Mathematics

'Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas...' - Albert Einstein 

Intent

We believe that the language of Mathematics is international and that basic skills learned in the subject are vital for pupils’ futures. We strive to ensure that children think mathematically, enabling them to solve problems across a range of subjects. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that children can achieve excellence and experience the awe & wonder that the subject delivers. Pupils are given opportunities to grow as mathematicians; employ various methods to solve problems independently; use knowledge of the four operations to be able to thrive in society; form conjectures and prove/disprove mathematical statements; appreciate the importance of mathematics in society and use their knowledge to influence decision making.

Our curriculum is research based: it provides a stimulating environment where children can employ their skills across a range of contexts. We place emphasis upon the vocabulary used in lessons - ensuring that children experience a word-rich curriculum. High aspiration is achieved through differentiation that is fluid & challenging. We aim to holistically develop learners by ensuring our curriculum is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, skills and understandings that qualify children to be fluent in maths. We allow pupils to work collaboratively & to reason, justify and explain decisions. We empower them to be independent workers who can challenge & demonstrate resilience through maths.

Our planning is interleaved: revisiting areas of the curriculum at various points throughout the year. This ensures that our curriculum is sequenced in a way that aids retention of knowledge; demonstrating lasting learning, as opposed to learning for performance. We place emphasis on the four operations & mathematical fluency to ensure that pupils have the basic competencies needed to thrive in society. Our reasoning focus ensures that learning is transferable; it embeds a deeper understanding & highlights that pupils can apply maths, as opposed to repeating routines without a true understanding.

Planning:

Knowledge Organisers:

Implementation

Lessons are characterised by the following:

• Knowledge is revisited through an interleaved approach, whereby topics are revisited on a more frequent basis. This has been proven to enhance the retention rate of knowledge. The move to this approach is to ensure true learning of calculation skills and mental arithmetic.
• Children are required to prove their work, explain reasoning and to solve problems.
• Tasks are differentiated for ability groups, however our  ‘challenge without limits’ approach encourages pupils to push themselves, access higher levels of learning and develop their confidence.
• Formative assessment before and during lessons enables scaffolded support and stretches children to the edge of their learning - allowing pupils to embrace their mistakes and learn from them.
• Teachers make use of worked examples and Success Criteria to model excellent practice.
• Planning takes account of previous learning and that planned for the following year. This is facilitated through the ‘St Francis de Sales Progression Ladder’ and Mathematics Knowledge Organisers.
• Learners are supported with intervention when needed and given targeted support using formative assessment, allowing misconceptions to be addressed as close to the point of learning as possible and our children to thrive, regardless of their prior ability.
• Mathematics is applied across all subjects in the curriculum, providing enriching experiences. This enables Maths skills to be consolidated and enhanced.

Impact

We use a number of ways to measure and assess the impact of our intent and implementation. This helps us refine and adapt our planning further which, in turn, improves the quality of teaching and learning.

Formative Assessment used by Classroom Teachers:

• Assessment is tracked daily via formative assessment that follows our Assessment Policy: individual, group and whole-class hotspots provide immediate targets for our pupils. This allows us to follow a dynamic and robust assessment cycle that drives learning forward at all opportunities.
• Teachers provide high-quality questioning in formative-five and throughout every lesson, making use of diagnostic questions to ascertain the level of understanding in the classroom and adapt their teaching as necessary.

Summative Assessment used by Classroom Teachers:

• Alongside our end of Key Stage 2 Statutory Assessment Testing, the impact of teaching and learning in Maths is measured and assessed via summative testing (NFER) at the end of each term, allowing us to make a teacher assessment on progress that is backed with evidence and providing an objective measure of progress. We use this data to inform our planning and provide intervention.

Rigorous Monitoring by Maths Coordinator and SLT:

• Monitoring cycles, including lesson observations and drop-ins allow us to ensure this assessment policy is being followed.
• Work reviews (on a termly basis) ensure quality, consistency and a forward-thinking approach to Mathematics.

Feedback from Stakeholders:

• Pupil voice is sought each term to gauge enjoyment, knowledge and understanding of the subject and begin to implement changes as necessary.
• Teacher voice is obtained by the Maths Coordinator twice a year, alongside professional discourse throughout.
• Parent voice is captured via parent drop-ins (twice a year) in order to gauge an understanding of what measures we can put into place to encourage parental engagement in the subject. These are held by the Maths Coordinator and a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Impact Presentation:

This presentation shows the standards and progress of pupils from Y3 to Y6 via our identified "Golden Threads" of the Four Operations in Maths.