Recognise right angles as a property of shape or a description of a turn, and identify right angles in 2D shapes presented in different orientations (1)

Pupils must have learnt about fractions before beginning work on this criterion. In particular they should recognise one-, two- and three-quarters of a circle. Pupils must be able to describe and represent quarter, half and three-quarter turns (clockwise and anti-clockwise). Pupils should begin by making quarter turns with their bodies, following instructions such as “Stand, and make a quarter turn clockwise. Walk in a straight line. Stop. Make a quarter turn anticlockwise.” They should be able to relate these movements to the quarter turn of a clock hand. Pupils should learn that the angle relative to the starting orientation, created by a quarter turn (in either direction), is called a right angle – programmable robots and geo-strips are useful tools for illustrating this. Pupils should then learn to follow instructions involving 1/2 turn and 3/4 turns, clockwise and anticlockwise. They should recognise that the result of making a 1/2 turn clockwise is the same as the result of making a 1/2 turn anticlockwise. Pupils should also understand 1/2 and 3/4 turns as repeated 1/4 turns, and therefore as repeated turns through a right angle. Pupils should recognise that a right angle is the ‘amount of turn’ between 2 lines, and is independent of the length of those lines. They should be presented with a right angle created by 2 long lines (such as two metre sticks) and a right angle created by 2 short lines (such as 2 geo-strips), and understand that both are right angles. It is important that pupils know that it is incorrect to describe the right-angle made from longer lines as a ‘bigger right angle’, or that made from the shorter lines as a ‘smaller right angle’. Pupils should practise identifying right angles in their environment, for example, the corner of their desk, the panes of a window, or the hands on a clock at 3pm or 9pm. They should learn to use various tools to confirm that angles are right angles, for example a card circle with a quarter circle cut out, or a