Mathematics
Vision - If we are 'learning to live life in all its fullest'; Why do we teach what we teach in Mathematics?
Our vision for Mathematics is that we believe everyone can be successful in Mathematics and we encourage a growth mindset. We ensure every pupil is given a broad, balanced, engaging and relevant curriculum that takes into account the requirements of the National Curriculum and any other guidance documentation.
Intent
We believe that all children should have:
• A deep understanding of maths and number.
• A positive and resilient attitude towards mathematics and an awareness of the fascination of mathematics.
• Competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills.
• An ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately.
• A range of learning strategies: working both collaboratively and independently.
• Fluency in mathematics where children can express ideas confidently and talk about the subject using mathematical language.
• An understanding of the importance of mathematics in everyday life.
• Independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning.
Our maths curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics through placing number at the heart of our curriculum with daily practice to ensure fluency of number facts
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry through ensuring discussion plays a vital role in all lessons. Children are actively encouraged to discuss with peers and teachers: How? Why? using mathematical language
• can solve problems by ensuring problem solving is embedded in every lesson and variation of questions are used to enable children to apply their knowledge to different situations.
• Rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency are encouraged through variation of questions which can be seen in every lesson and evidenced in the maths books.
• Challenge is built into every lesson for pupils who grasp concepts rapidly through sophisticated problems and an opportunity for children to demonstrate their understanding creating their own problems.
• Intervention is provided in feedback and additional guided sessions for children who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material to consolidate their understanding.
Implementation
Our mastery approach to the curriculum is designed to develop children's knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts from the Early Years through to the end of Y6.
• In school, we follow the national curriculum and use White Rose Schemes of Work as a guide to support teachers with their planning and assessment.
• The calculation policy is used within school to ensure a consistent approach to teaching the four operations over time.
• To learn mathematics effectively, some things have to be learned before others, e.g. place value needs to be understood before working with addition and subtraction, addition needs to be learnt before looking at multiplication (as a model of repeated addition).
• Our emphasis is on number skills first, carefully ordered, throughout our primary curriculum.
• To ensure there are planned opportunities for children to revisit their learning, teachers allocate time each day for children to re-cap and embed learning. This, along with an emphasis on questioning and pupil discussion allows for a greater depth of understanding and supports our commitment of a mastery approach.
Impact
Children demonstrate a deep understanding of maths. This includes the recollection of the times tables to 12x12.
• Children display a positive and resilient attitude towards mathematics and an awareness of the fascination of mathematics.
• Children show confidence in believing that they will achieve.
• Each child makes good progress from their starting points and the majority achieve objectives (expected standard) for year group.
• The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of maths.
• The chance to develop the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons.
• 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 are able to discuss their reasoning, focusing on how they know using what they know to support their learning.
Broader Curriculum
Mathematical knowledge and skills are applied in many different contexts across the curriculum, including, but not limited to:
- Using measuring skills in Science and Design and Technology lessons.
- Using knowledge of the number system when studying periods of time in History on timelines.
- Use knowledge of fractions, symmetry and capacity in art lessons, for example when painting.
- Counting in other languages.
- Comparing large numbers in Geography lessons, e.g. comparing population numbers.
- Use of co-ordinates in Geography lessons when reading maps and atlases.
What does a good learner look like on leaving Kilby St Mary’s?
A good learner enjoys Mathematics, is enthusiastic and wants to continue their learning. They have a good understanding of the number system, have rapid recall of number facts and can use the four operations to solve problems confidently. They can apply this knowledge and their skills to solve problems and reason about Mathematical puzzles. They are ready for the next stage of the learning (at KS3) in Mathematics.