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KS1 · Year 1 / Year 2 · Lesson plan

Shopping basket challenge — can you stay in budget?

A classroom-ready 45 minutes lesson plan with starter, main, plenary, differentiation, SEND adaptations, EAL support and assessment criteria. Free to use, no login.

Key Stage
KS1
Year group
Year 1 / Year 2
Age range
5–7
Duration
45 minutes
Subject
Maths / PSHE
Cost
Free

Learning aim

Pupils can add prices of items, compare a total to a budget, and decide what to buy when they can't have everything.

CURRICULUM National Curriculum links

RESOURCES What you'll need

LESSON Lesson structure (45 minutes)

0–5 min
HOOK
Set up the "classroom shop" with 8 priced items on a table. Tell pupils: "I have £5 to spend on a picnic. What would you put in my basket?" Take 3–4 suggestions. Don't add up the total yet — let pupils notice that £5 won't buy everything.
5–15 min
TEACH
Model adding up four item prices on the board: apple 30p + banana 25p + sandwich £1.50 + juice 80p = £2.85. Ask pupils to check. Then show the change calculation: £5 — £2.85 = £2.15. Build the words "total", "budget", "change", "left over".
15–30 min
GUIDED
Pairs are given a budget (£5 or £3 depending on ability) and a copy of the shop's price list. Their job: choose items to buy without going over the budget. Record their basket on the worksheet, add up the total, and work out how much money they have left. Walk the room to support.
30–40 min
CHALLENGE
Display a tricky scenario: "You want a sandwich AND a juice AND a sticker pack AND crisps. Add it up. Can you afford all four with £5?" Pupils calculate (£1.50 + 80p + £1 + 75p = £4.05 — yes!). Now: "What if you also wanted a banana?" (£4.30 — yes, still in budget). "And a biscuit?" (£4.70 — getting close).
40–45 min
PLENARY
Two pairs share their baskets and totals. Discuss: "Which basket has the most variety? Which uses the most of the budget?" Final question: "When real shops add up your basket, what do you have to make sure of?" (Stay in budget.)

DIFFERENTIATION Adapting for all learners

Support (working below ARE)

Use a £2 budget and round-number prices (50p, £1, etc.). Provide pre-cut item cards pupils can physically lay out.

Stretch (working above ARE)

Use a £10 budget with extra items. Pupils must include at least 4 items and calculate the change exactly. Bonus: find two different baskets that cost exactly the same.

SEND SEND adaptations

For pupils with dyscalculia: use only items priced in 10p increments to simplify mental addition. Provide a number line on the worksheet. For pupils with autism: provide a structured template with item names already written, and pupils tick the ones they want.

EAL EAL support

Vocabulary card: "budget", "total", "change", "shop", "basket", "afford". Sentence stem: "I put ___ in my basket. The total is ___. My change is ___."

ASSESSMENT Assessment criteria

Pupils can: (1) add 3 or more prices to find a total; (2) compare the total to a budget; (3) calculate how much money is left over. Mini-plenary check: I call out a basket (3 items), pupils show me the total on their mini-whiteboard.

HOME Homework

With a grown-up, look at the prices of three things in a real shop (or a shop catalogue). Pretend you have £2. Which two could you afford?

SAFEGUARDING Classroom safeguarding

Note for teachers: Use only realistic but generic prices. Avoid mentioning brand names. If a pupil mentions struggling to afford things at home, accept neutrally and follow up with the safeguarding lead if appropriate.

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