Mathematics - Statement of Intent

Aims and Objectives

At Elmtree Infant and Nursery School mathematics teaches children how to make sense of the world around us through developing a child’s ability to calculate, to reason and to solve problems. It enables children to understand and appreciate relationships and pattern in both number and space in their everyday lives.

The aims of mathematics at Elmtree are:

• to promote enjoyment and enthusiasm for learning of maths.

• to promote confidence and competence with numbers and the number system.

• to develop the ability to solve problems with increasing sophistication (including in unfamiliar contexts and real-life scenarios).

• to develop a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered and presented.

• to explore features of shape and space, and develop measuring skills in a range of contexts.

• To be able to recall and apply previously acquired concepts, skills, knowledge and understanding to new situations both in and out of school.

• To use a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach.

• To be challenging and open-ended.

Children at Elmtree represent a wide variety of backgrounds, interests and aptitudes for maths. Consequently, our approach is to be inclusive for everyone and to create an environment where everyone can succeed. Children will gain a secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through manageable steps. We use mistakes and misconceptions as an essential part of learning and provide challenge through mastery challenges.

Implementation

Our programme of study is clearly mapped out in our White Rose Maths progression document which is based on the National Curriculum and supported by the Mastering Number Programme. At Elmtree, we have adopted White Rose Maths as a scheme of learning to provide our children with a mastery approach to maths. Each topic is organised into small steps of progression ensuring new knowledge is built upon prior learning. Lessons contain opportunities for reasoning and problem solving to enable children to apply their knowledge and strengthen their memory of new learning.

Teachers using a concrete, pictorial and abstract (CPA) approach to lessons enabling all children to access the lesson content.

CPA:

• Concrete teaching involves manipulatives and hands on learning. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year-by-year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.

• Pictorial transfers the concrete aspects into images in children’s books.

• Abstract uses the number system and removes previous support steps.

Planning:

• We use the White Rose Maths scheme which is in line with the National Curriculum & Foundation Stage Framework to plan our teaching. This sets out the aims & objectives, and details what is to be taught to each year group.

• White Rose Maths provides a yearly overview plan for each year-group which ensures the whole curriculum is covered during the academic year and shows progression of skills through each year.

• Weekly plans are then formulated from year overview with more detail about how the lesson will be taught and what the differentiated activities will be.

• Clear objectives (LOs) along with Success Criteria are set for the lesson and shared with the pupils.

• Teachers scaffold according to the needs of the children in the class and Assessment for Learning (AFL) will be used to evaluate the learning and inform the learning sequence.

• Additional adults are planned for and always used to support children with their learning in Maths

• Additional adults work under the guidance of the teacher with small groups of children or individuals.

• All lessons are to have available practical apparatus in line with the CPA approach.  

• Specific Implementation for Early Years & Key Stage 1

Nursery

Nursery have a 5 minute daily ‘Maths Meeting’ where the EYFS Development Matters maths statements and the Early Learning Goals are used to plan age-appropriate inputs introducing the children to simple maths concepts, combined with learning opportunities available in continuous provision linked to the weekly learning objectives.

Staff use the same vocabulary and methods to deliver the Maths curriculum to ensure strong foundations and understanding of key concepts as the children move through the school.

Reception

Teachers in Reception use the Mastering Number Programme alongside the EYFS. Children develop a secure firm foundation in the development of good number sense.

KS1

All maths lessons are appropriately differentiated to at least three levels, with high-quality first teaching. In addition, children in KS1 engage in the Mastering Number Programme to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense.

In all lessons across the school there is:

• consistency in teaching along with high quality planning, adapted to meet the needs of our pupils.

• Lessons are sequenced using prior knowledge and are taught in a language rich environment where children are encouraged to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills, along with introducing the children to age appropriate mathematical vocabulary.

• Developmental marking to address Misconceptions, Reinforce the new learning or to Extend the learning to a mastery level. Also known as MRE marking.

Impact

• Marking is in line with the school’s Marking and Feedback Policy.

• Regular opportunities are planned to assess the children’s knowledge. 

• Children are assessed at the end of their year in Reception against the Early Learning Goals.

• At the end of Year Two, children are assessed for Maths in the SATs.

• Progress is tracked using our Assessment Analysis Grids half termly and discussed at Pupil Progress meetings.

• Teachers use formative assessment during lessons and when marking books, to evaluate the children’s success and to ensure planning is based on prior attainment.

• Maths is moderated termly within school and with other schools.

• Baselines and termly data are submitted using Target Tracker.

• Analysis of assessment data is also used regularly to monitor the children’s progress, inform planning and find ways of ‘closing the gap’ for our disadvantaged learners.

• The school’s Marking and Feedback policy allows children’s levels of independence to be evident, as instances where pupils have the most secure knowledge and skills can most easily be recognised when they’ve applied learning independently and in a range of ways, including across different areas of the curriculum. On occasions when such extended depth has yet to be developed, an expected core impact of our curriculum is that pupils are at least ready to move on to the next key stage of learning.