Mathematics
Developing and sharing a sense of amazement over the infinite depth, mysterious beauty and usefulness of mathematics.
Intent
When teaching mathematics at St Mark’s Primary, we have high aspirations for all pupils. The high-quality maths curriculum that we provide will ensure that pupils leave our school with the necessary skills and knowledge for them to become successful in their future adventures.
We are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths 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 all children to enjoy maths and to experience success in the subject.
Through careful selection, sequencing and linking of declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge, we aim to systematically impart core mathematical facts, concepts, methods and strategies to enable children to experience success when problem solving.
Through systematic, teacher led approaches, our Progression of Skills aims to ensure high levels of automaticity which means that pupils work in depth and are extremely familiar with the facts and methods that will form strategies taught and applied later in their learning. Our vision is that all children have the opportunity to succeed, balancing new learning and rehearsal with regular opportunities to revisit skills and to ensure they are consolidated.
Our goal is that all pupils keep up with their peers and, where necessary, early intervention is provided to allow extra support to be given which allows all pupils to be successful and to continue to make positive progress in their learning journey.
Implementation
At St Mark’s Primary we have implemented a knowledge rich maths curriculum that allows for cumulative development of both knowledge and skills. We use My Mastery from Ark Curriculum to support our delivery, which helps learners to make connections between different mathematical concepts. Retrieving, using and applying concepts regularly, transferring to new contexts helps develop fluency as well as conceptual understanding.
Teachers deliver a full hour maths lesson every day. In addition to this, teachers also plan and deliver a daily 15 minutes ‘Maths Meeting’. The purpose of the ‘Maths Meeting’ is to consolidate key areas of mathematics and develop fluency in recall of key knowledge.
Our Mastery Curriculum seeks to develop our key driver of Vocabulary Acquisition with more conversation going on in lessons because pupils are actively encouraged to articulate, justify and explain their thinking, both as individuals and in groups. A lack of mathematical language can be a huge barrier to progress for children who have low prior attainment, so helping them gain confidence in talking about maths is vital. Building those communication skills is also incredibly beneficial for high attaining pupils.
Lessons provide opportunities to explore, investigate and debate ideas using objects and images, and pupils will be enabled to make meaningful connections in mathematics.
Our Mastery Curriculum is underpinned by 3 dimensions of depth: Conceptual Understanding, Language and Communication and Mathematical Thinking and these are evident through:
- A cumulative curriculum that builds upon learning, allowing pupils to make deep connections across topics
- Use of multiple representations throughout to strengthen conceptual understanding
- Emphasis on learning, and confidently using language to communicate mathematical problems
- Use of careful questioning to encourage students to build mathematical habits of mind
Impact
Mathematics Mastery Primary includes formative assessments within lessons, units, at the end of term and at the end of year, along with curriculum-linked standardised assessments. They help pinpoint pupil learning gaps and guide effective interventions. The unique curriculum-integrated formative assessments focus on one concept per question, helping teachers understand areas needing support. They test what pupils have learned, reveal knowledge gaps, and uncover misconceptions, helping teachers identify learning barriers.
- Pupil Voice - through discussion and feedback, children talk enthusiastically about their maths lesson and speak about how they enjoy learning maths. They can articulate the context in which maths is being taught and relate this to real life purposes.
- Knowledge - pupils know how and why maths is used in the outside world and in the workplace. They know about different ways that maths can support their future potential. Mathematical concepts or skills are mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times tables.
- Skills - pupils use acquired vocabulary in maths lessons. They have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work. Pupils are given the opportunity to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons. Teachers plan a range of opportunities to use maths inside and outside school.
Useful websites to support learning at home:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/maths/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/
Maths Curriculum Support for Parents