Aims
We want all pupils to experience the beauty, power and enjoyment of mathematics and develop a sense of curiosity about the subject with a clear understanding. At St Oswald’s we encourage children to grow in confident and have a positive self-belief that they can and will make progress in maths. We foster positive ‘can do’ attitudes.
Mrs. L. Neiland, Mathematics Lead
Intent
Mathematics is a core subject within our ‘Touch the Future’ curriculum which is matched to the National Curriculum. We believe all our children can be successful in the study of Mathematics, becoming resilient learners and lifelong mathematicians. We aim to deliver an inspiring and engaging mathematics curriculum through high-quality teaching. We use the Assertive Mentoring Scheme of work for pupils and believe this provides excellent teaching and learning opportunities to help the children to build their mathematical knowledge, learn more, remember more, and have the confidence to apply their skills. We work through all areas of the Mathematics curriculum for year groups from the start of the academic year, teaching, learning, exploring, practicing, applying, and revisiting, on a weekly basis. We want gaps in children’s knowledge to be quickly highlighted and then their learning supported using White Rose Maths resources.
By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage we will demonstrate the following:
- Children can count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20 (order, find one more or one less than a given number);
- They use quantities and objects, they can add and subtract 2 single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer;
- Children will solve problems, including doubling, halving, and sharing;
- They will use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time, and money to compare quantities and objects and solve problems;
- Children will recognise, create and describe patterns;
- Children will explore the characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe them.
By the end of Key Stage 1 we will demonstrate the following:
- Children developing confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting, and place value;
- They will recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary;
- Children will know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value;
- They will be able to use basic mathematical language to explain the reasoning.
By the end of Key Stage 2 we will demonstrate the following:
- Become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts (including times tables 12x) and the concept of place value;
- Be confident in their abilities to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place values;
- Use mathematical reasoning to analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them;
- Make connections between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios;
- Apply their abilities 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;
- Be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals, and percentages.
- Use mathematical language to explain/prove/justify their reasoning.
Implementation
We foster children’s self-belief in mathematics by promoting each week that we are constantly building our knowledge and skills and making progress, ‘we are going for green’. Pupils move through three colour codes, they progress from a Red starting point (Developing), move through Yellow (Securing), and find success as they hit the top, Green (Secure and Next Stage Ready). This gives the children the belief that they can achieve in mathematics as they see themselves improving each week and track their own progress in their Big Maths folders By teaching, practicing, and revisiting all mathematical concepts on a regular basis this allows children to build up their knowledge quickly and develop a secure and deep understanding of maths through manageable steps. Any gaps in learning are supported by using the White Rose Maths scheme. This gives children clear visual manipulations and representations to use and provides reasoning and problem-solving challenges at each learning level. We use mistakes and misconceptions as an essential part of learning and provide challenges through rich and sophisticated problems.
Non-negotiables EYFS to year 6:
- We follow the Assertive Mentoring Big Maths scheme from Year 2 to Year 6.
- Children are taught Mathematics every day.
- We use White Rose maths for EYFS and Year 1 and support our Assertive Mentoring using the White Rose planning, teaching, and learning from Year 2 to Year 6.
- Each child will be given a Big Maths folder which includes the appropriate stage pupil prompt, a Big Maths Record sheet to record weekly skills checks, and half-term assessments. Pupils will keep their weekly and half-term assessments in their folders and use them at school and at home to further their learning.
- Online Times Tables Rock stars will enhance multiplication skills which are part of the Big Maths scheme. Children progress through Bronze, Silver, and Gold Times Table awards as they progress through their Times Tables and master their Tables, up to the 12 Times Tables.
- Pupils complete weekly skills checks and then revise these skills each Monday in small group sessions.
- We all consolidate and/or extend learning in our large, maths books from Year 1 to Year 6. As pupils gain confidence recording their work they progress from larger to smaller squares.
- Children with SEN are supported by being able to access prerequisite learning tasks and the basic skills (adapted) for each unit of learning as appropriate. They are also supported through repeated teaching and practice if needed to ensure that ‘all children are capable of succeeding’.
- At the end half-term progress is measured using the Assertive Mentoring assessment. Pupils move from Developing (red) to Securing (yellow) to Secure & Next Stage Ready (green). Assessments are analysed and targets are generated for the next half-term.
Teachers will plan meaningful lessons that allow children to confidently develop mathematical skills by making connections with previous, present, and future Maths concepts so they can apply their fluency and problem-solving skills. In practice, teachers will use:
- The White Rose Scheme of learning supports their planning.
- Assertive Mentoring Big Maths Scheme to teach aspects of the whole curriculum throughout the year. Pupils will systematically be introduced to new concepts which will be revisited each week. Teachers will use misconceptions to teach a Big Maths lesson each week to address this.
- When a new learning concept is introduced for the first time, Teachers may model concrete, pictorial and abstract representations of mathematical concepts. Objects and pictures are used to demonstrate and visualise abstract ideas, alongside numbers and symbols.
Impact
The impact of our work can be clearly evidenced in children’s workbooks, through their pupil voice and progress and attainment data in school.
Book monitoring shows that learning is progressive, relevant, and practical and that a variety of strategies are used to represent the four rules of numbers at different stages the books show that children are engrossed in mathematical tasks, build mathematical knowledge, and can remember more and apply their skills confidently.
All Big Maths folders show assessment stages throughout each term and that children are moving from Developing (Red) to Securing (Yellow) and onto Secure ( Green) and Next Stage Ready if working at Greater Depth
By the end of EYFS the vast majority of our children achieve the ELGs in Number and Shape, Space, and Measure and are working at ARE in Mathematics by July.
By the end of KS1 the vast majority of our children are working at the ARE or above in mathematics. They have developed confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting, and place value including working with numerals, words, and the four operations as well as applying these skills in solving related problems.
Historical Mathematical data for attainment in SATS at the end of KS1 is consistently above local and national averages at ARE and Greater Depth
By the end of KS2 the vast majority of our children are working at ARE or above in Mathematics. They have a deep understanding and can apply knowledge and skills fluently in problem-solving, and making connections in fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios.
Historical Mathematical data for attainment in SATS for the end of KS2 is consistently above the local and national average at ARE and Greater Depth.