Mathematics
Maths Ethos
Mathematics is an integral part of the culture and inheritance of our children and it is an essential tool for adult life. Maths is a network of concepts and relationships which can assist children in gaining an understanding and encourage analytical thinking. Mathematics is used to communicate information and provide opportunities to explore new ideas in both the practical and the abstract forms. Our aim at Whittlefield is to:
To become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics.
To reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations.
To develop an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
Develop a competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge.
To solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication.
An ability to use and apply mathematics in a cross curricular manner.
Teaching & Learning in Mathematics
Using the Programmes of Study from the National Curriculum and the EYFS Framework it is our aim to develop:
A confident and positive attitude towards all aspects of mathematics
The ability to communicate mathematics
Competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge
An ability to solve problems, to reason and think logically and to work with accuracy in a systematic manner
An ability to work both independently and in cooperation with others
An ability to use and apply mathematics in a cross curricular manner
An understanding of mathematics through a process of enquiry and experiments
The Scheme of Work
Long, medium and short term planning is based on the Programmes of Study and learning objectives found in the National Curriculum and EYFS Framework. We use the White Rose planning documents to support our learning. These documents provide rich mathematical learning tasks, often involving project-based or problems linked to the current topic. These real contexts help children to apply their mathematical skills whilst developing their problem-solving and reasoning skills. We encourage children to select their own resources when solving problems. This scheme also fosters to children’s development of using mathematical vocabulary within lessons and when discussing in groups or whole class situations.
Children will be expected to talk about their understanding and learning using full sentences and STEM sentence starters such as:
I agree with _____________ because _______________
I disagree with ___________ because _______________
That is a good answer because _____________________
This reminds me of ____________ because ___________
I proved my thinking by __________________________
The answer is _______________ because ____________
Concrete Resources
We use concrete resources to ensure the children gain a full understanding of the skills being taught. This means introducing a new topic through concrete resources such as Numicon, place value counters, tens frames, dienes blocks, cubes, mirrors, shapes, number lines and clocks etc. Teacher’s model using the resources and children us the resources to support their understanding. The resources are used until the children have fully grasped the understanding of the skill being taught. Children will have free access to these resources which they can chose to use within any lesson. This use of concrete resources supports our teaching through the CPA approach:
Children are taught to use concrete resources e.g. counters, bead strings, Dienes Base-10, number lines, Numicon, Cuisenaire, to develop and enhance their learning of each mathematical concept. We believe that this concrete (action-based) approach is essential before moving onto pictorial representations (image-based) and finally abstract whereby children record their mathematics using symbols such as =, +, x. Once learned, children move between these stages with ease.
Assessment
Teachers are required to keep pertinent, up to date information about pupils’ attainment in mathematics. Ongoing judgements are made against the relevant National Curriculum objectives in daily mathematics lessons. These assessments can be based on observations; by orally questioning the children; or by marking written work. Marking will be undertaken in line with the relevant school policy and will include, where appropriate, an indication of the next steps needed for the child’s mathematical development. A short amount of time will also be set aside for the children to respond to the teacher’s comments. Once the marking has been undertaken, any children identified to have found the learning challenging will be supported by the teaching assistant in class with Same Day Intervention (SDI). This will ensure that all children have understood the learning for that day and are ready to access the learning for tomorrow.
This information will be used to inform the teacher’s planning for the next steps in the learning of individual children and provide accurate National Curriculum levels in the different areas of mathematics.
At the end of each term, a snapshot judgement is then made by class teachers regarding each child’s overall level of attainment in mathematics. This assessment data is used to track the progress made by each child as they move through the school. This information is also reported to and monitored by the mathematics subject leader, the senior leadership team and the school governors.
At the end of each academic year, assessment information will be passed on to the next class teacher or to the next school if a pupil moves school. All information gathered will also be used to inform parents of their child’s progress and targets at both parents’ evenings and in written reports in the Spring and Summer Terms.