Respect – Resilience – Read – Retain
Respect – we aim to develop a sense of respect for themselves, peers, adults, other faiths and cultures, the environment and the wider world
Resilience – we aim to develop a ‘give it a go’ and ‘its ok to make mistakes’ attitude within our children to prepare them for life beyond school
Read – we believe that reading is the doorway to all learning, we will prioritise the teaching of reading in school
Retain – we aim for our children to know more and remember more, our curriculum design will reinforce and revisit skills and knowledge
Subject Leader – Mrs Short
Intent
At St Teresa’s we promote a sense of enjoyment and curiosity of maths to ensure that our pupils utilise their key skills within their day to day life experiences and to ensure that all children become mathematicians. This is through the teaching of a rich, balanced and progressive curriculum using maths to reason, problem solve and develop fluent conceptual understanding.
We aim to ensure that all pupils:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Implementation
As a school, we are developing a Mastery approach to the teaching of maths so a concept or skill can be applied over time in lots of ways and to unfamiliar situations. St Teresa’s follows the ‘National curriculum programmes of study and mathematics: Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2’ and mathematics in Nursery and Foundation Stage is based on the ‘EYFS Statutory Framework for the Foundation stage’.
White Rose Maths materials are used to assist with planning and delivering of our mastery approach in manageable and logical steps, but we also believe that teaching should be adapted to best meet the needs of all our pupils and we use a range of other planning resources and activities to do this.
Daily mathematic lessons are carefully planned with small steps of learning to ensure that all children master the concepts. Children are introduced to a new concept that builds upon previous learning. Teachers demonstrate, explain and illustrate mathematical ideas to fully involve pupils and promote the use of mathematical vocabulary. They develop children’s mathematical reasoning and competence when solving problems. This structure provides children with the opportunity to develop why? and why not? questions. Throughout lessons, children are given opportunities to discuss their mathematical thinking.
Lessons involve the use of concrete pictorial and abstract representations so that children are provided with opportunities for practical equipment and visual models before they move onto the abstract written method. Our teaching aims to provide opportunities for children to become fluent in basic number skills (number facts, times table facts and mental calculations) and to apply their fluency to reasoning and problem solving using mathematical language and concepts.
Engaging computer programmes such as Times Tables Rockstars and Numbots are used to motivate children and develop basic recall skills.
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are currently part of the mastering number programme which is aimed at strengthening the understanding of number, and fluency with number facts. They provide additional 10-15 daily mathematical lessons with a focus on children clearly communicating their mathematical ideas and developing fluency in calculation and number sense. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number.
Impact
We measure the impact of our maths curriculum through our assessment procedures. There are a number of ways in which teachers can assess what children have learnt. Children’s understanding and ability is assessed continuously through questioning, in marking, observation, and challenges given. We also use formal testing at the end of topics and terms which allow gaps in teaching and learning to be identified.
The teaching and learning of mathematics is monitored via book scrutiny’s, learning walks and observations, pupil voice and pupil progress meetings.
A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations.
Children demonstrate quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times tables.
The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics.
The ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics.
Children show a high level of pride in the presentation or their work and can explain their learning.
Maths Curriculum Documents
Calculation Policies- these policies can be used by parents to help them understand the ways in which we teach different aspects in Maths at St Teresa’s School. Parents can use this to support their children with their homework.
Areas of Maths Progression Documents
Year Group Progression Documents
We have taken the areas of maths progression documents and used them to create year group specific progression documents rather than one long document as we feel this is more helpful to staff and parents.
Ways to support your child at home
At St. Teresa’s, we encourage the children to develop their learning outside of school. There is an app which school recommends to support children’s mathematical understanding: Times Tables Rockstars. Children from Year 2 upwards have their own personalised login details. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices or can be accessed on any modern browser.
Times Tables Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice aimed at children in Year 2 upwards.
The children are encouraged to learn their times tables and to recall linked facts quickly. This will help the children to further develop their mathematical understanding further up the school. https://play.ttrockstars.com/
Children from Reception to Year 3 have their own personal logins for Numbots. This develops children’s number skills. https://play.numbots.com/
Useful websites
MyMaths https://www.mymaths.co.uk/
Supermovers https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/supermovers
BBC Maths http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/numeracy.shtml
Oxford Owl http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/maths-owl/maths
Maths 4 Mums and Dads http://www.maths4mumsanddads.co.uk/index.php
Nrich http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage
ict games http://www.ictgames.com/resources.html
I love maths games http://www.ilovemathsgames.com/
Maths is fun https://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
Maths zone https://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
Topmarks https://www.topmarks.co.uk/
Everything multiplication https://www.multiplication.com/
Primary games http://www.primarygames.co.uk/