Maths

Intent

At Ninfield CE Primary School, we value the importance of mathematics as a subject that will be used and applied by every person throughout their adult life. We intend our children to leave school with a fluency that transcends through all areas of mathematics; an ability to problem-solve, to reason and apply learned mathematical skills to new areas of learning across the curriculum.

We will strive to ensure that children develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards maths; to experience the awe and wonder of it and have a means of looking at the patterns which make up our world. We also want them to be able to apply their mathematical learning to other subject areas.

We believe all children can achieve in mathematics and teach for secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through manageable steps. We provide a curriculum which caters for the needs of all our children and incorporates sustained levels of challenge.

The National Curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:

become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils have conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems
reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Curriculum Implementation

At Ninfield, we follow the teaching for Mastery Approach. What does this look like?

Lessons involve keeping the whole class working together as much as possible at the same pace. Learners do not have a 'ceiling' put on their learning – mastery is available for all children.
Lessons involve small steps which results in greater progress, transferring learning from a child’s short to long-term memory. Spending longer on mastering key topics builds a child’s confidence and helps to secure and embed understanding.
Children learn concepts by using concrete apparatus such as counters, Numicon as well as drawing pictorial representations and using more abstract symbols – the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract approach.
Review sessions are used to revisit previous learning and ensure Maths skills are embedded including Early Bird Maths.
Fluency is developed through repeating, reinforcing and revising key skills; number bonds, times tables and mental arithmetic (Spice Club) takes place in all classes weekly.
Reasoning skills are built into daily lessons where children are given opportunities to explain their thinking using accurate mathematical language. Questions such as: How do you know? Can you prove it? feature regularly in lessons.
Correct mathematical vocabulary is used by all teachers and this is discussed with, and explained to, children who are then encouraged to use it independently when talking about maths. This includes using stem sentences and generalisations which are displayed clearly so they can be referred to in every lesson.
Problem –solving is included within lessons so that the children can apply the skills they have learned.
Challenge is provided in every lesson for all children. These encourage children to think more deeply about the mathematical concepts. They are offered rich and sophisticated problems rather than accelerating through new content.
Additional support may be given through the use of concrete apparatus, questioning, additional time or activities to consolidate understanding. Children who have not grasped a concept are identified quickly and if possible, same day or next day intervention is given to enable them to keep up.
SEND children have lessons tailored to meet their current targets set out by their additional needs plans and Pivats assessments.
We use a range of learning resources to deliver our lessons including: Whiterose, Power Maths, Maths No Problem, NCETM and NRich.

Early Years- Reception

In Reception, children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. They should be able to automatically recall number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts. Children will be provided with rich opportunities to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Key Stage One- Years 1 and 2

The principal aim 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. Pupils should begin to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. They should know 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 number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. Children should be able to fluently recall their 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x table by the end of Year 2 and be able to recall the related division facts. Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, appropriate to their level.

Lower Key Stage Two – Years 3 and 4

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. Children should also be able to recall the division facts for their multiplication tables. Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper Key Stage Two – Years 5 and 6

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.

Formal written calculation methods

Impact

The impact of our maths curriculum will be seen by:

Observing maths learning and teaching
Children are confident to ‘have a go’ and are using a range of concrete and/or pictorial to support their learning
Seeing engaged and enthused children during their lessons
Talking to our children about their maths learning
Looking at children’s maths book
Learning that is tracked and monitored to ensure all children make good progress

Maths games

Times Table Rocks Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice. By the end of Year 4, children should be able to recall all facts for multiplication tables up to 12 x 12. All children can log in here:

TTRS

Key Stage 1 children can access Numbots which teaches children how to use efficient mental calculation strategies to add and subtract. Click on the link below:

Numbots

Other maths websites which are free to use: