Guided Long Division

What is the bus stop method?Long division (the “bus stop” method) is a systematic way to divide a large number by another — without reaching for a calculator. You work from the leftmost digit of the dividend to the right: at each step you take the digits brought down so far, work out how many times the divisor fits into them, write the quotient digit above, subtract the product, and bring down the next digit. The remainder from each step becomes the start of the next one.

How do you read the layout? The divisor sits to the left of the bus stop bracket. The dividend sits under the top line. The quotient is written above the line, above the last digit considered at each step. Underneath the dividend you write the product to subtract (in red), mark the result (the remainder), and bring down the next digit with an arrow.

Three worked examples

Common mistakes

• When the remainder is bigger than the divisor — the next quotient digit is too big; work out the product again.
• Don't skip writing a 0in the quotient when the divisor doesn't fit into a partial dividend — missing it shifts the whole quotient out of place.
• Bring down exactly one digit at a time, never two. If the remainder is still smaller than the divisor after bringing a digit down, the next quotient digit is 0 and you bring down another.
• Line the subtraction up under the same columnas the dividend — otherwise you'll lose track of place value.

💼 Real-world uses: splitting food between friends, working out a price per unit, sharing time between tasks, planning a household budget — and, of course, practice for primary school and KS3 maths.