Maths

Maths Intent

At Bournebrook C of E Primary, we aim to promote a love of maths to enable our pupils to become enthusiastic, creative and articulate mathematicians who use their skills to become great problem solvers. Mathematics is a tool for life, which provides a way of viewing and making sense of the world. It is used to analyse and communicate information and ideas and to tackle a range of tasks and real life problems. Our intention is to prepare our children not only for secondary school, but also for maths in context of their everyday lives including further education and careers.

What do we want children to learn?

Through a varied and inspiring curriculum, we aim to develop the children’s problem solving, resilience and reflective skills – skills that are easily transferable across the curriculum.

Irrespective of needs, it is our intention that every pupil acquires the skills to carry out efficient mental and written calculations using manipulatives and hands on learning. We want all children to achieve their full potential by applying maths to real life contexts and investigation.

Maths Implementation

The maths national curriculum is delivered through the use of White Rose Maths, which staff adapt to meet the needs of their cohort and to ensure full coverage of the curriculum including; fluency, problem solving and reasoning. Other resources are selected to support White Rose Maths, in order to expose children to a wide variety of formats and ensure that children are skilled at making their own jottings, including bar models, and can independently set out calculations.

The use of manipulatives allows the use of models and images to enable the progression from concrete to pictorial then to abstract. Children use these resources from reception to Year 6 and they are available for children to use these independently where needed.

Feedback is given in a variety of ways to ensure pupils are well informed and making visible progress. There is a range of self, peer and teacher marking evident in books with children responding to teacher marking in green pen. Challenges are used to deepen understanding.  Collaboration is valued and children are encouraged to discuss their thoughts, ideas and methods with a partner, group or the teacher.

Early Years Maths

Number fluency is continually developed within early years: our Mathematical curriculum covers ‘Number and Shape, Space and Measures.’ Children take part in short maths sessions daily and are given time to explore mathematical concepts, test ideas, develop their understanding and practise taught skills through play. Subitising is a key element of everyday maths in the early years’ classroom, with children being able to become confident with numbers up to 10.

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. Children are encouraged to use their mathematical understanding and skills to solve real-life problems and staff are trained to identify and extend opportunities to develop this further.

Maths Impact

Everyday marking is used for teachers to gather an understanding of their pupil’s existing and developing knowledge and skills. This is used by teachers as a diagnostic tool to adapt teaching to meet the needs of all children.

At the end of each year, the expectation is that children achieve 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 (where possible).

By the end of Year 6, children will have developed a range of efficient skills that can be used to calculate effectively, they will be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics with a conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply key facts accurately. Children will be able to apply these calculation skills and understanding of other areas to become confident and resilient problem-solvers with the ability to reason and articulate their ideas  through the use precise mathematical language.

Mathematical fluency

To promote the speed and accuracy of mental calculation children work on mathematical fluency for 10 minutes every afternoon. The skills have been carefully selected and chosen to help support the acquisition of key mathematical concepts.

Daily fluency sessions across school look very different, with chanting, counting and games all being used to developed the key identified skills.

 Younger children are part of the Mastering Number programme and are developing number sense and knowledge using rekenreks.