Mathematics Vision Statement
At St. Mary’s C of E School, the teaching and learning of mathematics is a priority as we recognise it as an essential skill for life. The language of mathematics is international, and vital for the life opportunities of our children. Our aim is for all children to think mathematically, enabling them to reason, solve problems and assess risk in a range of contexts.
Our children are taught the 3 main areas of the National Curriculum: Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving through a mastery curriculum. To meet raised national expectations within the National Curriculum, we ensure that all of our children develop a deep and sustainable understanding of mathematical concepts through a math's curriculum which promotes a rich understanding of mathematical concepts, taught in small steps, in a systematic way through the use of Power Maths.
Power Maths is a UK curriculum mastery programme approved by the DfE. It is designed to spark curiosity and excitement and nurture confidence in maths. It is built around a child‑centred lesson design that models and embeds a growth mindset approach to maths and focuses on helping all children to build a deep understanding of maths concepts. We encourage our children to explore mathematical concepts using physical resources and pictures, enabling them to visualise and understand abstract concepts. We believe that every child can access their class learning objective, at varying degrees, and have full access to the curriculum. Our teachers broaden and deepen children's understanding with questioning, whilst allowing children to explore new concepts or ones that need consolidating using resources to help develop their understanding.
We strive to offer a Maths curriculum which is consistent, sustainable and progressive through continuously looking at ways in which we can enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics within our school.
Key features of our Maths Mastery curriculum:
- High expectations for every child
- Fewer topics, greater depth
- Number sense and place value come first
- Focus on mathematical thinking and language
- Resources to support
- Problem solving is central
- Calculate with confidence– understand why it works
Through our maths vision, we are passionate and fully committed to developing a balance between the children’s procedural fluency and a conceptual understanding.
Aims
- To foster positive attitudes, fascination, and excitement of discovery through the teaching and learning of mathematical concepts.
- To ensure pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, developing conceptual knowledge and an ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
- To enable our pupils to confidently reason about their mathematics, using a suitable range of mathematical language, recognising its importance for communication and deep thinking.
- For our children to develop a ‘can do’ attitude and perceive themselves as mathematicians especially when problem solving.
- To broaden children’s knowledge and understanding of how mathematics is used in the wider world by making rich and varied real life connections.
- For our children to use and understand mathematical language and recognise its importance as a language for communication and thinking.
- To use a wide range of models, visual manipulatives, and practical resources to develop a deep conceptual understanding alongside procedural fluency.
- To implement the current legal requirements of the Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the New National Curriculum.
At St Mary’s C of E School, we have been on a journey over the last three years to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics. Led by our Maths Leads, Mr Leigh Pritchard, and Miss Kim Rundle, we have worked to improve our children’s understanding of maths through development of the teaching for mastery approach within our school. This has involved training on each of the principles of teaching for Mastery, planning support and enhancing our classroom mathematical environments.
We are currently participating in the Mastering Number Project (NCETM) for our youngest pupils supporting them to develop good number sense. This project aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number to support success in the future.
KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts)
KIRFs are designed to support the development of children’s mental skills that underpin much of the mathematics work in school. They are particularly useful when calculating, be it adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing.
Each year group is allocated up to six skills to focus on throughout the year, in line with age related expectations.
The expectation is that children practise these at home in small daily bursts so that they grow in confidence to recall their facts instantly. We will also refer to the KIRFs and practise them in school.
Please share your child’s progress towards learning their key skills via Seesaw. We will look forward to celebrating their learning!
Each half term, children will complete a KIRF assessment with their teachers in class.