Decimals
Read, write and compare decimals to 3 decimal places. Year 4 introduces; Year 5/6 calculates with them.
Decimals extend place value to the right of the ones column: tenths (1 dp), hundredths (2 dp), thousandths (3 dp). They appear with money (£0.99 = 99p), measures and Year 5 SATs.
Worked examples
0.7 = seven tenths = &frac{7}{10}. 0.07 = seven hundredths.
3.45 = 3 + 0.4 + 0.05. Same place-value logic, just smaller columns.
0.6 > 0.45. Compare digit by digit: 0.6 = 0.60 vs 0.45; 6 tenths beats 4 tenths.
Frequently asked questions
Why does 0.6 = 0.60?
Trailing zeros after a decimal don't change the value. They're sometimes added for column alignment in calculations.
Recurring decimals?
Year 6 sees a few (⅓ = 0.333...). Strict recurring notation (a dot above the digit) and full handling come in KS3/GCSE.