Maths
I like Maths because it makes my brain work and helps me build up some Maths muscles so that I can use them when I am older.
(Edna - Year 2)
Curriculum Intent
In line with our whole school values of enjoy, discover, achieve, we use a mastery approach to teaching Mathematics. Our aim is to teach for a secure and deep understanding for all pupils, through a range of tasks which develop pupils' skills in line with the National Curriculum themes of fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Work is delivered through whole class lessons which are carefully planned to help develop mathematical understanding. Key concepts of number and place value, calculation, fractions, geometry and statistics are broken into small steps and addressed sequentially to ensure that all children can access the learning. We aim to challenge children through rich, deep tasks which encourage them to think deeply, reason mathematically and apply their understanding in a range of contexts.
At Cookley Sebright Primary School we follow the White Rose scheme for Maths. This provides each class teacher with a detailed and structured curriculum map, ensuring continuity and supporting transition. Supplementary materials from Hamilton, the NCETM and nRich are also woven into our sequences to provide depth. Teachers introduce new topics using the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach. This enables children to gain a deep understanding of the mathematical concepts so that learning is sustainable over time. It also allows children to build new learning upon prior knowledge and consolidate key skills.
In Early Years and Key Stage One, we use the NCETM Mastering Number approach to provide a secure Mathematics foundation that the pupils can build their learning upon. From Year 3 to 6, children have a daily arithmetic session of around 20-30 minutes which is used to secure and refine their skills, to pre-teach any new content and to revise any content that has been taught. This spiral approach helps children to keep all their learning at their fingertips and so that they have good arithmetic fluency to tackle more challenging problems.
Our Maths lessons broadly follow a fluency, reasoning, problem solving model, using the language: do it, twist it, deepen it, so that all children have the opportunity to practise key number and arithmetic skills, develop arithmetic fluency and consolidate existing skills before applying this knowledge to more challenging problem solving and reasoning activities.
