St Paul's CofE Primary School

Mathematics

Intent

The National Curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils become fluent, reason mathematically and can solve problems. At St Paul’s we believe that a high- quality Mathematics education 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. At St Paul’s we follow the Mastery approach to teaching Mathematics.  Achieving mastery means acquiring a solid enough understanding of the maths that’s been taught to enable pupils to move on to more advanced material.(NCETM)

We use a variety of resources to underpin the teaching of maths in our school.  The basis of our maths lessons involve the use of the Maths No Problem scheme.  We use Maths No Problem resources as we are committed to ensuring that every child develops an understanding and love of maths. With the right kind of teaching and support we can ensure this happens. Our Maths curriculum uses a problem- solving approach. We prioritise the mastery of conceptual Maths understanding through the use of real life/ everyday problems. Children explore and investigate. Communication is key as they work alongside peers to reason, explain and justify their thinking using mathematical vocabulary. Teachers carefully plan open ended, challenging questions which enable our children to make connections, identify patterns and draw conclusions about Mathematical concepts and problem solving. Misconceptions are addressed as they arise and teachers actively engage children in proving their ideas. During each lesson all children use apparatus as visual aids. As they make progress in the lesson, they move towards using pictorial and abstract representations for Mathematical concepts. We are confident that this mastery-based approach and spiral curriculum enthuses children about Maths. It ensures they can master Mathematical skills and concepts which enable them to continue learning as they progress through school.

In the EYFS, children have access to a wide range of opportunities to explore mathematical concepts that are both planned and child initiated in the indoor and outdoor learning environments. Children learn by playing and exploring, and through creative and critical thinking. Teachers and practitioners ensure that the continuous provision is challenging and supports children in their mathematical understanding across other areas of learning. Opportunities for mathematical understanding is developed through stories, songs, games, imaginative play, child-initiated learning and structured teaching. In Nursery, adult led group activities are timetabled and planned. In Reception, children take part in daily whole class and group activities that develop mathematical vocabulary and concepts as outlined in the early learning goal. In the summer term children record their learning in books in preparation for Year 1. Staff record observations and assessments in children’s online learning journeys and these observations are used to inform planning and next steps.

Implementation

Expectations; Maths is taught daily in KS1 and KS2 for between 60 and 75 minutes. We prioritise the development of basic skills and arithmetic alongside problem solving and reasoning.

 Structure of lesson:

In Focus- Includes questions related to various lesson objectives as an introductory activity for pupils. Pupils discuss and explore a range of methods to solve the problem. They discuss and reason as they explain their thinking. In journals they record their ideas and are encouraged to describe methods and explain their thinking. As they progress through the school they evaluate more. These journals provide pupils with opportunities to show their understanding of the mathematical concepts learnt.

 Lets Learn- This introduces new concepts through a Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach with the use of engaging pictures and manipulatives. Guided examples are provided for reinforcement. Teachers reinforce non-negotiable learning objectives through direct teaching

Guided Practice-. This comprises of questions for further consolidation and for the immediate evaluation of pupils’ learning. Children complete tasks either independently, with a peer or collectively as a class. Discussion follows to encourage reasoning and mathematical fluency to be shown.

Workbooks- Pupils independently answer a range of questions directly related to the National Curriculum learning objective. These are arranged in a non- uniform way to allow for children to evidence their mastery of the mathematical concept being taught.

• Use of resources – Maths lead and class teachers are to ensure that they have all of the required resources to teach lessons, each class has their own set of practical resources. Other class resources include counting apparatus, measuring equipment, pupil workbooks and textbooks. There is also a shared resource area with extra equipment for teachers to access when appropriate. Teachers to discuss with Maths lead if any extra resources are required.
• Assessment – Assessment of Maths is ongoing. It should continuously be used to inform teaching. Rapid marking and questioning during lessons enable teachers to make assessments. Rapid intervention takes place to address misconceptions, any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and conceptual understanding. Teachers should assess children on non-negotiable learning objectives after every lesson and use this to inform their assessments regarding interventions and next steps for progress and mastery. Termly we carry out NFER assessments and use data analysis from these to pinpoint targeted intervention.
• Working walls – Working walls are to be updated frequently. These are to identify the unit being studied and should include key vocabulary alongside examples of appropriate calculations and strategies. Working walls should be referred to in lesson and pupils should use them to aid learning.

Impact

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study of the Mathematics National Curriculum.

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop:

• confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].
• At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.
• By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency.
• Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils improve their mathematical ability

• 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.