what age is exponentiation covered?

[Quip]

Just trying to explain 10 to the power 6, 3 to the power 2 etc to the DCs this morning, but didn't feel it all went in. What year should they be doing this at school?

Squares in about Yr 5, perhaps cubes in Yr 6, indices proper Yr 8/9.

Dd1 did squares in year 4, square roots and cubes/cube roots in year 5. I don't think they did further powers in year 6, although she's come across it in something else she was looking it. But she's top set, where they were trying to push them very quickly (not convinced it was actually the best thing for some of them) so they did a lot of advanced concepts quickly.

Dd2 (going into year 4) does already talks about squares and cubes, but I think that's because she's picked it up from dd1.

My dd did squared and cubed in y4 but no higher.
I have a son about to start y7 and hasn't covered it but would know that 10 to the power of 6 is 10x10x10x10x10x10 and would work it out.

Hi Quip:

It seems that understanding beyond square/ square root isn't generally on the English primary curriculum for mathematics.

The draft national curriculum for mathematics KS1-2 is here: media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/d/draft%20national%20curriculum%20for%20mathematics%20key%20stages%201%202.pdf

In this document it seems that it's Year 5 when pupils are expected to be taught to: "recognise and use square numbers and square roots, and the notation for square (2) and square root" (point 206 in the document).

There is no statement on undertstanding how to cube or other exponential notations (i.e. 10 to the power of 6 - sorry can't type superscripts on this).

However, it's clear from using Bond practice papers in mathematics for ages 9 - 10 (which I'm slowly working through with DD1 at the moment) that cubing and some exponential numerals - A question asking to fully write out the number for 10 to the power of 6 - were on the paper - at most this would cost a point or two - so in the scheme of things sound skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and good ability with word problems is more crucial.

HTH

Thank you all, that has helped. I've been explaining it to DS1 and DS2, and found that DS1 seemed to get it reliably with 10s, but DS2 kept confusing it with multiplication. Given they're 6 and 5 I shan't worry too much at this stage.

My DS1 covered squared and cubed numbers in Y3, but he is a freakish genius with Maths rather talented at Maths, he covered Indices in Y4. He is just about to start Y6, is working on work that covers L6-L8. He was a secure L6 in Maths at the end of Y5.

DS2 is top set, and has not done any of this yet. He is about to go into Y4, I think it's on the curriculum for Y4 to do squared and cubed numbers, and indices in Y5?