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. (National Curriculum)
During the Early Years Foundation Stage, maths forms part of many interactive learning experiences. Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of mathematics through play, exploration and discussion. Children work with shapes and begin to learn their properties, use language to give positional clues, compare quantities, and identify and recreate patterns. They learn to count, read, write and order numbers to 20 using songs and rhymes, which is extended to 100 and beyond during The National Curriculum in Key Stage 1 and KS2.
In KS1 and KS2, children are taught in class groups for their daily maths lesson. Additionally, they have 10-minute maths meetings when different concepts are revised and practised.
Our children move from counting reliably to calculating fluently with all four number operations. Children will use a wider range of mathematical language and diagrams. They learn to tackle a problem with mental methods before using any other approach, always supported with help and encouragement. Numeracy attainment and progress is monitored in termly Pupil Progress Meetings.
Mathematics Mastery Curriculum is cumulative - each school year begins with a focus on the concepts and skills that have the most connections, and this concept is then applied and connected throughout the school year to consolidate learning. This gives pupils the opportunity to ‘master maths’: by using previous learning throughout the school year; they are able to develop mathematical fluency and conceptual understanding.
The ‘mastery ‘ approach to teaching maths allows our pupils to build a deep conceptual understanding of concepts, enabling them to apply their learning in different situations.