This page has been put together to help you practise and revisit some of the brilliant skills you’ve learned all through primary school.

It’s a great way to boost your confidence in Maths and get you ready for the exciting next step into Year 8!

Let's find the treasure! Co-ordinates are like a map reference, they tell you an exact position on a grid.

In this guide, you will learn:

• how to read co-ordinates (x, y)
• the golden rule: "Along the corridor (x-axis), then up/down the stairs (y-axis)"
• how to plot points in all four quadrants using negative numbers
• how to read decimal co-ordinates eg (2.5, 4.5)

A co-ordinate is always a pair of numbers in brackets, like (4, 7).

The first number (x) tells you how far to go horizontally (left or right) along the x-axis.

The second number (y) tells you how far to go vertically (up or down) along the y-axis.

Remember the rule: Go along the corridor first, then up (or down) the stairs.

(4, 7) means go 4 along to the right, then 7 up.

A very common mistake is to mix them up and plot (7, 4) by mistake. Always do the x-axis first!

A co-ordinate grid is often split into four sections (quadrants) by the x-axis and y-axis. The centre point (0,0) is called the origin.

Top-right quadrant: all co-ordinates are positive eg (3, 5)

Top-left quadrant: the x-number is negative eg (-3, 5)

Bottom-left quadrant: both numbers are negative eg (-3, -5)

Bottom-right quadrant: the y-number is negative eg (3, -5)

Sometimes, a point isn't on a main line.

You might have to read decimal co-ordinates, like (2.5, 4.5).

This just means it's halfway between 2 and 3 on the x-axis, and halfway between 4 and 5 on the y-axis.

You're now a co-ordinate expert!

You know how to plot points (x, y) in all four quadrants.

Most importantly, you know the golden rule: go along the x-axis first, then up or down the y-axis.

Think about these questions to stretch your thinking and sharpen your skills!

1. What is the co-ordinate for the origin (the very centre of the grid)?

2. If a point has 0 as its first number (e.g., (0, 5)), where is it?

3. I have plotted 3 corners of a square at (2, 2), (5, 2), and (5, 5). What is the co-ordinate of the fourth corner?

Have a chat about your answers with a parent, teacher or your class.