Maths Curriculum Intent
Our aim is to deliver an ambitious, connected curriculum from reception to year 6, which challenges and encourages our children to excel in mathematics. Spring pupils work within the framework of the National Curriculum for Mathematics and teachers plan learning that is appropriately pitched to the ages and abilities of pupils across the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and 2. We recognise the importance of mathematics in everyday life and we use it where possible across the curriculum. All pupils learn mathematics through a mastery approach. New mathematical concepts are introduced using a ‘Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract’ approach, enabling all children to experience hands-on learning when discovering new mathematical topics.
Fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics is acquired through varied and frequent practice and an understanding of concepts is developed through reasoning and problem-solving. Children are encouraged to think logically and to work systematically and accurately. We believe that mathematics is best learnt when it is based on a rich diet of practical work and visual images combined with mathematical talk. We aim to provide real opportunities to problem solve and apply mathematics on a frequent basis.
Our curriculum provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Mastery Principles
Maths Mastery
All pupils at Midfield Primary School learn mathematics through a mastery approach.
The key principles and features of our approach are as follows:
A belief that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in math’s
- The large majority of pupils progress through the curriculum at the same pace.
- Each Unit is taught methodically in a broad way unit by unit to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.
- Each unit should be split into phases. Each phase should focus on one theme of the unit
- Each phase of a unit is taught with a high emphasis on context. Phases should move a sequence of concrete based lessons, moving to pictorial, moving to abstract
- Practice and consolidation play a key role, but once fluency and understanding are gained then children should be given opportunities to broaden their understanding around the concept, with increasingly complex problems over time.
- Children should be encouraged to recall and apply their knowledge learning rapidly and accurately to a variety of problems
- Children should be taught to reason mathematically by following lines of enquiries, conjecturing relationships, develop arguments, justify or prove using mathematical language
- Teachers should use precise questioning to test knowledge and assess pupils regularly to identify those requiring intervention
- Teachers should actively seek opportunities to use, ‘Learning outside the Classroom’ to support and enhance mathematics and to make links to other areas of the curriculum
Pre-teaching Maths
Two weeks prior to teaching a unit of maths teachers administer a cold test assessment based on the national curriculum expectation for the previous year and the current year. Children who have gaps at this stage are provided with some formal pre-teaching before the unit commences.
Planning
Units of lessons are planned by the year group teachers in collaboration with the maths co-ordinator to ensure that they are cohesive, structured in line with maths mastery, relevant to national curriculum objectives, progressive and related in terms of models and resources used by previous year group.
Whilst focus on the specifics of the units, teachers consider connections within the planning to other areas of maths and encourage children to make those connections.
Lessons
Maths, is generally taught in the first period of the day. Each lesson is scheduled for 50 minutes. Each unit is taught in one concentrated block, (see mastery) usually running for three to four weeks.
There is no specific format for lessons, however in line with mastery they follow a sequence of concrete based activities, moving to pictorial, moving to abstract.
Individual lessons are structured around a process of modelled work, moving to guided work, moving to independent work.
Independent work is progressive in nature.
Adaptive Teaching
- Children are not put into different sets and in general work on the same tasks and engage in common discussions. There is no differentiation in content taught but the questioning and scaffolding individual pupils receive in class can vary as they work through problems.
- Children who grasp concepts quickly are challenged through more demanding problems which deepen their knowledge of the same content.
- Pupils who experience difficulties in the lesson or display misconceptions are identified quickly and receive immediate support and quick intervention.
Display Boards
Classroom maths display boards reflect the maths objectives for the year. They act as knowledge organisers for the children to refer to independently in lessons to support their learning whilst also acting as a memory aid for prior learning.
Homework
Maths homework is given out once a week on Friday to be returned on Wednesday. Children are encouraged to spend 30 minutes on their maths homework. Part of Thursday's or Friday's lesson is given over to marking the work with the children.
Teachers use the Home/School Maths homework book as a first port of call. This provides homework related to the unit of work being covered. Additional, more challenging, homework can be handed out at the teacher’s discretion.
Children are also expected to use the PiXL Times Tables App regularly as part of their homework schedule. We recommened 10 - 15 minutes per day.
Arithmetic Sessions
A 15 minute discreet session is administered up to 5 times a week. This is a high profile feature of this current year as it is designed to close a recognised gap in our children’s learning.
Quick Intervention
Children who did not fully understand the lesson at first point of teaching are given an opportunity to run through the key points again later on in the day. In this way we help try to keep the children up to speed.
