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Sale Prices and Discounts: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Sale Prices and Discounts is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children find a percentage of an amount, then take it off to reach the sale price. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only a pencil and scrap paper, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, 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
Each line on the sheet gives a percentage and a price in pounds, with a blank for the sale price. Children find the percentage of the amount first, then take it off the original price. The sheet uses friendly percentages such as 10%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 50%. There is space to write each answer, and scrap paper helps with working out.
- 20% off £50 = £___
- 10% off £30 = £___
- 50% off £18 = £___
- 25% off £40 = £___
- 20% off £25 = £___
- 30% off £60 = £___
- 10% off £85 = £___
- 20% off £15 = £___
A worked example
A coat costs £200. It has 12% off. What is the sale price?
This is a different question from the sheet. It shows two ways to reach the same sale price.
Method 1: find the discount, then subtract- Find 1% of £200. Divide by 100 to get £2.
- 12% is twelve lots of 1%. 12 × £2 = £24.
- Take the discount off the original price. £200 − £24 = £176.
- The shop takes off 12%, so you pay the other 88%.
- 1% of £200 is £2.
- 88 × £2 = £176.
Building blocks for finding a percentage
Start with 10%
Divide the amount by 10. For £70, 10% is £7. Many other percentages can be built from this one.
Make multiples of 10%
Multiply the 10% amount. Three lots of 10% of £70 is 3 × £7 = £21, so 30% of £70 is £21.
Use halves and quarters
Half of the amount is 50%. Half again is 25%. For £28, half is £14 and half of that is £7.
Take it off at the end
Finding the percentage gives the discount, not the sale price. Subtract the discount from the original price to finish.
Why learn about sale prices?
Sales are one of the first places children meet percentages in real life. Shop windows, leaflets and websites show signs such as 20% off. Knowing how to work out the new price helps children make sense of what they see and decide whether a deal is worth having.
A sale sum has two steps, and that is why it is good practice. Children find a percentage of an amount, then subtract. They also learn to ask whether the answer is sensible. A sale price should always be lower than the original price, which gives a quick check.
Fun facts about percentages and sales
- Per cent means out of every 100.
- The word comes from Latin words that mean by the hundred.
- There are 100 pence in one pound, so percentages and money fit together well.
- A discount is an amount taken off the normal price.
- The original price is sometimes called the full price.
Skills and curriculum link
- Percentages of amounts
- Subtracting
- Money sums
- Mental calculation
- Checking answers
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Fractions, decimals and percentages | Year 6 |
What children will be able to do
- I can find a percentage of an amount.
- I can take it off to find a sale price.
- I can check the price makes sense.
Ideas that help with percentages
- Out of 100A percentage is a number out of 100. That is why 10% is a tenth part and why dividing by 10 is a useful first step.
- Fractions link to percentagesSome percentages match simple fractions. Spotting these can make a sum much quicker than a longer method.
- Discount and sale priceThe discount is the amount taken off. The sale price is what is left to pay. They are two different numbers.
- Estimate firstBefore working it out, decide roughly what the answer should be. The sale price must be less than the original price.
Key words
- PercentageA part of an amount, written as a number out of 100.
- Per centOut of every 100. The symbol is %.
- DiscountThe amount taken off the normal price.
- Original priceThe price before any discount.
- Sale priceThe price you pay after the discount is taken off.
- EstimateA sensible guess that is close to the real answer.
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 line together. Ask what the percentage is and what the price is.
- Let your child find the percentage of the amount first, using scrap paper. Then ask them to take it off.
- Check against the answers on page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" and listen for the reasoning.
- Come back another day to try the lines that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with 10%. Divide the amount by 10 and write it down. Then build up from there, using lots of 10% or halves. Try one line at a time, and say what the discount is before you subtract.
To stretch confident children
Make up three sale signs of your own, each with a different percentage and price. Swap with a friend and solve each other's. Then try the challenge on page 2 about working out which percentage was taken off.
Make it a game
Play shop with a friend. Make price tags and sale signs, then take turns being the shopper and the shopkeeper. The shopper works out each sale price. The shopkeeper checks it. Swap roles after every sale.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child finds the discount and writes it as the final answer.
Try thisAsk what the question wants: the sale price. Write "discount" and "sale price" as labels, and subtract the discount from the original price.
Watch forA child works out 10% of £90 as £9 and stops, when the sum asks for 30%.
Try thisCount the lots of 10% needed. 30% is three lots of 10%, so multiply the £9 by 3 before subtracting.
Watch forA child divides by the percentage number, such as £70 ÷ 20, to find 20%.
Try thisRemind them that a percentage means out of 100. Start with 10% by dividing by 10, then double it for 20%.
Talk about it
- How would you explain what 20% means to a younger child?
- Why is 10% a good place to start?
- Is the sale price bigger or smaller than the original price? How do you know?
- Can you find another way to reach the same answer?
- Where have you seen a sale sign? What did it say?
- Would you rather have 25% off or half price off? Why?
Take it off the page
Shop leaflet hunt
Find a leaflet or catalogue with sale signs. Pick three items and work out each sale price using the discount shown.
Make a price list
Write a list of toys or snacks with prices. Choose a discount for the day and work out the new prices.
Real world check
On a shopping trip, look for a reduced price. Ask your child to say roughly what percentage has been taken off and whether it seems a good deal.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first line, then let them lead. About 15 minutes is plenty. If they get stuck, ask them to find 10% first, and talk about what each step means.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary after teaching percentages of amounts, a homework task or an early finisher task. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan and link it to real shopping. Let children compare prices at home or in a shop. Reuse the sheet for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in learning
Before this, children meet percentages as parts of 100 and link them to simple fractions and decimals. They also practise money and subtraction, which feed straight into sale sums.
After this, children can move on to harder percentage problems, including finding a percentage change and comparing prices. In Key Stage 3, percentages sit alongside ratio and proportion.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How do you find 20 per cent of 50 pounds?
- What do you do next to get the sale price?
- How can you check your answer?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Sale Prices and Discounts for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. It practises finding a percentage of an amount and taking it off, which fits the fractions, decimals and percentages strand of the National Curriculum for England.
- What will children practise?
They practise finding a percentage of an amount in pounds, then subtracting it to find the sale price. They also practise money sums and checking that an answer makes sense.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 15 minutes. Children can use scrap paper for working out. You can make it shorter by doing only some of the lines, or longer by adding the stretch idea from page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start with 10% by dividing the amount by 10. Then build up from there, using lots of 10% or halves. Work through the first line together, and let your child try the next one alone.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or to revise the skill a few weeks later.
- 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 the answers and ideas for support and stretch.
- Is it a screen free activity, and do I need colour?
Yes, it is screen free. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. You do not need colour, because it prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.