Maths is the study of numbers, shape and space, and how they are all related to each other and the real world.

Leader: Emily Holmes

Intent

At Frimley, we believe that enjoyment is paramount to our aim of developing confident mathematicians. Through a rich and engaging mathematical curriculum, pupils will have opportunities to develop and apply their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills to support their attainment so that they are ready for further progress at the next stage of their educational development.

    We aim to ensure that mathematics is exciting, engaging, appropriately challenging and provides all learners with the chance to achieve successes in every lesson so to foster a positive attitude and growth-mindset towards the subject. Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving are the focal points of learning; this along with a small-step approach with a focus on mastery ensures that children develop and secure their understanding of mathematical concepts and have the opportunity to demonstrate a deep understanding of the areas taught.

 

Implementation

• We use a mastery-based curriculum that is progressive and broken into modules.
• Teachers deploy the Rosenshine principles to support the teaching and learning process: reviews of previous learning, new information is presented in small steps, high-level questioning, carefully considered models, guided practice, checks for pupil understanding, obtainment of a high success rate, scaffolds for difficult tasks, opportunities for independent practice and reviews of learning over extended periods.
• Maths is taught daily and essential knowledge and skills are revisited with increasing complexity, allowing children to revise and build on their previous learning.

 

                                                                                 

• Through careful planning, use of a small-step approach and pre-teaching of processes and mathematical vocabulary, where appropriate, all learners are able to access each lesson.
• Assessment of learning, both during and after lessons, ensures that learners can be supported fluidly or extended appropriately thus providing all with the opportunity to deepen their learning in every lesson.
• In lessons, teachers provide pupils with appropriate models and scaffolds, in line with our calculation policy whilst resources are utilised, where appropriate, so that pupils can secure concrete and pictorial understanding of concepts or processes before applying their understanding to a range of abstract representations.
• When planning lessons, teachers work collaboratively to ensure the needs of all learners across the year group are met: pre-teaching, representations during teaching inputs, assessment for learning tasks, accessible starting points, lesson progressions and appropriate challenge are carefully considered.
• Pupils are provided with retrieval challenges in all lessons to support retention and long-term memory of previously taught areas.
• Wherever possible, pupils are given opportunities to practise their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills in each lesson.
• Through full coverage of the National Curriculum, links to prior learning and real-life situations are explicitly made so that pupils are building on previous experiences whist also recognising the links that can be made across the curriculum and beyond – children encounter meaningful cross-curricular links in subjects such as science, geography, history and computing.
• In lessons, resources from White Rose Hub are used to support the small-step approach; a range of other resources such as NCETMs mastery materials, Nrich and online platforms are also used to ensure that teaching is active, relevant and engaging.
• NTS assessments are carried out termly in years 3, 4 and 5. For year 6, SATs papers from previous years are used for summative assessment.
• Assessment outcomes are monitored and analysed to identify wider school trends. Subsequent actions are taken in response to all formats of monitoring to continually improve maths provision.
• Times tables are taught explicitly every day using supporting resources from Number Sense Maths in addition to the curriculum to support recall and fluency of multiplication and division facts.
• Progress in times tables lessons is continuously monitored by class teachers with interventions provided at the earliest possible opportunity for those making less than expected progress.

• TTrockstars is one of the online resources used to help inspire pupils in this area of learning. Weekly TTrockstars tasks are set to provide pupils with the chance to consolidate the learning they have done in school.
• Throughout the academic year, pupils will have opportunities to participate in maths competitions and the maths leader will continue to explore and utilise opportunities to raise the profile of maths across the school.
• Links to careers in maths are made to show how children’s learning links to the wider world of work – children also participate in various STEM work during their time at the school.
• As well as learning walks to observe teaching and learning, the Book Study approach is used to monitor the effectiveness of the maths curriculum, teaching and learning, to identify strengths and areas for development in provision and to garner pupil voice.

Impact

Children will:

• Enjoy maths and approach the subject with a positive attitude and growth-mindset.
• Be able to access learning and will encounter appropriate challenge in all lessons.
• Make positive progress each year with most meeting age related expectations or higher, ensuring they are ready to progress to the next stage of their educational development.
• Have a deep understanding of the methodology in maths and be able to explain their understanding. This will develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• Possess a wide range of mental strategies and will understand the importance of times tables with the majority being able to recall all times tables by the end of Year 4.
• Be able to independently apply their mental strategies and mathematical fluency to support them to solve increasingly challenging problems.
• Make mathematical links to other areas of the curriculum and wider life.
• Be supported to close gaps and make accelerated progress if they are working below age-related expectations.
• Understand how their learning in maths links to the wider world of work.
• Meet the end of KS2 expectations outlined in the National curriculum for maths.