Give five seconds of quiet think-time before any hands go up, then take three hands-up answers. Listen for pupils who reach for "move the decimal point" — hold that thought; the lesson will reframe it as the digits moving, not the point.

47 × 10 = 470: whole number first so the shift is obvious. Each digit steps one column left, 4 to hundreds, 7 to tens, zero fills units. Draw out: nothing added, digits just moved.

3.4 × 10 = 34: 3 to tens, 4 to units. Point at the decimal point on screen, it did not move, digits walked past it. This is the whole lesson.

Before revealing the next: predict what ×100 does instead of ×10.

0.6 × 100 = 60: two columns left because a hundred is ten twice. Ask what must fill the units column before revealing, 6 to tens with placeholder zero. Trap: without the zero you get just 6.

25 ÷ 100 = 0.25: mirror of multiplying, digits go two columns right, 2 to tenths, 5 to hundredths. Stress the point stays still, the digits travel.

Let each animation finish before you speak.

This round is for talking it through together — pupils take turns at the board and the class agrees or corrects out loud.

• 4.5 × 10 = 45 — one column left, nothing tricky, a confidence-builder.
• 0.07 × 100 = 7 — two columns left; both digits (the 0 and the 7) travel, and the answer becomes a clean whole number.
• 1200 ÷ 1000 = 1.2 — three columns right; watch pupils try to "chop off zeros" — revoice this as the digits moved three places right.
• 0.3 × 1000 = 300 — the key one: the 3 travels three columns and two placeholder zeros are needed. Pause here and ask the class why the zeros must appear.

Try Together first, then this Class Challenge — pupils take turns at the board, check each answer, and the class confirms before moving on. Keep the board work brisk rather than over-explaining.

• 0.07 → 70 — this is ×1000 (three columns left). Watch for pupils who reach for ×100 and stop short at 7.
• 4500 → 4.5 — ÷1000, three columns right.
• 0.3 → 300 — ×1000, needs two placeholder zeros.
• 0.045 → 45 — the aim is a two-step route (×1000 is blocked), so pupils plan ×100 then ×10. Ask them to justify their route.