Mathematics

Mathematics at St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary Academy

At St. Peter and St. Paul, every class from EYFS to Y6 follows the White Rose scheme of learning, which is based on the National Curriculum. Lessons may be personalised to address the individual needs and requirements of a class (especially due to lost learning during Covid-19) but coverage is maintained.

We develop the children’s fluency and reasoning and problem-solving using a Mastery approach, which encourages resilience, adaptability and acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning.

Please see our calculation policy, so you are able to support your child, using these methods at home.

Intention

The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide children with a foundation for understanding number, reasoning, thinking logically and problem solving with resilience so that they are fully prepared for the future. It is essential that these keystones of Mathematics are embedded throughout all strands of the National Curriculum.

Mastery: Pupils are required to explore maths in depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their workings. A wide range of mathematical resources are used and pupils are taught to show their workings in a concrete, pictorial and abstract form wherever suitable. They are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. We encourage resilience, adaptability and acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning. Our curriculum allows children to better make sense of the world around them relating the pattern between mathematics and everyday life

White Rose & Deepening Understanding: Every class from EYFS to Y6 follows the White Rose scheme of learning which is based on the National Curriculum. Lessons may be personalised to address the individual needs and requirements for a class (especially due to lost learning during Covid) but coverage is maintained. In order to further develop the children’s fluency, reasoning and problem-solving, we use Deepening Understanding which correlates to the White Rose lessons and further develops children’s understanding of a concept and the links between maths topics. We also use a range of planning resources including those provided by the NCETM, Twinkl and NRICH to enrich our lessons.

Early Morning Work and Pre-Teaching: We have Early Morning activities in each class whereby children are set a maths task to ensure general maths knowledge and fluency are maintained and developed; these may take many forms, for example: arithmetic, specific times tables or several questions about a mixture of maths topics. While the class are solving the questions, the staff are able to support children with consolidation or pre-teaching ensuring they are confident with skills required for the upcoming session.

Implementation

Assessment: Through our teaching we continuously monitor pupils’ progress against expected attainment for their age, making formative assessment notes where appropriate and using these to inform our teaching. Summative assessments are completed at the end of each topic block and term: their results form discussions in pupil Progress Meetings and update our summative school tracker - Classroom monitor. The main purpose of all assessments is to always ensure that we are providing excellent provision for every child.

Online Maths Tools: In order to advance individual children’s maths skills in school and at home, we utilise Times Tables Rock Stars for multiplication practise, application and consolidation. In KS2, maths homework is set weekly, often using MyMaths. Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA): We implement our approach through high quality teaching delivering appropriately challenging work for all individuals. To support us, we have a range of mathematical resources in classrooms including Numicon, Base10 and counters (concrete equipment). When children have grasped a concept using concrete equipment, images and diagrams are used (pictorial) prior to moving to abstract questions. Abstract maths relies on the children understanding a concept thoroughly and being able to use their knowledge and understanding to answer and solve maths problems without equipment or images.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): We continuously strive to better ourselves and frequently share ideas and things that have been particularly effective. We take part in training opportunities and local networking events, such as the Umbrella trust’s moderating and sharing best practise evenings.

Cross Curricular Maths: is taught across the curriculum ensuring that skills taught in these lessons are applied in other subjects.

Whole school events: We celebrate National Maths Day and have whole school maths themed days. We also plan whole school competitions such as TTRS battles and rockslams. These bring the whole school together to concentrate on one theme.

Impact

Pupil Voice: Through discussion and feedback, children talk enthusiastically about their maths lessons and speak about how they love learning about maths. They can articulate the context in which maths is being taught and relate this to real life purposes. Children show confidence and believe they can learn about a new maths area and apply the knowledge and skills they already have.

Evidence in Knowledge: Pupils know how and why maths is used in the outside world and in the workplace. They know about different ways that maths can be used to support their future potential. Mathematical concepts or skills are mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times table. Evidence in Skills: Pupils use acquired vocabulary in maths lessons. They have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of maths. Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work. The chance to develop the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons. Teachers plan a range of opportunities to use maths inside and outside school.

Outcomes: At the end of each year we expect the children to have achieved Age Related Expectations (Exp) for their year group. Some children will have progressed further and achieved greater depth (GD). Children who have gaps in their knowledge receive appropriate support and intervention (WT).

Mastery: All children secure long-term, deep and adaptable understanding of maths which they can apply in different contexts.