Maths

Intent, Implementation, Impact

Intent:

At St Mary’s Catholic Primary school, the intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide children with a foundation for understanding number, reasoning, thinking logically and problem solving with resilience and confidence so that they are fully prepared for the future and are able to use their mathematics knowledge with confidence and ease.

It is essential that these keystones of Mathematics are embedded throughout all strands of the National Curriculum.   By adopting a Mastery approach, it is also intended that all children, regardless of their starting point, will maximise their academic achievement and leave St Marys Catholic Primary School with an appreciation and enthusiasm for Maths, resulting in a lifelong positive relationship with number and problem solving, enabling them to apply this to any job they choose.

At St Mary's Catholic Primary School, we ensure that:

• We deliver a high-quality and engaging maths curriculum that is practical, enjoyable, challenging and engaging.
• All of our lessons have pace and accuracy and opportunities for the children to learn from their mistakes.
• Children make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and confidence and competence in solving increasingly difficult problems.
• Our pupils are able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects with a particular focus on STEM.
• That our children know that maths is essential in everyday life and that they are confident mathematicians willing and able to take risks and challenge themselves.
• Children build up the skills and resilience to be independent learners with inquisitive minds.
• Our children have an interest in maths and an interest in self-improvement and the ability to notice where they have made a mistake in order to rectify this for the future.
• Children build a conceptual understanding of maths and its interrelated content so that they can apply their learning to different situations.
• That children are confident when using mathematical vocabulary to articulate, discuss and explain their thinking.
• That all teachers ensure their classroom is ‘mistake friendly’ so that children use this as learning tools, developing the power to ‘think’ rather than just ‘do.’
• Staff and children will be of the mindset that maths is for everyone, and everyone can achieve!!

Implementation:

To improve our mastery approach and further improve the quality and consistency of our maths teaching, teachers use White Rose as a basis to plan their lessons.  As well as this, teachers use resources from Deepening Understanding, Maths on Target, Testbase and Classroom Secrets to support their delivery of outstanding maths.

Formative assessment is threaded throughout each lesson and the end of each unit of work; and appropriate revisions to planning are made by the class teacher to ensure all lessons are tailored to best meet the needs of their children. 

It is essential that children have a deep understanding of the most important elements that underpin the mathematics curriculum so that there is consistency and continuity as children move from one year group to the next. Therefore, if necessary, time may be weighted towards those objectives that best meet the need of the children/cohort at that time.

In order to meet our aims above and the requirements set out in the EYFS framework and the Primary National Curriculum, we will implement the following:

• Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in Mathematics.
• Teachers promote positive learning characteristics throughout each maths lesson.
• To develop secure and deep conceptual understanding, staff plan for the use of concrete resources, varied representations and structures.  
• Teachers have high expectations of the children and all children must have high expectations of themselves.
• Regular and ongoing formative assessment informs teaching, as well as intervention where necessary, to support and enable the success of each child
• Summative assessments take place at the end of term (half-termly in Y5 and 6) and planning is adjusted accordingly.  Year 6 will also complete regular SATs practise papers.
• Children’s attainment and progress is discussed by teachers and pupil achievement leaders and if progress is not made, support is immediate and steps provided.  Targets are shared with parents.
• Children’s attainment and progress is discussed with parents/carers during parents evenings.
• Differentiation is achieved by emphasising deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention. It is seen through the concrete resources used, and/or the reliance on the representations and structures within a lesson to help embed a mathematical concept. All children are expected to be exposed to age related expectations and staff allow the time to plug gaps children may have in a particular area of mathematics. Staff understand what age-related expectations and mastering looks like for each objective and plan for how their children will get there. In order to meet the needs of all pupils, children working at a greater depth of understanding within an area of mathematics have extra opportunities to further their understanding.
• Provision will be made for children who are not making the expected level of progress through personalised targets and small group work. 
• Teaching that 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. Children’s explanations and their proficiency in articulating mathematical reasoning, with the precise use of mathematical vocabulary, are supported with teachers placing a strong emphasis on the correct use of mathematical language
• Daily basic skills sessions during morning maths recap and rehearse key skills to aid retention and support fluency (weekly arithmetic take up part of these in KS2. 

Impact:

• Most children will reach end of year expectations.
• Children’s progress is tracked on Itrack and weekly arithmetic tests allow teachers to track progress and address misconceptions quickly.
• Well planned sequences of learning support children to develop and refine their maths skills with a focus on adopting a mastery approach which allows children to see maths in the wider world.
• Children are able to independently apply their knowledge to a range of increasingly complex problems.
• Children are reasoning with increased confidence and accuracy and can confidently talk about how they problem solve.