Maths
Statement of Intent: Maths
The National Curriculum states that children should:
• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, to know how to develop an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
• Solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Our Intent
We are committed to the Teaching for Mastery approach in delivering mathematics lessons. This pedagogical approach to teaching ensures children become confident, articulate, reflective and enthusiastic learners. All children are encouraged to develop their mathematical fluency in additive and multiplicative number facts to support their problem solving and reasoning skills.
Our teaching and learning supports our Rights Respecting School ethos where the following articles are most prevalent in the teaching of mathematics:
Article 3 The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all things that affect children.
Article 28 Every child has the right to an education.
Article 29 Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.
There are certain key aims that demonstrate the intent for the teaching of mathematics in our school. We teach children that having a growth mindset will help them to persevere when they find tasks challenging and that we learn through trial and error. At The Sherwood, we believe that our teaching of mathematics:
- promotes enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion;
- develops confidence and competence with numbers and the number system;
- develops the ability to solve problems through decision-making and reasoning in a range of contexts and
- helps children understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life.
Our Implementation
Since September 2017, we have been on our teaching for mastery journey and we are now considered a ‘sustaining’ school where the five principles of teaching for mastery are embedded in our practice across the school. These are:
• representation & structure
• fluency
• variation
• mathematical thinking
• coherence.
These five big ideas form part of our ongoing professional development for teaching staff and are central to our lesson design and delivery.
We are using the NCETM curriculum prioritisation documents as a starting point for lesson design and these documents enable us to deliver a curriculum that is coherent where small steps are used in order for children to achieve success.
Fluency is a concept that is embedded throughout Key Stage 1 & 2. In Years 1 & 2, we build on our work from the Early Years in securing number facts within 100 that includes addition and subtraction. In Years 3 & 4, we develop children’s fluency in their multiplication facts that is consolidated and embedded in Years 5 & 6.
Variation is put into practice through teacher questioning and independent tasks the children practice. It allows connections to be made with different mathematical concepts and helps to embed learning.
Central to our lesson design is representation and structure. Children have access to resources in our lessons and this encourages understanding of how mathematical concepts are structured and set out. We use a CPA (concrete, pictorial and abstract) approach that enables all children to make connections with the content being studied.
Mathematical thinking is encouraged throughout lesson delivery where children are able to link concepts and strengthen their understanding through reasoning and problem-solving questions.
For effective teaching and learning to take place in the classroom, we will ensure that:
• Staff use the NCETM curriculum prioritising documents as a starting point in order to develop a coherent and comprehensive conceptual pathway through the mathematics. The focus is on the whole class progressing together. Collaborative planning with year group colleagues is encouraged to ensure consistency and equity between the classes.
• Learning is broken down into small, connected steps, building from what pupils already know.
• Difficult points and potential misconceptions are identified in advance and strategies to address them planned.
• Key questions are planned to challenge thinking and develop learning for all pupils.
• Contexts and representations are carefully chosen to develop reasoning skills and to help pupils link concrete ideas to abstract mathematical concepts.
• The use of high quality materials and tasks to support learning and provide access to the mathematics, is integrated into lessons. These may include White Rose Maths Schemes of Learning and Assessment Materials, NCETM Mastery Assessment materials, NRICH, visual images and concrete resources.
• Opportunities for extra fluency practice (instant recall of key facts, such as number bonds, times tables, division facts, addition and subtraction facts) should be provided outside mathematics lessons (morning starters or post lunch).
Measuring Impact
The impact of our themed curriculum will ensure that children:
• Develop children’s resilience and determination to solve mathematical problems that involve several steps to achieve an answer
• Children accept the ‘challenge of mathematics’ because they are encouraged by the belief that everyone can succeed through effort
• Children demonstrate their growing understanding of mathematics through their reasoning and willingness to explain their mathematical strategies
• Children recognise that physical and verbal representations of mathematical ideas are as valuable as written ones
• Prepare children for secondary school and later life with the foundations of mathematical concepts
Maths websites to explore at home
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/
All kinds of educational games including number
Lots of activities, investigations and challenges in different areas of maths