Mathematics
Intent
At Staincliffe CE Junior School our maths curriculum ensures that all children will experience success in maths as it is essential to their everyday lives. We recognise that fluency, problem solving and application of maths in context are fundamental qualities of our children as mathematicians and our approach reflects the aims of the National Curriculum (2014). We thoroughly underpin mathematical learning by developing a balance between conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. Children are taught to understand how and why mathematical procedures are used, in order to develop their arithmetic proficiency and their ability to 'unpick' and solve real-life mathematical challenges. Through the children’s enjoyment of maths and with appropriate support and challenge, learning is tailored to each and every child to ensure they will show courage to become inquisitive and resilient learners. We are committed to developing children’s curiosity about the subject and pupils will therefore learn to trust in their own knowledge, skills and understanding to become successful mathematicians.
Implementation
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in maths, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Not only is Maths taught in a daily discrete lesson but it is embedded in every available opportunity.
Our curriculum provides:
- Lessons planned using the mastery approach so that skills are taught, developed and revisited in a sequential way which promotes learning and retention of knowledge and skills at a deeper understanding.
- Children with strategies to access calculations independently, utilising their ‘Maths Toolkits’.
- Teachers implement the school’s agreed calculations policy for progression in written and mental calculations for a consistent approach.
- Mathematical vocabulary explicitly planned for and taught to ensure that there is a consistency of correct mathematical vocabulary being used across the school.
- Children are given opportunities to reason and solve problems regularly in all areas of mathematics; learning is varied and allows for deep and secure understanding through ‘Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract’ approach.
- Children’s fluency is developed through practising key skills, repeating, reinforcing and revising. Children are given time to practice and perfect their calculation strategies (using purple pen ‘fix it’), including having opportunities to make appropriate decisions when estimating, calculating and evaluating the effectiveness of their chosen methods.
- Investigative tasks are designed to allow pupils to follow lines of enquiry and develop their own ideas, justifying and proving their answers.
- Children work both collaboratively and independently when solving problems, which require them to persevere and develop courage and resilience.
To track the progress of our mathematicians, we:
- Utilise a low stakes quiz regularly (Jungle, Rainbow, Planet and Comet Maths) as well as TTRockstars and Numbots to support learner’s ability to retain learning and increase space in the working memory.
- Utilise structured plenaries throughout the maths hour to give oral feedback as well as marking to give more formal written feedback and provide opportunity for ‘fix it’.
- Conduct termly NFER summative testing to record children’s progress and also to highlight gaps in delivery/learning
- Capture ‘Pupil Voice’ at regular intervals
Impact
By the time they leave us, as mathematicians, our children will have:
- the ability to use mathematical concepts, facts and procedures appropriately, flexibly and fluently.
- have a sufficient depth of knowledge and understanding to reason and explain mathematical concepts and procedures and use them to solve a variety of problems, verbally, pictorially and in written form.
- recall age appropriate key number facts e.g. number bonds and times tables with speed and accuracy and use them to calculate and work out unknown facts.
- the ability to persevere when attempting to solve problems, and choose the equipment and strategies they think are best suited to each problem.
- a passion for maths and its application in the modern world.
Our maths curriculum is high quality, well thought out and planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with our curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress and support is put in place for those working towards the curriculum objectives.
Please click here for our Maths 'Progression of Knowledge and Skills' document.
Useful additional documents:
- Practical Maths ideas for Parents/Carers: