Algebra Year 6
Teaching Algebra in Year 6
Algebra in Year 6 introduces pupils to using symbols and letters to represent unknown values. It builds on earlier number work and helps children develop logical thinking, problem-solving skills and mathematical reasoning.
If you’re looking for Year 6 algebra worksheets, algebra questions for Year 6 SATs, or a ready-to-teach starting point, you’re in the right place.
Start Teaching Algebra Tomorrow (Free Lesson)
If you want a simple way to get started, download a free Year 6 Algebra lesson taken directly from a full scheme of work.
This ready-to-teach lesson includes:
- An easy-to-follow lesson plan
- An engaging slideshow for the whole-class teaching input
- A choice of activities
- Differentiated worksheets for adaptive teaching
- A clear introduction to algebra concepts
It's designed to help children understand what algebra is and how it works before moving on to solve equations.
Get your free Algebra Year 6 lesson here
What Do Children Learn in Year 6 Algebra?
The National Curriculum states that in Year 6, pupils are expected to:
- Use simple formulae
- Generate and describe linear number sequences
- Express missing number problems algebraically
- Find pairs of numbers that satisfy an equation with two unknowns
- Enumerate possibilities of combinations of two variables
Using simple formulae:
- If x equals 12, what is the value of y?
- x + y = 15 (y = 3)
- 7x = y (y = 84)
- 106 - y = x (y = 94)
Generating and describing linear number sequences:
- If the rule is 'x 2 - 5', what are the following 3 numbers in the sequence?
- 15 (25, 45, 85)
-
If the rule is 'x 3 + 1', what are the following 3 numbers in the sequence?
- 3 (10, 31, 94)
-
How could you describe this number sequence?
- 2, 5, 11, 23, 47 (x 2 + 1)
Expressing missing number problems algebraically:
-
A pizza store makes ‘a’ pizzas in January. In February they make ‘b’ pizzas. They make ‘c’ pizzas in total during January and February. Write this as an algebraic equation. (a + b + c)
- ‘a’ equals three hundred and sixty, ‘c’ equals eight hundred and forty. How many pizzas did they make in February? (360 + b = 840; 840 - 360 = b; b = 480)
Finding pairs of numbers that satisfy an equation with two unknowns:
- Use the clues to help you find the value of each variable in these equations:
- Clue 1: f2 = 25, Clue 2: 5g + f = 20 (f = 5, g = 3)
- Clue 1: r - h = 96, Clue 2: 9h = 81 (r = 105, h = 9)
-
What is the value of each watermelon (w) and kiwi (k)?
-
🍉🍉🍉🍉 = 84 🥝🍉🍉🥝🥝🍉 = 105
- 4w = 84 so w = 21
- 3k + 3w = 105 → 3k + 63 = 105 → 3k = 42 → k = 14
-
🍉🍉🍉🍉 = 84 🥝🍉🍉🥝🥝🍉 = 105
Enumerating possibilities of combinations of two variables:
- Find all the possible combinations of numbers which could fit into these equations. All integers are positive, whole numbers which are less than 20.
- 5c + 4 = d
- c = 1, d = 9
- c = 2, d = 14
- c = 3, d = 19
- a + b = 8
- a = 1, b = 7
- a = 2, b = 6
- a = 3, b = 5
- a = 4, b = 4
- a = 5, b = 3
- a = 6, b = 2
- a = 7, b = 1
- 5c + 4 = d
- ab = 9
- Henry says that a and b are both odd numbers. Is he correct? Prove it! (He is correct. All the factor pairs of nine are odd numbers. 1 x 9, 3 x 3)
Algebra Worksheets for Year 6
When choosing Year 6 algebra worksheets, it's important to include a mix of:
- Fluency practice (basic equations and substitution)
- Reasoning questions (explaining patterns)
- Problem-solving tasks (multi-step challenges)
The free lesson above includes differentiated worksheets to support fluency practice, including a fun activity to create an equation flip book.
Download the free Year 6 Algebra worksheets
Algebra and Year 6 SATs
Algebra appears regularly in Year 6 SATs questions, particularly in reasoning papers.
Common SATs-style algebra questions include:
- Missing number problems
- Simple equations
- Number sequences
- Word problems involving variables
Using structured lessons and varied questions helps pupils approach these with confidence.
Ready-to-Teach Algebra Year 6 Resources
If the free lesson works well for your class, you can build on it with the full sequence of lessons.
The complete Algebra scheme includes:
- A full scheme of work (5 lessons) with clear progression
- A choice of activities for every lesson
- Differentiated activities for adaptive teaching
- Engaging slides
- Teacher guidance
- Coverage for all Year 6 algebra objectives
👉 Explore the full Algebra Year 6 scheme of work
FAQs
What is algebra in Year 6?
Algebra in Year 6 involves using letters to represent numbers and solving simple equations and sentences.
Are algebra worksheets useful for SATs?
Yes. Practising a range of algebra questions helps pupils prepare for SATs reasoning papers.
What's included in the free lesson?
The free algebra lesson for Year 6 includes a full lesson plan, slideshow, a choice of activities for adaptive teaching, an overview and an editable assessment grid, all taken from a complete Algebra scheme of work.
___________________________________________________________________________
Whether you need algebra worksheets for Year 6, SATs-style questions, or a full sequence of lessons, starting with a high-quality first lesson makes all the difference.
