Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education, therefore, provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Intent
 

We follow the small steps guidance set out by White Rose Maths but supplement this with other resources which meet the needs of our children. The White Rose Maths small steps documents are used and adapted to support teachers with planning, teaching and learning that encourage a mastery approach to teaching Maths for all pupils through a daily Maths lesson in each class.

The main content of the maths lesson is taught through clear teacher modelling and the My turn, Your turn, or I do, We do, You do approach. Reasoning and Problem solving are integral to the activities the children are given to develop their mathematical thinking. Children who have shown a good depth of understanding within a particular lesson are challenged through more complex problems or reasoning activities or through probing questions. KS1 and KS2 follow the same day intervention programme where children are identified during the session and an intervention is placed within the lesson with the class teacher or teaching assistant to fill gaps and ensure that all children are making progress within the lesson.

Concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations are used to support conceptual understanding and to make links across topics. We follow the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach with students accessing the same objective using the method most suited to their ability. As a non-negotiable, ALL new concepts should be introduced with concrete manipulatives and models and images if possible. KS1 classes should use models and images on their teaching screens to support learners and this is good practice where appropriate in KS2 classes. All classrooms have maths trollies with practical equipment and children are encouraged to use these readily to support their learning and understanding.

Children with additional needs are included in whole class lessons where possible and teachers provide scaffolding and relevant support as necessary. For those children who are working at a pre-key stage level, individual learning activities are provided where required, to ensure their progress.

EYFS

In EYFS, Maths is formally taught 5 days a week following Development Matters and the White Rose Maths Program. Maths teaching is planned for all children to access. This involves a short input by the teacher and children completing a mathematical task. Different independent activities are planned from the lesson and implemented into the Continuous Provision both indoors and outdoors which each child accesses during the week.

KS1

Year 1 follows the National Curriculum and the White Rose Maths program. They use the EYFS format of teaching Maths in the Autumn term. This enables a smooth transition from EYFS into Year 1, and gradually moves from a Continuous Provision approach to a semi-formal, then more formal approach used by Year 2 and above by the Spring Term. The mixed class follow the same approach as year 2  following the White Rose program.

Lower Key Stage 2 

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers. At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number. By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work. Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper Key Stage 2 

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio. At this stage, pupils should 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, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Teaching should also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them. By the end of year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.

Same Day Intervention

All children in KS1 and KS2 follow the same day intervention method where children's gaps and misconceptions are identified through formative assessment within the first part of the lesson. They are then placed in groups within the second part of the lesson where they will have concepts taught explicitly to ensure that the misconceptions are addressed and the children are making progress. 

Times Table Rockstars (TTRS)

TTRS is an online multiplication fluency tool which children can access at school and home. An excellent understanding and recall of times table facts is fundamental to success in Maths lessons and TTRS supports children with this.