Intent:

Maths is a skill we use on a daily basis and is an essential part of everyday life. Therefore, mathematics forms an important part of our broad and balanced curriculum where we endeavour to ensure that children develop an enjoyment and enthusiasm for maths that will stay with them throughout their lives and empower them in future life.

At St Peter’s, we believe that unlocking mathematical fluency is an essential life skill for all learners and is a pre-requisite to being able to reason and solve problems mathematically. Our aim is to develop a positive culture of deep understanding, confidence and competence in maths that produces strong, secure learning.

Our children are encouraged to make mistakes in a safe and supportive environment. They are supported to discuss these misconceptions with their peers and staff alike. Here at St Peters, we place oracy at the heart of our learning through shared work and class discussions. Use of appropriate vocabulary is modelled throughout lessons by both staff and children, allowing everyone to ‘talk like a mathematician’. Once a child can articulate their understanding of a concept, can they truly begin to make connections within their learning.

Implementation:

The National Curriculum (September 2014) is the basis for implementing the statutory requirements for Mathematics. At St Peter’s we follow the White Rose termly overviews to ensure progression of skills and that all units of work are covered. The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the year group learning objectives. Decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of children’s understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Teachers also use the ‘diving deeper’ White Rose linked resources to consolidate children’s understanding and develop their reasoning/problem-solving skills.

 Pupil’s who grasp concepts rapidly will be challenged through being offered mastery problems before being taught any new content. Those who are not sufficiently confident will consolidate their understanding through additional practice before moving on. Post-assessments are used at the end of a unit of work to demonstrate the progress that each child has made.

Medium term planning

 Years 1 -6 use the White Rose Maths schemes of learning as their medium term planning documents. These schemes provide teachers with exemplification for mathematics objectives and are broken down into fluency, reasoning and problem solving, key aims of the National Curriculum.

They support a mastery approach to teaching and learning and have numbers at their heart.  They ensure teachers stay in the required key stage and support the ideal of depth before breadth.  They support pupils working together as a whole group and provide plenty of time to build reasoning and problem-solving elements into the curriculum.

Short term planning

The above schemes of learning support weekly planning and are monitored at intervals by the mathematics subject leader. EYFS planning is based on the medium-term plans and delivered as appropriate to individual pupils with thought to where the pupils are now and what steps they need to take next. Teachers of the EYFS ensure the pupils learn through a mixture of adult-led activities and pupil-initiated activities both inside and outside of the classroom. Mathematics is taught through an integrated approach.

 All classes have a daily mathematics lesson where possible.  In Key Stage 1 lessons are 45-60 minutes and in Key Stage 2 at least 60 minutes.

Maths in EYFS

The EYFS Statutory Framework 2014 sets standards for the learning, development and care of pupils from birth to five years old and supports an integrated approach to early learning. This is supported by the ‘Development Matters’ non statutory guidance as well as the White Rose Medium Term plans for EYFS Mathematics.

The EYFS Framework in relation to mathematics aims for our pupils to:

• develop and improve their skills in counting
• understand and use numbers
• calculate simple addition and subtraction problems
• describe shapes, spaces, and measure

Lessons

The emphasis in lessons is to make teaching interactive and lively, to engage all pupils encouraging them to talk about mathematics. Each lesson starts with a ‘Flashback 4’ which ensures the children are constantly revisiting skills that they have previously been taught.

 Lessons involve elements of:

Instruction – giving information and structuring it well

Demonstrating – showing, describing and modelling mathematics using appropriate resources and visual displays

Explaining and illustrating – giving accurate and well-paced explanations

Questioning and discussing

Consolidating

Reflecting and evaluating responses – identifying mistakes and using them as positive teaching points

 Summarising – reviewing mathematics that has been taught enabling pupils to focus on next steps

Pupils’ Exercise Books

Pupils are taught a variety of methods for recording their work and are encouraged and helped to use the most appropriate and convenient. Pupils are encouraged to use mental strategies and their own jottings before resorting to more formal written methods. Pupils’ own jottings to support their work is encouraged throughout all year groups. Where tasks are practical, the class teacher or teaching assistant may take photographic evidence, which is then stuck in the child’s book and annotated if required.

Marking

Marking of pupils’ work is essential to ensure they make further progress. Pupils are encouraged to self-assess their work and given time to make corrections or improvements, ideally at the start of the next lesson.  Some pieces of work in mathematics can be marked by pupils themselves, exercises involving routine practice with support and guidance from the teacher – particularly in years 5 and 6.

Assessment, record keeping and target setting

Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning and is a continuous process. Teachers make assessments of pupils daily through:

• regular marking of work
• analysing errors and picking up on misconceptions
• asking questions and listening to answers
• facilitating and listening to discussions
• making observations

 These ongoing assessments inform future planning and teaching. 

Medium term

Assessments are carried out across the school at three times during the year using the NTS assessment materials for Years 1, 2, 3, 4,and 5.

Year 6 use previous SATs papers.

These materials used alongside judgements made from class work support teachers in making an assessment for each pupil which they enter onto DC Pro. Pupil Progress meetings are timetabled each term for all classes. Progress of pupils is discussed and appropriate intervention considered and put in place where appropriate.

Long term

In EYFS children are measured at the end of Foundation stage against the Early Learning goals criteria for the Mathematics specific area of development and are graded as emerging, have met or exceeded the goals for number and shape, space and measure.

Year 6 complete the national tests (SATs) in May.  Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 complete their final NTS assessment papers in the Summer term which will help to accurately create a final judgement for each child in each year group.

Special educational needs & disabilities (SEND)

Daily mathematics lessons are inclusive to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.  Where required, pupils’ IEPs incorporate suitable objectives from the National Curriculum for Mathematics or Development Matters and teachers keep these in mind when planning work.  These targets may be worked upon within the lesson as well as on a 1:1 basis outside the mathematics lesson.  Mathematics focused intervention in schools helps pupils with gaps in their learning and mathematical understanding.  These are delivered by trained support staff and overseen by the SENDCO and/or the class teacher.

Within the daily mathematics lesson, teachers have a responsibility to not only provide differentiated activities to support pupils with SEND but also activities that provide sufficient challenge for pupils who are high achievers.  It is the teachers’ responsibility to ensure that all pupils are challenged at a level appropriate to their ability.

Equal Opportunities

Positive attitudes towards mathematics are encouraged, so that all pupils, regardless of race, gender, ability or special needs, including those for whom English is a second language, develop an enjoyment and confidence with mathematics.  The aim is to ensure that everyone makes progress and gains positively from lessons and to plan inclusive lessons. Differentiated questions are used in lessons to help pupils and planned support from teaching assistants and other adults.

Home learning

At St Peter’s, children have weekly times table homework, set through TT Rockstars. Each class teacher will also set a piece of maths homework once a week via the Class Dojo that consolidates the current learning.

 

Impact:

By doing the above, here at St Peter’s we aim to see children who are engaged in their Maths lesson. We hope to constantly challenge all children, and never put a ceiling on their learning due to the high standards we set for children of all abilities. We aim for our children to be confident during their Maths lessons and be able to carefully discuss their thinking using the correct mathematical vocabulary which has been taught. We aim to use a variety of different representations in order for our children to be able to see things in different ways, and link this to their previous learning. 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.

We want the children of St Peter’s to value Mathematics and recognise its importance, not only in school, but outside of school too.  Our children show a high level of pride in their presentation and understanding of the work showing confidence in believing that they will achieve.