When needing to express a remainder as a decimal, pupils may work correctly until they reach the end of the number and then be unsure about what to do next.

In example 1, the pupil has simply put a decimal point in the answer and then written the remainder after it.

In example 2, the pupil has continued to work with the remainder, treating it as the next digit in the number rather than writing it before a placeholder. This then results in an incorrect recurring decimal, which adds to the confusion .

In example 3, the pupil has remembered to use a placeholder, and continued to work correctly, but has placed an extra decimal point after each additional digit.

Pupils can be encouraged to read the number they have actually divided (the number in the box) to check it is the same as the one in the question. Some pupils may need more reinforcement of place value in decimal numbers to understand the role of the decimal point and place holders.