Curriculum – Maths

Subject Leader – Mrs C Parker

Our pupils’ backgrounds, our culture and our climate for learning provide the following drivers that underpin our curriculum and our vision and weave through all that we do.

• Catholic values – which helps pupils grow spiritually and give them values for life outside of school
• Historic Environment – which helps pupils to understand and appreciate their locality which facilitates their relationship to the wider world
• Resilience – which helps pupils grow as learners
• Independence – which helps pupils to grow as independent learners, not dependent on adults to learn
• Subject knowledge and skills – which help pupils develop their knowledge and skills and give them knowledge for life
• Tolerance – respecting and valuing the beliefs, values, choices and opinions of others

Intent

The National Curriculum states ‘Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas.’ Therefore, the intention for mathematics at St Michael’s School is to ensure that all pupils become fluent, reason mathematically and solve problems.

At St. Michael’s, we teach our children to make sense of the world around them by enabling them to:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, so that they develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. This includes knowing by heart number facts, such as number bonds and multiplication tables. To support this, children should recognize and understand relationships and patterns within number. Children should be able to use formal written methods accurately but should also be proficient at using mental strategies to perform calculations.
• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry and develop and present a justification, argument or proof using mathematical language.
• Solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions – including unfamiliar contexts and real-life scenarios.

At St Michael’s, these skills are embedded within daily Maths lessons and developed consistently over time. Our teachers will ensure that mathematical skills are taught every day following the White Rose Maths schemes of learning. We endeavour to make cross curricular links wherever possible to develop and secure pupils’ mathematical fluency . Our pupils understand the importance of mathematics, are encouraged to be confident in numeracy and to apply the skills they learn to problem solving and reasoning questions.

Implementation

We teach all elements of the National Curriculum, which sequences and structures the teaching into the year groups. In order to ensure this curriculum is covered in full and in manageable and logical steps, we follow the White Rose planning in EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

We begin each new maths topic with a pre-learning task to enable us to quickly identify mis-conceptions and identify which children already have a secure grasp of the concept and so are ready to start deepening their understanding.

Our lessons are progressive, building on skills and understanding step by step, continuously developing place value, the four operations and the understanding of fractional parts. Teachers and teaching assistants model the skills being taught and use different representations, procedures and written methods to develop fluency (using concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches where appropriate). We expect all children to achieve a degree of fluency that then allows them to experience problem solving and reasoning at the appropriate level.

During the main teaching part of the lesson, all children are provided with a mini whiteboard and pen (or other appropriate resources such as number fans) to encourage as much pupil interaction as possible. Children will be given access to additional resources such as multi-link cubes, 100 squares and multiplication grids to enable them to access the lesson if needed. Children keep a record of relevant mathematical vocabulary on a dedicated ‘vocabulary page’ at the back of their books.  If a teaching assistant is present during the lesson, they will support the children that are either showing signs of misunderstanding or children that would benefit from additional challenge. Children are arranged in mixed ability seating to encourage peer mentoring. If necessary, the class will be split into two groups with the TA taking one group and the teacher the other so that teaching can better meet the needs of the children.

Children will be given a mixture of different tasks to do during the week such as written calculations, times tables, mental arithmetic, application activities, problem solving and reasoning activities, and practical activities such as Maths of the Day. Children in Year 2 upwards are given a weekly times-tables or mental maths test. Children have opportunities throughout the week to practise theses skills as well as having access to their own personal account on ‘Times Tables Rockstars’.

Teachers and teaching assistants adhere to the school calculation policy to ensure that all methods are taught in the same way across the school with a consistent expectation of how work is set out.

Flexible afternoon interventions allow us to immediately address mis-conceptions and difficulties that have arisen amongst individual children during the morning maths lesson so that ‘no child is left behind.’

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the White Rose Scheme of work which is supported by  ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance and the Birth to Five Document which aims for all children in reception to have  opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, simple addition and subtraction problems.

Impact

Children’s understanding and ability is assessed continuously through questioning, in the moment marking, observation, and through challenges given. At the end of each block of teaching, children are given the White Rose End of unit assessment to complete. At the end of each half term, children complete an arithmetic test and at the end of each term, the appropriate NfER assessments. NfER tests give standardized scores and allow gaps in teaching and learning to be identified.

The teaching and learning of mathematics is monitored via regular ‘book looks’, learning walks and observations, pupil voice, pupil progress meetings and during Key Stage meetings.

By the time children leave St Michael’s school, we expect them to be able to:

• Confidently recall number facts and mathematical procedures (formal written methods)
• Have the flexibility and fluidity to move between mathematical contexts and representations
• Recognise relationships and patterns in maths and make connections

In turn, Children will have mastered key areas of mathematics; this means they can show a concept in multiple ways, use the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations

Knowledge Mats

We use knowledge mats to help us in our learning and to develop our maths vocabulary/

Class F
Shape
Numerical Pattern
Numbers to 10

Class 1
Addition and Subtraction to 20
Number and place value to 50
Length and Height
Weight and Volume
Multiplication and Division
Fractions
Position and Direction
Place Value to 100
Time
Money

Class 2
Multiplication and Division 
Properties of Shapes
Fractions
Maths – position and direction
Maths – Time

Class 3
Multiplication and division
Length and perimeter
Money
Fractions
Length and Perimeter

Mass and Capacity

Properties of Shapes

Time

Class 4
Multiplication and division
Area and Perimeter
Fractions
Decimals
Money
Time

Statistics

Shape

Position and Direction

Class 5
Multiplication and Division
Fractions
Area and Perimeter
Fractions

Decimals

Class 6
Decimals
Percentages
Converting units
Algebra
Perimeter Area and Volume
Ratio
Converting Units

Properties-of-shape

Statistics

Yearly Overview

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
EYFS	Baseline assessments Numbers 1,2,3	Shape, space and measure Numbers 4 and 5	The number 0 Number 6,7 and 8 Measurement	Measurement Numbers to 10 Add and subtract Shapes	Key skills Numbers to 10 Numbers to 20 Shape and pattern	Add and subtract Numerical patterns Consolidation
Year 1	Place Value to 10 Addition and Subtraction	Addition and Subtraction Shape Place Value to 20	Addition and Subtraction Place Value to 50	Place Value to 50 Length and Height Weight and Volume	Multiplication and Division Fractions Position and Direction	Place Value to 100 Money Time
Year 2	Place Value Addition and Subtraction	Addition and Subtraction Money Multiplication and division	Multiplication and Division Statistics	Properties of Shape Fractions	Measurement: Length and height Geometry: Position and direction Consolidation and Problem solving	Measurement: Time Measurement: Mass, capacity, temperature Consolidation
Year 3	Place Value Addition and subtraction	Addition and subtraction Multiplication and division	Multiplication and division Measurement: Money Statistics	Measurement: Length and perimeter Fractions	Fractions Measurement: Time	Geometry: Properties of shapes Measurement: Mass and capacity Consolidation
Year 4	Place Value Addition and subtraction	Length and Perimeter Multiplication and division	Multiplication and division Area Fractions	Fractions Decimals	Decimals Money Time	Statistics Shape Position and Direction
Year 5	Place Value Addition and subtraction Statistics	Multiplication and division Perimeter and area	Multiplication and division Fractions	Fractions, decimals and percentages	Decimals Geometry: Properties of shapes	Geometry: Position and direction Converting units Volume Consolidation
Year 6	Place Value Addition and subtraction Multiplication and division	Fractions Geometry: Position and direction.	Decimals Percentages Algebra	Measurement: converting units Measurement: Perimeter, Area and volume Number: Ratio	Statistics Geometry: Properties of shapes	Consolidation Problem solving

and our Maths progression Document and Vocabulary Progression in Maths.If you want to learn more about how we teach maths at St Michael’s please read our MATHEMATICS POLICY 2021-22