Our Curriculum

Maths

“We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and go away, but there will always be science, engineering and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.”

Katherine Johnson, American Mathematician.

Why we teach your child maths:

Our aim is to provide a high-quality maths education that enthuses and empowers children to see the value of maths and its importance in the wider world; a way of thinking and finding solutions to problems we encounter every day.

We want children to be confident and proficient mathematicians and teach them to be able to fluently recall key mathematical facts, efficiently complete procedures, and understand mathematical concepts to apply them in a variety of contexts. We believe it is important for children to not only be able to find the answers to problems, but to be able to explain the reasoning behind their understanding using accurate mathematical vocabulary.

Overall, it is our aim to promote a real love of maths and help children understand the importance of it in our everyday lives, which they will continue to build on in secondary school and into their future careers.

What our curriculum looks like:

Our maths curriculum is ambitious, and this starts right from Nursery. Using the content from Development Matters, National Curriculum, as well as aligning with White Rose Maths. We have carefully sequenced our maths curriculum, so that children learn in sequenced ‘blocks’ which then have ‘small steps’ that carefully build on children’s prior learning at each step. The curriculum also ensures that skills that have been learnt are then used in different contexts, ensuring that children’s understanding is strengthened.

Our maths curriculum long-term plan can be found below:

How we teach maths:

As with every subject, we recognise what makes maths unique, and as a result make pedagogical choices to ensure teaching is the best it can possibly be.

We have captured our pedagogical choice for maths in our maths principles which can be seen below.

How you can support your child at home

Each week, your child will have practice questions in their home learning, which are directly related to the small steps of learning covered during the week. We ensure that this is consolidation and not new learning. Evidence tells us that children's fluency and understanding will improve with deliberate practice of skills. This practice is vital in making sure that learning is committed to long term memory.

In EYFS, incorporate mathematics into everyday routines and activities: tidying up and meal times in particular provide opportunities for conversations about counting, comparing, time, and sharing. Snack times and meals are a great opportunity to learn mathematics, such as counting, estimating and comparing.  You can compare quantities such as more or less or quantify food items (making sure to link the last number counted to the number of items in the set) or discuss the capacity of different cups or jugs.

In KS1, please support your children every day with learning of key number facts. Arithmetic challenges are tested on every week to assess children's fluency with number recall, which is vital for their maths confidence. Some of the number facts are included in home learning each week - please practice these with your child every day. 

These website or apps are also good for practising number bonds and number facts:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://mathsframe.co.uk

'White Rose 1 Minute Maths' - this is available as a free app to download and is a great and fun way to practice number facts.

Times Tables:

In KS2, please support your child every day with their learning of times tables. Automatic recall of times tables (within 6 seconds) is essential for fluency and necessary for children to access many areas of the KS2 curriculum. It is an expectation set by the government that children should know ALL facts to 12x12 by the end of Year 4. 

Times Tables Rock Stars is a great resource - evidence shows that using it daily will improve children's recall of facts. 

You can use it at https://ttrockstars.com or download the app. If you are not sure how to log on please ask your child's class teacher. Children should be using the 'Garage' game to practise - this will give them the facts they need. Encourage children to have a go - if they type the wrong answer they will be corrected straight away and then have another chance to get it right. This practice is essential for long-term learning! 

Maths Meetings

Singing and chanting should form an integral part of the Maths Meeting, accompanied with either a Maths Meeting board or flipcharts as a visual structure for the children to become familiar with. Calendar and place value is included in every Maths Meeting and the rest of the meeting changes regularly according to the topics that wished to be revised and consolidated.  Maths Meetings also allows time to introduce topics and concepts that may be part of the next unit. 

Maths Lessons

Maths Master lessons follow a 6-part structure.  This keeps the lesson pacy, gives flow and allows more opportunities to teach creatively, give feedback and assess learning.

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Do Now

The purpose of the Do Now task is to consolidate previous learning. This could be recapping on what was learnt the day before or a topic from a previous unit that is necessary for the current lesson. Do Now tasks should be independent work that the children do for about 5 minutes.

New Learning

Introduces the main learning for the lesson, beginning by sharing the lesson’s key vocabulary with the pupils. This segment will require clear explanations and modelling of tasks to be completed throughout the lesson, especially the Talk task. New learning lasts around 10 to 15 minutes.

Talk Task/Let’s Explore

The main focus here is on the children working together in pairs or small groups and talking in full sentences about maths. Developing pupils’ language is an important feature of the Mathematics Mastery approach, and taking turns and listening are important to children’s development. An alternative approach to this section is Let's Explore - this is an opportunity for pupils to apply the skills they have learnt previously, by discussing and reasoning mathematically.

Develop Learning

This mirrors the New Learning but aims to move the pupils’ learning on further and deepen their understanding. Introducing different resources, adding a problem solving element, or encouraging further good language use following the Talk Task, could develop learning.

Independent Task

Pupils practise their Develop Learning by working independently and demonstrating what they have understood and learnt.

Plenary

The plenary is used to reflect on learning, gather evidence for assessments and plan for future learning. It should sum up what the children have learnt during the lesson, consolidating all learning, address any common misconceptions, and pose a question for the next lesson.

Ideas for depth

Pupils will develop a depth of understanding within a concept, rather than moving them on to a new topic. Pupils will investigate carefully planned open questions that get them to sort and compare, seek patterns and look for rules.  Pupils also need to develop as active mathematicians, they will ask questions and create their own problems to explore. This will develop deep understanding and also foster curiosity and creativity in mathematics.

Resources

Pupils will use plenty of concrete materials such as bead strings and place value counters so that they have time to fully explore mathematics.

Language

Pupils will use mathematical language and full sentences throughout their maths learning to deepen their understanding of concepts.  Pupils will communicate and develop mathematical language through:

  • Sharing essential vocabulary at the beginning of every lesson and insisting on its use throughout
  • Modelling clear sentence structures using mathematical language
  • Paired language development activities, known as Talk Tasks.
  • Plenaries which give a further opportunity to assess understanding through pupil explanations.

Impact

Pupils will enjoy, value and succeed in the curriculum delivered, regardless of background.  Pupils will be able to use fluency, reasoning and problem solving to answer a range of mathematical questions.  Pupils will be able to apply maths skills into a new problem and unfamiliar situation.