Order of Operations (BIDMAS) Mastery
An interactive lesson on screen. Your child works through worked examples, practises on their own, then tests themselves with questions that get harder as they go.
About this lesson
By the end of this lesson your child can look at any calculation and know which part to work out first, whether the calculation shows brackets, an index, a root, or hides the grouping inside a fraction line. One wrong first step turns the whole answer wrong even when every piece of arithmetic in it is right, which is why order of operations costs marks across the entire paper rather than on one question type.
Topics covered:
- Which operation happens first, spotting the first step without working the whole calculation out
- Setting it out, rewriting the full calculation one line at a time so the working can be checked
- Brackets, including the calculations where putting brackets in changes the answer and the ones where it does not
- Indices and roots, for example 10² + 5 × 2² and √(1 + 3 × 8)
- Hidden brackets, where a fraction line or a root sign groups terms together with no bracket on show
Your child drives five interactive tools, clicks each line of a worked example open one step at a time, tries the practice questions on paper, then clicks to check the answer.
How it's structured:
- Each unit opens with worked examples your child clicks through line by line, then 10 practice questions on a five-level ladder that climbs from a single operation to a hidden bracket
- 80 questions in total, each with a click-to-reveal answer and a reveal-all option, plus a New Questions button that deals a fresh set whenever your child wants more
- A final 20-question mixed challenge pulling from all 5 units, mixing every level the way a real exam paper does
Most children learn BIDMAS as six letters in a queue, then drop a mark the first time they meet 36 − 27 + 8. Divide and multiply share a rank, and so do add and subtract, so each of those pairs runs left to right. This lesson teaches the order as four rows, and gives your child an interactive ladder to walk down until it sticks.
Use this if:
- Your child is in Year 4 to Year 11 and gets the arithmetic right but the order wrong
- You're preparing for the 11+, where one calculation question can turn on which operation goes first
- Your child is doing GCSE Foundation and loses marks on non-calculator multi-step calculations
- You want a resource your child can check their own work with, not one more thing on your to-do list
Built by an experienced maths teacher with over 3,000 hours of one-to-one tutoring experience and a Master's in Education.
Format: Interactive digital lesson, link sent by email straight after purchase.
Suitable for: Year 4 to Year 11, 11+, KS2, KS3, KS4, GCSE Foundation.
Who this is for
Built for students who want to practise independently, at their own pace, with clear examples and instant feedback rather than a static worksheet.
What's included
Worked examples
See the method explained step by step before trying it yourself.
Guided practice
Work through questions with answers hidden until you're ready to check.
Exam-style questions
Split easy to hard, so your child is always working at the right level.
How it works
Buy the lesson
Complete checkout securely through Shopify.
Get your link by email
Your lesson link lands in your inbox straight after payment.
Work through it on screen
Open the link on any device and start straight away.
FAQs
How do I access the lesson?
You'll get an email with your lesson link as soon as payment goes through. Click it to open the lesson in any browser, no login and no app to install.
How does the marking work?
There's no typing answers into a box. Your child works it out on paper, then clicks to reveal the correct answer and checks their own work. Full working is shown too, not just the final answer, so mistakes are easy to spot.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
It works best on a tablet or laptop, where there's more room to read the examples and questions. It'll open on a phone too, but the text and diagrams can feel quite small on a smaller screen.
Can I use the lesson more than once?
Yes. There's no limit on how many times you open the link, so it's there for revision right up to the exam.
What if I lose the link or don't get the email?
Email info@shlc-tutor.co.uk and we'll resend it straight away.
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