Maths
3 I's Statement
Intent Statement - Maths
At St Joseph’s, we are mathematicians! We believe that all children can achieve within mathematics and can become ‘masters’ of the subject. They can develop a love and enjoyment of it whilst becoming independent problem solvers. We aim for children to embrace a ‘can do’ attitude to their learning and for them to become confident and competent in all areas of mathematics.
In line with the National Curriculum, we aim to ensure that all pupils:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time. Pupils should develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Implementation Statement - Maths
At St Joseph’s, we have chosen to follow the ‘White Rose Maths’ scheme to ensure coverage of the National Curriculum. This also enables consistency in the progression of strategies and vocabulary in children’s development through school. Mathematics is taught daily throughout school.
- A concrete, pictorial and abstract approach is used to embed key concepts and allow children the opportunity to have practical experience of an area of learning to begin with to build confidence. This will regularly include the use of a variety of manipulatives to help develop conceptual understanding and for the children to subsequently make links to mathematical symbols.
- Children are able to develop their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills within lessons ensuring a broad and deep understanding of mathematics. ‘Going Deeper’ challenges are provided for children to progress to after demonstrating their initial understanding of a concept.
- Mathematical talk is encouraged to help children use and apply the key vocabulary through regular partnered activities.
- Lessons involve introductory tasks allowing children to recap on previous learning, develop fluency or practise a skill which will be required within the lesson. New learning is introduced often with pictorial representations or opportunities to use concrete resources. Learning is carefully modelled, and children are given the opportunities to practise newly acquired skills. Challenges and ‘deepening’ activities are shared with all children to discuss, allowing all children the chance to apply their understanding. Independent tasks mostly begin with fluency tasks allowing children to achieve the intended learning before progressing to reasoning and problem solving ‘Going Deeper’ activities. There are regular opportunities to review learning to ensure children are not left behind and can be targeted for support through the use of LSAs in classes.
- Slides from ‘White Rose Maths’ are used as the basis for planning, but these are adapted as necessary to ensure the needs of the class are met.
- When marking, teachers highlight WALTs in green to show children have achieved the objective, yellow to show this is partly achieved or NA if the learning has not been achieved. Self-marking can be used, so children receive immediate feedback about their successes in the lesson and can be targeted for additional support. Children make their corrections in purple pen and may do additional ‘Same-day intervention’ work. Greater depth work is evidenced with a ‘Going Deeper’ activity and stamp in the child’s book.
- Children receive regular ‘practise/deepen’ tasks allowing them to review their learning and complete further challenges around this.
- ‘Maths Meetings’ take place every week to allow children the opportunity to practise a range of maths skills and consolidate their understanding of these. The sessions include teaching identified whole class gaps in learning as well as continuing to develop the children’s fluency and arithmetic skills. They may also pre-empt future units to be taught in ‘White Rose Maths’ lessons by allowing children to practise the learned skills of previous year groups.
- Assessments are used to identify gaps in learning and to subsequently allow for the planning of interventions for children who require this. In particular, children for whom the school receives pupil premium funding and children with a related identified SEND in mathematics will complete activities in their purple intervention books.
Impact Statement - Maths
The impact of the teaching of mathematics is assessed throughout the year using regular termly assessments. These are then used to inform teachers of areas of strengths and weaknesses within their class which are then targeted through interventions, ‘Maths Meetings’ and other consolidation activities such as morning tasks. Discussions about the identified children and groups within classes take place in pupil progress meetings with SLT. After this has taken place for all classes, whole school analysis takes place with the findings discussed with school governors. Termly parent’s evenings which include progress reports are used. This all ensures that all members of the school community are kept informed and up to date about the impact of teaching within school.
Judgements and standards are regularly monitored with termly planning checks, learning walks and book scrutinies with constructive feedback given to support.
As a result, we believe the impact of our curriculum will allow our children to become confident, skilled mathematicians who develop a love of the subject, achieve within our primary setting and continue to do so in secondary school and in their adult lives.