Take three hands-up answers, not open call-outs. Give five seconds of quiet think-time first. Don't confirm or correct yet — just collect what pupils offer (some will say ½, some will leave it as 4/8). We settle it on the strips next.

Point to the matching lengths on both strips first, so pupils see the amount stays the same, then find the dividing number before the answer lands.

4/8: ask what number divides into both 4 and 8; let a pupil name 4. Divide top and bottom by 4 (4 into 4 once, into 8 twice) to reach 1/2.

6/9: pupils often try 2 here; draw out that 9 is not even. 3 works: 3 into 6 twice, into 9 three times, giving 2/3.

12/16: biggest factor is 4, giving 3/4. Some divide by 2 to reach 6/8, which is correct but not finished, revoice as still room to go smaller.

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

Bring an individual pupil up to shade 4/8, then 2/4, then ½ and let the class watch them line up. Ask which one is in simplest form and how they know. Then have pupils build 8/12 and 10/12 on the twelfths strip in turn, clearing the shading between the two, for the class to simplify aloud.

These are the practice questions — 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.

For 6/8 and 9/12 the class will spot both land on ¾ — a nice talking point. For 24/36 push pupils toward the biggest common factor (12) rather than chipping down by 2 then 2 then 3. The last one is the catch: 7 is prime and shares no factor with 12, so 7/12 is already simplest. Press 'how do you know it won't go smaller?'

Recap the divide-top-and-bottom rule one last time and link forward: simplest form makes comparing fractions easier, which is the next lesson.