Mathematics
Intent
At Howden-le-Wear Primary School we aspire for all children to master Mathematical concepts to achieve success in all areas of Maths. We have implemented the ‘Mastery for All’ approach, which is based on the Five Big Ideas; Fluency, Representation and Structure, Variation, Mathematical Thinking and Coherence. We believe that by structuring learning into blocks made up of small, coherent steps, all children can develop deep, Mathematical understanding.
We endeavour to develop a positive, ‘can do’ attitude towards Mathematics. By working collaboratively, we aim to develop children’s resilience and independence, as well as their self-belief. We use concrete, pictorial, abstract methods, to develop a deep understanding of representations and to support the learning of all children, including those with Special Educational Needs. Regular ‘recap’ lessons, through the Mastering number programme and daily quiz questions, support fluency and the retention of prior learning, whilst Mathematical talk is a focus to promote Mathematical thinking and a deeper understanding.
Regular CPD, monitoring, support and collaboration is essential in ensuring that staff are able to provide a high-quality education for all children, that is consistent and progressive throughout school.
Our aim is for children to leave Howden-le-Wear Primary School:
– Having had access to a high-quality Maths curriculum, which is both challenging and enjoyable.
– Having been provided with a variety of mathematical opportunities, which will enable them to make the connections in learning needed to achieve a deeper understanding of Maths.
– Have been exposed to and developed a rich mathematical vocabulary, through many opportunities to use Mathematical talk.
– Ensure children are confident mathematicians, who are able to take risks, solve problems and explain a range of Mathematical ideas.
– As independent learners, with secure mathematical foundations and a desire to build upon these.
Our pupils should be able to:
– Recall facts and mathematical methods.
– Understand different mathematical representations and move fluidly between the concrete, pictorial and abstract.
– Recognise relationships, spot patterns and make connections in Mathematics.
– Reason about calculations, recognising and explaining their methods and/or mistakes.
Implementation
At Howden-le-Wear Primary School, we use the Mastery approach to teaching Maths by following Mastering the Curriculum (Nursery), Mastering Number (Reception to Year 2) and Power Maths (Year 1 to Year 6, including some Reception topics). The vast majority of children are taught in their own year group, completing work at an age-appropriate level, with support provided to ensure children can access their learning.
Power Maths begins with a mathematical story that sets the scene for the lesson. This real-life scenario provides context and ensures children have an understanding of the relevance of Maths in everyday life. Children then participate in a ‘Think Together’ session. The aim is that this session should be very discussion based. Children are encouraged to answer questions, ask questions, explore and explain what they are being taught, to deepen their understanding. We challenge children to explain their thinking by asking questions such as, “Why do you do that?”, “How do we know that?” or “Why is that right/wrong?”
We use the “I do, we do, you do” model to develop confidence and independence.
I do – In the I do stage, teachers explain what students need to understand and model how to complete a method or task.
We do – the we do stage, is where children are provided with scaffolds and prompts to support them to achieve the learning objective. Mathematical talk and paired work is encouraged to develop understanding and the progression of vocabulary and children are challenged to explain their thinking. This stage incorporates the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach, and throughout the session, support will be removed as children no longer require it.
You do – the final stage, is where children complete their task in their Power Maths books. For the majority of children, this task will be independent. Although they may still require concrete resources, their ability to use these independently will have improved so that they are able to show their understanding on their own.
At the end of the lesson, teachers display the Challenge question from the children’s independent workbooks. All children are involved in discussing how this could be completed. This may be teacher-led, child-led or it may involve paired talk to share ideas. All children participate in this part of the lesson, as we feel that even if they have not got onto this task during their independent task, all children should be challenged to solve problems and have a go at this ‘higher level’ question that encourages them to really think hard.
EYFS
Our Nursery children follow the White Rose Maths scheme, provided by Master the Curriculum. This scheme provides practical, fun and engaging resources to our children, whilst remaining aligned to the White Rose scheme and the principle of Mastery teaching. All children access a daily input, which is followed by practical learning opportunities in our continuous provision areas, both indoors and outdoors. Language is a key part of Mathematical learning in the Early Years, as we feel this is essential in providing a solid foundation for the later years. Children also explore and develop their awareness of Maths during PE lessons and forest school sessions, where Mathematical language and problem-solving skills are developed in a practical way. Children in our Reception class also access daily Maths lessons and continuous provision. To prepare children for Key Stage 1, by developing number skills in a hands-on and engaging manner, our Reception children use a combination of the Mastering Number scheme (for all ‘Number’ objectives) and Power Maths (for Measurement and Shape objectives).
Key Stage 1
A typical lesson in Year 1 and 2 will include: A daily session following the ‘Mastering Number’ programme to develop fluency of basic number skills.A shared input. New concepts are taught by teachers. Children are then encouraged to have a go at a series of questions through a combination of teacher-led, child-led and paired discussions. Concrete resources are used, where appropriate, and key vocabulary taught to develop deeper understanding. Independent activity. Children demonstrate their understanding by completing tasks in their Power Maths books and additional fluency tasks, where appropriate. Final task. Teacher discusses challenge question from Power Maths book and shares with children how this could be completed. Children in Year 2 will complete a daily ‘recap’ lesson. This involves 5-10 questions based on previous learning. The topic of these questions remains the same all week, to allow children to make progress throughout the week. At the end of a session, children mark their work and discuss how to complete each question. Children in Year 2 will complete weekly Arithmetic sessions when this is felt appropriate by the class teacher. Children are introduced to Times Tables Rockstars in Year 2.
Key Stage 2
A typical lesson in Year 3-6 will include: A daily ‘recap’ lesson. This involves 5-10 questions based on previous learning. The topic of these questions remains the same all week, to allow children to make progress throughout the week. At the end of a session, children mark their work and discuss how to complete each question. A shared input. New concepts are taught by teachers. Children are then encouraged to have a go at a series of questions through a combination of teacher-led, child-led and paired discussions. Concrete resources are used, where appropriate, and key vocabulary taught to develop deeper understanding. Independent activity. Children demonstrate their understanding by completing tasks in their Power Maths books and additional fluency tasks, where appropriate. Final task. Teacher discusses challenge question from Power Maths book and shares with children how this could be completed. Children in Year 3-6 will complete weekly Arithmetic sessions.Children in Year 3-4 will complete weekly times table lessons. Children in Year 5-6 will continue to practice times tables regularly if required to develop more automaticity in recall of these skills. Children continue to have access to Times Tables Rockstars from Year 3 to Year 6.
Impact
The impact of our Mathematics curriculum is that all children develop and progress during their time in school, to ensure that they are prepared for the next step in their education when the time comes for them to move to secondary school. Our children can relate their learning to the real-world and understand the importance of developing Mathematical understanding, to support them in daily life. We strive for all children to have a positive view of Maths and a ‘can-do’ attitude, by promoting environments where children are supported, challenged and allowed to investigate, explore and communicate to deepen their understanding. Our children are taught that mistakes are learning opportunities and to develop resilience to find the correct answer, thus strengthening their learning journey. A range of methods and strategies are taught, to support children in selecting the correct method for a task and we support them to use concrete resources, when appropriate. Our Maths books are representative of each child’s learning journey – a journey of progressive, small steps in their education. They show a range of fluency, problem-solving and reasoning activities, with the variation and challenge required for all children to achieve success. Additional support to all children who may need this, through feedback, intervention or quality first teaching, ensure a high proportion of children are on track or above and that all children achieve success.
Maths Policy and Planning 2024-25
Power Maths Reception Overview
Power Maths Reception Calculation Policy
Power Maths White Rose Edition KS1 Calculation Policy
Power Maths White Rose Edition LKS2 Calculation Policy
Power Maths White Rose Edition UKS2 Calculation Policy
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