Maths

Intent

At EVPS, children will understand the importance of mathematics, how it interconnects to other areas of the curriculum and relates to their lives and futures. They will build their skills moving from concrete objects to pictorial representations, allowing them to have a greater understanding of the abstract. Fundamental to this will be making connections and becoming fluent in their understanding of different mathematical ideas, having opportunities to consolidate their understanding and reasoning as well as being challenged through rich and sophisticated problems. Children will develop a sense of enjoyment, resilience and curiosity about maths.

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Implementation

We follow the aims of the National Curriculum for Years 1-6 and the Early Years Foundation Stage framework within our early years settings. We use the White Rose Math framework to structure the units taught across the year and to ensure full curriculum coverage. We believe all children, regardless of need or barrier, can achieve in mathematics, and teach for secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through manageable, sequenced steps.

Early Years Foundation Stage

In EYFS, Maths is divided into two areas: ‘Number’ and ‘Numerical Patterns’.

In EYFS we aim for all children to:‍

• to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers.
• develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built.
• develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics: look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, discuss their observations.

(Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, 2021)

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Maths curriculum is split into three overarching topics: Number, Geometry and Measurement.

‍We aim for all children to:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non- routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

(National Curriculum, 2014)

At EVPS, we use the ‘Mastery’ approach to ensure not only curriculum coverage but so all children can achieve in Mathematics. This approach seeks to build children’s conceptual and procedural understanding through, a variety of representations (varied fluency), reasoning and problem solving, whilst building upon prior learning and skills and using mathematical vocabulary to discuss their working.

The mastery model has five key ideas:

• Coherence –our curriculum has a coherent progression between concepts and between year groups.
• Representation and structure – we use the CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach to make the structure of the mathematics visible and accessible to all.
• Mathematical thinking – we teach children to make links and see relationships between mathematical concepts.
• Fluency – we practise and rehearse to ensure knowledge is retained and to a level of automaticity.
• Variation – Procedural variation is used to enable children to make connections and see patterns. Conceptual variation is used to present the same concept in different ways to ensure the concept is embedded.

Maths lessons are taught daily. Support is determined in each lesson based on the needs of the child. In addition, lessons may be personalised to address individual needs and requirements, however coverage is always maintained.

Daily lessons involve a warm up activity which may focus on recall of number facts, mental arithmetic, consolidation of prior learning, or addressing misconceptions from the previous lesson.

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We teach the ‘mastery’ approach using the White Rose scheme. New content is taught to support children in their learning through small steps. This allows the children to practise and apply their understanding and skills through a variety of representations, to embed understanding. These small steps build together a sequence of learning that enables mastery of a concept.

 To further develop children’s fluency and reasoning and problem-solving skills, teachers utilise N-Rich and NCETM and TTRS, which correlate to White Rose lessons and the National Curriculum objectives. These resources further develop and broaden children’s understanding of a concept and the mathematical links and connections between topics.

In EYFS Maths inputs are delivered to the children to ensure curriculum coverage. Varied and frequent opportunities to build curiosity, interest and understanding in Maths are available in the classroom provision each day. In addition, opportunities are provided for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics, including shape, space and measures. Our early years team ensures that our early years environments are “maths rich” both in terms of visual stimuli, practical activities and resources available.

At EVPS, teachers use a variety of resources and tools to embed mathematical understanding, these include working walls, concrete resources and visual prompts. A wide range of mathematical resources are used and pupils are taught to show their workings in a concrete, pictorial and abstract form wherever suitable. They are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills.

Regular feedback and marking are provided each day, in line with our marking and feedback policy. Through our teaching, we continuously monitor children’s progress, making formative assessment judgements and using these to inform our teaching. For example, where further support is required or where challenge can be provided. Summative assessments are completed at the end of each term. Through formative and summative assessments, teachers identify children who are not making the required progress and subsequently, provide focused support, putting strategies into place to close gaps and address misconceptions.

Impact

Children are making clear progress in maths from known starting points. Our outcomes at the end of each Key Stage are in line with National average and progress is strong. Children have a secure knowledge how to use formal written methods and have strong mental maths skills and rapid recall of timetables.

Our learners talk confidently about mathematics using accurate vocabulary and demonstrate a love of mathematical skills, applying these to different contexts. Through pupil voice, children reflect positively about maths lessons and love to problem solve. They are prepared for the next stage of their learning and for life in Modern Britain. Staff are confident teachers of mathematics and their subject knowledge lends confidence to learners.  Children confidently use their mathematical knowledge to solve problems and can apply mathematical thinking and skills to other areas of the curriculum, such as Science. 

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