It is crucial that children develop a secure understanding of equality and the equals symbol from early on in the school and that this is reinforced throughout their Maths learning across the different calculations. Children need to experience equations where the equals sign is before and after the calculation, otherwise they get an inaccurate understanding of the symbol. A secure understanding of equality prepares the children for empty box questions, complex questions and, eventually, algebra in Year 6. Equality should be taught alongside inequality to support conceptual understanding.

Children use physical equipment when learning about equality (also inequality), and also use related language, e.g. ‘the same as,’ ‘more than’ and less than.’

Children use pictorial representations to show equality or values that are ‘the same as,’ whilst also verbalising their reasoning, e.g. ‘pink and green are the same as black…’

Children use the part-whole model to record either written numerals or pictorial representations that highlight the concept of ‘the same as…’