Mrs Mactivity

Year 6 After SATs Maths Investigations: Problem Solving

Year 6 After SATs Maths Investigations: Problem Solving

Download our free Year 6 maths overview.

Keep pupils engaged with rich reasoning and problem-solving tasks after SATs with our Year 6 After SATs Maths Investigations. Designed to build confidence, collaboration and mathematical thinking, these investigations revisit key KS2 concepts through open-ended challenges, logic puzzles and practical maths enquiries.

Inspired by the investigative and real-life approach promoted within White Rose Maths projects, these activities encourage pupils to apply their understanding of number, shape, algebra and reasoning in meaningful contexts. Pupils work systematically, test conjectures, explain their thinking and explore multiple solutions while revisiting important Year 6 maths skills before transition to secondary school.

Investigations and problem-solving activities include:

  • Pentomino investigations – exploring shape combinations, rotations, reflections and cube nets through practical geometry tasks
  • Number pattern and staircase investigations – identifying sequences, triangular numbers and algebraic relationships while developing formula-building skills
  • Logic and number property challenges – applying understanding of factors, multiples, prime numbers and rounding to solve mathematical puzzles
  • Arithmagon investigations – using inverse operations and algebraic reasoning to find missing values and solve number structures
  • Braille and combinations investigations – exploring systematic working, combinations and mathematical possibilities through pattern-based enquiries
National Curriculum objectives covered
  • Draw 2-D shapes using given dimensions and angles
  • Recognise, describe and build simple 3-D shapes, including making nets
  • Use simple formulae
  • Express missing number problems algebraically
  • Solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
  • Find pairs of numbers that satisfy an equation with two unknowns
  • Enumerate possibilities of combinations of two variables
  • Round whole numbers to a required degree of accuracy
  • Identify common factors, common multiples and prime numbers

Year 6 after SATs maths investigations and reasoning activities

Our Year 6 after SATs maths investigations help pupils revisit and apply key KS2 maths skills through rich reasoning and problem-solving activities. Inspired by investigative approaches used within White Rose Maths projects, these activities encourage pupils to think systematically, explain their reasoning and explore multiple solutions.

Pupils investigate number patterns, shape problems, logic puzzles and algebraic relationships while revisiting important concepts including factors, multiples, formulae, coordinates and mathematical reasoning. Activities such as pentomino investigations, staircase sequences, arithmagons and Braille challenges provide meaningful opportunities for discussion, collaboration and deeper mathematical thinking after SATs.

These Year 6 maths investigations are ideal for whole-class problem-solving lessons, maths enrichment activities and collaborative tasks during the final half term of Year 6. Explore more resources from our Year 6 Maths scheme.