Maths
At Seal, we work in partnership with Mathematics Mastery to teach engaging, hands on, challenging maths lessons in every class from EYFS to Year six.
Mathematics Mastery enhances mathematical understanding, enjoyment and achievement for every child. Our aim is for all children to be equipped with an understanding of mathematics that will be relevant and useful in their future learning and in the world of work.
The programme brings together established ideas and methods of maths teaching into one approach. Children are focused on securing basic skills, ensuring that they have a deep understanding of what they are learning and how they can apply these skills to solving problems. In maths mastery children are not rushed through the curriculum, knowledge is not superficially gained, instead time is taken to embed the skills and knowledge ensuring that firm building blocks are in place. In lessons huge emphasis is on children thinking mathematically. Children engage in problem solving activities, learning and using skills such as reasoning, conjecturing, generalising and working systematically.
Key Principles of Mathematics Mastery
Mathematical problem solving is at the heart of the mathematics mastery approach, with an emphasis on three key principles; developing students' conceptual understanding, deepening mathematical thinking and with a consistent focus on correct mathematical language. The use of concrete manipulatives is also paramount to the development of the children's understanding.
Key principles:
Mathematical thinking - Pupils deepen their understanding by giving an example, by sorting or comparing, or by looking for patterns and rules in the representations they are exploring problems with.
Conceptual understanding - Pupils deepen their understanding by representing concepts using objects and pictures, making connections between different representations and thinking about what different representations stress and ignore.
Language and communication - Pupils deepen their understanding by explaining, creating problems, justifying and proving using mathematical language. This acts as a scaffold for their thinking deepening their understanding further.
Lesson format - Six parts
Each lesson starts with a quick 'Do Now' task - a task that they should be able to access independently at the beginning of the lesson.
New learning is then introduced and children are given talking time to discuss the areas of new learning, building on their vocabulary.
The learning is then developed further, building a deeper understanding before the children take part in an independent task. The lesson finishes with a chance to check the understanding and celebrate success.
Maths Meetings
Maths meetings are separate to the six part maths lesson and often happen in the afternoon at Seal. They happen every day for 20 minutes in every year group. Maths Meetings focus of consolidation key areas of mathematics that would otherwise not be covered regularly, e.g. time, shape, money.
These are a fun, motivating session where children are fully engaged and singing and chanting are used to support pupils. Each class has a Maths Meeting board with lots of pictures and visuals to help support the children.