What does Maths look like?
Our teaching of maths recognises that objects, pictures, words, numbers and symbols are everywhere. We incorporate all of these elements to help pupils explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enrich their learning experience and deepen understanding. Together, these elements help cement knowledge so pupils truly understand what they have learnt.
• Concrete: pupils have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand and explain what they are doing.
• Pictorial: pupils then build on this concrete approach by using pictorial representations. These representations can then be used to reason and solve problems.
• Abstract: With the foundations firmly laid, pupils are equipped to move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.
Mathematical topics are taught in blocks, to enable the achievement of ‘mastery’ over time. These teaching blocks are broken down into smaller steps, to help pupils understand concepts better. This approach means that pupils do not cover too many concepts at once which can lead to cognitive overload. Each lesson phase provides the means for pupils to achieve greater depth, with pupils who are quick to grasp new content, being offered rich and sophisticated problems, within the lesson as appropriate.
In the Early Years, the curriculum is defined through the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. The specific area of Mathematics is delivered through explicit maths inputs and in conjunction with the other six areas of learning. It is continuously accessible and is taught through a balance of adult led and child-initiated activities. Through play and practical activities children learn about the world and their place in it. For more information on mathematics in the Early Years, please see section 11 of our Maths policy. For more information about teaching and learning in the Early Years, please navigate to our ‘EYFS Curriculum and Guidance’ page.
In Key Stage 1 and 2, Maths is underpinned by the statutory National Curriculum. Maths is delivered through daily 45-minute maths sessions and 15-minute arithmetic and mastery lessons. It is further embedded through our Learning Means the World foundation curriculum and through assemblies. When teaching multiplication and division, we supplement pupils’ automaticity and recall of facts through the use of the Times Tables Rock Stars programme. This cements pupils’ conceptual understanding and the relationships between each table through the use of inverse operations while increasing their automaticity and recall of these facts.
For more information on Mathematics in Key Stage 1 and 2, please see sections 10 and 12 of our Maths policy.