The Teaching of Mathematics

Our Maths curriculum aims to equip all children with the skills & knowledge to enable them to lead a happy, healthy & purposeful life.

We want to develop learners who have a love of maths, who have a mastery of number and who can apply this fluency to tackle challenging problems.

We believe that the key to confident, successful mathematicians is developing this fluency so our curriculum is tailored heavily towards teaching number. Opportunities are then carefully planned to ensure that children can use these arithmetic skills in a range of situations. We make sure that children are given access to a range of resources within lessons to support the transition from concrete to pictorial to the abstract and support children’s mathematical language development through the use of sentence stems to support reasoning.

Content

White Rose maths is used to support planning (concrete - pictorial – abstract) from Reception to Y6. This planning tool breaks down the NC into small steps. Teachers re-organise the suggested planning, into a structure that responds to our children’s needs: Number is the main focus.

Mental maths is taught through Maths Passports from Nursery to Y6 (and beyond). These are taught through discrete sessions and sometimes children are grouped in these lessons, according to which passport they are on.

Teaching in Reception focuses on the numbers 1-10 rather than rushing through the next statements before a deep understanding is embedded.

Fluency

We have a focus on fluency before teaching reasoning, though opportunities for practising these skills should be given in a range of contexts to help build connections.

Maths passports are taught from Y1-Y6 (extra passports have been added to support children reach a higher understanding of number)

There is a focus on fluency in homework – children are encouraged to practise number bonds and times tables at home. Parent sessions have been held to help parents know how best to support their child at home.

Times Table Rockstars and Numbots are used across school to support with fluency.

An annual TT competition is led by the school.

Retrieval / Assessment

Mental maths (bonds/TTs etc) practised frequently

Previous targets are retested to embed knowledge, during passport time

Assessments are largely formative, building on gaps in learning

Summative assessments are used termly to help identify next steps in learning  (White Rose Assessments) and check that children are on track.

Results 2022

KS1 – EXS    GDS

          68%    9%

KS2 – EXS    GDS

                          80%    20%

KS2 Progress was excellent in 2022 at +2.8 across the school.

Knowledge builds on prior understanding, using White Rose small steps to ensure gaps are filled. Where appropriate links are made to prior learning eg “If I know…”

Targets

To increase the number of children working at GDS in FS, KS1 and KS2.

Support

We have a range of evidenced based intervention when gaps begin to appear: Success @ Arithmetic, First Class @ Number, Five Minute Boxes. A number of TAs have had training in maths intervention.