Mathematics

At Welbourne, we have a progressive curriculum which develops the skills of the 2014 National Curriculum for Maths consistently over time to ensure that all children: become fluent in the fundamentals of Maths; are able to reason mathematically and can solve problems by applying their Maths. The school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing their collaborative and independent skills. We are committed to ensuring that children recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are able to use mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts. We want children and their parents and carers to develop into confident and competent, successful mathematical thinkers and communicators.

A high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. Mathematical skills and knowledge will be taught, explored and revisited so that pupils know more, remember more and can therefore apply more. Children will develop resilience and self-confidence in applying their learning skills and knowledge. We aim to support children to achieve economic well-being and equip them with a range of computational skills and the ability to solve problems in a variety of contexts.

We want all children to enjoy Mathematics and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically. We are committed to developing children’s curiosity about the subject, as well as an appreciation of the beauty and power of Mathematics. We want children to have the confidence to communicate ideas in written form and orally; Independent and collaborative ways of working, encouraging children to share ideas and solve problems together.

Learning at Welbourne

In Nursery and Reception, we follow EYFS curriculum guidance for Mathematics. The Early Learning Goals have been adopted and at this stage children experience some Mathematics on a daily basis. Through this guidance, we are committed to ensuring the confident development of number sense and put emphasis on the mastery of key early concepts. Pupils explore, experiment with and investigate numbers and become aware of key models and images. This early introduction to Mathematics will generally be undertaken orally and often in the context of a class theme. Teaching is underpinned by methodical, progressive curriculum design and supported by carefully crafted lessons and resources to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.

A ‘mastery’ approach has been adapted and implemented for the planning, delivery and engagement with mathematics. We primarily use the White Rose Maths materials to plan mathematical units that are explored progressively from Reception to Year 6. We draw on resources, data and suggestions from reliable sources such as NCETM, NRICH.co.uk and Moneysense to link mathematical talk and knowledge across the various units and to relate learning to real life. The White Rose scheme is cumulative, so that once a topic is covered, it is met many times again in other contexts. It is designed to have an emphasis on number, with a large proportion of time spent reinforcing number to build competency.

Teachers believe the vast majority of children can succeed in learning mathematics in line with national expectations. The whole class is taught mathematics together, with little differentiation by acceleration to new content. The learning needs of individuals are addressed through carefully scaffolding, questioning and appropriate rapid intervention where necessary, to provide support and challenge. Children with SEND are provided learning opportunities to match their needs and ensure progress for those individuals. The reasoning behind mathematical processes are established. Teacher/ pupil interaction explores how answers were obtained as well as why the method worked and what might be the most efficient strategy.

Lessons start with deliberate vocabulary development, followed by a Flashback 4 to recap and revise previous learning. 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. They are given opportunities to talk to develop vocabulary and build knowledge; speculate; hypothesise and explore ideas using appropriate resources. Children learn in sequence – concrete, pictorial representations, then abstract:

• Use of CONCRETE objects and manipulatives to help them understand what they are doing.
• Alongside this, children use PICTORIAL representations. These representations can then be used to help reason and solve problems.
• Both concrete and pictorial representations support children’s understanding of ABSTRACT methods.

Investigations and problem solving activities enable children to apply and consolidate learning in different contexts. Independent work provides the means for all children to develop their fluency further before progressing to more complex related problems. Children with SEND are taught within the daily maths lessons and are encouraged to take an active part. All children receive personalised support to address areas that they find more difficult.

Talk for Maths

At Welbourne key vocabulary is introduced at the start of lessons and explained and rehearsed with children. We encourage our pupils to speak clearly and confidently, articulate and explain their ideas and reasoning. They have opportunities for meaningful talk about their learning in lessons so that they are able to reason confidently. We teach that children need to express themselves orally in an appropriate way, matching their style and response to audience and purpose. In Maths lessons, children are given opportunities to:

• Ask questions to check understanding.
• Develop vocabulary and build knowledge.
• Evaluate and build on the ideas of others.
• Give well-structured explanations, justifying ideas with reasons
• Speculate, hypothesise and explore ideas.

Arithmetic Challenge

There is an emphasis on the development of mental calculation skills. Mental mathematics is incorporated throughout all lessons, developing mental strategies for solving all mathematical problems. Children are given an Arithmetic Challenge fortnightly (Years 2-6).

Problem Solving

Reasoning and Problem Solving are two of the key aims of the National Curriculum. At Welbourne, we focus on how to develop reasoning for all students by using stem sentences and concrete and pictorial models to support explanations. Pupils are given regular opportunities to apply maths skills to real life problems on a regular basis. They are exposed to reasoning and problem solving problems in most lessons. Using practical examples, we support and challenge all learners within problem solving activities. Children enjoy applying what they have learnt to real life situations which helps put their learning into context and makes it purposeful.

Online Learning

The role of technology in our mathematics curriculum is to motivate and engage children and support children in analysing and communicating their maths knowledge and understanding. Children can login and access apps such as Sumdog or Timestables Rockstars at school and at home. Other useful website include the following:

• www.sumdog.com (Sumdog)
• www.ttrockstars.com (Timestables Rockstars)
• https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check(Timestable Check)
• http://www.whiterosemaths.com (White Rose Maths)
• www.ncetm.org.uk
• www.nrich.org.uk