Maths
Intent
The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide a curriculum that is well matched to the needs of all our children. All learners should become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics and should be able to reason mathematically and solve problems by the application of their mathematical understanding. We endeavor to ensure that children develop as enthusiastic, independent and creative attitude towards mathematics that will stay with them throughout their lives. We are developing a Mastery Maths teaching approach ensuring that all children are accessing age appropriate mathematics whilst being supported and challenged dependent upon individual needs.
What is Mastery Maths?
Inspired by teaching approaches developed in Singapore and Shanghai, mastery is an inclusive way of teaching that is grounded in the belief that all pupils can achieve in Maths. A concept is deemed mastered when learners can represent it in multiple ways, can communicate solutions using mathematical language and can independently apply the concept to new problems. For example, at Great Wishford, we aim to teach children with concrete, pictorial and written/abstract examples of mathematical strategies. Teaching for mastery supports National Curriculum objectives, but spends more time reinforcing number and place value before progressing to more difficult areas of mathematics.
As a school, we have decided to develop a mastery approach for children from EYFS to Year 6. To support our development, we follow the White Rose Maths scheme of work.
The Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach is a system of learning that uses physical and visual aids to build a child’s understanding of abstract topics.
Pupils are introduced to a new mathematical concept through the use of concrete resources (e.g. fruit, Dienes blocks etc). When they are comfortable solving problems with physical aids, they are given problems with pictures – usually pictorial representations of the concrete objects they were using. Then they are asked to solve problems where they only have the abstract i.e. numbers or other symbols. Building these steps across a lesson can help pupils better understand the relationship between numbers and the real world, and therefore helps secure their understanding of the mathematical concept they are learning.
Implementation
Our school uses the 2014 National Curriculum and EYFS Curriculum for directing our teaching of mathematics. We use the White Rose Maths scheme, which has been written to deliver the National Curriculum objectives and EYFS curriculum learning goals, providing a robust and well-rounded curriculum. White Rose Maths offers sequenced and progressive planning with units of work taught in blocks of time. There is access to teaching clips that can be used in the classroom to support teacher led learning for each year group from EYFS to Year 6. White Rose Maths also supports mixed age classes and so supports our class make up. Teachers have high expectations and respond professionally to set work appropriate to the needs of the children in their class. The structure of the lessons are carefully considered, with representations and models used to help the children progress from concrete representation, to pictorial and to abstract. Teachers use episodic lesson structure to build up ideas step by step and use assessment during regular independent practice in each lesson. We also use specialist White Rose Maths workbooks alongside teacher chosen resources which the children can practice and develop their learnt skills in. The scheme also allows for the development of further skills or for revisiting learning when skills have not been quite mastered.
Maths on Target
We also use Maths on Target textbooks to allow further practice of skills taught or to develop skills that are not quite mastered with the guidance of a teacher. The textbooks allow for three levels of challenge that the children can chose from or be directed towards dependent on need.
Impact
We expect the outcomes for children within the school to be strong in each year group. Through the carefully structured curriculum and high quality teaching, we aim to deliver results at and above national in every phase within the school. Children at Great Wishford enjoy and engage with mathematics because they experience success and support to achieve. It is our aim that our outcomes in maths will be at and above the national average and that we achieve our intent statement.
Maths Home Learning Support
Below are some useful websites to support educating at home.
- White Rose Maths
White Rose Maths offers videos that children can watch and learn from for each year group in school. For each lesson they offer a work sheet that children can complete. Click here to visit White Rose Maths - T T Rockstars
Times Tables Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice.
We use TT Rockstars to improve the speed and fluency of the children times table recall and the related division facts. TT Rockstars is an online app that allows the children to build up points by challenging their friends to times table battles. Maths fluency, including rapid recall of multiplication and division facts, is a basic skill for all our children.
Click here to visit T T Rockstars
If your child’s password has been lost please contact the school office to have this re sent.
