Intent                                                                 

At Gifford Primary School the intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide all children with a firm foundation for understanding number, reasoning, thinking logically and problem solving. Children build their resilience so that they are fully prepared for the future. 

The key Mathematics  concepts are embedded throughout all strands of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and National Curriculum. 

By adopting a Mastery approach, it is also intended that all children, regardless of their starting point, will maximise their academic achievement with an enthusiasm for Maths, resulting in a lifelong positive relationship with number.

Implementation                                                             

The phrase ‘teaching for mastery’ describes the elements of classroom practice which provides all pupils the best chances of mastering maths. Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. Achieving mastery means acquiring a solid enough understanding of the mathematical concept that’s been taught to enable pupils to move on to more progressive and thought-provoking material. Likewise with calculations, as highlighted in our calculation policy, students must demonstrate their understanding of concepts using the concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) approach, ensuring fluency and depth of knowledge.

Children are taught Mathematics for approximately 1 hour daily. Support is determined during each lesson to ensure secure understanding based on the needs of the child. Challenge is visible throughout the whole session, where children are asked to reason and prove their understanding at a deeper secure level. Maths planning is supported by high quality assessment, which informs planning and closes gaps in learning through high quality teaching and learning and ensures that any necessary interventions are targeted specifically to meet the needs of children. White Rose is used to support the planning of maths lessons, which will include clear learning objectives and achievable success criteria designed to support children in achieving and understanding the outcome for each lesson.

Times tables play an important part in our maths learning, with children developing their fluency in rapid recall of tables up to 12 x 12 by the end of year 4. While the rapid recall of times tables are being developed, children are also learning how to apply and manipulate their understanding of this to reason and solve problems. Children from Y1 – Y6 have the opportunity to consolidate and apply their times tables knowledge.

Within daily teaching, children will be provided with links to previous learning which will be placed in context. Through the lesson correct mathematical vocabulary is introduced and embedded; modelling will support children in developing their ability to reason and explain their answers using them.

Impact                                                                

The impact of our mathematics curriculum is that children understand the relevance and importance of what they are learning in relation to real world concepts.

Our pupils have a positive view of maths due to learning in an environment where maths is promoted as being an exciting and enjoyable subject in which they can investigate and ask questions; they know that it is OK to be ‘wrong’ because the journey to finding an answer is most important.

They are confident to ‘have a go’ and choose the equipment they need to help them learn, along with the strategies they think are best suited to each problem. 

Our children have a good understanding of their strengths and targets for development. Children’s maths books evidence work of a high standard of which they clearly take pride in. The range of activities demonstrate good coverage of fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

Regular feedback and interventions support children to strive to be the best mathematicians they can be. Our school standards are high, we regularly moderate our books and children are achieving well.

Early Years

Pupils in EYFS are given opportunities to develop their skills in counting, understanding and using number and calculating simple addition and subtraction problems. Pupils are provided with a wide range of manipulatives through which they can build and develop their understanding and experience 'real world' mathematical problems. Through both the continuous and enhanced provision available to pupils, children are provided with exposure to maths whilst they are learning through play. Children are given an opportunity to begin to build an understanding of shape, space and measure where appropriate.