Mathematics

Maths | marydeansprimary

Our Vision

Mathematics is a tool for everyday life. It is a whole network of concepts and relationships, which provide a way of viewing and making sense of the world. It is used to analyse and communicate information and ideas and to tackle a range of practical tasks and real life problems. It also provides the materials and means for creating new imaginative worlds to explore. It is integral to all aspects of life and with this in mind we endeavour to ensure that children develop a healthy and enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics that will stay with them to encourage economic wellbeing.

Our Mathematics curriculum has been developed to ensure every child can achieve excellence in mathematics. Children can experience a sense of awe and wonder as they solve a problem for the first time, discover different solutions and make links between different areas of mathematics. It provides pupils with a deep understanding of the subject through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. This ensures pupils fully understand what they are learning.

Our Aims

To implement the current legal requirements of the Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum
To foster positive attitudes, fascination and excitement of discovery through the teaching and learning of mathematical concepts
To ensure pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, developing conceptual knowledge and an ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
To ensure that pupils can reason mathematically and solve problems
For our children to develop a ‘can do’ attitude and perceive themselves as mathematicians.
To broaden children’s knowledge and understanding of how mathematics is used in the wider world
For our children to use and understand mathematical language and recognise its importance as a language for communication and thinking.

Our Curriculum

At St. Bridget's, our Maths curriculum places emphasis on the cumulative mastery of essential knowledge and skills in mathematics. It embeds a deeper understanding of maths by utilising a concrete, pictorial, abstract approach so that pupils understand what they are doing rather than just learning to repeat routines without grasping what is happening.

The key features of our Mathematics curriculum are:

High expectations for every child
Fewer topics, greater depth
Number sense and place value come first
Focus on mathematical thinking and language
Using concrete apparatus and resources to support learning
Problem solving is central
Calculate with confidence' – understand why it works

Planning for our Mathematics Curriculum

At St. Bridget’s, we use the White Rose Maths resources to support us in our planning:

Long term plans map out the units to be covered each term, during each Key Stage.
Medium term plans identify learning objectives and outcomes for each unit, as well as indicating the skills being taught.
Short term plans prepared by each teacher, highlight the skills and objectives of the lesson, and identify resources and appropriate differentiation. They also indicate key questions and stem sentences.

'White Rose Maths' forms the core of all our planning and teaching in maths, from Reception up to Year 6.
This is a mastery approach to maths, which encourages in-depth coverage of concepts over the year and over the school life of your child.
White Rose Maths enables the children to move from concrete to pictorial to abstract understanding of mathematical ideas and concepts.
It also develops deep-learning in maths, so that children can apply the skills they have learned in a range of 'real-life' and problem-solving contexts, as well as in other subjects across the curriculum.

Mathematics National Curriculum

Updated: 03/11/2022 3.81 MB

Updated: 03/11/2022 488 KB

Enrichment

Our teaching of maths is enriched with a variety of methods in order to increase engagement and to develop an understanding the importance of maths in everyday situations.

Times Tables Rockstars (TTRS) is used at our school to encourage the use of times tables and support pupils in becoming fluent in their recall of multiplication facts. TTRS is a carefully sequenced programme of times tables practice which engages pupils by benchmarking their progress and allowing them to compete across class, year groups and even with other schools in ‘Rock Star Battles’. The profile of TT Rock Stars is raised by holding ‘Rock Star’ dress up days.

Numbots is used in KS1 to encourage the systematic learning of number bonds and is tailored to the pupils’ progress. The children are motivated by achieving points which allows them to unlock rewards.

We use Maths Whizz in all classes from Y1 up to Y6. It is an as online platform that that results in measurable gains in Maths progress. All our children have access to an ipad in school and are given time each week to work on Maths topics at a level appropriate to their strengths and needs.

The benefits from using Maths Whizz include:

Engaging children by providing relevant content based upon their educational needs
Motivate our children through immediate feedback and guided instruction
Deliver measurable results through increased academic achievement
Bridge learning gaps – from school to home
Can be used both at home and school as a fun and interactive way of improving Maths skills and achievement for all

We understand the importance of using a wide range of concrete resources (ten frames, cubes, Numicon, dienes, counters, place value counters, fraction blocks and much more) in daily lessons, to support and aid investigation, problem solving and reasoning process.