Mathematics

Our EYFS focus on Development Matters, and maths is an integral part of their day to day learning and ensures our pupils work in small steps to secure understanding of concepts and skills. To ensure a deepening of understanding we have incorporated a bridging document so our children are Year 1 ready. This feeds in to Power Maths by using images and vocabulary the children will be familiar with.

Power Maths incorporates the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum 2014. Pupils in Year 1 to 6 continue on this journey of a mastery approach by following Power Maths. Power Maths supports and challenges all pupils and is built on the belief that EVERYONE can.

We recognise the value of making a coherent journey through the national curriculum and each year group follow a medium-term plan where small, cumulative steps build a solid foundation of deep mathematical understanding. Formative assessment is threaded throughout each lesson and unit of work; and appropriate revisions to planning are made by the class teacher to ensure all lessons are tailored to best meet the needs of their children.

When introduced to a new concept, pupils have opportunities to build competency by being encouraged to physically and visually represent their mathematics. Objects and pictures are used to demonstrate and visualise abstract ideas, alongside numbers and symbols.

Concrete – children have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand and explain what they are doing.
Pictorial – children then build on this concrete approach by using pictorial representations, which can then be used to reason and solve problems.
Abstract – with the foundations firmly laid, children can move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.

Our maths curriculum design ensures that the needs of all learners are met with high quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate. Every academic year we begin with number and place value units – children revisit and consolidate the relevant material required to access the age appropriate learning. Children will deepen their mathematical understanding, year on year while also applying their reasoning skills to understand the prevalence of Maths in ‘real-life’. Children will become independent mathematicians and develop a confidence to use both concrete and pictorial scaffolds to support them in their learning.

• The maths curriculum design ensures that the needs of all learners in this particular community are met with high quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate.
• Enjoyment of the maths curriculum promotes achievement, confidence, fluency and basic skills.
• Resilience and recognition that mistakes lead to learning.
• Readiness for the next phase of learning and an ability to apply their learning to a wide range of problems in real life.
• Application of learned skills in a range of contexts including reasoning.