Maths

Intent:

At Holywell, we are MATHEMATICIANS. We want our children to love Maths. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up with secure mathematical understanding which will assist them in whichever career path they take, as well as in their daily lives.

To successfully deliver a structured, rich curriculum with a clear progression of skills, we follow the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum for mathematics. Our approach to teaching mathematics is intended to support all our children in becoming young, confident mathematicians; prepare them for their next stage of mathematical learning at secondary school, and to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge in everyday situations to be successful in life beyond school.

We intend to do this daily through developing all children’s fluency in all areas of the mathematics national curriculum; providing opportunities to reason mathematically; and develop children’s abilities to use and apply skills when solving increasingly more complex problems involving a range of mathematical knowledge.

 

Implementation:

Teachers use the National Curriculum and White Rose Maths as a basis for planning. Within this, some of our teaching and learning for maths is linked to other subjects where appropriate, but it is usually taught discretely.

Mathematics is taught daily throughout the school – EYFS to Year 6. Each class in KS1 and KS2 provide a minimum of 1 hour of mathematics per day. A mix of adult led and teacher led activities are put together for children in EYFS.

The use of White Rose medium term planning is adapted to create a bespoke curriculum designed to meet the needs of our children and to allow for opportunities for revisit and retention. This ensures full coverage of the national curriculum for mathematics and provides a broad and balanced spread of all areas of the curriculum. Teachers are confident to manipulate this planning in the short term to meet the needs of all children.

Using the school’s progression of skills document, the teaching of mathematics year to year builds progressively on the skills taught in previous year groups.

On a daily basis, children, regardless of their ability, in KS1 and KS2 are provided with opportunities to become more fluent in their learning, to reason mathematically and to solve a range of problems.

We use Times Table Rock Stars to enthuse the children in learning times tables.

We use the ’99 Club’ to inspire children to develop their fluency in mathematics.

Calculation practice is provided regularly through basic skills starter activities to ensure children’s fluency in calculation methods is embedded.

Learning is differentiated to meet the needs of the children within the class whilst still providing each child with the opportunity to achieve the learning intentions to meet the expectations of their year group.

Interventions are put in place to support children where necessary.

Quality first teaching is provided throughout the school along with effective teacher modelling and effective assessment for learning, to make sure children are moved on in their learning or supported when finding it difficult.

Cross-curricular links are provided when opportunities arise, particularly through the use of Computing.

Mathematics 'working walls' are in each classroom to provide key information and vocabulary with modelled examples to support learning.

EYFS

Number fluency is continually developed within early years with our Mathematical curriculum covering ‘Mathematics’. Teachers use ‘NCETM Mastering Number’ as a basis for planning. Children participate in daily short maths sessions and are given time to explore mathematical concepts, test ideas, develop their understanding and practise taught skills through play.

Maths can be found in all areas of our provision and children experience it in a purposeful and meaningful context within their play and daily routines. Our construction areas, Wild Tribe area and role play are just some of the places in which children can explore number, shape, space and measures. Children are encouraged to use their mathematical understanding and skills to solve real-life problems and practitioners are trained to identify and extend opportunities to foster this.

 

Impact:

Our teaching of, and curriculum for, mathematics will lead to good progress over time across all key stages, relative to each individual child’s starting point. It is designed to prepare children for their future in and outside of education, so they can become successful in whatever they pursue.

Our rich and broad mathematics curriculum aims to make the children enthusiastic about learning mathematics and gain an understanding of its importance in everyday life.

Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS)

At Holywell, we encourage the use of Times Tables Rock Stars with children from Years 1-6 being given their own TTRS account.

Times Tables Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice.

Each week concentrates on a different times table, with a recommended consolidation week for rehearsing the tables that have recently been practised every third week or so.

This format has very successfully boosted times tables recall speed for hundreds of thousands of pupils over the last 8 years in over 16,000 schools - both primary and secondary - worldwide.

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