Introduction
At Lanner Primary School, we recognise maths as an essential life skill and we are committed to ensuring that all children have a positive and meaningful experience of the subject. We aim to present maths as a challenging, exciting and relevant subject in order to promote a confident attitude, not just in ‘maths lessons’ but across the entire curriculum.
As a whole school, we are on a ‘mastery’ journey, using the approach to deliver high quality teaching and learning of mathematics. We understand that this is a gradual process and take several years to fully embed. The rationale behind changing our approach to teaching mathematics lay within the research from the Mathematics Specialist Teacher Programme, the NCETM/ Maths Hub as well as the 2014 National Curriculum, which states:
The expectation is that most pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace.
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, before moving on.
The Mathematical Aims
To ensure that pupils:
At Lanner Primary School, we believe that mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are organised into distinct domains (we use the White Rose Materials to ensure coverage, progression and consistency of approach/ models/ imagers etc.), but 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 and understanding to science, PE and other subjects, and will be provided with opportunities to do so. The expectation is that the majority of 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.
EYFS
In Early Years, Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure.
Pupils are taught...
Number
count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20
place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number
add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer using quantities and objects
solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing
Shape, space and measure
use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems
recognise, create and describe patterns
explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes
use mathematical language to describe them.
Key Stage 1
The National Curriculum (2014) states that:
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].
At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.
By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.
Lower Key Stage 2
The National Curriculum (2014) states that:
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.
At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.
By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12-multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.
Upper Key Stage 2
The National Curriculum (2014) states that:
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.
At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Teaching should also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.
By the end of year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages.
Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.
A list of useful Mathematics based websites for Parents and Pupils
Please use the links below to help support your child at home:
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ - follow the links to the correct Key stage: Years 5 and 6 are KS2, Years 7 and 8 are KS3 – this website is very useful for revision.
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.
www.mathszone.co.uk - Useful website with hundreds of links to other websites – most resources are for KS2 with some for KS3.
www.supermathsworld.com - Maths games website aimed at mostly KS2 pupils – pupils can log in as a guest or create an account.
www.coolmath.com - Maths games website for pupils with links to lots of other sister websites such as coolmaths4kids.com.
www.crickweb.co.uk/
www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/
www.educationquizzes.com/ks2/
www.free-training-tutorial.
Parents' Area
Maths Support for Parents:
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/
Maths | Oxford Owl
Oxford Owl Maths supports you with your children’s maths throughout their primary years. You'll find a whole host of activities, simple ideas, top tips and eBooks ...
' Oxford Owl Maths - including an online maths dictionary The Oxford University Press have developed this site to support parents in helping their children with mathematics. You'll find lots of advice and support, games and activity ideas for how best to help your child develop as a mathematician. There's also information on what is taught in primary school maths lessons, and what some of the 'jargon' means!'