12 short questions across all six content areas, designed as a lesson starter or a daily warm-up.
⏱️ Ten-minute starters — Foundation
Twelve short questions, two from each of the six content areas: number, algebra, ratio, geometry, probability and statistics. Nothing here needs more than a minute, and nothing needs a calculator. It is built as a lesson starter — print it, hand it out, take ten minutes, mark it together — and it works just as well as a daily warm-up at home in the fortnight before a mock. The value is in the spread rather than the depth: a student who has spent a week on algebra can find out in ten minutes what a week away from statistics has cost. Generate a new sheet whenever you want a fresh twelve on the same pattern.
- 1.Write these numbers in order, starting with the largest: 7/8, 0.8, 78%, 17/20
- 2.Write 200 as a product of its prime factors, using index notation.
- 3.Two mathematically similar logos are printed on a poster. They have areas 20 cm² and 45 cm². Nadia says that the length scale factor from the smaller logo to the larger logo is 45 ÷ 20 = 2.25. Give a reason why Nadia is incorrect, and work out the correct length scale factor.
- 4.The ratio of y to x is always 3 : 4. Write down which equation could represent this relationship.
- 5.Ben writes n + 4 ≤ 9. Which statement describes what Ben has written? Give a reason for your answer.
- 6.A recipe uses 0.75 kg of sugar. Work out how many grams of sugar this is.
- 7.Spinner P and Spinner Q are each fair and have 5 equal sections, numbered 1 to 5. Both spinners are spun once, and every outcome is listed as an ordered pair, Spinner P then Spinner Q, such as (2, 4). Work out how many of the outcomes have the score on Spinner P less than the score on Spinner Q.
- 8.A number machine multiplies its input by 3 and then adds 7. The output is 1. Work out the input.
- 9.The point (−4, 7) is moved 4 units to the right and 9 units down. Write down the coordinates of the point it reaches.
- 10.A regular polygon has 5 lines of symmetry. What is the order of rotational symmetry of this polygon?
- 11.A rectangle has length k cm and width 5 cm less than its length. Write down an expression for the width of the rectangle, in cm.
- 12.Priya is paid £58.50 for working 7.5 hours on a Saturday. Work out her rate of pay, in £ per hour.
What is on this worksheet?
The sheet holds 12 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Number, Algebra, Ratio, proportion and rates of change, Geometry and measures, Probability, Statistics. It is pitched at GCSE Foundation and takes about 10 minutes to work through in full. It works as a class handout, a homework, or a warm-up before a test.
How to use the sheet well
- Print it or open it on screen — both work. Printing is A4; the screen view fits phones and tablets.
- Do all 12 questions before checking — about 10 minutes is the guide, but there is no time pressure.
- Check the answers — press “Show answers” or print the answer page separately.
- Redo the questions you got wrong — twice as effective as doing 12 fresh ones.
- “New questions” — builds a fresh sheet on the same statements, so you can practise again without repeats.
Why this sheet helps
MathsUK worksheets use questions graded by difficulty and a fair spread of correct-answer positions (the answer is not always (a)) — so the student really has to think about each question rather than guess a pattern. Every question is tagged to a DfE content statement and checked before it enters the bank. The answers come with a step-by-step explanation, not just a value — so a wrong answer becomes a lesson.
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