"The essence of mathematics lies entirely in its freedom." - Georg Cantor

WS Maths on a page .pptx

 

INTENT

At Woolacombe School, we aim for the children to see themselves as mathematicians by developing a curiosity for and making rich connections between mathematical ideas.  They do this through the development of the following areas (as outlined in the National Curriculum):

  • fluency so that they can recall facts and concepts and apply their knowledge
  • reasoning so that they can justify, prove, and provide an argument, conjecture or generalisation about a mathematical idea
  • problem-solving by breaking a problem down into a series of smaller steps.

IMPLEMENTATION

We follow the mastery approach to mathematics to guide all children towards a deep understanding of the maths they are learning.  Each unit of study is given time for children to explore thoroughly and build on previous areas.  

We teach a progression of skills and knowledge through the White Rose Maths programme. Please see our Maths Progression Overview below.

Click here for the Maths Progression Overview

Lessons are designed through ‘chunks’ or small steps to ensure that they are able to build on and apply learned skills.  Children’s reasoning is scaffolded through the use of stem sentences and further developed through probing questioning .  Problem-solving is at the heart of the children’s maths learning, giving them the opportunity to apply the tools and skills they have learned.  Misconceptions are used as part of the lesson design to promote reasoned discussion. Careful use of manipulatives and varied images help children to gain a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.  White Rose planning resources are used to support teachers’ planning.

The majority of children will move through the learning at the same pace, with some being supported through additional resources (manipulatives and images) or guided by an adult, and some demonstrating a deeper understanding through looking at the maths in a ‘different’ way through tasks to deepen knowledge.  Those who are not sufficiently fluent have additional practice through ‘Top-up’ sessions to prevent gaps from widening or from pre-teaching.  

Times tables facts are learnt through making connections between facts (using the Jill Mansergh counting stick approach) and are rehearsed through ‘Times Tables Rock Stars’.  

IMPACT

Assessment in maths is regular and ongoing.  Teachers use this assessment to influence their planning and interventions and ensure they are providing a mathematics curriculum that will allow each child to progress. Feedback is given to the children through live marking (including self-marking) and next step tasks to ensure they are meeting the specific learning objective.  Each term, children complete a summative assessment (NFER or previous SATs papers).   The teaching of maths is also monitored through book scrutinies, learning walks and lesson observations.  All assessments are then used to determine children’s progress and attainment.

wrm-addition-subtraction-calculation-policy-july-2022

Multiplication and Division calculation policy July 2022