Maths
Our intent - for children to become fluent in mathematical processes, working logically and efficiently, being able to apply this creatively in different contexts and developing an understanding of the importance of maths in the wider world.
The national curriculum for mathematics has been designed to raise standards in maths, with the aim that the large majority of pupils will achieve mastery of the subject. The programmes of study state that:
- All pupils should become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems.
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The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. When to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage.
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Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged through rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those pupils who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.
Maths at our school will follow the features and principles characterised by the ‘mastery’ approach. The key features of the mastery approach are:
· Teachers reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards.
· The large majority of pupils progress through the curriculum content at the same pace. Differentiation is achieved by emphasising deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention.
· Teaching is underpinned by methodical curriculum design and supported by lessons and resources to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge. The delivery of this will be supported through the Hamilton Trust maths scheme where elements of the curriculum are designed in small carefully sequenced steps, which must be mastered before pupils move to the next stage. Conceptual and procedural variation will also be used to good effect particularly when considering those pupils who will attain mastery with deeper understanding.
· Mathematical resources and manipulatives will be used to support teaching. Concrete and pictorial representations of maths will be chosen carefully to help build procedural and conceptual knowledge.
· Teachers will use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge, and assess pupils regularly to identify those requiring intervention so that all students achieve.
At our school, a typical maths mastery lesson will be led by the teacher, with all of the pupils in the class working together on the same tasks at the same time. Concepts will be explored together to make mathematical relationships explicit and strengthen pupils’ understanding of mathematical connectivity. The children will be encouraged to use objects and pictures to physically represent mathematical concepts, alongside numbers and symbols; this will then support their independent work. Through this concrete, visual and abstract approach we will help the children to visualise abstract ideas, and as they become more proficient, they will gradually stop relying on physical manipulatives.
The pace of the lessons will be brisk, with teachers constantly asking questions, inviting pupils to demonstrate solutions and quizzing them about their thinking.
And below are some pictures of our maths displays throughout the school.
