Mathematics
Developing and sharing a sense of amazement over the infinite depth, mysterious beauty and usefulness of mathematics.
Intent
When teaching mathematics at St Mark’s Primary, we intend to provide a curriculum which caters for the needs of all individuals and sets them up with the necessary skills and knowledge for them to become successful in their future adventures. We are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts. We want all children to enjoy maths and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically. At St Mark’s we do this by providing:
- A vocabulary rich environment - children are required to explore maths in depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their workings. They are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. Providing This is supported through the use of stem sentences and generalisations.
- Modelling - Teachers teach the skills needed to success in mathematics providing examples of good practice and having high expectations.
- Pattern and Connection - all children will have opportunities to identify patterns or connections in their maths; they can use this to predict and reason and to also develop their own patterns or links in maths and other subjects.
- The Teaching of Fluency – we intend for all pupils to 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.
- The Teaching of Reasoning - we intend for all pupils to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
- The Teaching of Problem Solving – we intend for all pupils to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Implementation
- White Rose - every class from EYFS to Year 6 follows the White Rose scheme of learning, which is based on the National Curriculum. Lessons are personalised to address the individual needs and requirements for a class but coverage is maintained. In order to further develop the children’s fluency, reasoning and problem-solving, we use a range of resources provided by NCETM and NRICH to enrich our children’s exposure to mathematics.
- Online Maths Tools - in order to advance individual children’s maths skills in school and at home we utilise Times Tables Rock stars for multiplication practise, application and consolidation. Mathletics effectively supports personalised learning and children who fail to grasp a concept or procedure can be immediately assigned a task to practise to ensure they don’t fall behind.
- Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) - we implement our approach through high quality teaching delivering appropriately challenging work for all individuals. To support this, we have a range of mathematical resources in all classrooms including numicon, Base10 and counters, rekenreks. When children have grasped a concept using concrete equipment, images and diagrams are used prior to moving to abstract questions. Abstract maths relies on the children understanding a concept thoroughly and being able to use their knowledge and understanding to answer and solve maths without equipment or images.
- Pre-teaching - we have morning activities, at the start of the day in each class whereby children are set a maths or English task to ensure general maths knowledge and fluency are maintained and developed; these may take many forms, for example: arithmetic, specific timetables or several questions about a mixture of maths topics. While the class are solving the questions, the staff are able to support children with consolidation or pre-teaching ensuring they are confident with skills required for the upcoming session.
- Continuing Professional Development - we continuously strive to better ourselves and frequently share ideas and things that have been particularly effective. We take part in training opportunities and regional research groups, such as the NCETM work groups.
- Cross Curricular - maths is taught across the curriculum ensuring that skills taught in these lessons are applied in other subjects.
Impact
- Assessment - through our teaching we continuously monitor pupils’ progress against expected attainment for their age, making formative assessment notes where appropriate and using these to inform teaching. Summative assessments are completed at the end of each half-term to identify gaps in learning that need to be addressed, to identify any children needing additional support and to plan the keep-up support that they need. Also, by SLT and scrutinised through the school’s assessment tracker, to narrow attainment gaps between different groups of children and so that any additional support for teachers can be put into place. The main purpose of all assessment is to always ensure that we are providing excellent provision for every child.
- Pupil Voice - through discussion and feedback, children talk enthusiastically about their maths lesson and speak about how they enjoy learning maths. They can articulate the context in which maths is being taught and relate this to real life purposes.
- Knowledge - pupils know how and why maths is used in the outside world and in the workplace. They know about different ways that maths can support their future potential. Mathematical concepts or skills are mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times tables.
- Skills - pupils use acquired vocabulary in maths lessons. They have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work. Pupils are given the opportunity to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons. Teachers plan a range of opportunities to use maths inside and outside school.
Useful websites to support learning at home:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/maths/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/
Maths Curriculum Support for Parents