Sapperton Church Of England Primary School

Mathematics

 

INTENT

We recognise that Mathematics is a critical area of skill and knowledge that impacts on the quality and value of the lives we lead. Our aims in the teaching of Mathematics in Sapperton include:

  • Promoting enjoyment through practical activity, exploration and discussion;
  • Developing confidence and competence with numbers and the number system;
  • Developing the ability to solve problems through decision-making and reasoning in a range of contexts;
  • Developing a practical understanding in the ways in which information is gathered and presented;
  • Exploring features of shape and space, and developing measuring skills in a range of contexts;
  • Helping children understand the important of mathematics in everyday life.

 

Our Christian vision is embedded thoroughly in our school life and the learning that is contained therein. In mathematics, we nurture children’s faith in themselves, each other and in the curriculum we deliver, and inspire success through carefully planned and assessed mathematical concepts matched to the national curriculum expectations. National Curriculum for Mathematics At Sapperton, this starts in EYFS where children get the chance to begin their journey of mathematics with support and creativity. The Early Years Framework supports our planning and provision of mathematics. EYFS Mathematics

 

Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and to become the best version of themselves by approaching it with resilience and positivity. The teaching of mathematics supports the social and emotional development of our children through the way we expect them to work with each other, think independently and think critically. We use these transferable skills across many other areas of our curriculum. Emphasis is given to oracy during these lessons so our children are able to discuss what they are learning. We teach mathematics with the aim of children being able to articulate what being a mathematician involves: spotting patterns, solving problems, using what they already know, finding efficient methods and working systematically.

At Sapperton, we build knowledge and skills through an engaging curriculum; finding ways to make the learning stick and using real life examples to make the mathematics meaningful. For example, the use of Flashback 4s at the start of lessons gives the children a chance to practise skills they have learnt before, thus helping them remember more. The engaging curriculum is achieved through carefully planning and sequenced lessons, based on small steps for particular year groups which are adapted and developed to support pupils with SEND. We have high expectations for all and foster a belief that, with well-planned adaptations to our teaching, (such as the use of manipulatives or adult support) our inclusive curriculum allows for all children to be successful in their learning. The mastery approach enables us to do this successfully.

Our curriculum aims for all children to:

  • become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics. This will allow children time to practise the skills increasing their conceptual understanding. It gives children time to be secure in a skill and their understanding so they can recall it instantly and apply the knowledge rapidly and accurately.
  • reason mathematics by using mathematical language and understanding of concepts that can be justified with proof, generalised or relationships explained.
  • Solve problems by applying the mathematics they already know with increasing complexity, breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering with finding solutions.

 

IMPLEMENTATION

For our mastery approach to mathematics at Sapperton, we use the White Rose curriculum to support our teaching. We use objectives broken down into small steps and building the children’s learning carefully to support their understanding of concepts. We teach each year group separately to enable every child to build these foundations carefully and help the small steps’ knowledge and understanding embed in the children’s memory better. This also enables teachers to use time carefully to help any child to “keep up” with the learning sequence; providing effective assessment for learning and creating time to support any children instantly, if needed.  Each mathematics lesson consists of a number of different parts: Power Up, Flashback 4s, the next Small Step (suggested and supported by the White Rose curriculum) and independent tasks.

These elements help children to remember more, build on knowledge and skills, work collaboratively and practise skills that are planned to support the specific needs of the children. Research has proven that the more children revisit existing knowledge, the “stickier” that knowledge becomes. Our curriculum offer reflects this; providing lots of opportunities for children to practise learnt skills and to apply them in problem solving. The White Rose curriculum supports this approach to the teaching of mathematics. 

Mathematics Curriculum

Implementation in school

Power Up!

This is time given to improve fluency of specific fundamental knowledge and skills. This time may also be used to pre-teach, re-teach or provide specific and targeted SEND interventions.  

Flashback 4s

As part of the robust White Rose mathematics curriculum, we begin with a revisit of previous learning. There are 4 carefully planned questions that draw on understanding from the day before, the week before, the term before and the year before.

Small Steps learning

We use the White Rose curriculum to support our mapping out of the small steps and learning journey. This breaks down the objectives and helps build children’s knowledge and skills up, giving a strong foundation from which they can then reason coherently and problem solve systematically.

Each unit of work is planned carefully and lessons are adapted to allow all learners to access them. We use manipulatives and representations to enable children to see why things work as they do and so deepen their understanding. Within these lessons, children will have the opportunity to:

·       DO IT (practise the skill they are being taught to do – the more fluent they are in this skill, the more successfully it is applied in other activities)

·       SECURE IT (reason and apply the skill into a simple problem in context)

·       DEEPEN IT (use the skill, possibly alongside other skills, to problem solve in a different context, solve multi-step problems or to pattern seek with multiple solutions to problems)

All children will be exposed to all levels of the learning regularly through directed teaching time, group work or independent work. High quality formative assessment is used throughout our maths lessons to enable us to put in effective and quick support activities to enable every child to “keep up” in their learning.

Independent Tasks

There will be other opportunities during maths lessons for practise, exploration, problem solving or re-teaching. Carefully planned experiences will be provided during this time to support children in making excellent progress. These activities may be the use of number games, times table practise (including Times Table Rock Stars), or using manipulatives to explore concepts or further practise of a specific area of learning.

EYFS

Carefully planned provision enables all of the children in EYFS to learn and explore the fundamental concepts to early maths. This includes working with number and pattern finding. We also use directed teaching time to help frame learning and quality formative assessments are used to help support any children who may need support in their learning journey. We use the EYFS White Rose curriculum to support our planning of the learning journeys. Time is given during the day to enable these effective interventions to take place.

 

IMPACT

Attainment in mathematics is measured using the Key Stage 1 optional SATs and the statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage Two. We also measure attainment using the Multiplication Tables Check at the end of year 4. These results are measured against the mathematics attainment of children nationally.

 

At Sapperton we measure impact through:

  • Formative assessments during every lesson
  • White Rose End of Unit Assessments
  • NFER assessments in autumn, spring and summer
  • What children say about mathematics in school
  • Moderation within school and within a cluster
  • Robust Subject Leader monitoring (Book Looks, Learning Walks etc)