Year 5 Maths in Australia: What Your Child Learns
16 May 2026
Year 5 is where maths starts to feel grown-up. Decimals, percentages and larger fractions appear, and students are expected to choose their own strategies and explain their thinking.
This guide explains what your child learns in Year 5 maths under the Australian Curriculum, the skills to watch for, and easy ways to help at home.
What your child learns in Year 5
Australian maths is organised into six areas. Here is what each looks like in Year 5.
Number
Students interpret and order numbers with several decimal places, find equivalent fractions, add and subtract fractions with related denominators, and connect fractions, decimals and percentages.
Algebra
Finding unknown values in number sentences, following the order of operations, and describing a number pattern with a rule.
Measurement
Finding perimeter and area, converting between units, and working with both 12- and 24-hour time.
Space
Describing transformations — slides, flips and turns — measuring and estimating angles, and using grid coordinates.
Statistics
Planning and carrying out data collection, and displaying data in dot plots and line graphs.
Probability
Listing the possible outcomes of an experiment and describing their likelihood using fractions.
💡 Parent tip: Year 5 is a fractions-and-decimals year. The big idea: ½, 0.5 and 50% are three names for the same thing.
🖼️ Image: Decimals and money in a shop setting — price tags and coins. *(Replace this line with your uploaded image.)*
What is new compared to Year 4
| Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|
| Compare simple fractions | Add and subtract fractions |
| Decimals to hundredths | Decimals with several places |
| Times tables to 10 × 10 | Choose efficient strategies |
| Read graphs | Plan and run data collection |
Real-life maths in Year 5
- Comparing unit prices at the shops.
- Splitting a restaurant bill fairly.
- Reading petrol prices and other decimals.
- Scaling a recipe up or down.
Skills to look for by the end of Year 5
By the end of the year, most students can:
- Order numbers with several decimal places
- Find equivalent fractions
- Add and subtract fractions with related denominators
- Move between fractions, decimals and percentages
- Find the perimeter and area of shapes
- Interpret a line graph
Where Year 5 students often struggle
- Fractions with different denominators — adding ½ and ⅓ needs a common denominator.
- Decimal place value — telling 0.5 from 0.05.
- Choosing the operation in multi-step word problems.
💡 Parent tip: If decimals confuse your child, money is the best teacher — $0.50 is half a dollar, and they already know that.
How you can help at home
- Cook with recipes you scale up or down.
- Compare unit prices while shopping.
- Talk through bills, tips and change.
- Play strategy games.
- Review mistakes by asking "how did you work that out?"
Try a few Year 5 questions
- What is ½ + ¼?
- Write 0.75 as a percentage.
- What is the perimeter of a rectangle 6 cm by 4 cm?
- Which is larger — 0.6 or 0.06?
🎯 Want more? Explore our free maths worksheets and practice activities.
Free maths worksheets
Printable, curriculum-aligned practice helps build confidence. Browse our free maths worksheets.
Does this change by state?
Year 5 maths is very similar across Australia. New South Wales and Victoria use their own curriculum versions, but the Year 5 content is broadly the same.
Keep going
Year 5 is the fractions, decimals and percentages year. Keep it tied to money and real life.