Maths
Both schools use a ‘mastery’ approach to teaching maths. The aim of a mastery mathematical curriculum is that it ensures all children have the opportunity to be successful and match the ability of their peers.
Children are expected to move through the curriculum at roughly the same pace. Pre-learning or intervention tasks are completed by those children who need additional support and, for those ready to deepen their learning, additional problem-solving and reasoning tasks are provided. These may be problems that have open-ended possibilities or multiple answers to show a child’s true understanding and allow them to explain, reason and give alternative methods for their working out.
The scheme we use to allow us to do this is White Rose Maths. White Rose promotes active engagement through the use of visual representations, manipulatives, and real-world problem-solving tasks. These resources make abstract concepts accessible and engaging.
Our reception classes are taught mainly using a mastery in number program with links to the BBC number blocks, and they are supplemented with units from White Rose to ensure that the children receive coverage in all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Curriculum. This also ensures they are ready to transition to the Key Stage One Curriculum in Year 1. They also use stories, number songs and nursery rhymes to learn and revisit maths concepts in an engaging way.
In KS1, both year groups also have a daily mastery lesson following the NCETM mastering number program and in KS2 years 4 and 5 have also started to follow this program.
Maths is taught for 50mins a day in Year 1 – 6 and through continuous provision as well as discreet lessons in Reception.
Emphasis is placed on the teaching and learning of number and multiplication facts so that pupils become fluent and confident in this area.
To help children progress with their times tables knowledge, all children in KS2 – years 3 to 6 have a log in for Times Tables Rock Stars.
This helps children be prepared for their multiplication check in Year 4 and allows them to keep revisiting and using their knowledge in an engaging way.
https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school
Being Number fact fluent
Children need to develop a firm understanding of key number facts. Once they have this, they can focus completely on what the problem is asking them to do. Children will begin to develop their understanding of these facts as soon as they enter our school.
Some of the key facts they need to know are
- Number bonds to 10
- Number bonds to 20
- Number bonds to 100
- How to use the related facts of number bonds to 10, 20 and 100.
- Times tables facts
- Bridging 10 and 100
The curriculum explicitly allows teachers to teach children a range of methods they can use to solve calculations, then how to choose and use the most efficient method to solve a calculation.