

Paid Options

• Times Tables Rock Stars (often provided by schools)
• DoodleMaths (£7.99/month, adaptive practice)
• Mathletics (£59/year, curriculum-aligned)
• MathCraft (£4.99/month, gamified learning)

For a deeper dive into whether paid apps are worth it, see our guide on are maths apps worth it.