Maths

Intent

At Park Mead Primary School our intent is to develop each pupil’s ability to reason mathematically, problem solve and develop procedural fluency and conceptual understanding in each strand of the curriculum. This is because a high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world. To achieve this to its maximum, we aim to foster a love of mathematics through making the lessons enjoyable and encouraging a curiosity about the subject. Children should make rich connections across mathematical ideas and be able to explain their understanding fully using accurate mathematical vocabulary. As a school, we encourage perseverance and an acceptance that a struggle, and the mistakes, which come with it, are often a necessary step in learning. We foster resilience by praising the process rather than the outcome and encourage children to take risks in their learning. Our intention is that our children view mathematics positively, are always challenged appropriately and are developed as independent learners who are always looking to improve themselves so they achieve their full potential.

Implementation
 

As a school, staff follow the Mastery approach using the White Rose scheme with a daily lesson or input across the school. Teachers follow the small steps set out in the White Rose schemes of learning. Teachers are encouraged to plan weekly using the small steps but reducing or increasing the time spent on them as necessary for their year group. Maths lessons are designed to follow the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach wherever possible. This approach scaffolds and strengthens children’s understanding and is used from EYFS to Year 6. Every class has a Maths wall and the school’s policy is to use these by adding to them as teachers and referring to them (teachers and children) in lessons.

Extra sessions are provided through Flashback 4 in Key Stage 2 and Mastering number in EYFS and Key Stage 1. A programme of times tables learning is followed from years 2 to 4 and then reinforced where necessary in years 5 and 6. Times Tables Rockstars and Numbots are used to reinforce quick recall of facts and these are part of homework set.
Where children cannot access their year group’s learning, they follow a previous year group’s steps in order to fill gaps in knowledge. For children who understand a concept quicker, extra challenges are used to deepen and challenge learners further within the curriculum area.
Maths is kept as a high profile subject by Numbots certificates being presented weekly in assemblies and classes from years 1 to 3. TTRockstar assemblies are presented half-termly to the whole school. Each year we try to celebrate England Maths week, sometimes it is in collaboration with science as part of a STEM week.

Subject monitoring – we regularly monitor the quality and impact of our mathematics curriculum through targeted learning walks, book scrutinies and pupil interviews.

Maths is monitored through summative and formative assessments. Summative assessments are completed at the end of each half term, or as close as possible, when the teaching is completed. Year 5 and 6 use Learning By Questions to assess the children as well as provide challenge in lessons. We use our formative and summative assessments each term to inform data drops to monitor the children’s progress and attainment against National Curriculum objectives.

Impact

The majority of children will move through the curriculum at a broadly steady pace. Each child will be confident in each yearly objective. They will use this knowledge to develop a greater depth understanding in order to solve varied fluency, problems solving and reasoning questions. Children will achieve their full potential in maths at the end of Key Stage 2 and enthusiastically continue their mathematical journey.

Children will show that a mathematical concept or skill has been 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 should demonstrate quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times tables. They should be able to flexibly and fluidly move between different contexts and representations of mathematics. They should also gain the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics.

Children will show confidence in believing that they will achieve.

Children can show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work.