St Chad's Catholic Primary School

Mathematics

 

Intent

At St Chad’s Catholic Primary School, our intent is to provide the children of our school with a high quality mathematics curriculum that is both challenging and enjoyable, that will help children master mathematical content and enable them to have skills that will help them in their everyday life, and in the future.

Our intentions are that all pupils will:

  • Become fluent in the basic foundations of mathematics so that they can develop their understanding and ability to recall and apply knowledge more rapidly and accurately.
  • Be able to explain their understanding using mathematical vocabulary.
  • Reason mathematically by following lines of enquiry, understand relationships and generalisations, and develop an argument, justification or proof using mathematical vocabulary.
  • Problem solve by applying their mathematical knowledge to a variety of problems with increasing complexity, including breaking down problems into a number of simpler steps and persevering in seeking the solution.
  • Be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.
  • Know that maths is essential to everyday life.
  • Be confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks.

 

Implementation

Our implementation is developed through secure understanding of the curriculum and subject area. Teaching and learning, content and sequence planning follows the White Rose schemes of work, aligned to the National Curriculum. We also use the National Centre for Excellence in the teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) resources. We adapt and enhance the White Rose scheme for the needs of our pupils. We support our pedagogy and assessment with best research and with the use of the NFER tests and NCETM mastery materials. By using a variety of planning resources we believe that we provide a bespoke teaching and learning experience that is designed to interest, inform and inspire our children.

We use prior knowledge as a starting point for planning and teaching, we plan lessons which are required for all pupils to make good progress.

The NCETM states ‘Mastering maths means pupils of all ages acquiring a deep, long term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject’. Pupils are taught to explore maths in depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their thinking and working, a wide range of mathematical resources and appropriate manipulatives. Pupils are taught to show their understanding in a concrete, pictorial and abstract form. Maths lessons are designed with a concrete, pictorial and abstract (CPA) approach, providing our pupils with the scaffolding required to access the learning at all levels.

Modelling the skills needed in mathematics is essential, as well as providing examples of good practice and having high expectations. Sentences stems are used to support children’s talk and help children to develop fluency, to evaluate, deepen and extend their mathematical thinking. 

 We encourage resilience as struggle is often a necessary step in learning.

Teachers expect children to achieve and maintain good quality presentation and take pride in their work.

Feedback is given to pupils in line with our feedback policy. Assessment for learning is used to address misconceptions so that teaching and planning can be adjusted to meet the needs of the class. Formative assessment within every lesson helps teachers to identify the children who need more support to achieve the intended learning outcome and those who are ready for greater stretch and challenge through planned questioning or additional activities.

Regular assessment and analysis, including use of testing e.g. NFER tests, informs planning and shapes provision. Summative assessments are completed at the end of the academic year and help influence the overall judgement reported to parents in the end of year report.

 

Impact

At St Chad’s Catholic Primary School, our pupils will have:

  • Become fluent, competent and efficient mathematicians.
  • The ability to recall facts and procedures efficiently, including the recollection of times tables facts.
  • The ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics.
  • The ability to use mathematical vocabulary to explain their reasoning and justify their thought processes.
  • Be able to move between different contexts and representations of maths. 
  • Made good progress in an academic year.
  • Great resilience, which will give them the confidence to use maths throughout their everyday lives.
  • Confidence in believing that they will achieve.
  • A high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of their work.

 

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