Maths

Maths Curriculum Intent

When teaching mathematics at Burrough Green, we intend to provide a curriculum which caters for the needs of all individuals and sets them up with the necessary skills and knowledge for them to become successful in their future adventures. We aim to prepare them for a successful working life. We incorporate sustained levels of challenge through varied and high quality activities with a focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

By adopting a Mastery approach, it is also intended that all children, regardless of their starting point, will maximise their academic achievement and leave Burrough Green School with an appreciation and enthusiasm for Maths, resulting in a lifelong positive relationship with number.

• We ensure that we deliver a high quality maths curriculum that is both challenging and enjoyable.
• We want children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.
• We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.
• We want them to know that maths is essential to everyday life and that our children are confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks.
• Fully develop independent learners with inquisitive minds who have secure mathematical foundations and an interest in self-improvement.
• We encourage resilience, adaptability and acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning.

Maths Curriculum Implementation

At Burrough Green Primary Academy, children study mathematics daily following the White Rose Maths Scheme of Learning. WRM is a blocked scheme, which allows for depth and breadth of learning within each strand of mathematics. Alongside the White Rose materials, we use other resources to ensure that our offer is rich and varied. These include Planpanion, NCETM, Twinkl Mastery and NRich problem solving to ensure coverage of all areas of problem solving – allowing children to be exposed to a variety of different types of learning and to ensure coverage of fluency, problem solving and reasoning in different formats. Teachers implement the schools agreed calculation policies for progression in written and mental calculations. Pre and post unit assessments are used where appropriate along with termly assessments which help teachers to gather an understanding of their pupil’s existing and developing knowledge and skills. Correct mathematical vocabulary is used by all teachers and this is discussed with and explained to children who are then encouraged to use it independently when talking about maths.

All children receive regular group support as part of their maths lessons with further support for individuals or small groups where a need is identified. Feedback is given in a variety of ways to ensure pupils are well informed and making visible progress. Discussion is essential to learning and children are encouraged to discuss their thoughts, ideas and methods with a partner, group or the teacher. Task types are varied to suit different pupils and their learning preferences; developing reasoning remains one of our key focuses. Children work both collaboratively and independently when solving problems which require them to persevere and develop resilience.

Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) - We implement our approach through high quality teaching delivering appropriately challenging work for all individuals. To support us, we have a range of mathematical resources in classrooms including Numicon, Base10 and counters (concrete equipment). When children have grasped a concept using concrete equipment, images and diagrams are used (pictorial) prior to moving to abstract questions. Abstract maths relies on the children understanding a concept thoroughly and being able to use their knowledge and understanding to answer and solve maths without equipment or images.

Maths Meets - We have regular maths meets (4x weekly) in each class, on top of their daily maths lesson, whereby children are given a maths task to ensure general maths knowledge and fluency are maintained and developed; these may take many forms, for example: arithmetic, specific times tables, several questions about a mixture of maths topics or Mastering Number - an NCETM project that secures firm foundations in the development of good number sense (EYFS & KS1) and develop fluency in multiplication and division facts (Y4 & Y5).

Online Maths Tools - In order to advance individual children’s maths skills in school and at home, we utilise Times Tables Rock Stars for multiplication practise, application and consolidation.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - We continuously strive to better ourselves and frequently share ideas and things that have been particularly effective. We take part in training opportunities and regional networking events, such as the NCETM work groups.

Maths Curriculum Impact

Pupils will leave Burrough Green ready for the next stage in their lives with:

• Quick recall of facts and procedures
• The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics
• The ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics
• Confidence and belief that they can achieve
• The knowledge that maths underpins most of our daily lives
• Skills and concepts that have been mastered

A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations and this is the goal for our children.

These will be assessed through: assessment, tracking, pupil progress meetings, performance management, moderation and standardisation.