This page is a short hub for teachers and parents who need the five official CAPS Mathematics content areas in one place, what each covers from Foundation Phase to FET, and how they connect. It is an orientation explainer, not a lesson plan.
CAPS123 is a practical aid. It is not an official DBE publication. Confirm topics, hours and assessment on your phase CAPS file and ATP.
Overview of CAPS Mathematics content areas
The CAPS Mathematics curriculum is organised into five content areas that run from the Foundation Phase through to the FET Phase. Topics become more complex at each phase, but the content areas give a consistent structure across a learner’s school career. Knowing them helps teachers and learners see how concepts connect and build.
Classroom examples on this site (soft-link only, do not merge): Grade 4 Geometric patterns (Patterns, Functions and Algebra); Grade 9 Geometry of straight lines (Space and Shape).
The five content areas
1. Numbers, Operations and Relationships
This is the largest content area, particularly in the Foundation and Intermediate Phases. It covers:
- Foundation Phase: Counting, number recognition, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with whole numbers. Fractions are introduced as sharing and grouping.
- Intermediate Phase: Larger numbers, all four operations with whole numbers and decimals, common fractions, percentages and ratio.
- Senior Phase: Integers, exponents, rational numbers and financial mathematics.
- FET Phase: Number patterns, sequences, series, financial mathematics (simple and compound interest, annuities) and logarithms.
CAPS weighting (orientation only): Approximately 50% in Foundation Phase, decreasing to about 10% by FET Phase (where related work often sits under Algebra). Schools follow the phase CAPS/ATP.
2. Patterns, Functions and Algebra
Algebraic thinking begins with pattern recognition in the early grades and develops into formal algebra:
- Foundation Phase: Identifying, describing and extending patterns using physical objects and numbers.
- Intermediate Phase: Number patterns, input–output tables and flow diagrams.
- Senior Phase: Algebraic expressions, equations, inequalities and graphs of functions.
- FET Phase: Functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, hyperbolic), equations, inequalities and calculus (Grade 12).
CAPS weighting (orientation only): Grows from approximately 10% in Foundation Phase to about 35% in FET Phase.
3. Space and Shape (Geometry)
Geometry develops spatial reasoning and understanding of shapes and their properties:
- Foundation Phase: 2D shapes and 3D objects, position and direction, symmetry.
- Intermediate Phase: Properties of shapes, angles, transformations and geometric constructions.
- Senior Phase: Geometry of 2D shapes, theorem of Pythagoras and properties of quadrilaterals.
- FET Phase: Euclidean geometry (with proofs), analytical geometry (coordinate geometry) and trigonometry.
CAPS weighting (orientation only): Approximately 20% across phases, increasing slightly in Senior and FET when trigonometry is included.
4. Measurement
Measurement connects mathematics to the physical world:
- Foundation Phase: Comparing and ordering objects by length, mass and capacity; telling time.
- Intermediate Phase: Standard units, conversions, perimeter, area and volume of regular shapes.
- Senior Phase: Area and perimeter of composite shapes, surface area and volume of 3D objects, and the effect of scaling.
- FET Phase: Integrated into geometry and trigonometry applications.
CAPS weighting (orientation only): Approximately 15% in Foundation Phase, decreasing at higher phases as measurement integrates with other areas.
5. Data Handling
Data handling develops the ability to collect, organise, analyse and interpret data:
- Foundation Phase: Collecting and sorting data; reading and drawing pictographs and bar graphs.
- Intermediate Phase: Collecting data; drawing graphs (bar, pie, line); calculating mean, median and mode.
- Senior Phase: Data collection methods, measures of central tendency and spread, interpreting and critically analysing data.
- FET Phase: Statistical summaries, regression, correlation and probability (including counting principles and tree diagrams).
CAPS weighting (orientation only): Approximately 10% in Foundation Phase, growing to about 20% in FET Phase.
How the content areas connect
These five areas are not taught in isolation. Problems often need skills from more than one area, measurement with number operations, data handling with percentages, or algebra with a geometric context. Strong teaching makes those links explicit so learners see Mathematics as an integrated subject, not disconnected topics.
CAPS and ATP reminder
Official content-area names above match CAPS Mathematics. Weighting notes are orientation onlyfollow your phase CAPS document and your ATP. CAPS subject files: DBE CAPS hub. ATPs: DBE ATP hub (2023ATPs) (2023/24 retained with exclusions, Circular S19 of 2025).
Disclaimer
CAPS123 is independent and not an official DBE publication.