Maths
'Mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas'
Albert Einstein
Intent: Why we teach your child maths and what we teach.
The 2014 National Curriculum for Maths aims to ensure that all children:
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics.
- Are able to reason mathematically.
- Can solve problems by applying their Mathematics.
At Elburton Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the world around them in order to build their own cultural capital through enrichment activities, learning about Maths within the wider world as well as within daily Maths lessons.
It is essential children are able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts. We want all children to enjoy Mathematics and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically. We are therefore committed to developing children’s curiosity about the subject, as well as an appreciation of the beauty and power of Mathematics in the wider world.
Implementation: What our maths curriculum looks like and how we teach it.
We have carefully sequenced our maths curriculum, so that children learn in sequenced ‘blocks’ and ‘small steps’ that are carefully adapted and spaced (in certain year groups) to build on children’s prior learning at each step.
The curriculum also ensures that skills that have been learnt are then used in different contexts, ensuring that children’s understanding is strengthened.
Mathematics Medium Term Plans and Effective Learning Principles for Maths:
Here are a few examples of our medium term spaced learning objective plans for Terms 1 and 2 as well as our effective learning principles for Maths:
Impact: How children show that they know and remember more?
Our school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing their collaborative and independent skills, as well as empathy and the need to recognise the achievement of others.
Children may underperform in Mathematics because they think they can’t do it or are less confident. White Rose Maths, alongside other resources and adaptations, help to address these preconceptions by ensuring that all children experience challenge and success in Mathematics by developing a growth mindset.
Regular and ongoing assessment from NFER assessments as well as regular, daily teacher assessment as an ongoing tool, informs teaching across the year and on a day-to-day basis.
We target intervention as a result of these assessments to support and enable the success of each child through daily point of need interventions and carefully adapted activities.
These factors ensure that we are able to maintain high standards, with achievement at the end of Key Stage 2 above the national average and we strive to ensure a high percentage of children demonstrating greater depth, at the end of Key Stage 2.
How you can help your child at home:
EYFS and Key Stage 1
In EYFS, incorporate mathematics into everyday routines and activities: tidying up and meal times in particular provide opportunities for conversations about counting, comparing, time, and sharing. Snack times and meals are a great opportunity to learn mathematics, such as counting, estimating and comparing. You can compare quantities such as more or less or quantify food items (making sure to link the last number counted to the number of items in the set) or discuss the capacity of different cups or jugs.
In KS1, please support your child with their learning of addition and subtraction facts. Automatic recall of these facts is essential for fluency and necessary for children to access many areas of the KS1 curriculum.
Numbots is a great resource - evidence shows that using it daily will improve children's recall of facts.
You can use it at https://numbots.com/ or download the app. If you are not sure how to log on please ask your child's class teacher.
Please also support your child to complete home learning tasks when they are set for home learning. It is important you do not do the home learning for them but support any misconceptions which they may have.
Key Stage 2
Times Tables:
In KS2, please support your child every day with their learning of times tables. Automatic recall of times tables (within 6 seconds) is essential for fluency and necessary for children to access many areas of the KS2 curriculum. It is an expectation set by the government that children should know ALL facts to 12x12 by the end of Year 4.
Times Tables Rock Stars is a great resource - evidence shows that using it daily will improve children's recall of facts.
You can use it at https://ttrockstars.com/ or download the app. If you are not sure how to log on please ask your child's class teacher.
Please also support your child to complete home learning tasks when they are set for home learning. It is important you do not do the home learning for them but support any misconceptions which they may have.
