School Gates maths mission

Quick answer

By practising time intervals at your school gates, you can learn to tell time, calculate how long you spend on your journey, and solve real-world problems involving time and distance.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to measure and compare how long different parts of your journey to school take, and use that information to work out total time, speed, and even plan a faster route.

• You can tell time to the nearest 5 minutes using a clock
• You can calculate how long your journey takes in minutes or hours
• You can compare different routes to school and work out which is faster
• You can solve simple word problems involving time and distance

Why this matters

Time is everywhere in our daily lives, and understanding it helps you get to school on time, plan your day, and even play games or watch your favourite TV shows. When you measure how long your journey takes, you're learning about time intervals, which is a key skill in maths. This skill helps you understand how long things take, how fast you're going, and how to make plans.

Whether you're walking, cycling, or taking the bus, timing your journey helps you become better at solving real-life problems. It's like being a detective, but instead of solving mysteries, you're solving how to get to school faster or more efficiently!

How it works

Start by choosing a point where you begin your journey to school, like your front door or the school gates. Then, you'll:

1. Time how long it takes you to get from one point to another
2. Record your times in minutes
3. Add up your times to see how long your whole journey takes
4. Compare different routes or times of day

For example, if it takes 5 minutes to walk from your house to the gate, and 3 minutes to walk from the gate to the school building, your total journey time is 8 minutes.

Examples you can see

Imagine you're starting your journey to school:

• You leave your house at 8:15am
• You arrive at the school gate at 8:22am
• You walk into the school building at 8:25am

How long did each part take?

Try this with your own journey. You can even draw a timeline or use a clock to help you work out the time intervals.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The School Gate Challenge

You are a time detective, and your mission is to find out how long your journey to school takes. Here's your plan:

1. Start at your house and note the time
2. Walk or ride to the school gate and note the time
3. Walk from the gate to the school building and note the time
4. Calculate how long each part took
5. Find out which part took the longest
6. Try to make a faster route next time

Let’s say you start at 8:10am, arrive at the gate at 8:17am, and enter school at 8:20am. What part of your journey took the longest?

• House to Gate: 7 minutes
• Gate to School: 3 minutes
• Longest part: House to Gate

Great detective work! Now you know where to focus your energy if you want to get to school faster.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Confusing the start and end times of a journey
• Why it happens: It's easy to get confused when you're watching the clock and not writing down the times clearly
• Fix: Always write down the time before and after each part of your journey

• Mistake: Adding times incorrectly
• Why it happens: Adding 15 minutes and 20 minutes and thinking it's 35 minutes, but forgetting to carry over
• Fix: Use a number line or count on your fingers to double-check

• Mistake: Not using the same unit of time (minutes vs hours)
• Why it happens: Mixing up minutes and hours can make your calculations wrong
• Fix: Always decide if you want to measure in minutes or hours and stick with it

Parent and carer guide

Help your child by:

1. Setting up a simple chart or table to record journey times
2. Using a real clock or timer to help them track time
3. Encouraging them to ask questions like "How long did that take?"
4. Discussing how to make the journey faster or more efficient
5. Noticing when they're making mistakes and gently guiding them to fix them

Remember, it's okay if they get it wrong at first. Time is tricky, but with practice, they'll get better. You can even do this together – it's a fun way to learn!

Practice questions

1. It takes 5 minutes to walk from your house to the gate, and 4 minutes to walk from the gate to the school. How long is your journey?
2. You start at 8:15am and arrive at the gate at 8:20am. How long did it take?
3. You take 10 minutes to walk to the gate, and 5 minutes to walk from the gate to school. What is your total journey time?
4. You leave home at 8:05am and arrive at school at 8:25am. How long was your journey?
5. You walk from home to the gate in 6 minutes, and from the gate to school in 3 minutes. What is the difference in time between the two parts?

Answers:

1. 9 minutes
2. 5 minutes
3. 15 minutes
4. 20 minutes
5. 3 minutes

FAQ

Why should I time my journey to school?

Timing your journey helps you understand how long it takes and how to improve your routine. It also helps you learn to tell time and solve time-related problems.

Can I use a digital watch or phone to time my journey?

Yes! You can use any device that shows the time. Just make sure to record the start and end times clearly.

What if I take a bus or car to school?

You can still time your journey! You can measure how long you wait for the bus, how long the bus ride takes, and how long you walk from the bus stop to the school gate.

How can I make my journey faster?

By timing different parts of your journey, you can find out where you spend the most time and make changes. For example, if walking to the gate takes a long time, you might try a quicker path or walk faster.

Is this really useful in real life?

Yes! Understanding time intervals helps you plan your day, know when to leave for school, and even solve puzzles or play games that involve timing.