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Maths
The Curriculum Gift that we give to our children...
To provide a solid foundation in mathematics, gaining a deep understanding of mathematics and enjoy solving mathematical problems whilst fully embedding key skills and mathematical facts.
More Information about Maths
At each school within the Federation we strive for our children to be successful and proficient mathematicians. Maths is a life skill – we use it all the time for example when we are baking, when shopping, whilst driving and when solving problems. We use maths when we are drawing, when building, whilst waiting for the bus and when going on holiday. We even use maths when we don’t even realise it. Therefore it is essential that we enable our children to be successful in this subject.
To be successful in Maths, we recognise that pupils need to develop their conceptual understanding. In other words, pupils don’t only need to be able to recall facts quickly, they also need to be able to apply their knowledge in a range of different contexts, including those that are new and unfamiliar. This is the idea at the heart of ‘Maths Mastery’, an approach to Maths based upon best practice found in Singapore.
In order to develop conceptual understanding in our pupils, this year we are implementing the CPA approach to learning (concrete, pictorial and abstract). This approach recognises that in order for pupils to understand abstract concepts, they must first learn mathematical concepts through the use of concrete resources and pictorial representation.
Concrete is the ‘doing’ stage, using concrete objects to solve problems. It brings concepts to life by allowing children to handle physical objects themselves.
Pictorial is the ‘seeing’ stage, using representations of the objects involved in maths problems. This stage encourages children to make a mental connection between the physical object and abstract levels of understanding, by drawing or looking at pictures, circles, diagrams or models which represent the objects in the problem.
Abstract is the ‘symbolic’ stage, where children are able to use abstract symbols to model and solve maths problems.
At Dove Holes and Peak Dale, we have recently altered our whole school approach to mathematics using a scheme of work called White Rose Maths and at Taddington the Power Maths scheme is used in order to help us embed this approach. These schemes are based upon extensive research into maths teaching around the world, particularly Singapore and promotes an approach incorporating the use of well thought through and highly varied resources, integral problem solving and group work. The schemes are child-centred and fun to teach and was assessed by the DfE’s expert panel, which judged that it met the core criteria for a high-quality teaching for mastery.
This new approach aims to develop the use of oracy as a key means to promote mathematical understanding rather than learning through drills and the early introduction of abstract concepts.
Every lesson is divided into sections that involve plenty of discovery, sharing, collaboration, practice and reflection. Children are encouraged to solve problems each day through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking.
Concepts constantly revisited to help children to remember!
Would you like to know more about Mathematics at our schools ?
In Mathematics at Dove Holes and Peak Dale we follow the White Rose Maths scheme. At Taddington we follow the Power Maths scheme. You can find out more about these schemes and when we teach specific topics by visiting the White Rose and Power Maths websites. A summary of these topics is also in our Maths Long Term Plan.
You can find out more about the specific way provision in Foundation Stage 2 links into the subject by reading about objectives that children access in Mathematics in the Foundation Stage.
You may also wish to find out more about how children make progress across the school by reading our Maths Progression Grid which explains the knowledge and skills we expect a typical child to demonstrate at the end of each year.
Conditional knowledge
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Lessons always begin with a carefully chosen problem so that pupils are in- increasingly confident with seeing past the surface fea- tures and recognise the deep structure of problems.
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The routine problem solving in every session together with high levels of variation in question types and formats allow pupils to solve problems without resorting to unstructured trial and error approaches
Procedural knowledge
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Plans acknowledge the most efficient and accurate methods of calculation that pupils will use in their next stage of mathematics education.
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Pupils are equipped with knowledge of how to lay out calculations systematically and neatly
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Pupils calculate with speed and accuracy. They practice daily, weekly and using online learning platforms.
Intent, Implementation, Impact.
Intent
We have designed our Maths curriculum with the intent that our children will become resilient, motivated, independent and fluent Mathematicians. They will be able to apply their skills and knowledge in a wide range of situations within and out of the classroom.
We will deliver a curriculum that:
- disrupts learning to fully embed new concepts,
-build on key skills as the children progress through the school,
-encourages the children to take risks and use problem solving to further develop understanding,
- is inclusive and scaffolded for all children to access,
-challenges the children through the skills of problem solving, reasoning and fluency,
- inspires learning through a robust teaching style that is modelled across each year group, -
aspires the children to become great mathematicians.
We teach a mastery approach to Mathematics and aim to ensure our children have a breadth of understanding across all mathematical concepts.
Implementation
The Maths curriculum is overseen by one coordinator across the Federation. They will oversee, monitor, assess and review our practices across school to ensure Maths provision is the best it can be. As with other subjects, the co-ordinator facilitates an in-depth inquiry with parents, children and staff. Formative assessment is featured in every Maths session and used to inform future planning and pupils next steps. Pre-learn and end of unit checks are used to formally assess progress within a term and once a term formal online assessments are used to inform about children’s progress and identify learning gaps. The schemes we use, Power Maths for Y1-6 and Maths No Problem for Reception ( Taddington) and White Rose Maths ( Dove Holes and Peak Dale) are fully compliant with the National Curriculum 2014 and aligned with the Early Years Statutory Framework 2021. In addition, weekly Big Maths sessions are delivered in class and used for home learning. This enables regular practice of key maths skills so that pupils develop number fluency. This ensures that our plans prioritise thinking about core content so that pupils know what to do. Pupil gaps are assessed weekly and in turn sessions address whole class weaknesses with personalised home learning linking with individual learning priority areas.
Power Maths, Maths no problem and White Rose are schemes based on skill and knowledge progression where the children naturally develop their understanding as they travel through school. This allows children to build on prior knowledge and develop their understanding. The models and representations used are repeated each year, so children deepen their understanding of how to use these and apply them to their work.
Knowledge organisers are being developed and sent out regularly for pupils, parents and teachers to use as a reference point. They include the areas of learning, key vocabulary and some ways in which to assess children’s understanding. Opportunities for CPD are shared and discussed regularly with the Maths co-ordinator attending 3 Maths leader briefings each year and disseminating information to staff. Our Maths coordinator is also completing the National Professional Qualification for Leading Teaching ( NPQLT)
Impact
Children learn best when they connect knowledge with what they already know.
During Maths lessons, children will be given the opportunities to ask and answer questions, try new ideas and concepts and find ways in which to solve problems. The maths curriculum ensures high quality teaching across all age groups which meets the needs of individual children and allows groups of children to be supported by targeted, proven interventions.
Enjoyment of the maths curriculum promotes aspiration, resilience, problem-solving skills and confidence.
The children will develop their resilience and be happy to learn from their mistakes. They will realise that Maths is about trying lots of different ways to find a solution and does not always have a right or wrong answer.
The children will become fluent in all key skills including times tables and will be able to apply these across a range of situations and contexts. End of unit assessments as well as the weekly Big Maths quiz ensures that pupils are regularly tested on their recall of core maths facts. KIRFS ( Key Instant Recall Facts) are incorporated into Beat That sessions providing a a clear benchmark for accuracy and speed as true indicators of automaticity.
End of unit skill checks, in addition to weekly quizzing, retrieval practice grids, and Big Maths incorporate opportunities for assessing pupils’ knowledge of core methods such as finding equivalent fractions, converting measurements or using short division. The approach will ensure pupils are able to fluent tackle tricky problems.
Children will leave the school with strong skills and be able to apply these in real life across a range of contexts. Children will be enthusiastic and able to use their maths skills to solve problems in a variety of real-life situations.
Subject Leadership Snap Shot
Pedagogy
Instructional approaches are systematic following DfE accredited schemes. Units of learning are blocked and revisited and session begin with retrieval practice prioritising successful rehearsal and consolidation in lesson and over time. Through careful modelling and worked examples, pupils are guided through instruction following the 'I do, we do , you do' approach. Well designed text books and worksheets minimise the need for equipment choices and offer clear expectations so that pupils do not have to overly work out what to do.
Teacher talk is well balanced with periods of paired and independent work so that sessions give pupils enough time to rehearse core content and efficient methods.
Through weekly Big Maths quizzing and linked gap teaching, pupils experience successful use of core facts and methods to complete exercises and solve problems, in addition lessons and journaling time allows pupils to demonstrate their understanding.
Assessment
Pupils are regularly tested on their recall of core maths facts ( Big Maths, Time Tables check) and Learn it sessions in Big Maths give a prescribed benchmark for accuracy and speed of recall. Question types and formats are varied to give a true indicator of automaticity. End of unit knowledge and skill checks assess pupils’ knowledge of core methods. SAFE maths allows pupils to practice on a weekly basis other core components such as finding equivalent fractions, converting measurements or using short division.
Summative tests take place termly to ensure, for both pupils and staff, workload is manageable, meaningful and appropriate.
Culture
Proficiency in mathematics is celebrated by way of class rewards and certificates, recognising individual progress.
Our planned theme weeks ensure pupils appreciate the ways in which mathematics underpins advances in technology and science. The language of learning in schools underpins our philosophy that pupils should know that creativity, motivation and love of mathematics follow success born of hard work.
Systems
Regular pupil progress meetings and the monitoring of lessons and outcomes enables leaders to support teachers to further improve. Additional teaching capacity allows for the lead maths teacher to support those who require additional support with the teaching of maths. All of these strategies are designed to improve outcomes so therefore overtime reducing the need for interventions.
Through Professional Development Meetings and in class coaching and mentoring, staff are supported in developing their own subject and subject-specific pedagogical knowledge.
Retrieval practice grids are sent home for home learning as well as knowledge organisers. Together with consultation evenings, detailed reports, lesson drop in events, 'cake and calculations' parents are kept well informed of their child’s proficiency in mathematics.