Mathematics Curriculum Statement for Longford C of E  Primary School

The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide a curriculum, which is accessible to all and will maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement. We deliver lessons that are creative and engaging. We want children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects. We want children to realise that mathematics has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. We want them to know that it is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. As our pupils progress, we intend for our pupils to be able to understand the world, have the ability to reason mathematically, have an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and, we want and encourage every child to have an 'I can do maths' attitude. 

The national curriculum for Mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Implementation
The content and principles underpinning the 2014 Mathematics curriculum and the Maths curriculum at our school reflect those found in high-performing education systems internationally, particularly those of east and south-east Asian countries as a school we are supported by Mobius Maths Hub for continuous CPD. These principles and features characterise this approach and convey how our curriculum is implemented:

• Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in Mathematics.
• The large majority of children progress through the curriculum content at the same pace.
• Differentiation is achieved by emphasising deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention.

• Teaching is underpinned by methodical curriculum design and supported by carefully crafted lessons and resources to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.
• Practice and consolidation play a central role. Carefully designed variation within this builds fluency and understanding of underlying mathematical concepts.
• Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess children regularly to identify those requiring intervention, so that all children keep up.

To ensure whole consistency and progression, the school uses the White Rose Maths scheme, Mathletics (aligned to White Rose) and the school’s ongoing engagement with the DFE funded Mobius Maths Hubs programme continues to ensure that staff at all levels understand the pedagogy of the approach. The following document details the progression of Maths skills in our school: 

https://whiterosemaths.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/National-Curriculum-Progression-Mixed-Age.pdf

New concepts are shared within the context of an initial related problem, which children are able to discuss in partners. This initial problem-solving activity prompts discussion and reasoning, as well as promoting an awareness of maths in relatable real-life contexts that link to other areas of learning. In KS1, these problems are almost always presented with objects (concrete manipulatives) for children to use. Children in KS2 are encouraged to use manipulatives to support their conceptual understanding. Teachers use careful questions to draw out children’s discussions and their reasoning. The class teacher then leads children through strategies for solving the problem, including those already discussed. Independent work provides the means for all children to develop their fluency further, before progressing to more complex related problems. Mathematical topics are taught in blocks, to enable the achievement of ‘mastery’ over time. Each lesson phase provides the means to achieve greater depth, with more able children being offered rich and sophisticated problems, as well as exploratory, investigative tasks, within the lesson as appropriate. Each mathematical topic is revisited over the year to embed and consolidate prior learning and sustain attainment.

Calculations Policy

This Calculation Policy has been developed and agreed after using the National Curriculum objectives and methods.  Go to the policy page to find a copy of this document.

We recognise that mathematics can only be used effectively when the user understands the tool, and has ownership of it.  With our Calculation Policy, we can be confident throughout school, that the hard work we all put into teaching the children each year to calculate, will be consolidated and extended the following year.

By agreeing on the use of strategies and mathematical language the children will be taught consistently in all classes, developing their understanding as they progress through school.  This will hopefully cause less confusion for the children and ensure they have the necessary strategies and scaffolding to enable them to solve mathematical problems.

Children will then be encouraged to use the calculation strategies they are secure with, whether done mentally or using pencil and paper methods.

Impact
The school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing their collaborative and independent skills, as well as empathy and the need to recognise the achievement of others. Children can underperform in Mathematics because they think they can’t do it or are not naturally good at it. The White Rose Maths programme addresses these preconceptions by ensuring that all children experience challenge and success in Mathematics by developing a growth mindset. Regular and ongoing assessment informs teaching, as well as intervention, to support and enable the success of each child. Statutory Assessments not taken place for the last two years, although through our school tracker we have seen significant progress, since using a mastery approach and the White Rose and Mathletics resources.