Mathematics
You can see details of the national curriculum for maths here.
Our inspiring maths curriculum enables children to recognise the importance of maths in the world around them and to apply key knowledge and skills in their everyday lives. We seek out many opportunities for children to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Our curriculum has been developed to ensure every child can enjoy maths, feel confident and achieve excellence.
Curriculum
As a school, we use the mastery approach to maths which supports children to acquire a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. This approach places emphasis on the essential knowledge and skills in mathematics. It embeds a deeper understanding of maths by using a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach so that the children understand what they are doing rather than just learning to repeat steps. This approach is used from Reception to Year 6. We want all children to have the ability to reason mathematically, problem solve and experience success in Maths.
We use the White Rose Maths scheme as a starting point in the teaching and learning of maths. We strive to deliver high quality maths lessons which include practical, hands on learning experiences for all children to help develop their mathematical knowledge and skills as well as their own curiosity for the subject. Each class has a range of manipulatives to support children’s learning including cubes, dienes, bead strings, number lines, protractors and mirrors. Children are encouraged to be independent and freely choose resources they need to help them. We also strongly promote the teaching of maths in different learning environments including our computing suite, outdoor learning classroom, outdoor areas and the hall.
Mathematical vocabulary is a key tool for all children to achieve success. Lessons include opportunities for children to apply prior mathematical vocabulary as well as introducing new terms and concepts. Children use this vocabulary to explain their mathematical conclusions and reasoning.
In EYFS, the children develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. We provide frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including counters and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. We include rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.
In Key Stage 1, one of the main focuses is to ensure that children develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This involves working with numerals, words and the four operations, using practical resources. Children also begin to develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Learning also focuses on using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money. By the end of Year 2, the children should know the number bonds to 20 and have a secure understanding of place value. The children should also be able to read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.
In Year 3 and Year 4 (Lower Key Stage 2), we ensure that the children become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This ensures that the children develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers. The children develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Our teaching ensures that the children draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It also enables children to use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number. By the end of Year 4, the children should know their multiplication tables up to and including the 12-multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work. Children can read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.
Quotes from EYFS children:
I really like maths because we sing fun counting songs.
I like writing my numbers.
Quotes from KS1 children:
Maths is fun because I am learning about different numbers and how I can add them together.
I like maths because it is hard sometimes, but then my teacher helps me and we do it together. This helps me to understand better.
Quotes from KS2 children:
I love maths because it challenges me to think of different ways to solve problems.
It is great when I have to talk about ‘WHY’ I have solved a problem in a certain way.
We always get to choose what activity we would like to do. We are always encouraged to challenge ourselves.
In Year 5 and Year 6 (Upper Key Stage 2), we ensure that the children extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This develops the connections that children make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio. Here the children develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, the children are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Our teaching in geometry and measures consolidates and extends knowledge developed in number. We ensure that children can classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them. By the end of Year 6, the children should be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. The children should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.
Assessment
As part of the Mastery approach, assessment is continuous. At the start of a new maths topic, the teacher will assess what the children already know and use this information to scaffold each small step in the children’s learning. Misconceptions are dealt with immediately in lessons. Interventions also take place involving pre and post teaching, to ensure that all children can access learning in the next lesson.
EYFS
- Class teachers carry out ongoing assessments of each child. These include speaking to children about their learning and encouraging them to talk through their understanding. This informs teaching and learning for each child.
- The statutory RBA (reception baseline assessment) is a short activity-based assessment of pupils’ starting points in language, communication, literacy and mathematics. This takes places within the first six weeks of beginning school.
KS1 and KS2
- As part of daily maths lessons, formative assessment takes place daily. The class teachers observe, question and evaluate children’s learning and use this information to inform the next steps in learning.
- Pre and post assessments of each new unit of work takes place.
- Summative assessments are made at the end of each term to monitor the children’s knowledge and understanding. NFER tests are used in Year 1, 3, 4 and 5. Year 2 and Year 6 use old SATs papers to help prepare the children for end of their SATs assessments.
- The children’s progress is discussed at termly Pupil Progress Meetings.
Multiplication Tables Check
We use ‘Timestable Rockstars’ to support our learning and recall of key times tables facts from Year 2 to Year 6. By the time the children reach the end of Year 4, the National Curriculum specifies that they should be able to recall the multiplication tables up to and including 12x12 and the related division facts. At the end of Year 4, children are required to take an online Multiplication Tables Check where they will be asked 25 multiplications questions and are expected to answer each question in under 6 seconds.
Homework
Year 1 to Year 6 use Mathletics to assign maths homework. This supports learning and helps to embed key mathematical knowledge and skills. Mathletics tasks are set weekly by the class teacher for the children to complete at home. We also have Mathletics after school clubs for the children to attend. CGP books are also used to enrich homework as well as learning in class.
