Maths
Pupil Voice for Mathematics:
"Maths lessons at St. Theresa's help me get smarter!" (Year 1 child)
"I really like to be challenged in maths!" (Year 2 child)
"Our maths lessons are fun!" (Year 3 child)
"We love maths lessons!" (Nearly all of Year 3)
"I love learning about shapes!" (Year 4 child)
"I like maths, I really enjoyed rounding especially when we did a real life situation - shopping at the supermarket!" (Year 5 child)
"I enjoy it when we learn something new. I am currently enjoying long division!" (Year 6 child)
Intent
Our aim at St. Theresa’s is to ensure that every child becomes a fluent mathematician and is able to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately. We intend to provide a curriculum that caters for the needs of all children whilst setting them up with the necessary skills and knowledge for them to become fluent mathematicians who can apply their understanding in real life contexts.
At St. Theresa’s, we follow the national curriculum for mathematics which aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
- Can 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.
- Can apply their mathematical knowledge in a cross-curricular way by applying skills in other subjects.
We intend to make maths practical, relevant, challenging and engaging so that our children enjoy maths and understand how mathematics is a vital life skill and is necessary and useful throughout their life.
Implementation
We implement mathematics through high quality teaching, incorporating continuous levels of challenge through varied and well-planned activities with a focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving.
As a school, we follow a long- term plan of teaching which follows the requirements from the EYFS Framework and the Primary National Curriculum 2014. This plan ensures that each year group effectively teaches all the subject content across the academic year with progression to the next year group in mind.
To support this approach, we use a range of planning resources including those provided by White Rose Maths, Abacus, NCETM and NRICH.
In maths lessons, we use a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach (CPA), providing children with scaffolding where necessary.
Key vocabulary is taught and used alongside mathematical symbols to develop a thorough understanding of mathematical concepts.
Teachers implement the school’s agreed calculations policy for progression in written and mental calculations.
Maths lessons are taught daily, five days a week including arithmetic sessions. Teachers are flexible in their teaching approach and are continually assessing the children and self-reflecting to adapt their lessons, when necessary, and ensure that the lessons progress at an appropriate pace. Gaps are addressed through interventions.
Maths homework is set weekly to focus on key mathematical skills, and develop and review children's learning.
Maths skills are consolidated and enhanced by providing opportunities to apply and develop them across the curriculum where appropriate. Examples include: reading different scales and using graphs in Science, use of timelines in History, spreadsheets in ICT, co-ordinates in Geography.
Assessment/ Feedback/Leadership:
Assessment informs the teaching and learning sequence, and children work on the objectives they are assessed as being at.
- Children who are not making the required progress are given extra support through interventions and support in class in order to meet our INTENT of developing all pupils academically.
- Formative assessment within every lesson helps teachers to identify the children who need more support to achieve the intended outcome and who are ready for greater stretch and challenge through planned questioning or additional activities.
- To support teacher judgments, children are assessed termly using current and reliable tests in line with the national curriculum for maths.
- Analysis of any tests that the children complete is undertaken and fed into future planning and is logged onto the school’s tracking system.
- The leadership team check progress throughout the school by monitoring the subject on a regular and frequent basis through book looks, learning walks and regular staff meetings.
Impact
By the time children leave our school, they will:
- be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics with a conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- have the skills to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of situations with increasing sophistication, including in unfamiliar contexts and to model real-life scenarios.
- be able to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry and develop and present a justification, argument or proof using mathematical language.
- leave our school ready for the curriculum at key stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.