Mathematics

Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

Mathematics is crucial in everyday life; therefore, at Sunnyside Primary Academy, we aim to develop our children to be confident mathematicians. Children will be automatic in their recall of key number facts and fluent in mental and written strategies. They will have deep and secure conceptual understanding that enables them to reason and problem solve. Children will use precise mathematical language to explain their thinking.

Our maths curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum and enables pupils to meet the end of Key Stage Attainment Targets. Our curriculum intent for maths is driven through our four curriculum pillars:

 

Striving for Excellence:

We passionately believe that all children can achieve in mathematics, and we support all our children to strive for excellence. Concepts are introduced through a Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract approach enabling all children to experience hands on learning, allowing them to have clear models and images to support their understanding. This develops children’s confidence to be ambitious. We promote a positive attitude and encourage resilience, with an acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning. Our children understand that to become fluent takes regular practice and persistence.

Developing Vocabulary:

Mathematical talk and language is a critical part of learning. Unfamiliar vocabulary is defined and explored in context. Children routinely speak in sentences, utlising stem sentences. Precise mathematical vocabulary is modelled by all adults and children engage in purposeful discussions. Children articulate their reasoning and justify their answers, which deepens and extends their mathematical thinking. Teachers create a safe and open learning environment, where children can communicate their ideas freely, creating a culture of respect and collaboration.

 

Building Community:

Our maths curriculum offers ample opportunities for collaboration and teamwork through learning tasks, group discussions and problem-solving challenges. Children treat each other fairly, respect differences in strategies and support one another, developing our sense of community. This is further enhanced as children work with others from across the academy through our Times Table Rock Stars Club. We endeavour to build a home-school partnership, which enables parents and carers to support their children in their mathematical learning. We offer parent workshops, including sharing our approach to teaching maths and guidance on how to support children with their Times Table Rock Stars online homework.

 

Expanding Cultural Experiences:

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything the NSPCC does, it is for this reason we consistently take part in the NSPCC Number Day to raise money for this invaluable charity. Mathematics is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries. Children learn about key mathematicians who have positively impacted the way we live today. For example, Year 5 learn about the mathematician Katherine Johnson in their Earth and Space science unit.

Implementation

Our maths curriculum is based upon a teaching for mastery approach, informed by White Rose and this provides a basis for our long term plan. Concepts are broken down into small steps creating coherence to support children in developing deep and adaptable understanding. Our maths curriculum is designed to support and challenge pupils and is built on the belief that confidence in maths is crucial and everyone can achieve excellence.

Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. This begins in Early Years with their daily mathematical focus and use of continuous provision to embed key concepts. This September 2023, EYFS and Key Stage One have begun the NCETM Mastering Number programme. This will develop a strong grounding in number so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically.

Maths lessons are characterised by the promotion of mathematical language, reasoning and consistent use of the CPA approach to help children make connections between different representations. Lessons are planned and sequenced so that new knowledge builds on what has been learnt before. Our Calculation Policy underpins our progression towards and teaching of formal written methods.

Children engage in daily skip counting following our times table long term plan, and regular timed activities to practise, improve rapid recall of multiplication and division facts and develop automaticity. Children use the Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS) online platform to practise as part of their homework, as well as opportunities in school. Each week, certificates are given to children to celebrate effort and success in TTRS.   

Children practise their arithmetic skills regularly to maintain confidence and fluency.

Assessment is used to inform the teaching and learning cycle and feedback is provided at the point of learning to address misconceptions and deepen understanding.

We work with our local Maths Hub to engage with a range of professional development opportunities, such as Teacher Research Groups and specialist subject knowledge CPD.

Impact

As a result of our coherent, progressive and robust maths curriculum, all of our pupils will have a positive and confident attitude towards the subject. Children will have a deep and secure understanding of number. This will enable them to be fluent and resilient mathematicians, who know that mistakes are often a necessary step in learning. Children will have a range of secure mental and written strategies. They will be able to reason and apply their knowledge and skills to increasingly complex problems; following a line of enquiry and using precise mathematical vocabulary to generalise and explain their thinking.

 

Mrs Gosling
Mathematics Subject Leader

Parent Feedback from one of our Maths Open Mornings –

“Having just spent an hour in school during the ‘maths morning’, I just wanted to say how great it was to be able to share in the children’s obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment of the problem-solving activities. Their abilities to collaborate and discuss their ideas and thought processes was impressive as was the fact that so many of them wanted to challenge themselves and so chose the ‘harder’ problems. Many thanks for providing this opportunity.”