Maths

At Ackton Pastures, we strive to ensure our children have the knowledge and understanding to apply their mathematical skills to a range of calculations as well as reasoning and problem-solving questions in abstract and real-life contexts. We teach the children using concrete, pictorial and abstract representations to embed and deepen their understanding.

Within Early Years, children are given many opportunities to develop their understanding of number, measurement, pattern and shape and space through teaching sessions and provision. All provision areas, including outdoors, are structured to encourage children to apply and explore their mathematical skills, learnt within teaching sessions, independently.

In Key Stage one and two, each lesson consists of an arithmetic element, daily review, modelled teaching and independent activities that differ in complexity as they progress through fluency, reasoning and problem-solving questions.

Maths Statement of Intent

“Those who cannot learn from mathematics are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes. Those who do not read mathematics are doomed to repeat it. Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them.”

– George Santayana

Intent

What will take place before teaching in the classroom?

The school’s senior leadership team will:

Lead the school staff to develop a clear overarching curriculum intent which drives the ongoing development and improvement of Maths.
Ensure that the Maths leader has appropriate time to develop the Maths curriculum intent through careful research and development.
Provide sufficient funding to ensure that implementation is high quality.

The curriculum leader will:

Understand and articulate the expectations of the curriculum to support teaching and support staff in their planning and lesson delivery.
Ensure an appropriate progression of knowledge is in place which supports pupils in knowing more and remembering more as mathematicians.
Ensure an appropriate progression of mathematics skills and knowledge is in place over time so that pupils are supported to be the best mathematicians they can be, and challenge teachers to support struggling mathematicians and extend more competent ones.
Ensure an appropriate progression for vocabulary is in place for each phase of learning, which builds on prior learning.
Identify mathematicians who need further support in specific areas of the curriculum and raise aspirations for pupils.
Keep up to date with current mathematics research and subject development through an appropriate subject body or professional group.

The class teacher will, with support from the curriculum leader:

Follow the White Rose Maths long term plan.
Personally, pursue support for any particular subject knowledge and skills or gaps prior to teaching.
Equip classrooms with appropriate resources for children to access freely.
Plan and deliver Maths sessions that follow the agreed expectations.
Explore small steps within sessions and evidence this on classroom working walls.
Ensure concrete, pictorial and abstract representations are used in every lesson.
Analyse arithmetic scores weekly to inform the following week’s teaching.

Implementation

What will this look like in the classroom?

Our teaching sequence will be:

Daily arithmetic session to embed calculation skills.
Review most recent learning in mathematics.
Specify key vocabulary to be used and its meaning.
Specify and explore mathematical skills to be used.
Provide opportunities for the children to work interactively.
Provide opportunities for children to critically review their own work and that of others.
Individual reflection on the learning and mathematical skill compete using the correct skills development that has taken place.

Our classrooms will:

Provide children with a range of mathematical resources to support their learning that they can access freely.
Have developed learning walls which include high quality examples of procedures with annotations, vocabulary with definitions, different representations of questions alongside ‘top tips’ to support pupils independent work.
Be organised so that pupils can work in small groups or whole class as appropriate to support pupils in their development of their skills.

Our children will be:

Engaged because they are challenged by the Maths curriculum which they are provided with.
Resilient learners who overcome barriers and understand their own strengths and areas for development.
Able to critique their own work as a mathematician because they know how to be successful.
Safe and happy in mathematics lessons which give them opportunities to explore their own approaches to solve problems.
Encouraged and nurtured to overcome any barriers to their learning because feedback is positive.
Develop mathematical skills and confidence over time because of careful planning, focused delivery and time to practice and refine skills.

Impact

How will this be measured?

Pupil Voice will show:

A developed understanding of the methods and skills of mathematicians at an age appropriate level.
A secure understanding of the key techniques and methods for each key area of the curriculum.
The confidence in children’s differing approaches to similar problems.
A progression of understanding, with appropriate vocabulary which supports and extends understanding.
Confidence in discussing mathematics, their own work and identifying their own strengths and areas for development.
A clear understanding of different representations children are exposed to in Maths (bar model, part-whole model etc.).

Displays around school and books will show:

An engaging Maths curriculum which develops a range of mathematical skills.
Clear progression of Maths skills in line with expectations set out in the progression grids.
That pupils, over time, develop a range of skills and techniques across all of the areas of the mathematics curriculum.
A variety of representations for a range of questions.
Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving style questions.
Opportunity for children to ‘tick and fix’ their work.

The curriculum leader will:

Celebrate the successes of pupils through planned displays.
Collate appropriate evidence over time which evidences that pupils know more and remember more.
Monitor the standards in the subject to ensure the outcomes are at expected levels.
Provide ongoing CPD support based on the outcomes of subject monitoring to ensure that the impact of the Maths curriculum is wide reaching and positive.
Inform all staff of any new/ upcoming information that could influence their teaching.
Regularly reflect on resources used to ensure they are of the highest quality.

Curriculum Documents

Maths Progression Grid (White Rose) Download Icon