At St Augustine Catholic Primary school, we are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in a range of different contexts. We want all children to enjoy mathematics and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically. We aim to ensure that our children have access to a high-quality mathematics curriculum that is both challenging and enjoyable. We want to develop our children into confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks. Children need opportunities to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. It is vital for the children to be able to see how mathematics is relevant to their world, and applicable to everyday life.
We aim to provide a high-quality mathematics curriculum so that all children:
o become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics;
o reason mathematically;
o can solve problems by applying their mathematics.
We have a mastery approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics, with the expectation that most children will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. Children who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content.
Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.
At St Augustine of Canterbury, our children will:
· calculate accurately and confidently using the four operations;
· have quick recall of times tables facts and key age-related facts to enable fluency in Mathematics;
· derive answers from knowledge held in their long-term memory;
· reason in Mathematics, using a range of precise mathematical vocabulary, including well- structured stem sentences;
· represent their thinking through the use of models, images and concrete apparatus;
· problem solve, using a range of strategies, including bar modelling, always choosing the most efficient methods;
· demonstrate resilience when tackling a difficult problem and be able to describe the small steps to achieve a solution;
· demonstrate confident in the topics taught within the National Curriculum showing age appropriate fluency, knowledge and skills to reason and problem solve in a variety of contexts;
· develop confidence when problem-solving independently;
· develop an understanding of mathematical vocabulary and notation;
· develop mathematical concepts in real situations through handling materials, discussion and practical situations;
· have the confidence to apply the knowledge and experience they have gained to other mathematical tasks;
· have an appreciation of the logical aesthetic aspects of mathematics, through problem solving and investigation, linking this with other areas of the curriculum.
The intention of the Maths curriculum at St Augustine of Canterbury is for children to become competent, curious mathematicians. Mathematical skills and knowledge will be taught, explored and revisited so that children know more, remember more and can therefore apply more. Children will develop resilience and self-confidence in applying their learning skills and knowledge.
Through wider curriculum links, we strive to embed maths throughout the curriculum, bringing the subject to life. We aim to go beyond the minimum requirements within the National Curriculum as we aim to prepare the children for later life in the ‘big, wide world’ and for the next step in their education. We need the children to know the relevance of their learning and that maths is essential to everyday life.
Implementation
We use the Rising Stars Framework from Y1 to Y6 as an objective basis of our curriculum, which is designed to support teachers in their long-term planning of math overviews. We supplement our curriculum using mastery materials supplied from Third Space Maths Hub and the NCETM allowing us to deliver an effective Mastery curriculum.
The Rising Stars documents supplemented with Third Space Learning Mastery materials support teachers to plan mathematical units that are explored progressively and in small steps, drawing on resources, data and suggestions from reliable sources such as NCETM and nrich.co.uk to link mathematical talk and knowledge across the various units.
When planning for objective coverage, teachers are expected to take the following mastery strategies into account:
· Small steps as documented in the NCETM Prioritisation documents and Third Space Learning materials.
· Use Concept Maps and Cartoons - exploring ideas, concepts and theories around the classroom (maths talk is vital).
· Implementing the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract (CPA) approach to introducing, exploring and applying mathematical concepts.
· Plan and thoughtfully consider key questions and mathematical vocabulary at the entry points of a lesson/ units – these are displayed throughout every lesson and built upon.
· Provide multiple opportunities for verbal and written/drawn reasoning (explaining and using mathematical vocabulary to explain methods or reasoning) within unit exploration.
· Inclusion of relevant problem-solving opportunities, where children are expected to draw on and apply multiple concepts to address or approach a challenge.
· Displaying, modelling and sharing of efficient and accurate methods (with parents/ carers whenever possible through planned workshops and work share afternoons)
· Opportunities to explore maths concepts/objectives at ‘greater depth’.
· Include all learners, providing relevant support for those with additional needs (educational, medical or otherwise).
The use of a mastery approach incorporates three key elements: concrete, pictorial and abstract, in helping children explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enrich their learning experience and deepen their understanding. Lessons are planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before.
Teachers ensure that that all objectives are taught by referring to our whole school curriculum map, Progression Grids, Mathematics Ready to Progress criteria and materials from NCETM and Third Space Learning.
Rising Stars Pathway- Sequence
Whole Progression Map
We use ‘Key Instant Recall Facts’, concept maps and our Third Space Learning ‘Fluency in Five’ approach which allows continuous practise and embedment of knowledge and skill within maths; these being progressive across year all groups. We ensure after a topic has been taught it is revisited as the year progresses, allowing the depth of knowledge to become embedded, and giving the children the chance to deepen their understanding.
Whole School Key Instant Recall Facts
Whole School Key Instant Recall Facts Progression Map
Practising the rapid recall of number facts is vital throughout our school. This happens regularly in EYFS and Key Stage 1 in the form of singing, chanting and games. As well as these techniques, in Key Stage 1 and 2, a weekly number-based ‘Maths Practice Test (Arithmetic test) is planned to give children the opportunity to practise and improve their recall of number facts. In Key stage 2, all children have access to their own personal account of ‘Times Tables Rock stars’ and in all Year groups ‘Mathletics.’
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we relate the mathematical aspects of the children’s work to the Development Matters statements and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), as set out in the EYFS profile document. We follow EYFS curriculum / Development Matters guidance for Mathematics. Through this guidance, we are committed to ensuring the confident development of number sense and put emphasis on the mastery of key early concepts. Children explore, experiment with and investigate numbers and become aware of key models and images (tens frame, Numicon, part- part whole etc). Teachers use the concrete- pictorial- abstract approach to conceptual development.
Each year group has a planned aspect of multiplication tables. Each class focusses on these through the term by chanting, rapid recall, singing songs and by counting forwards and backwards on the class counting sticks.
Planned Year Group focus for Timestables
Impact
Our Mathematics curriculum facilitates sequential learning and long-term progression of knowledge and skills. Teaching and learning methods provide regular opportunities to recap acquired knowledge through high quality questioning, discussion, modelling and explaining, to aid retrieval at the beginning and end of a lesson or unit. This will enable all children to alter their long-term memory and know more, remember more and be able to do more as mathematicians.
The exploration of mathematics should be interactive and engaging, with content made relevant to children’s real- world experiences and contextualised thus to support consolidation and retention of knowledge and skill.
Children should approach mathematics with confidence and enthusiasm, and view tasks and challenges that call for application of varied knowledge across units of work with resilience and a willingness to collaborate.
Approach and response to reasoning activities should improve term on term, with the expectation that by the end of the year, children are happy to accurately define and use mathematical vocabulary introduced by their teacher, as well as complete stem sentences to complete mathematical statements or reasoning.
What difference does our mathematics curriculum make to our children?
• Most children will achieve end of year expectations for their year group
• Children will have a positive and engaged attitude towards maths.
• They will be ready to progress to the next stage of their maths learning.
• Children will be confident in applying their maths skills in a range of familiar and unfamiliar context.
• They will be resilient in their work with a “can do” attitude and will talk enthusiastically about their maths learning.
• Children will have made connections within their maths learning, but also with how their learning relates to the real world.
