Maths @ Earlsmead Primary School
Our intent is firmly aligned to the aims of the national curriculum for mathematics.
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 develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
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 nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. Pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects across the curriculum.
The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide children with a foundation for understanding number, reasoning, thinking logically and problem solving with resilience so that they are fully prepared for their future learning. It is also our intention that all children, regardless of their starting points, will maximise their academic achievements and leave Earlsmead Primary School with an appreciation and enthusiasm for maths.
Our implementation is developed through secure understanding and delivery of the mathematics curriculum.
Teaching and Learning, Content and Sequencing
Our long term planning follows the National Curriculum Mathematics programmes of study. Weekly and daily lessons follow the White Rose Maths schemes of learning. Planning is supported by the use of the White Rose Maths and NCETM materials.
Using a variety of planning resources, we believe provides a bespoke teaching and learning experience that is designed to interest, inform and inspire our children.
Building on children’s prior knowledge and understanding to inform all future planning and teaching, we plan lessons to ensure all children make good progress from their starting points.
The expectation is that the majority of our pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage.
We ensure that all daily maths lessons have an arithmetic focus that is continually revisited in order to support and embed our children’s arithmetic and calculation fluency and recall.
Lessons are engaging and follow a sequence of planning, to ensure that we can evidence progress over short and longer periods of time.
Maths lessons are designed with a concrete, pictorial and abstract (CPA) approach, providing our pupils with the scaffolding required to access the learning at all levels. Enabling all children to experience hands-on learning using a variety of manipulatives when discovering new mathematical topics, and allows them to have clear models and images to aid their understanding.
We place emphasis on pupil engagement and deliver lessons which involve all teachers using questioning and modelling in explicit direct instruction at the centre every lesson.
Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice or intervention, before moving on.
We want our children to know that maths is essential to everyday life and ensure that our children are confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks.
We support the full development of our independent learners with inquisitive minds who have secure mathematical foundations and an investment in their own self-improvement.
Home learning tasks are set to review, strengthen and develop children’s learning at school.
Leadership, Assessment and Feedback
Assessment informs our teaching and learning sequences, children work on the specific objectives that they are assessed as being at.
Feedback is given on children’s learning in line with our marking and feedback policy.
Formative assessment within every lesson helps teachers to identify the children who need more support to achieve the intended outcome and who are ready for greater stretch and challenge through planned questioning or additional activities.
In order to support teacher assessments, children are assessed using current and reliable White Rose Maths summative end of block and end of term tests.
Tests that the children complete are analysed and outcomes inform next steps for future planning.
The maths leader has a clear role and responsibility for the progress of all children in maths throughout school. Working closely with SLT, key data is analysed and regular feedback is provided and discussed at pupil progress meetings to inform future actions.
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.
Can our children demonstrate quick recall of facts and procedures to support fluency? This includes the fluent recall of times table facts.
Are our children engaged and confident children who can all talk about their learning?
Do our children have the flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics?
Are our children able to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics?
Do our children show confidence in believing that they will achieve?
Do our children show a high level of pride in the organisation, presentation and understanding of their work?
Are our children making progress in relation to their starting points?
