Intent

• Children to have a solid understanding of number, shape and measure.
• To develop children who are independent learners and can use a range of strategies to solve different mathematical problems.
• To develop children to understand the context of maths in the wider world and be prepared for later life.
• To provide learning experiences that encourage a reasoning and mastery approach.
• To develop children who are confident to independently use a range of concrete and pictorial resources to aid their learning.

Implementation

The Maths curriculum at our school focuses on encouraging children to question, reason, investigate and solve problems. We use a variety of strategies to allow this, which give children the opportunity to explore their thinking and ideas. Wherever possible, practical, ‘real’ activities are used to introduce concepts, transfer skills learnt and reinforce learning objectives, ensuring the children are engaged through enjoyable, stimulating activities.

The main areas taught are:

• Number and place value,
• Addition, subtraction,
• Multiplication and division
• Fractions
• Measurement
• Geometry: Properties of shape, position and direction
• Statistics
• Algebra, ratio and proportion at year 6.

Our approach to mathematics teaching is based on a mastery approach. The principles are based on a concrete – pictorial – abstract – cycle of learning. There are many reasons that this approach develops understanding so well, but one key factor is that it is step-by-step and can be used at home or in the classroom.

The mastery approach begins by allowing children to start learning about Maths by playing with real objects, blocks or cut-out pictures. They build confidence with the basic ideas of adding and taking away. There is then a second stage of drawing pictures representing the objects. And only later do they gradually start to add numbers to their drawings.

Features of a mastery approach:

• Depth not breadth - spending longer on a topic, application in different contexts, making connections.
• Teach for conceptual understanding - reasoning and problem solving, concrete pictorial abstract, exploratory talk.
• Fluency and retention - interleave topics, practice and spaced repetition.

Previously a Maths No Problem school, our curriculum is now evolving to give teachers more flexibility in what and how they teach maths. Our school is moving towards using the White Rose maths overviews for the year, which set out when each topic will be covered in each year group. Through repetition and encouraging thinking through a variety of strategies, questions and models, we ensure children are fluent in the different areas of maths, before applying their skills to reasoning and problem solving tasks. Teachers have begun to plan and teach maths lessons to ensure children are making connections across a range of concepts taught, but with regular opportunities to revisit and retrieve prior learning, and make links to new ideas. This way of teaching begins in our EYFS and continues through the school to the end of Key Stage 2.

Teachers use assessment for learning in daily lessons to review children's understanding and inform their planning for future lessons. This is used to help children embed and use knowledge fluently. Summative assessment takes place termly using NFER tests in Years 1 - 5, and previous SATs papers in Year 6, to help track children's progress and attainment. Reception complete the Baseline Assessment in the first two weeks of the Autumn term. Assessment for learning is used alongside summative assessment to inform targeted intervention groups to ensure all children make their expected or accelerated progress and attainment. These are reviewed during termly pupil progress meetings.

Our Maths curriculum is also drawn from: 

• Classroom Secrets

• NCETM

• Times Table Rockstars

• Rising Stars

Impact

Children enjoy maths and can talk about their learning confidently, including what they have learnt in previous years. Children are equipped with a range of tools and strategies to answer challenging problems, and have the confidence and resilience to work independently.

Over 80% of children leave the EYFS secure in the Early Learning Goals for number and shape, space and measure. This is slightly above the local average, and broadly inline with the national average.

In 2019, 80% of KS1 pupils reached the expected standard for maths, slightly above the national average. Over 30% of pupils reached the higher standard for maths, which is well above national average.

In 2019, over 80% of pupils reached the expected standard for maths, broadly inline the national average. 13% of pupils reached higher standard in maths, which is below national average. This was lower than in previous years at Chorlton C of E, and has been a school priority since.

Please see the whole school Progression and Overview documents below: