Maths

“So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good”

Genesis 1:21

Aims:

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

​

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including the varied and regular practice of increasingly complex problems over time.

• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, understanding relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.

• Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

​

Maths Curriculum Intent 

Our Mathematics curriculum has been carefully crafted to cultivate pupils’ foundational understanding of numbers, patterns, and mathematical concepts through engaging, hands-on activities and problem-solving experiences that build confidence and critical thinking skills.

Maths is more than a school subject. A solid mathematical knowledge and understanding can be seen in the fields of science, engineering and technology but is an element in most forms of employment, as well as being a crucial part of personal financial literacy and household management. A child’s ability to calculate; apply knowledge; to communicate fluently; to reason and to solve problems mathematically, forms the backbone of their education for life. As pupils implement their mathematical skills, they should be able to identify the practical relevance of this subject and be able to apply their knowledge in an ever wider set of familiar and new contexts .Yet, this will only be possible if the pupils' appreciation of the subject is also nurtured, such that they gain a sense of enjoyment and a curiosity about maths.

A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. (National Curriculum July 2014)

We teach and encourage values within our build curriculum at all times, seeing maths as a subject open to all, to be used for the benefit of all. At Our Lady of Walsingham, we believe that a rich and broad curriculum builds cultural capital and we thus provide our pupils with a vast range of experiences and opportunities to help them progress and achieve success, linking what they do within the classroom to the world that they will grow up in. Ultimately, we expect our pupils to aim high, and be able to use the skills they learn in a variety of contexts, working with others when required but specifically to have the confidence to ask their own questions, explore for themselves, and draw their own conclusions. There is a clear and ambitious progression of vocabulary from Early Years to Year 6. We expect this for all pupils, regardless of their starting point within this subject.

At Our Lady of Walsingham, we offer the children a progressive mathematics curriculum based on the National Curriculum to develop mathematical knowledge and skills for our children. They will be positive and enthusiastic towards mathematics, with an awareness of the diversity of the subject.

• They will be competent and confident in taking risks to apply mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills.

• They will be able to solve problems, reason mathematically and think logically and systematically.

• They will be able to work independently and in cooperation with others.

• They will be able to use and apply mathematics across the curriculum, and to understand the application of mathematics in real life contexts and scenarios.

Resources and learning environments are planned and designed to enable all children to access to the learning required. Adapted activities are provided to support less able learners and challenge rapid graspers so they are able to work at greater depth in mathematics. The mathematics curriculum is ambitious for pupils with SEND to ensure they can access the subject at an appropriate level and make progress towards clearly defined end points. Mathematical knowledge can be linked to engaging topics but will be gained by the teaching of year group progressive skills which build on previous learning, ensuring pupils’ learning becomes embedded. 

End points:

By the end of EYFS children will:

• Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers.
• Children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. 
• Children will develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures.

By the end of Key Stage 1 children will:

• Develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].
• Develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary.
• Be able to use a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.
• Know the number bonds to 20 fluently and be precise in using and understanding place value.
• Read and spell mathematical vocabulary at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

By the end of Lower Key Stage 2 children will: 

• Become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. 
• Develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.
• Develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value.
• Be able to draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them.
• Use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.
• By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.
• Read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

By the end of Upper Key Stage 2 children will:

• Extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio. 
• Develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation.
• Be introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems.
• Develop their understanding of geometry and measures to consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number.
• Classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.
• Be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fraction s, decimals and percentages.
• Read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.

Guiding Principles

Building a Strong Number Sense: We strongly aim to develop a solid sense of numbers, including the ability to understand and work with different numerical representations, relationships, and operations.

Developing Conceptual Understanding: We focus on building a deep understanding of mathematical concepts rather than just memorising procedures, helping pupils grasp the 'why' behind the 'how'

Encouraging Problem-Solving Skills: We aim to promote critical thinking and problem-solving by presenting pupils with challenging, real-world problems and encouraging them to explore multiple strategies for solutions.

Promoting Mathematical Reasoning: We encourage pupils to foster the ability to reason mathematically by encouraging pupils to explain their thinking, justify their solutions, and engage in mathematical discussions.

Incorporating Hands-On Learning: All pupils have access to manipulatives and visual aids, to make abstract concepts concrete and accessible, enhancing pupil engagement and understanding.

Fostering a Positive Attitude Towards Maths: We create a supportive learning environment that encourages a growth mindset, where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, and all pupils feel confident in their ability to succeed in maths.

Differentiating Instruction: We recognise and accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities by providing varied instructional strategies, resources, and support to meet the needs of all pupils

Integrating Cross-Curricular Connections: We aim to connect maths learning to other subjects and real-life contexts to demonstrate the relevance and application of mathematical concepts beyond the classroom.

Using Assessment to Inform Instruction: We employ formative and summative assessments to monitor pupils progress, identify areas for improvement, and adjust teaching strategies to support individual learning needs.

Promoting Collaborative Learning: We encourage collaborative learning through group activities, discussions, and peer teaching to build communication skills and foster a sense of community in the classroom.

National curriculum and 'Ready to Progress' mapping

 Maths Meetings

Maths meetings consolidate learning outside of the core maths lesson and provide a fun way for pupils to practise applying their knowledge and skills on a regular basis, helping to continually build on their mastery of key concepts.

Maths Meetings will provide crucial additional support in this period of potential lost learning as they will help to:

• support areas of the curriculum where pupils may have forgotten key maths concepts
• consolidate learning and help highlight areas where pupils may have any misconceptions
• provide extra time in the day for maths and an opportunity to revisit and practise key skills

Bringing together multiple short segments, Maths Meetings:

• draw on the principles of retrieval practice and interleaving
• ringfence time for teachers to revisit concepts that have yet to be fully mastered, or that need reviewing before the class moves on to greater depth in the main lesson
• provide opportunities for pupils to discuss and evaluate different mathematical strategies, developing their ability to use technical vocabulary and mathematical reasoning skills.

The content covered in each Maths Meeting complements the work covered to date, as well as preparing pupils for upcoming topics.