Mathematics

Intent

'We presume children will achieve their very best. Children will leave this school as the very best, readers, mathematicians and writers that they can be...'

This statement determines everything we do at Keevil Academy and using the White Rose Scheme and our own core values in unison we have created a maths scheme tailored to the needs of our children.  We see maths as both a key skill within school, and a life skill to be utilised through everyday experiences.  Our maths curriculum equips our children with the tools to apply knowledge learnt over time to a variety of contexts that they will come across in their academic learning and later in life.

Maths is taught as a progression beginning in the Foundation Stage where the children work to achieve 'Early Learning Goals' in Number and Numerical Patterns, progressing to upper KS2 who are developing skills to take them on to secondary school. Each topic is taught in small steps, over a period of days/ weeks, in blocks, with opportunities to revisit topics throughout the year to ensure the children achieve a level of mastery.

All pupils should become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice, so that children develop conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to solve problems.

Pupils are challenged through a range of opportunities in which they are required to reason and apply their knowledge in order to solve problems, rather than through any acceleration of learning new content.

Our Calculation Policies can be found at the bottom of this page, and these enable parents to see the types of methods their children will be using in the class. 

Implementation

In EYFS our teaching delivers the content and expectations of the Early Learning Goals.  In key stage 1 and 2 our teaching is informed by the National Curriculum 2014 which separates maths into a number of sections. These are: Number, Measure, Geometry, Statistics, and in the upper KS2 Ratio and Proportion.

Maths is taught daily in every class and there are also opportunities to demonstrate maths skills in other curriculum areas for example graphs in science, measure in DT etc.

We adopt a mastery approach in all classes: 

• Mastering maths means pupils acquiring a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject.
• The phrase ‘teaching for mastery’ describes the elements of classroom practice and school organisation that combine to give pupils the best chances of mastering maths.
• Achieving mastery means acquiring a solid enough understanding of the maths that’s been taught to enable pupils to move on to more advanced material. (NCETM).

In each concept of maths children develop:

• Fluency: Quick and efficient recall of facts and procedures and the flexibility to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics
• Reasoning: Reasoning in maths is the process of applying logical thinking to a situation to derive the correct problem-solving strategy for a given question, and using this method to develop and describe a solution. Reasoning is the bridge between fluency and problem solving.
• Problem Solving: Problem solving in maths is finding a way to apply knowledge and skills you have to answer unfamiliar types of problems.

During lessons:

• Children have access to a range of practical and visual resources should they require it.

• Teachers model a range of methods and strategies including making links to past learning.

• The children will frequently complete a task and then regroup to discuss outcomes and share ideas. This could happen two or three times during a lesson.

• Children learn a range of methods and strategies to answer a range of mathematical questions and also to develop a level of oracy which enables a child to explain their thinking when solving mathematical problems.

Teachers use our Keevil Steps system to assess children’s achievements in all areas of maths and measure their progress.  Standardised tests such as SATS and NFER are also used to help determine children’s knowledge and understanding, and identify gaps in their learning.  Teachers can then plan lessons and input to ensure that children achieve age-related expectations.  Other specific diagnostic tests are used to plan interventions and support for children who are not meeting age-related expectations.

Catch up sessions are held a few times a week for those children who require a little more time to grasp a concept.  Children who have additional needs will have work adapted, modified to meet their needs and additional support will be given if required.

The learning of number facts and children being able to rapidly recall these are important foundation blocks upon which the rest of learning in maths is built.  In year KS1 children are developing recall of addition and subtraction number facts.  Times tables begin to be taught in year 2 and this process continues into lower KS2. Children develop the ability to apply this knowledge as they progress through KS2.  We use weekly 99 Club challenges from Y1 onwards to support children in the learning of number facts.  See ‘Maths learning at home’ page for these resources.

Maths homework is set weekly for children in KS2.  All children from Y1 upwards are encouraged to practice number facts at home regularly to help them progress through the 99 Club challenges.  For resources to support this at home see …  Children also have access to the Numbots online platform in KS1 and Times table Rockstars in KS2 to encourage this learning at home and in school.

Impact

At Keevil C of E Academy, we recognise that mathematics is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. Our daily maths lessons ensure a coverage of number, calculation, geometry, measures and statistics throughout the year. We want Keevil children to develop a love and understanding of mathematics where they feel secure in the skills that we have taught and able to apply these to different aspects of the primary curriculum. Children should leave Keevil, with an embedded enjoyment of mathematics, feeling confident in their mathematical ability and able to use their skills across the curriculum.