Maths at Edlesborough School

Intent

The 2014 National Curriculum for Maths aims to ensure that all children:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics
• Are able to reason mathematically
• Can solve problems by applying their Mathematics
 

At Edlesborough, these skills are embedded within daily maths lessons and developed consistently over time.

We want children to enjoy maths, to feel that buzz and that excitement with a can do attitude. Our core value of Inclusive is seen throughout our maths curriculum which is designed to be accessible to all as we are of the belief that everyone can do maths – one of the reasons that we follow White Rose Maths which has the same mantra. We are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Mathematics in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts. We want children to make connections in their mathematical learning, applying what they know to work out the unknown acquiring a deep understanding that produces strong and secure learning.

Our mathematics curriculum is designed to equip our pupils with tools that include logical reasoning, problem-solving skills and the ability to think in abstract ways. With Inquisitive as one of our core values, we are committed to developing children’s curiosity about the subject as well as building children’s mathematical resilience and the willingness to have a go. We strive to make children feel safe in their mathematics learning, to be able to take risks in an environment that celebrates good mistakes. Through our maths curriculum, we aim to create independent, reflective thinkers who relish the challenge of maths whilst being continually inspired to achieve and share their successes.

Implementation

During the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, mathematics forms part of many interactive learning experiences.  

Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of mathematics through play, exploration and discussion.  Children learn a number a week, looking at number formation, counting objects, sequencing and developing a deep understanding about what a number is. Children work with shapes and begin to learn their properties, use language to give positional clues and compare quantities, identify and recreate patterns.  They learn to count, read, write and order numbers to 20 using songs and rhymes, which is extended to 100 and beyond during Key Stage 1.

Within Key Stage 1 children are taught mental calculation strategies as a whole class for 10 minutes each day.  Additionally, they build on their prior knowledge and understanding of number to develop their skills of written calculation; they learn about shape and space through practical activity which builds on their understanding of their immediate environment.  They develop their use of mathematical language, using it to talk about their methods and explain their reasoning when solving problems. At this stage, learning remains very visual using concrete and pictorial representations before moving onto being more abstract, if appropriate for the child.  

Through Key Stage 2, children move from counting reliably to calculating fluently with all four number operations.  Children will use a wider range of mathematical language, diagrams and statistical charts. They learn to tackle a problem with mental methods before using any other approach, always supported with help and encouragement.  They extend and secure their use of mathematical language, using it to talk about their methods and explain their reasoning when solving problems. Children move from concrete to pictorial to abstract methods, with manipulative available to support and strengthen children’s understanding.

We follow the white rose maths schemes of learning which breaks learning objectives down into small steps to ensure that learning is progressive and develops children’s understanding. Each lesson includes all elements of varied fluency – including concrete, pictorial and abstract methods of developing children’s skills, as well as a range of reasoning and problem solving questions to support children in applying their understanding.

Impact

Context and Approach of Maths Teaching at Edlesborough:

• A mastery approach to ensure breadth and depth across the subject
• Learning broken down into small steps to ensure a deep understanding of topics
• Concrete, pictorial and abstract methods used to build understanding
• Manipulatives to be used across all key stages to support children in their learning and ensure a concrete foundation.
• Linked to everyday life and real life scenarios where possible
• Cross-curricular where possible
• Revisiting of concepts throughout the terms to ensure movement of concepts and knowledge from working memory to long term memory
• Daily teaching sessions which include fluency and reasoning and problem solving
• Mini plenaries to be used with the lesson to ensure that misconceptions are addressed and planned for.

Best practice

• Mathematical reasoning and problem solving at the core of teaching and learning
• Exploratory problem solving activities; providing children with the opportunity to build resilience and perseverance woven into all lessons
• Engaging children in exciting lessons
• Possible misconceptions are incorporated in planning and used as teaching points
• Using talk to promote discussion, justification and reasoning
• Children answer questions in full sentences to explain answers and build upon understanding.
• Use of classroom environment – prompt clouds, working walls, simmering pots, posters, resources, shapes, vocabulary
• End of block assessments to be used to find gaps that need plugging
• Same day interventions used to correct any misconceptions at the point of teaching
• Focus groups used by teachers and learning support assistants to accelerate progress and plug any gaps identified.
• Follows school calculation document and ensures children are confident in the different methods before progressing using a range of manipulative to support the move from concrete to pictorial to abstract.

Learning environment

• Displays which reflect current learning with quotes, photographs, process and evidence of children’s learning
• Manipulatives accessible to all
• Common misconceptions ‘good mistakes’ shared
• Resources and visual prompt displayed in the classrooms.
• Sentence stems relevant to topic to be shared and displayed.
• Working wall to include simmering pot to show areas which are being consolidated on a regular basis to support move from working memory to long term memory.
• Vocabulary to be displayed including a word of the week.

Recording

• Learning intention which is decontextualised and in child friendly language. This is based on the skills or knowledge the children are learning rather than doing.
• Rulers to be used for all underlining and KS2 to draw own margins in books
• Tables and graphs to be drawn in pencil.
• Children writing on the line and within squares and to be shown how to write explanations carefully.

Assessment

• Peer and self assessment – against agreed steps 2 success.
• Opportunities for children to mark their own work – this can be done with calculators and as part of mini-plenaries. Children to identify correction with a dot (not a cross) and to make corrections. This is a learning point.
• All work at least acknowledged marked, with developmental/feedback marking in line with the school’s live feedback policy.
• Developmental marking to scaffold, model or extend children. This can be given verbally.
• Children are given the opportunity to respond to feedback given and are taught how to respond.
• End of block assessments to be used in class and target tracker to be updated as topics are taught and consolidated.
• PiXL tests to be used as a diagnostic for Key Stage 2 Autumn – Summer and in Year 2 from the Spring term onwards.
• QLA analysis used to identify gaps in learning and to input into the following terms therapy/ intervention groups.

Resources

• Kept in classrooms and resource room, in labelled trays/boxes.
• Manipulatives are shared among classes
• WRM used long term planning and the small steps used to inform daily planning
• WRM premium resources to support teachers in activities linked to learning intention for maths lesson or to be used as a same day maths intervention
• Gareth Metcalfe ‘I see’ Resources to be used for embedding problem solving and reasoning tasks throughout daily maths lessons
• Fluent in 5 to support the teaching of fluency.
• Number blocks used to support teaching of early maths in EYFS alongside Gareth Metcalfe resources and WRM.

Learning outside the class

• Home learning – use of mathletics and completing activities set by the class teacher.
• Teachers all ensure children are set activities on mathletics weekly and that their progression is monitored and activities adapted accordingly.
• Mathletics certificates to be handed out weekly in key stage class assemblies which link to whole school house point reward system to ensure effort and progress is celebrated.