Significant Figures and Estimation
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 significant figures question, a whole number, a decimal, or a messy calculation that needs estimating, and know straight away which digit to round and what happens to the zeros.
Topics covered:
- Finding the first significant figure, including numbers that start with zeros
- Rounding to 1 significant figure
- Rounding to 2 and 3 significant figures
- Zeros, the common traps, and working backwards from a rounded number
- Estimating an answer by rounding every number to 1 significant figure
- Dividing by a number less than 1, for example 4 ÷ 0.2
- Deciding whether an estimate is an overestimate or an underestimate
Your child works through this lesson on any screen. They click to reveal each step of a worked example, try the practice questions on paper, then click to check their own answer. Two interactive tools sit inside the lesson, Significant Figure Spotlight for naming and rounding the digits of a number, and Estimate Then Check for rounding a calculation and comparing the estimate against the real answer.
How it's structured:
- Each unit opens with a worked example your child clicks through line by line, then 10 practice questions colour-coded easy, medium and hard
- 104 questions in total, each with a click-to-reveal answer and a reveal-all option
- A final 20-question mixed challenge pulling from all 7 units, the way significant figures and estimation actually show up on an exam paper
Zeros are where this topic goes wrong. A zero at the front of a number is never a significant figure, so 0.00408 starts counting at the 4. A zero at the end can be a real figure or just a placeholder holding the size of the number, which is why 8,700 rounded to 2 significant figures and 8,700 rounded to 3 look identical on the page but came from different starting numbers. Unit 4 spends its whole question set on that difference, and on working backwards from a rounded number to the range it could have come from.
Use this if:
- Your child is in Year 5 to Year 11 and rounding questions still cost them marks
- You're preparing for the 11+, where estimating is expected on the non-calculator paper
- Your child is doing GCSE Foundation, where "estimate the value of" questions come up on nearly every paper
- 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 5 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.
What parents say
My son has been having 11+ Maths tuition with Aadam and the improvement in his confidence and ability has been noticeable. Aadam breaks down challenging topics in a way that’s easy to understand and ensures concepts are fully grasped before moving on. The sessions are focused and well planned.F. Khushi · January 2026
Aadam, the tutor has a lovely mannerism and has made my daughter feel at ease. He explains the question in a way that she understands and is patient with her. She has already seen the results at school from his help and has gone up two GCSE grades in a short period of time.P. Flower · December 2024
Aadam is the best maths tutor I’ve ever had! His online maths lessons are easy to follow, and he always breaks down difficult topics into manageable parts. Thanks to Aadam’s tutoring, I’ve gone up two grades in maths and feel ready for my GCSE exams!L. Anggriani · December 2024
Verified 5-star Google reviews of SHLC's tutoring and lessons. Read all 62 reviews
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.
Ready to start?
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