At Aldborough Primary school, our maths curriculum aims to provide students with a strong foundation in mathematical concepts, skills and problem-solving abilities, while promoting a positive attitude towards mathematics.
We strive to ensure that all students can achieve in Maths and that they see it as an essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. We intend to give each child the self-confidence and resilience to reach their full potential by ensuring that they have the tools to calculate fluently, reason logically, problem solve and think in abstract ways.
We aim to develop and sustain in all children:
- confidence, understanding and enjoyment in mathematics;
- awareness of relationship and pattern, and how these can bring about a clearer understanding of a situation;
- an appreciation of mathematics as a means of communication through which they can analyse information and ideas;
- the ability to work systematically where the task requires a careful accurate approach, as well as the ability to show imagination, initiative and flexibility when appropriate;
- independence of thought and action as well as the ability to co-operate within a group;
- problem solving skills and strategies;
- the ability to use mathematics effectively as a tool in a wide variety of situations;
- sensible use of factual recall, mental and written methods, calculators, micro-technology and other mathematical aids.
The National Curriculum for mathematics aims 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 have conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems
- can 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 non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – DfE
Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding – such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting – children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.
Key Stage 1 – (Years 1 and 2)
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 4 operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].
At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve 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.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.
Lower Key Stage 2- (Years 3 and 4)
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the 4 operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.
At this stage, pupils should 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.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.
Upper Key Stage 2- (Years 5 and 6)
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 should 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, 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. Teaching should also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.
By the end of year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all 4 operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.
At Aldborough Primary School, we implement our approach through high quality teaching delivering appropriately challenging work for all individuals. To support us, we have a range of mathematical resources in classrooms including Numicon, Base10, tens frames and counters (concrete equipment). When children have grasped a concept using concrete equipment, images and diagrams are used (pictorial) prior to moving to abstract questions. Abstract maths relies on the children understanding a concept thoroughly and being able to use their knowledge and understanding to answer and solve maths without equipment or images.
At Aldborough Primary School we teach Maths following White Rose Hub as the basis for our planning across both single year and mixed classes to ensure we achieve effective curriculum coverage throughout the academic year. This also ensures we have continuity across the school allowing children to build on and consolidate knowledge from the beginning of their Maths learning in EYFS.
In line with the principles of cognitive science, recall and retention will be encouraged through frequent repetition and recall practice (including number games, times tables songs, quizzes and stories)
White Rose Maths
This program is not just about teaching maths, it is about developing mathematical thinking skills. The aim of this program is to ensure that students are able to think mathematically and solve problems with confidence.
“Our aim is for young mathematicians to become:
- Confident and able to recall and apply mathematical knowledge in different contexts
- Able to explain their methods and thinking processes and apply skills in context
- Fluent in different areas of maths
- Efficient in applying problem-solving and reasoning skills
- Independent thinkers
- Making number work fun Maths
- Aware of the Maths/ concepts/ process they are doing”
Traditional maths teaching has been criticised for being too abstract and difficult to grasp by many young learners. The mastery method is based on the idea that learning mathematics should be fun and enjoyable. It focuses on developing deep understanding rather than memorisation. This means that it helps children develop self-belief, persistence and resilience.
White Rose Maths offers a ‘small steps’ progression and yearly frameworks, which allow children to learn at their own pace while still achieving high standards. White Rose Maths helps children develop their conceptual understanding of mathematics by using concrete objects, pictorial representations and abstract thinking. This inclusive approach is based on the principles of cognitive psychology and child development.
The impact of mathematics at Aldborough Primary is assessed daily through formative assessment practices within class utilising live marking to provide instant feedback to children where possible and summatively using the end of unit assessments from White Rose Hub. Teachers use summative tests to inform end of unit judgements to then determine what content needs to be revisited later in the year.
It is vital that children understand the importance and relevance of what they are learning in relation to real world concepts. We want children to know that maths is a vital life skill that they will rely on in many areas of their daily life. Investigating Maths and learning through making mistakes will strengthen their learning through the journey to finding an answer. Our children also have a good understanding of their strengths and targets for developments so they can continue to improve.
Our Maths books evidence work of a high standard of which children clearly take pride; the components of the teaching sequences demonstrate good coverage of fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Our feedback and interventions support children to strive to be the best mathematicians they can be, ensuring a high proportion of children are on track or above.
Useful Maths Websites
National Numeracy Parent Toolkit has a wealth of tips and advice for parents
familymathstoolkit.org.uk
Oxford Owl includes a range of activities, top tips and eBooks to help your child with their maths at home. oxfordowl.co.uk/maths/maths-at-home
Maths 4 Mums and Dads explains some of the milestones children make between the ages of 3 and 11 years-old.
maths4mumsanddads.co.uk/index.php
Nrich. A range of maths games, problems and articles on all areas of maths. Parents of Key Stage 1 children should select ‘stage 1’ and parents of Key Stage 2 children should select ‘stage 2’
nrich.maths.org/frontpage
List of Maths Websites for Children
http://amathsdictionaryforkids.com/
http://www.ictgames.com/resources.html
https://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
https://www.multiplication.com/