Maths

Maths

Intent:

Mathematics is a creative discipline and is essential to everyday life. A high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Our mathematics teaching focuses on embedding knowledge and building upon what children already know, making connections to aid deeper understanding. We aim to ensure that all pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time. Pupils will have conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems, reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecture relationships and generalisations, and develop an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language. They will have experience of solving problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are organised into distinct areas of study: place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, measurement, geometry and statistics. However, we ensure pupils make connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving problems. We also provide opportunities for children to apply their mathematical knowledge to other subjects as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Implementation:

Daily maths lessons are delivered through quality-first teaching, which are engaging, fast-paced and challenging for all pupils as well as built upon prior learning. Alongside maths lessons, an additional short session is spent focusing on basic mathematics skills and fast and fluent recall of number facts or proficient use of written methods. In KS1 this follows the Mastering Number Programme and in KS2, teachers cover keys concepts and use assessment to identify areas of maths that need revision or overlearning. 

In KS1 maths is taught in blocks and teachers refer to the White Rose Maths Schemes of Learning as a guide to support planning and assessment, as well as various other avenues to ensure our curriculum is suited to and personalised for our school.  In KS2 teachers use a spriral planning system that ensures learners are taught place value, calculation and fractions each half term.  We feel this helps learners retain key concepts are better able to make connections with previous learning. Learning tasks ensure there is appropriate challenge for all learners and support for children who need an adaptive approach to access the objective.  A wide variety of assessment for learning opportunities are embedded within maths lessons to regularly assess children’s level of understanding and to move children on to appropriate challenges quickly. Concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations are used to support conceptual understanding and to make links across topics; all children have access to concrete manipulatives.  

At Radford Semele we also focus on mathematical vocabulary to broaden and deepen mathematical understanding and enable learners to talk about, and explain their ideas about maths and problem solving. All children are familiar with a range of stem sentences which encourage mathematical reasoning and problem solving. Various examples are displayed around the school building and are referred to regularly. Children regularly work in colaboration with others and are encouraged to talk about maths and their ideas and learn from their peers.  

We aim for each child to be confident in each yearly objective and develop their ability to use this knowledge to develop a greater depth understanding to solve varied fluency problems as well as problem solving and reasoning questions. We use a range resources throughout the school to ensure a curriculum that is specific to each child’s learning needs.

Impact:

Maths is a popular subject with the children and on leaving Radford Semele Primary school we hope children will be passionate mathematicians, fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics and have an understanding of the world through contextual problem solving and an enjoyment of the subject.

Maths lessons are engaging and well-resourced with the pupils acknowledging that the journey to finding an answer is the most important factor. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. They show confidence in believing that they will achieve and are keen to attempt a range of problems and demonstrating flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of maths. Children are developing skills in being articulate and are able to reason verbally, pictorially and in written form. Children are able to make connections between mathematical topics.  

Formative and summative assessments inform judgements and planning for next steps.  Interventions are carefully planned by experienced staff to support children not meeting the expected levels. We use programmes such as 'First Class at Number', 'Plus one' and 'Power of Two' to address misconception or strengthen key concept understanding.  Target Tracker is used each half term to monitor progress and attainment. Monitoring of books, lessons and regular pupil voice enquiries support the teaching and learning of maths.  

Maths Curriculum Overviews

Maths Knowledge Organisers