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Important update from TheSchoolRun

For the past 13 years, TheSchoolRun has been run by a small team of mums working from home, dedicated to providing quality educational resources to primary school parents. Unfortunately, rising supplier costs and falling revenue have made it impossible for us to continue operating, and we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close. The good news: We’ve arranged for another educational provider to take over many of our resources. These will be hosted on a new portal, where the content will be updated and expanded to support your child’s learning.

What this means for subscribers:

  • Your subscription is still active, and for now, you can keep using the website as normal — just log in with your usual details to access all our articles and resources*.
  • In a few months, all resources will move to the new portal. You’ll continue to have access there until your subscription ends. We’ll send you full details nearer the time.
  • As a thank you for your support, we’ll also be sending you 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep.

A few changes to be aware of:

  • The Learning Journey weekly email has ended, but your child’s plan will still be updated on your dashboard each Monday. Just log in to see the recommended worksheets.
  • The 11+ weekly emails have now ended. We sent you all the remaining emails in the series at the end of March — please check your inbox (and spam folder) if you haven’t seen them. You can also follow the full programme here: 11+ Learning Journey.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for being part of our journey it’s been a privilege to support your family’s learning.

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Area explained

Area explained
This Year 4 (KS2) maths worksheet on area was created by a primary school teacher and will help your child understand how to calculate the area of shapes.

Area is the name we use for the amount of space a surface or 2D shape takes up. You could measure the area of a small space like a table or a big space like the school field. We measure area in square units. Have a look at these shapes. Can you work out what area in cm2 they have?


Keystage:  KS2, Year 4

What is area in KS2 maths?

In KS2 maths, the area is the amount of space inside a flat shape, like the floor of a room. It's measured in square units, such as square centimetres or square metres. To find the area of simple shapes, children multiply the length by the width (for rectangles and squares) or use special formulas for other shapes like triangles.

How do you teach children to calculate the area of a shape?

To teach children to calculate the area of a shape, start by explaining that the area is the space inside a shape, measured in square units. 

Show them that for rectangles and squares, they can find the area by multiplying the length by the width. 

Introduce the area formula for triangles: base times height divided by 2. 

Use visual aids and real-life examples to make the concept clear and engaging.

How will this activity hep your KS2 child with understanding area?

This teacher-made activity will help your child understand area and how to calculate area by providing simple explanations and examples. They will also have the opportunity to put their learning into practice. 

For more help with maths, check out our hub page, or try a new challenge such as our Calculating area and perimeter worksheet.