Subject Leader: Mrs L Richardson-West

Whole School Curriculum and Ready to Progress Map

At St Augustine Catholic Primary school, we are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical knowledge and skills confidently in a range of different contexts. We believe all children can achieve in mathematics, and teach for secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through manageable, sequenced steps. We want all children to enjoy mathematics and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically. We aim to ensure that our children have access to a high-quality mathematics curriculum that is both challenging and enjoyable. We want to develop our children into confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks. Children need opportunities to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. It is vital for the children to be able to see how mathematics is relevant to their world, and applicable to everyday life. 

Intent

We aim to provide a high-quality mathematics curriculum so that all children: 

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics;

• can solve problems by applying their mathematics.

• develop as far as possible the knowledge, skills and understanding in mathematics, that will be   required in further study and adult life. 

• are confident to use their mathematical knowledge and understanding with fluency, accuracy, reasoning and problem solving.

Our overall objectives for all children are:

• to enjoy mathematics and to be stimulated and motivated by moments of pleasure and wonder. 

• to encourage the selection and use of mathematical vocabulary and resources with confidence. 

• to develop appropriate written and mental strategies to solve mathematical problems. 

• to reason and problem solve logically and to develop the ability to think in abstract ways. 

• to use and apply mathematics in practical tasks, real life problems and within mathematics itself. 

• to work with increasing independence on extended mathematical tasks but also have the opportunity to work as part of a group.

We have a mastery approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics, with the expectation that most children will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. Children who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content.

Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice and intervention, before moving on.

At St Augustine of Canterbury, our children will:

·        calculate accurately and confidently using the four operations;

·        have quick recall of times tables facts and key age-related facts to enable fluency in Mathematics;

·        derive answers from knowledge held in their long-term memory;

·        reason in Mathematics, using a range of precise mathematical vocabulary, including well- structured stem sentences;

·        represent their thinking through the use of models, images and concrete apparatus;

·        problem solve, using a range of strategies, including bar modelling, always choosing the most efficient methods;

·        demonstrate resilience when tackling a difficult problem and be able to describe the small steps to achieve a solution;

·        demonstrate confident in the topics taught within the National Curriculum showing age appropriate fluency, knowledge and skills to reason and problem solve in a variety of contexts;

·        develop confidence when problem-solving independently;

·        develop an understanding of mathematical vocabulary and notation;

·        develop mathematical concepts in real situations through handling materials, discussion and practical situations;

·        have the confidence to apply the knowledge and experience they have gained to other mathematical tasks;

·        have an appreciation of the logical aesthetic aspects of mathematics, through problem solving and investigation, linking this with other areas of the curriculum.

The intention of the Maths curriculum at St Augustine of Canterbury is for children to become competent, curious mathematicians. Mathematical skills and knowledge will be taught, explored and revisited so that children know more, remember more and can therefore apply more.  Children will develop resilience and self-confidence in applying their learning skills and knowledge.  

Through wider curriculum links, we strive to embed maths throughout the curriculum, bringing the subject to life.  We aim to go beyond the minimum requirements within the National Curriculum as we aim to prepare the children for later life in the ‘big, wide world’ and for the next step in their education.  We need the children to know the relevance of their learning and that maths is essential to everyday life.

Implementation

Maths is taught as a combination of discrete teaching, contextual applications and specific focused weeks based on mathematical themes, e.g. number, fractions, measures, geometry and statistics. Underpinning all mathematical activities will be the emphasis on developing a range of practical, mental and written strategies to solve problems and knowing which strategy to apply in different situations. At St Augustine of Canterbury, we follow White Rose Maths across all year groups (with the exception of EYFS who are using White Rose Maths in conjunction with NCETM mastering number scheme).

White Rose Maths is used to embed Mastery approaches, allowing for progressive building blocks of learning from one key stage to another, providing consistency in language, concrete examples, pictorial references and abstract approaches, and allowing children to practice fluent skills interleaved with reasoning and problem solving in each session.

Vitally, we also want to ensure that our curriculum is rich in procedural and conceptual variation, mathematical language and progressed in small steps which build on prior knowledge.

The use of a mastery approach incorporates three key elements: concrete, pictorial and abstract, in helping children explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enrich their learning experience and deepen their understanding. Lessons are planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before.

Teachers ensure that that all objectives are taught by referring to our whole school White Rose curriculum map, Progression Grids, Mathematics Ready to Progress criteria and materials from NCETM.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we relate the mathematical aspects of the children’s work to the Development Matters statements and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), as set out in the EYFS profile document. We follow EYFS curriculum / Development Matters guidance for Mathematics in conjunction with Mastering Number Scheme. Through this guidance, we are committed to ensuring the confident development of number sense and put emphasis on the mastery of key early concepts. Children explore, experiment with and investigate numbers and become aware of key models and images (tens frame, Numicon, part- part whole etc). Teachers use the concrete- pictorial- abstract approach to conceptual development.

KS1

Children are taught in their class five days a week for one hour a day. They use a range of manipulatives (double sided counters, rekenreks, tens frames etc.) and pictorial representations to solve a range of problems. Children are encouraged to explain their reasoning how they solved specific problems.

In Year 2, one lesson each week has purely an arithmetic focus where the children develop skills through practise followed by an arithmetic paper. The first part of the lesson is used for gap analysis, where the teacher identifies the gaps in the children’s mathematical understanding. Interventions are then planned and implemented. Teachers are expected to use this to provide bespoke learning starters to further develop and embed these skills which can be taken from NCETM materials and White Rose Math Resources.

From the Spring term, this will alternate with a problem-solving lesson which will be taken from NRich and White Rose Maths to engage the children with problem solving and reasoning, deepening their understanding of each strand of maths and developing their oracy skills within maths lessons.

In addition to structured maths lessons, at least three times per week children will practise fluency through a number bonds and times tables activity through Flashback 4. Year 1 begin this in the Spring term, they have 5 minutes to complete a series of questions that focus on rapid recall, whereas Year 2 will have 4 minutes to complete the questions. Flashback 4 can be part of the children’s early morning work. There is clear progression through the scheme; all children start by recalling their number bonds to 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 20. This then progresses onto the recall of number bonds to 100. Finally, children move onto recalling their 2-, 5- and 10-times tables and also learning the associated division facts.

KS2

In the Autumn Term, Children are taught in five one-hour structured maths sessions. One lesson each week has purely an arithmetic focus, the children will have a weekly lesson based on ‘Arithmetic skills practise’ followed by an arithmetic paper. The first part of the lesson is used for gap analysis, where the teacher identifies the gaps in the children’s mathematical understanding. Teachers are expected to use this provide bespoke learning starters to further develop and embed these skills. In each class, once every two weeks, teachers will also deepen the children’s understanding of each strand of maths and develop their oracy skills within lessons by carrying out investigations to further enhance their learning.

In addition to structured maths lessons, children in KS2 complete a series of questions three times per week through the use of Flash Back 4; this can also be carried our for the children’s early work. The children are given 3 minutes to complete the questions associated with the rapid recall of number bonds or times tables. There is clear progression through the scheme, where all children start with recalling number bonds to 10, 20 and 100 and then progress onto the rapid recall of times tables and their associated division facts. 

Whole School Key Instant Recall Facts

Whole School Key Instant Recall Facts Progression Map

Practising the rapid recall of number facts is vital throughout our school.  This happens regularly in EYFS and Key Stage 1 in the form of singing, chanting and games.  As well as these techniques, in Key Stage 1 and 2, a weekly number-based ‘Maths Practice Test (Arithmetic test) is planned to give children the opportunity to practise and improve their recall of number facts.  In Key stage 2, all children have access to their own personal account of ‘Times Tables Rock stars’ and in all Year groups ‘Mathletics.’

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we relate the mathematical aspects of the children’s work to the Development Matters statements and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), as set out in the EYFS profile document. We follow EYFS curriculum / Development Matters guidance for Mathematics. Through this guidance, we are committed to ensuring the confident development of number sense and put emphasis on the mastery of key early concepts. Children explore, experiment with and investigate numbers and become aware of key models and images (tens frame, Numicon, part- part whole etc). Teachers use the concrete- pictorial- abstract approach to conceptual development.

Each year group has a planned aspect of multiplication tables. Each class focusses on these through the term by chanting, rapid recall, singing songs and by counting forwards and backwards on the class counting sticks.