Maths
INTENT
We believe that maths is integral to our ability to function in today’s world. Every child needs to be able to apply these foundational skills to understand, grow and succeed in society from catching a bus to finding opportunities for their future and even making the world a better place. We know maths is a creative and deep thinking skill with links to the everyday all around us. Therefore, we want all pupils at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School to experience the enjoyment, challenge and resilience needed to make the connections, explore ideas and question what they see to ultimately become confident mathematicians.
We encourage all learners to have the positive ‘can do’ attitudes and promote the fact that ‘We can all do maths!’ We believe all children can achieve in mathematics, and therefore teach for secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through small manageable steps. We use mistakes and misconceptions as an essential part of learning and adapt our teaching to respond to the children’s needs. Learning is broadened to provide challenge opportunities and problem solving within similar concepts.
IMPLEMENTATION
At our school, the majority of children will be taught the content from their year group only. They will spend time, through small steps, exploring the content, becoming confident with the processes and applying their deepening knowledge of the different areas of maths. We aim for all pupils to challenge themselves to:
become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics so that they develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
be able to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including in unfamiliar contexts and to model real-life scenarios
reason mathematically through developing and presenting justifications, arguments or proof using mathematical language.
have an appreciation of number and number operations, which enables mental calculations and written procedures to be chosen for effectiveness, performed efficiently, fluently and accurately to be successful in mathematics.
Early Years Foundation Stage
At the start of the week, children are provided with opportunities to develop and improve their skills with lessons created from EYFS statutory framework for shape, space, capacity, time etc
This topic then runs through the week with ongoing provision for self-initiated learning.
Maths mastery number x 4 lessons include subitising, partitioning with Rekenreks and encouraging stem sentences as teacher focus groups in the maths zone to support and deepen the number skills.
Pupils are taught to:
count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20
place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number
add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer using quantities and objects
solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing
Shape, space and measure
use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems
recognise, create and describe patterns
explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes
use mathematical language to describe them.
Key Stage 1
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in Key Stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations using a range of strategies and models such as Tens Frame, Part-Part Whole and number lines, alongside concrete resources such as dienes, counters, objects and Rekenreks.
At this stage, pupils develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching also involves using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.
By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency in preparation for KS2.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.
To support transition, Year 1 begins with ongoing provision focused on a weekly skill alongside 2 adult focus groups. In the second term (or as appropriate for needs of class) this becomes differentiated whole class teaching in preparation for Year 2.
Both Year 1 and Year 2 focus on maths mastery of number x 4 lessons which includes subitising, partitioning with Rekenreks and encouraging stem sentences for explain thinking.
Planning is adapted from the White Rose Small Steps Framework (August 2022) for content of topics with a chosen strategy adapted for needs of class. All strategies and units are taught by the end of the year including a revision focus in in Year 2 for preparation of KS1 SATs.
Key Stage 2
Building on the areas covered in Key Stage 1, pupils develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can 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.
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in Upper Key Stage 2 is to ensure that pupils 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.
At this stage, pupils 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. With this foundation in arithmetic, older pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Opportunities also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.
By the end of year 6, pupils aim to be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages.
Whole School Strategies
Core Maths skills are taught daily. These are a strategy to revise and highlight the learning so far and the foundation skills needed for the year band. They are also responsive to the needs of the class at the time and over the year may include mental strategies, fluency in number, mixed practice including fractions and decimals and reasoning at appropriate challenge levels for independence.
Correct mathematical vocabulary is consistently modelled by teachers and learners are actively encouraged to develop their own vocabulary bank across the topics.
A range of reasoning resources are planned for to challenge all children and give them the differentiated opportunities to reason within and just beyond their own comfort zones.
Live marking and AFL questioning ensures children’s misconceptions and errors are identified at point of learning. These errors are responded to in range of ways; within lesson, after lesson, daily core skills, targeted intervention groups or adapted planning for next day.
Pre-learning is used to prepare small groups of children for the next lesson when appropriate.
Children are taught through a range of targeted differentiated small group and mixed ability whole class lessons within the year group curriculum.
Provision for children with specific SEND needs, who are working within the PKS levels is adapted appropriately so that every child can make small steps of progress.
Lessons use a Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract approach to guide children through their understanding of mathematical processes. Careful planning of practical resources and visual images, promote inclusive teaching and deeper understanding for all.
Children are encouraged to self-assess and choose when they are ready to move on as they reflect on their own success, understanding and accuracy.
Consolidation lessons are used to revisit previous learning and ensure Math’s skills are embedded within year bands and also from the prior academic year.
Homework is linked onto the St Wilfrid’s Homework Grid with the emphasis on digital learning. St Wilfrid’s pupils have a range of IT access including Mathletics/Mathseeds, TT Rockstars/Numbots, Purple Mash and non-subscription sites such as Hit the Button and Maths Frame. Parents can also find the current maths topics for each year group on St Wilfrid’s website.
Where possible, links are made with other subjects across the curriculum including a whole school Maths Day.
IMPACT
By the end of their time at St Wilfrid’s, we aim for our children to be confident mathematicians who feel able to come out of their comfort zone to reason, self-challenge and strive to be ‘even better’. We want our pupils to be resilient when exploring mathematical ideas and problem solving, knowing they can be successful by applying their logical and systematic models of learning. Our children will understand that mathematics is all around us and they have the tools necessary to independently apply their learning to real life situations and unfamiliar contexts with self-assurance. They will be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics with a conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. We want our pupils to be creative thinkers who can manipulate their mathematical knowledge to fit the everyday application of maths. We have the next generation of mathematicians in front of us and we want them to feel inspired, excited and ready for what comes next.
Mathematical Vocabulary for Whole School
Without mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.