"Maths is learning about numbers, amounts, measurements, shapes and the patterns between them."

Southtown Primary pupils.

Intent

We want our pupils to be confident and enthusiastic mathematicians. They will recognise maths as a tool for the wider curriculum and everyday life. We will demonstrate and provide opportunities for pupils to apply maths to analyse and communicate information and to tackle a range of tasks and real life problems. Pupils will develop competence in mathematical knowledge, concepts and fluency and apply their skills to solve problems, reason, think logically and work systematically.

Implementation

Children are taught maths as a discrete lesson on a daily basis.

Our maths curriculum is supported with resources and learning sequences from the Herts for Learning programme from Years 1-6. The Herts for Learning sequences are structured in ‘small steps’ to break down the skills to be developed and suggest opportunities to deepen learning. Teaching staff are expected to adapt and supplement these resources as appropriate to the needs and progression of the pupils.

In KS2, pupils use a Times Table App to support and practise their recall of multiplication table daily; this is alongside and in addition to direct teaching of multiplication and division skills and developing pupils’ conceptual understanding of multiplication tables.

Where possible, differentiation will aim to scaffold and support pupils to further develop and apply their maths skills and would not ordinarily require a differentiated learning objective. All pupils are offered appropriate challenge and develop reasoning skills alongside fluency.

Where pupils are identified who would benefit from regular intervention, our NumberStacks programme is used to accurately identify individuals’ gaps and provide activities targeted to raise their attainment and bring their understanding in line with national expectations where possible.

We recognise the importance of the methods and practice of teaching to enable children to learn more, remember more and do more. Our lessons are structured to provide opportunities to build on and make links to previous learning as well as frame maths in an appropriate context of real-life applications.

A typical lesson in all years will be structured like this:

• Explicit teaching of vocabulary
• Explicit links to previous learning and application in the real world
• Overview of the learning objective and ensure pupils know what they will achieve by the end of the lesson.
• Modelling of method that pupils will use
• Independent or group work with adults appropriately supporting and giving feedback
• Opportunity for reasoning work or extension
• Positive reflection and review of what we have achieved

Although this is a typical maths lesson, we know there are times when there needs to be flexibility within the lesson to meet the needs of groups or individual children, for example, additional mental and oral sessions, extended main activities, etc.

Impact

Children will develop positive attitudes to maths and embrace the opportunity to develop their skills as mathematicians. Maths books show pupils accessing a range of appropriate skills and record pupils’ working and exploration of concepts. Children gain skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the next stage of their education. Appropriate to their year group and progression, children develop fluency for the 4 operations and apply these appropriately to the wider maths curriculum.  All children have the opportunity to experience and develop problem solving and real world examples at an appropriate challenge level.