Introduction
At Sibertswold Primary school we aim to ensure that every child achieves success and that all are enabled to develop their skills in accordance with their level of ability.
Mathematics is both a key skill within school, and a life skill to be utilised throughout every person’s day to day experiences.
Rationale
Mathematics equips pupils with the uniquely powerful set of tools to understand and change the world. These tools include logical reasoning, problem solving skills and the ability to think in abstract ways. Mathematics is important in everyday life. It is integral to all aspects of life and with this in mind we endeavour to ensure that children develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics that will stay with them.
The National Curriculum for Mathematics describes in detail what pupils must learn in each year group. Combined with our Calculation Policy, this ensures continuity, progression and high expectations for attainment in mathematics.
It is vital that a positive attitude towards mathematics is encouraged amongst all of our pupils in order to foster confidence and achievement in a skill that is essential in our society. At Sibertswold we use the National Curriculum for Mathematics as the basis of our Mathematics programme. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils achieve mastery in the key concepts of mathematics, appropriate for their age group, in order that they make genuine progress and avoid gaps in their understanding that provide barriers to learning as they move through education.
Assessment for Learning, an emphasis on investigation, problem solving, the development of mathematical thinking and development of teacher subject knowledge are therefore essential components of the Sibertswold approach to this subject.
Aims
- To foster a positive attitude to mathematics as an interesting and attractive part of the curriculum.
- To develop the ability to think clearly and logically, with confidence, flexibility and independence of thought.
- To develop a deeper understanding of mathematics through a process of enquiry and investigation.
- To develop an understanding of the connectivity of patterns and relationships within mathematics.
- To develop the ability to apply knowledge, skills and ideas in real life contexts outside the classroom, and become aware of the uses of mathematics in the wider world.
- To develop the ability to use mathematics as a means of communicating ideas.
- To develop an ability and inclination to work both alone and cooperatively to solve mathematical problems.
- To develop personal qualities such as perseverance, independent thinking, cooperation and self-confidence through a sense of achievement and success.
- To develop an appreciation of the creative aspects of mathematics and an awareness of its aesthetic appeal.
Principles of Teaching and Learning
Our teachers strive to:
- Build children’s confidence and self esteem
- Develop children’s independence
- Allow all children to experience regular success
- Contextualise mathematics
- Us practical approaches to mathematics (models and images)
- Encourage children to select independently resources to help them
- Challenge children of all abilities.
- Encourage children to enjoy mathematics
- Develop a child’s understanding of mathematical language
- Learn from teachers, peers and their own mistakes.
- Allow children to ask questions as well as answer them.
Our pupils should:
- have a well-developed sense of the size of a number and where it fits into the number system (place value)
- know by heart number facts such as number bonds, multiplication tables, doubles and halves
- use what they know by heart to figure out numbers mentally
- calculate accurately and efficiently, both mentally and in writing and paper,
- drawing on a range of calculation strategies
- make sense of number problems, including non-routine/’real’ problems and identify the operations needed to solve them
- explain their methods and reasoning, using correct mathematical terms
- judge whether their answers are reasonable and have strategies for checking them where necessary
- suggest suitable units for measuring and make sensible estimates of measurements
- explain and make predictions from the numbers in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables
- develop spatial awareness and an understanding of the properties of 2D and 3D shapes
To provide adequate time for developing mathematics, maths is taught daily and discretely. However, application of skills are linked across the curriculum where appropriate.
Maths Curriculum Planning
Mathematics is a core subject in the National Curriculum and we use the objectives from this to support planning and to assess children’s progress.
Staff use long term planning to ensure coverage of all areas of the National Curriculum and medium term planning to differentiate objectives according to the set which they teach.
It is the class teacher who completes the weekly plans for the teaching of mathematics. These weekly plans list the specific learning objectives for each lesson and give details of how the lessons are to be taught. The class teacher keeps these individual plans, which they annotate according to the success of the lesson.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
We follow EYFS curriculum guidance for Mathematics. However, we are committed to ensuring the confident development of number sense and put emphasis on mastery of key early concepts. Pupils explore the ‘story’ of numbers to ten and the development of models and images for numbers as a solid foundation for further progress.
Mathematics Progression of Knowledge and Skills Document Download
