Mathematics

Intent

When teaching Mathematics at Glenthorne, 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 incorporate sustained levels of challenge through our ‘Teach to the Top’ approach, whilst nurturing pupils love for Maths through the delivery of engaging, challenging and varied opportunities. The consistent approach across school will allow teachers to develop pupils’ mathematical skills through the delivery of high-quality activities with a focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Pupils are required to explore Maths in depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their workings. A wide range of mathematical resources are used and pupils are taught to show their workings in a concrete, pictorial and abstract form wherever suitable. They are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. We encourage resilience and acceptance so that pupils have the necessary skills to overcome challenges that prevents them from moving on with their learning. Our curriculum allows children to better make sense of the world around them relating the pattern between Mathematics and everyday life.

Our intent is underpinned by the following aspects:

Fluency - We intend for all pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.

Problem solving - We intend for all pupils to 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.

Reasoning - We intend for all pupils to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.

Vocabulary - We intend to create a vocabulary rich environment, where talk for Maths is a key learning tool for all pupils. Pre teaching key vocabulary is a driver for pupil understanding and develops the confidence of pupils to explain mathematically.

Implementation

We implement our approach through: 

• Delivering high-quality lessons that are appropriately challenging for all pupils. 
• Incorporating the CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach into planning and teaching (especially in Key Stage 1) in order to deepen children’s understanding of mathematical concepts and methods, leading children down the path to achieving maths mastery. This approach is supported by the use of Numicon, Base10 and other concrete resources. 
• Using a range of planning resources such as: White Rose and Power Maths. 
• Developing pupil’s fluency skills by offering varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• Providing frequent learning opportunities to problem solve and reason, which leads to a deeper and more secure understanding. 
• Following the school’s calculation policy for progression in written and mental calculations across all year groups. 
• Adhering to our school’s approach of ‘Teach to the Top’, which ensures that pupils are challenged at all levels. 
• Displaying Mathematical vocabulary within the classroom and is regularly reinforced at any opportunity so that pupils feel comfortable using it independently. 
• Developing times tables through the use of Purple Mash and the use of times tables books (only in Key Stage 2). 
• Providing pupils with the opportunity to develop their mental strategies (in particular, the rapid recall of their times tables). 
• Following our school ethos and providing the pupils with the opportunity to work collaboratively, whilst providing the resources for pupils to become independent learners. 
• Encouraging pupils to persevere and be resilient learners. 
• Instant interventions when pupils receive a ‘red star’ to challenge any misconceptions that may be hindering their understanding.