Maths Curriculum
Intent
At our school, we aim to develop confidence, curiosity and ambition for all learners in mathematics. We believe that every child can succeed as a mathematician and develop a lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of the subject.
We provide a stimulating, supportive and inclusive learning environment where every child is valued and encouraged to participate, persevere and make progress. Through a broad, balanced and carefully sequenced curriculum, children are given opportunities to explore mathematical ideas, deepen their understanding and develop a positive attitude towards learning.
Our approach is rooted in teaching for mastery, where all children are supported to develop a deep and secure understanding of mathematical concepts. We recognise that children learn at different rates and provide appropriate support, challenge and opportunities for all learners to achieve. Learning and mathematical thinking are clearly modelled, with carefully chosen representations, resources and examples enabling children to make connections and develop conceptual understanding.
We want our children to think like mathematicians. They will become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics while developing the ability to reason, make connections, solve problems and apply their knowledge confidently in a variety of contexts. We encourage children to be independent, resilient and reflective learners, willing to take risks, learn from mistakes and persevere when faced with challenge.
High-quality mathematical talk and discussion are central to our teaching. Children are encouraged to ‘talk like mathematicians’ by explaining their thinking, using precise mathematical vocabulary, justifying their ideas and responding thoughtfully to the ideas of others. Through collaborative learning and purposeful discussion, pupils develop the confidence to articulate their reasoning and understand that there can be different ways to approach a problem.
Ultimately, we want every child to leave our school believing that they can do mathematics, understanding themselves as mathematicians, and equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to use mathematics successfully throughout their lives.
Implementation
Our mathematics curriculum is carefully designed and sequenced to ensure that all children develop a secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts. We follow a teaching for mastery approach, ensuring that all learners have access to the same ambitious curriculum, with appropriate support, scaffolding and challenge to meet individual needs.
Mathematics in our Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Provision
In our two-year-old provision, mathematics is play-based and language-rich. We focus on developing children’s mathematical thinking by providing frequent, varied and meaningful experiences through which children can build and apply their understanding. Through play and everyday experiences, children explore number and counting, spatial awareness, shape and measure, developing the language and concepts that form the foundations for future mathematical learning.
In F1 (three-year-olds), we continue to develop children’s mathematical understanding through rich, purposeful experiences and our own Mastering Number approach. Children are supported to develop their early number sense, mathematical vocabulary and confidence through practical activities, discussion, exploration and play.
Mastering Number
In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, we use the Mastering Number programme to develop children’s fluency, flexibility and confidence with number and calculation. The approach provides children with a strong understanding of number relationships and supports them to develop the foundations needed for future mathematical learning.
White Rose Maths
From Year 1 to Year 6, we use the White Rose Maths scheme of learning to support the planning and sequencing of our mathematics curriculum. Lessons are carefully structured to build on prior learning, develop conceptual understanding and make connections between different areas of mathematics. Small steps ensure that children have the opportunity to secure their understanding before moving on to new learning.
Our Pedagogical Approach
Our consistent pedagogical approach is based on ‘I do, we do, you do’. Teachers explicitly model new concepts and mathematical thinking before working collaboratively with children to develop their understanding. Children are then given opportunities to apply their learning independently, allowing teachers to identify misconceptions and provide timely support or further challenge.
Mathematical talk is at the heart of our approach. We place a strong emphasis on talk for learning, providing children with regular opportunities to explain, discuss, reason and justify their mathematical thinking. Children are encouraged to listen to and learn from one another, developing the confidence to articulate their ideas and ‘think and talk like mathematicians’.
The use of stem sentences is a key feature of our mathematics teaching. Carefully chosen sentence structures help children to articulate mathematical concepts using precise vocabulary and develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between ideas. Through repeated use and application, children become increasingly confident in explaining their reasoning and communicating mathematically.
Across the school, representations, practical resources, visual models and precise mathematical language are used to support conceptual understanding. Teachers identify and address misconceptions through questioning, discussion and assessment, ensuring that children develop secure foundations before progressing.
Through this consistent and carefully sequenced approach, we aim to ensure that every child becomes a confident, resilient and independent mathematician, able to reason, problem-solve and apply their mathematical knowledge in a range of contexts.
Impact
The impact of our mathematics curriculum is evident in the confidence, understanding and mathematical thinking of our pupils. We want every child to develop secure mathematical knowledge, the ability to reason and problem-solve, and the confidence to apply their learning in a range of contexts.
Assessment is an integral part of our mathematics teaching. In-class assessment takes place continually through questioning, observation, discussion and children’s independent work. Teachers use this ongoing assessment to identify misconceptions and gaps in understanding and address these promptly through responsive teaching, targeted support and further opportunities to practise and apply learning.
At the end of each unit, children from Year 1 to Year 6 complete White Rose end-of-unit assessments. These assessments provide teachers with valuable information about children’s understanding of the key knowledge and concepts taught and help identify areas that may require further teaching, consolidation or intervention.
At the end of each term, pupils from Year 1 -Year 6 complete NTS assessments. These provide a consistent measure of attainment and enable teachers to monitor progress over time. Assessment information is used alongside teachers’ professional knowledge and ongoing classroom evidence to identify strengths, gaps and next steps for individual pupils and groups of learners.
Assessment outcomes are used to inform future planning and ensure that teaching responds effectively to children’s needs. Where misconceptions are identified, teachers revisit and re-teach concepts, using appropriate representations, practical resources, questioning and mathematical talk to secure understanding.
Through this cycle of teaching, assessing, identifying misconceptions, responding and reviewing, we ensure that children make meaningful progress and develop increasingly secure mathematical knowledge. Ultimately, the impact of our mathematics curriculum is reflected in children who are fluent, confident and resilient mathematicians, able to reason, solve problems, explain their thinking and apply their mathematical knowledge independently.