Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Percentages of Amounts: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Percentages of Amounts is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children find a percentage of a whole number by finding 10 percent first, then building up. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Page 1 has numbered questions, each asking for a percentage of a whole number, with space to write the answer. Children begin with 10 percent, which is the anchor for the rest. Then they meet other percentages such as 5, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 75 percent. They build each one from 10 percent, or from a quarter where that is quicker.
- 10% of 60
- 10% of 250
- 20% of 80
- 25% of 48
- 5% of 120
- 30% of 90
- 15% of 60
- 75% of 200
A worked example
Find 40% of 70.
This is a different question from the sheet. It shows two ways to build up from 10 percent.
Method 1: find 10 percent, then multiply- Divide 70 by 10 to find 10 percent. That gives 7.
- 40 percent is four lots of 10 percent.
- Multiply 7 by 4 to get 28.
- Find 10 percent of 70. That is 7.
- Double it to get 20 percent. 7 + 7 = 14.
- Double again to get 40 percent. 14 + 14 = 28.
What does percent mean?
Percent means out of 100, or per hundred. So 1 percent is one hundredth, and 10 percent is ten hundredths, which is the same as one tenth. That link is why finding 10 percent is such a useful first step. Dividing by 10 is quick, and many other percentages can be built from it by adding, doubling or halving.
In the National Curriculum for England, children learn in Year 5 that a percentage is a number of parts per hundred, and link percentages to fractions and decimals. In Year 6 they recall and use those links, and solve problems that involve finding percentages of amounts. This sheet gives short, focused practice at that strand.
Skills and curriculum link
- Percentages of amounts
- Dividing by 10
- Mental maths
- Halving and doubling
- Using quarters
- Explaining your method
Ideas that help with percentages
- Percent means out of 100Every percentage is a number of parts per hundred. 10 percent is one tenth of the whole, so dividing by 10 finds it.
- Build up from 10 percentOnce you know 10 percent, you can add lots of it together, double it or halve it to reach many other percentages.
- Halving a percentageHalf of 10 percent is 5 percent. Halve the 10 percent amount and you have 5 percent without any new division.
- Quarters are a shortcutSome percentages match simple fractions. 25 percent is one quarter, so dividing by 4 works. 75 percent is three quarters, so find one quarter and multiply it by 3.
Key words
- PercentOut of 100. The symbol is %.
- PercentageAn amount written as a number of parts out of 100.
- TenthOne of ten equal parts. 10 percent is one tenth.
- QuarterOne of four equal parts. 25 percent is one quarter.
- HalveSplit into two equal parts.
- AmountThe whole number you are finding a percentage of.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question together. Ask your child which percentage they could find first to help them.
- Remind them of the method: divide by 10 for 10 percent, halve that for 5 percent, and divide by 4 for 25 percent.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you build it up?" The method matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and redo any questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Draw a bar and split it into ten equal parts. Write the whole number above it. Each part is 10 percent. Colour in the parts you need, then count up what they add to. Try the 10 percent questions first.
To stretch confident children
Find 35% of 80 and 12.5% of 64. Explain each step to a grown up. Then invent two percentage questions of your own, swap with a friend and check each other's working.
Make it a game
Pretend a shop has a sale. Roll a die and multiply by 10 to get the percentage off. Find that percentage of 200. Play five rounds and add up your savings. The biggest total wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child divides by 100 instead of 10 when finding 10 percent.
Try thisRemind them that 10 percent is one tenth. Use a bar split into ten equal parts so they can see why dividing by 10 works.
Watch forA child halves the number instead of dividing by 4 to find 25 percent.
Try thisHalving gives 50 percent. Ask them to halve and then halve again, or divide by 4 straight away.
Watch forA child finds 10 percent correctly but stops there when the question asks for 30 or 15 percent.
Try thisAsk, "How many lots of 10 percent do you need?" Write the steps in a short list so each part is clear before adding.
Talk about it
- Why is 10 percent a good place to start?
- How can you get 5 percent once you know 10 percent?
- Which questions were quicker using quarters?
- Where might you see percentages in a shop?
- Can you explain how you worked out your hardest question?
- Would you rather get 10 percent of a big number or 50 percent of a small one? How could you check?
Take it off the page
Fraction strips
Fold a long strip of paper into ten equal parts and label each as 10 percent. Fold another into four and label each 25 percent. Compare the two strips side by side.
Shop price tags
Make pretend price tags for toys or snacks. Choose a percentage off each one and work out the saving by finding 10 percent first.
Pocket money plan
Pick a pretend amount of pocket money. Work out what 10 percent would be to save, and what 25 percent would be to spend on a treat.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. About 15 minutes is plenty. If they get stuck, draw a bar split into ten parts together and talk about what each part is worth.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers for quick marking.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with real shopping talk, sale prices and sharing things out. Because it is free, you can reuse it for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in maths
Before this sheet, children learn about tenths, dividing by 10, and finding fractions of amounts. In Year 5 they learn that percent means parts per hundred and link percentages to fractions and decimals.
After this, children use percentages to solve harder problems and to compare amounts. In later years they work with percentage change, such as discounts and increases. Fluent mental methods now make that later work easier.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Percentages of Amounts for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Younger children who are secure with dividing by 10 and with simple fractions may also enjoy trying it with support.
- What will children practise?
They practise finding percentages of whole numbers by finding 10 percent first, then building up. They use division, halving, quarters and mental maths, and explain how they got each answer.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 15 minutes. Short bursts work better than long sessions, so if your child tires, stop and come back to the remaining questions another day.
- What if it feels too hard?
Draw a bar split into ten equal parts and write the whole number above it. Each part is 10 percent. Colour the parts you need and add them up. Start with the 10 percent questions.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision later on.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help, a stretch idea and answers.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Black and white printing on plain A4 paper is fine.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.