Rationale:

Maths at Burradon Community Primary School has been built on one of our core values:

'Persevere and be resilient – be the best you can.'

Our Vision for Maths: 

“At Burradon, all children will have a positive attitude towards mathematics, becoming fluent, confident and resilient mathematicians, who are equipped with the skills to succeed in, and beyond, their school years.” 

Intent

The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide learning which is accessible to all and will maximise the development of every child’s academic achievement. It is important that our children enjoy learning about mathematics and experience success in the subject; are curious about maths in school and the world around them; and recognise the importance of the development of their maths skills to their participation in wider society.

Our Key Principles:

• We believe maths is a subject that all children can do.
• We believe that maths should be fun, engaging and rewarding for all learners.
• We embed fluency, reasoning and problem solving at the heart of our curriculum.
• We strive for all children to become competent mathematical thinkers, confident in making connections.
• We support children in their understanding through a variety of representations, including concrete, pictorial and abstract.

Implementation

Maths lessons are taught based on the mastery approach. Long-term planning is intentionally mapped out based on the needs of the pupils in to ensure coverage and progression of skills. All units in Autumn begin by developing key Place Value concepts and units are carefully sequenced to allow children to make connections and links. Topics are taught in extended blocks to support mastery of concepts, which are carefully sequenced to ensure the retention and deepening of skills and knowledge. When planning units of work, teachers break down key concepts into small steps of learning ensure all pupils are progressing through the unit together at roughly the same pace. Children who rapidly grasp concepts are then offered more complex and sophisticated questions and problems.

Lessons are designed using a range of carefully chosen resources, data and suggestions from reliable sources such as NCETM and nrich.co.uk. Lessons involve the concrete, pictorial, abstract (CPA) approach to develop a secure understanding of mathematics principles. Lessons begin with a recap which warm up knowledge to allow children to progress to new knowledge in the lessons but at other times, a recap is recalling and deepening knowledge from previous units of work.

Within lessons teachers use the following strategies to ensure engagement in mathematical thinking for all pupils:

• Think, pair, share;
• Increasing wait time after posing a questions;
• Increasing wait time after children have given responses;
• No opt out strategy cold calling/ to support a comfortable learning environment with participation;
• Stem sentences (to support children to being mathematical talk, to help structure ideas and explanation and support children with generalisations);
• Planned opportunities to reason mathematically e.g. odd one out, true or false, always, sometimes, never, how do you know?;
• Modelling using ‘I do, We do, You do’ for guided practice;
• Worked examples.
   

Mental Maths

From Year 1 to Year 6, pupils engage in daily mental maths sessions, which are planned carefully to promote fluency in mental methods and support children to work efficiently, flexibly and accurately. These sessions are also used to support retention of key calculation strategies and key vocabulary.

This is through the Mastering Number Programme and Number Talks. This project aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number. Number Talks in KS2 is a strategy to build flexibility, accuracy and efficiency in mathematical thinking through the discussion and sharing of mental math strategies. It is a short daily routine that allows pupils to contribute to meaningful dialogue concentrating on how to answer numeracy problems.

Three times a week, Year groups 1 -6 have a specific times table focus which includes teaching new tables and revisiting previously taught tables.
 

Foundation Stage

Maths lessons in Foundation Stage are taught based on the mastery approach. In FS2, in line with KS1 and KS2, long-term planning is mapped out by the White Rose scheme of work to ensure coverage and progression of skills. FS2 also take part in daily ‘Maths Talk’ sessions which focus on their mental maths skills. In FS1, daily mental maths sessions are delivered relating to number, using the NCETM ‘Numberblocks’ materials, and a weekly session on shape, space and measures. Both schemes are used in line with the statutory EYFS document. Assessment is carried out using the Early Years outcomes.

What do our children think of Maths?

EYFS: 

Year 1: 
Our typical maths lesson is: 'We have to try and figure out things and the turtle Tiny always gets things wrong. So we have to help him'. 

Year 2: 
Talk to me about problem solving and reaosning: 'We have to explain what we have done and we do word problems. We have to find mistake'. 

Year 3:
'Going on TTRs so I know my times tables helps me with my maths learning. Times tables then helps my fractions work'.

Year 4:
Maths can help us in later life because: 'It helps our brain and you might need it in jobs and careers'.

Year 5: 
In our maths lessons, 'we focus on reasoning and making sure we fully understand'. 

Year 6:
In our maths lessons: 'We do practical work and work in books. We focus on methods and learn how to fully reason and explain'.