We want all our children to develop enquiring minds and use their skills as Mathematicians to make sense of the world around them with rich life experiences. We aim to equip all children with the fundamental skills with confidence and resilience to solve problems using fluency and reasoning. Children are encouraged to see that Maths surrounds them and to enjoy developing vital life skills in Mathematics. We will do this through the teaching of a balanced and progressive curriculum. 'Pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.'
Planning
1. Long term: National Curriculum
2. Medium term: Following White Rose Scheme of Work
3. Short term: - (supported by Twinkl, Nrich, NCETM, Mathletics and the school calculation policy)
Daily lessons include a SMART lesson objective and clear success criteria
Daily lessons are taught in 4 parts:
Starter completed in books (with a Fractions, Decimals or Percentages focus where appropriate, due to most recent SATs assessment question level analysis and an arithmetic question due to the importance of skills tested)
Fluency developed through Mathematical Talk (vocabulary) and Modelling (concrete and pictoral)
Independent Activity – differentiated through support, depth and mastery
Plenary using a problem solving activity related to the day’s objective.
Concrete, pictorial, abstract
Objects, pictures, words, numbers and symbols are displayed on Maths Working Walls. The mastery approach incorporates all of these to help children explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enrich their learning experience and deepen understanding. Together, these elements help cement knowledge so pupils truly understand what they’ve learnt.
All pupils, when introduced to a key new concept, have the opportunity to build competency in this topic by taking this approach. Pupils are encouraged to physically represent mathematical concepts. Objects and pictures are used to demonstrate and visualise abstract ideas, alongside numbers and symbols.
Concrete – children have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand and explain what they are doing - equipment is available throughout school and an understanding of how to represent concepts physically is seen in all classes and evident in all books.
Pictorial – children then build on this concrete approach by using pictorial representations, which can then be used to reason and solve problems.
Abstract – With the foundations firmly laid, children can move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.
Teaching
‘Quality first teaching’ linked to teaching standards:
All teachers ‘know where their children are’ and where they need to be through the use of: prior learning, assessment, maths talk. They know ‘how they are going to get them there’ through the use of a range of strategies to promote independence, mastery and high expectations of ALL. They effectively deploy adults, specifically during introductions, plenaries and interventions and plan for progression during and between lessons, linking homework tasks to class learning.
Timetable Rockstars
Frequency of practice is key with learning the tables.
During each TTRS session: pupils will practise in the Garage or Arena game modes for 3 minutes as that's where they will get a tailored set of questions. Evidence shows it’s more effective to practice three minutes a day at least four times a week than practicing for the same total duration once a week. To complement their use of TTRS online at school, pupils will be encouraged to play at home. We will be using Automatic Training Mode, so the system will be getting pupils to repeat the Gig games periodically (after completing every table), the results of which can be used to check on progress. We will record their progress at the end of each half term.
Assessment
Years 3, 4 and 5 complete summative assessment through NFER papers.
Year 4 will complete Timetables assessments from 2020/21 and we will use Timetable Rockstars to support this learning throughout the school.
Year 6 complete past papers and then SATs in May of each year.
Formative / on-going assessment is completed daily with next steps given in marking.
All of the above will be monitored and discussed during pupil progress meeting and staff performance management.