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Maths

INTENT

The teaching and learning of maths at Maple Tree is ambitious and designed to give all children the knowledge they need to succeed in life. Our teachers make sure that the mathematical knowledge taught every day is relevant and develop pupils’ mathematical fluency. They build on the previous year’s learning and revisit maths topics where progression is key. We incorporate sustained levels of challenge through varied and high-quality learning with a focus on fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. We promote pupils’ exploration of maths, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their understanding.

We want our pupils to be able to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. We encourage resilience and acceptance that making mistakes is often a necessary step in maths learning.

Through our curriculum coverage, we aim for every child to be able to recognise the importance of maths in the wider world; we strive to enable them to use their mathematical knowledge confidently in a range of different contexts; between areas of maths, other subjects across the curriculum and to their everyday lives. From EYFS to Year 6, our curriculum is organised in a progressive way. Within Key Stage 1 and 2, our curriculum is organised so that children become fluent in number and place value and the four operations before applying this to other curriculum areas. We value the importance of fluent multiplication and division skills in order to develop key mathematical concepts; children throughout Key Stage 1 and 2 follow a progressive curriculum to support this.

We hope that some of our pupils will go on to study maths at further education level, and to then choose a career in the field of maths, for example as an accountant, engineer or a physicist.

Please click the image below to see our whole school overview for Maths. 

IMPLEMENTATION

At Maple Tree, we follow the National Curriculum for mathematics, teaching maths daily through a Teaching for Mastery approach.

Mathematical learning covers a wide range of mathematical knowledge and skills, with an emphasis on number. We teach through a Small Steps, concrete, pictorial, abstract (CPA) approach. Teachers plan everyday maths that children can relate to. This helps make maths more important to children, and they can see a reason for learning. Children learn how to use mathematical manipulatives to support their understanding from EYFS to year 6. Children begin with hands-on resources, moving to representation through pictures and then to ‘formal’ maths in the abstract. This approach, including small steps, has been proven to support children of all abilities.

In the Early Years, children develop their ‘Number Sense’ and recognition of shape. EYFS and key stage 1 continue this through mastering of number. We build on skills and understanding in a step by step way and, from key stage 1, continue to develop place value, the four number operations and the understanding of fractional parts. Wherever possible, maths is taught within other subjects. For example, statistics and measure within science.

As a guide to support teachers with their planning and assessment, we follow the National Curriculum, alongside White Rose planning tools. At the start of each new unit, key vocabulary is introduced and revisited regularly to develop language acquisition, embedding as the topic progresses.

Children are taught through clear modelling and have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts. The mastery approach involves using objects, pictures, words and numbers to help children explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enrich their learning experience and deepen their understanding at all levels.  Children work on the objective at whatever entrance stage they are assessed as being at. Children ACQUIRE the skill, APPLY the skill and DEEPEN the skill within the lesson.  They move through the different stages of learning at their own pace.  Children who have shown their understanding at a deeper level within the unit, will have opportunities to apply these skills in a GREATER DEPTH activity. This is challenging and ensures children use more than just one skill to be able to answer the mathematical problems. 

In order to develop their mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving are integral to learning.  Resources are readily available to assist demonstration of securing a conceptual understanding of knowledge appropriate for each year group.  Children are encouraged to explore, apply and evaluate their mathematical approach during investigations to develop a deeper understanding when solving different problems / puzzles. 

A love of maths is encouraged throughout school via links with other subjects, applying an ever-growing range of knowledge and skills with growing independence.  Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are included in whole class lessons and teachers provide scaffolding and relevant support as necessary. For those children who are working outside the year group curriculum, teachers adapt learning to ensure their progress. 

IMPACT

Our maths curriculum is high quality, well-thought-out and is planned to demonstrate progression.

Children make progress by knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more. They transfer and embed key concepts into their long-term memory and apply them fluently.

Children make at least good progress from their last point of assessment.  

We measure the impact of our curriculum in the following ways: 

  • Progression from the end of each key stage to the end of KS1/2 -  SATs results.
  • Progression from EYFS starting point to end of KS2 SATs.
  • Progression from Year 1 to the end of Year 4 -  Multiplication Tables Check.
  • Each lesson begins with retrieval practice with focus on yesterday, last week, last term, and last year.
  • End of term assessments where teachers complete an analysis of questions answered and adjust planning accordingly.
  • Survey children’s engagement with their learning through pupil voice.
  • Through monitoring and scrutiny, work shows a higher level of pupils meeting learning outcomes.
  • Parents are engaged in work that is shared through school communication.
  • Parents' subject knowledge is improved through workshops and school communication.

Please see our maths progression grid below. 

National Curriculum Mathematics Programmes of Study: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study