“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas”
 Albert Einstein

 

INTENT

At Barnburgh, we recognise the importance of maths in every aspect of daily life. As one of the core subjects taught, we give the teaching and learning of maths the prominence it requires.

The mathematic area of learning supports with providing the foundations for developing an understanding of the world. It equips children with the ability to be able to reason mathematically whilst also developing a sense of love, curiosity and excitement for maths as a subject.

We have a belief at Barnburgh that children will master their mathematics learning through staff:

• having a belief that, by working hard, all children are capable of succeeding at mathematics.
• placing a focus on exposing the structure of mathematics and developing an understanding of how and why mathematics works.
• emphasising the importance of memorisation and repetition of key facts (times tables and number bonds etc) as they are important aspects of learning.
• teaching children precise mathematical language and insisting upon its use, to support children's ability to think mathematically.

It is vital that our children understand how mathematics is essential to our everyday lives and they develop an understanding of financial literacy as most forms of employment rely on the use of mathematics. We also encourage children to understand how mathematics can be so inter-connected with other areas of their learning, including: science and DT.

All children are encouraged to develop and use a range of skills in their maths lessons and across the curriculum, including being able to: recall known facts, reason, problem solve, question, investigate, as well as being encouraged to become independent learners in exploring possible answers for their mathematic based questions. Subject specific vocabulary for topics is taught and built up, and effective questioning to communicate ideas is encouraged. Concepts taught should be reinforced and developed as the child progresses through their mathematical journey at primary school. Children should become in recalling known facts and a variety of methods, which will allow them to independently solve a maths problem.

 

COURAGE

• To have the courage to explore and innovate using mathematical knowledge and understanding.
• To investigate and have the courage to adopt a ‘trial and error’ approach when solving mathematical problems.
• To use the correct method with works the best for them as mathematicians.

PERSEVERANCE

• To develop the ability to stick with something, to continue working, to try harder, to not give up.
• To understand that the perseverance and dedication is needed to work successfully in maths.
• To adopt different mathematical methods when finding the answer to a problem is proving difficult.

AMBITION

• To do their best work and then to push themselves beyond what they consider to be their best. 
• To develop a desire to achieve something.
• To develop instant, rapid recall of known facts.

RESPECT

• To respect the ambition and work from their peers.
• To respect equipment used in maths.
• To respect and understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life and in future employment opportunities.

INDEPENDENCE

• To develop young mathematicians who understand maths plays a crucial role in our world and in everyday life.
• To develop children who are confident young mathematicians, keen to question or investigate a problem further and develop their understanding.
• To develop children who are equipped with a range of mathematical methods and facts which they are able to recall and apply to varying situations and problems.

 

BEYOND THE SUBJECT

We want our maths curriculum to help children to;

• See the importance of maths in everyday life
• Be prepared to use mathematics in future employment
• Have an understanding of financial literacy
• Observe and look closer at the world of maths around them
• See mathematical connections in the world

 

IMPLEMENTATION

To ensure high standards of the teaching and learning in maths, Barnburgh Primary Academy implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school. Planning for maths is a process in which all teachers ensure that the school gives full coverage of ‘The 2014 National Curriculum’ programmes of study or the EYFS Framework.

At Barnburgh Primary Academy, when teaching maths, the whole class moves through topics and lessons at broadly the same pace, starting from the same point. All children are given the same opportunities and the support or intervention given, will vary from lesson to lesson. Each topic is studied in depth and the teacher does not move to the next stage until children demonstrate that they have a secure understanding of the mathematical concepts. Students are given time to think deeply about the maths and really understand concepts at a relational level, rather than as a set of rules or procedures. This slower pace leads to greater progress because it ensures that students are secure in their understanding and teachers don’t need to revisit topics once they have been covered in depth.

At Barnburgh Primary Academy, we believe that every child deserves the chance to shine. We believe that teaching maths for mastery offers all pupils access to the full maths curriculum. This inclusive approach, and its emphasis on promoting multiple methods of solving a problem, builds self-confidence, enjoyment and resilience in pupils. Though the whole class goes through the same content at roughly the same pace, there is still plenty of opportunity for differentiation. Those pupils who grasp concepts quickly are challenged to complete varying representations of the fluency aspect, before apply their learning to a reasoning context. Those children who are not sufficiently fluent are provided with additional support to consolidate their understanding before moving on. This element is in the form of same day intervention, both in class during the lesson or as a follow up intervention if needed.

 

KS1 and KS2

Each week, children across KS1 and KS2 will have five maths sessions. 

Three sessions are fluency maths learning, the fourth session focuses on solving reasoning problems and the fifth is an arithmetic session.

During each fluency or reasoning maths session, children will experience:

• Whole class input (high quality modelling with whiteboard work and use of concrete resources where appropriate)
• Differentiation (through support, use of manipulatives and questioning)
• Same day intervention (immediate intervention) or progression onto varied fluency after the teaching input where needed
• Challenge in the form of applying their learning to an independent reasoning problem
• Live marking with instant feedback and challenge where appropriate

During skills/arithmetic sessions children will have opportunities to:

• Practice their fundamental mathematical skills  
• Practice arithmetic style questions or multiplication questions, with a focus on the Year 4 multiplication check where appropriate

At Barnburgh Primary Academy we strive to promote children’s independence and for all children to take responsibility in their own learning. Each of our young mathematicians has their own maths book, where their learning is recorded in a variety of forms.

 

EYFS

Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shape, spaces and measures. The three prime areas of EYFS: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development, should be strengthened and applied through mathematics.

Nursery:

Use the ‘Birth to 5’ document to support teaching the EYFS curriculum. The children have 10–15-minute daily maths sessions that are consecutive and then where possible, there is a maths focused group time every week. Group time can be 1-1 or in small groups of up to 4, depending on the intent of the session.

Reception:

Use White Rose maths as a guide but also focus on the maths areas of learning within the EYFS. Maths is taught four morning sessions a week. Children start with concrete tasks guided by an adult in small groups. They then progress onto an independent task that is usually pictorial, although sometimes this is another concrete task (for example, when working with shapes). The following session, the second guided piece of work is concrete/abstract and so is the teaching input. The independent task is then pictorial/abstract. For children who are then confident, the teacher provides a challenge task where appropriate. On a Friday, either the class teacher or TA carries out feedback with individuals or small groups, to address any misconceptions or to further embed learning through interventions. 

The maths area within the EYFS provision supports basic skills and the importance of embedding these skills. The EYFS has a large focus on children having a deep understanding of number and counting, rather than being able to count to high numbers by rote. Correct vocabulary linked to maths is used throughout the provision too.  

 

IMPACT

The successful approach at Barnburgh Primary Academy results in a fun, engaging, high-quality maths education, that provides children with the foundations for understanding the world of maths and the connections between mathematics and other areas of the curriculum. At Barnburgh Primary Academy, pupils demonstrate their mathematical learning and understanding each day, in every lesson. In line with our assessment policy, data for pupil’s attainment and progress in maths is collected 3 times a year and is based on both the class teachers’ formative assessments as well as summative assessment results from each term. Throughout the year, pupil voice is used, alongside book looks, to monitor the day-to-day view of maths in the classroom, the effectiveness of the structure and to help review children’s learning and progress.

Formative assessment takes place in every single maths lesson and is achieved through targeted questioning, observations of pupils, discussions or use of self-assessment from the children, as well as reviewing whiteboard work or practical activities which are completed in the initial teaching input.

Summative assessments are completed by the children each term in every year group, with Years 2 and 6 completing the national curriculum tests and the remainder of the school completing assessments with follow the White Rose Scheme. Year 6 complete previous maths SATs papers each half term. In EYFS, teacher assessments are made against the EYFS Framework and our progression document.

Examples of our mathematicians’ work and their attitudes towards maths learning, can be seen our classrooms and in maths books.