Teacher-led diagnostic starter tools

Time: 5-10 minutes

Format: Mini-whiteboards, oral answers or printed half-sheet

Skill focus: Number bonds, counting, simple money, time, shape and early data

Support: Ten frames, counters, clocks, coin mat and number lines

What to look for: Counting-all strategies, missing-part confidence, place value slips and visual model use.

Next step: Practise the missed representation, then move to a linked Primary activity.

Time: 5-15 minutes

Format: Practical task, adult observation and picture prompt

Skill focus: Counting, matching, sorting, money recognition and communication

Support: Adult support, concrete objects and visual choice boards as needed

What to look for: Response method, matching accuracy, prompt level and transfer to a new object.

Next step: Repeat with one changed object and record independence level.

Time: 10 minutes

Format: Role-play, printed prompt or projectable check

Skill focus: Practical money, time, measure, simple data and independence prompts

Support: Coin mat, clock face, ruler, real containers and adult prompts

What to look for: Counting by value, clock vocabulary, unit choice and supported independence.

Next step: Move to a practical evidence task using the same skill in a different context.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Format: Projectable starter plus mini-whiteboard answers

Skill focus: Whole-number numeracy, money, time, measure, data, probability and choosing operations

Support: Accessible numbers, short contexts and calculator where appropriate

What to look for: Place value, reading scales, choosing operations and interpreting charts.

Next step: Open linked topic practice or print a short worksheet pack.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Format: Projectable starter, paired checking or mini-whiteboards

Skill focus: Finance, numeracy, statistics, probability, measurement, scale, proportion and graph interpretation

Support: Calculator where appropriate, with method prompts

What to look for: Misread axes, unit errors, percentages, rounding and correlation language.

Next step: Use dashboard topic cards for targeted worksheet, quiz or homework follow-up.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Format: Projectable starter with answer key and teacher notes

Skill focus: Finance, statistics, standard deviation, time/distance/speed, measurement, scale, geometry and probability

Support: Exam-style direction with topic feedback

What to look for: Reasonableness checks, conclusion wording, unit conversion, scale factor direction, minutes-to-hours conversion, probability denominators and standard deviation method choices.

Next step: Practise missed question types or assign an Applications homework set.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Format: Projectable skill check with answers hidden by default

Skill focus: Algebra, straight line, quadratics, trigonometry, vectors, surds, indices, algebraic fractions and method choice

Support: Formula prompts and short worked-method notes

What to look for: Sign errors, substitution errors, calculator mode and algebraic manipulation.

Next step: Send pupils to the linked topic or mixed revision task.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Format: Projectable decision prompts with method discussion

Skill focus: Finance, modelling, statistics, planning, spreadsheets and RStudio

Support: Formula reference and interpretation prompts

What to look for: Technology choice, assumptions, interpretation and justified conclusions.

Next step: Move to the relevant Higher Applications of Mathematics topic or reference page.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Format: Projectable starter, mini-whiteboards or printed half-sheet

Skill focus: Algebra fluency, functions, calculus, trig equations, vectors, logs, polynomials and coordinate geometry

Support: Formula reference, short method prompts and answer key

What to look for: Substitution accuracy, sign control, domain awareness, power-rule fluency, interval checks and vector component order.

Next step: Assign the matching Higher Mathematics topic page, mixed revision route or homework set.