St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School
We act with love, build our faith and grow as people
Maths
Maths Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
Our maths curriculum intent is underpinned by the following principles:
High Expectations and Mastery - All children are expected to succeed and make progress from their starting points.
Modelling - Teachers teach the skills needed to succeed in mathematics providing examples of good practice and having high expectations.
A Vocabulary-Rich Environment - We intend to create a vocabulary-rich environment, where talk for maths is a key learning tool for all pupils and is a driver for pupil understanding and developing the confidence of pupils to explain mathematically.
Pattern and Connection Identification - All children will have opportunities to identify patterns or connections in their maths; they can use this to predict and reason and to also develop their own patterns or links in maths and other subjects.
The Teaching of Fluency - We intend for all pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
The Teaching of Reasoning - We intend for all pupils to 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.
Mastery - All children secure long-term, deep and adaptable understanding of maths which they can apply in different contexts.
Implementation
White Rose - Every class from EYFS to Y6 follows the White Rose scheme of learning, which is based on the National Curriculum. Lessons may be personalised to address the individual needs and requirements for a class but coverage is maintained. In order to further develop the children’s fluency, reasoning and problem-solving, we use a range of resources which correlate to the White Rose lessons and further develops children’s understanding of a concept and the links between maths topics.
Fluency & Consolidation - We have daily fluency activities (Flashback 4) in each class aimed to improve retention. Learning is revisited from the last lesson, last week, 2 to 3 weeks ago and last term/ year. A bonus question each day will also recap key skills/topics such as telling the time, times, times-tables and Roman numerals.
Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) - 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 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.
Assessment - Through our teaching we continuously monitor pupils’ progress against expected attainment for their age, making formative assessment notes where appropriate and using these to inform our teaching. Summative assessments are completed at the end of term; their results form discussions in termly Pupil Progress Meetings and update our summative school tracker. The main purpose of all assessment is to always ensure that we are providing excellent provision for every child.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - We continuously strive to better ourselves and frequently share ideas and things that have been particularly effective. We are currently participating in the KS1 Mastering Number and Teaching for Mastery training programmes, via the local maths hub to continue to enhance maths subject knowledge.
Cross Curricular - Maths is taught across the curriculum ensuring that skills taught in these lessons are applied in other subjects e.g. graphs and data handling in science and geography.
Online Maths Tools (Fluency and Revision) - In order to advance individual children’s maths skills in school and at home, we utilise: Numbots to help support the teaching of addition, subtraction and number bonds in a fun, gamified way; TT Rockstars for multiplication and division practise, application and consolidation. In KS2, maths homework is set weekly, often using MyMaths to provide pupils with opportunities to consolidate their learning.
Impact
Through discussion and feedback, children talk enthusiastically about their maths lessons and speak about how they love learning about maths. They can articulate the context in which maths is being taught and relate this to real life purposes. Children show confidence and believe they can learn about a new maths area and apply the knowledge and skills they already have.
Evidence in Knowledge - Mathematical concepts or skills are 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. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times table.
Evidence in Skills - Pupils use acquired vocabulary in maths lessons. They have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of maths. Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work. The chance to develop the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons. Teachers plan a range of opportunities to use maths inside and outside school.
Outcomes - At the end of each year we expect all children to have made progress appropriate to their starting points, with the majority of children achieving Age Related Expectations (ARE) for their year group. Some children will have progressed further and achieved greater depth (GD). Children who have gaps in their knowledge receive appropriate support and intervention.
Mastery - All children secure long-term, deep and adaptable understanding of maths which they can apply in different contexts.
Numbots
NumBots is all about every child achieving the “triple win” of understanding, recall and fluency in mental addition and subtraction, so that they move from counting to calculating. So that children can solve more complex problems, NumBots’ intelligent practice methodology focuses on automatic recall of number facts as well as developing conceptual understanding. By carefully layering up comprehension, our learners maintain confidence and are primed to learn the next concept.
Numbots Website for addition and subtraction (number bonds)
TT Rockstars
Children who struggle with their timestables in primary school are much more likely to fall behind as they advance into their secondary education. When it comes to times tables, speed AND accuracy are important – the more facts your child remembers, the easier it is for them to do harder calculations.
Times Table Rock Stars is a fun and challenging programme designed to help students master the times tables! The programme is used both for class and homework to help children build their knowledge by taking on a rock star persona and playing in festivals and in battle of the bands (both different challenges which can be against players in other schools or class battles within the school).
TT Rockstars for times tables practice