Maths

Subject Overview

At Cordwalles, we deliver an inclusive, inspiring and engaging mathematics curriculum, enabling the children to be numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive and confident.  A mastery approach to the National Curriculum (centred around the NCETM Spines) ensures that pupils spend a sufficient length of time on each unit so that they are secure using and applying their new skills before moving on to tackle new concepts.  The small steps that we have broken our curriculum into enables pupils to deepen their understanding and, as they progress through the curriculum, build and extend their skills and understanding.

Curriculum Intent

We recognise that maths plays an integral part of developing and enriching a child’s understanding of the world around them.  A secure understanding of maths is vital in allowing children to develop real-life practical skills such as reasoning logically and thinking in abstract ways, whilst also helping them to achieve well in other subjects such as science, computing, history and geography.  The aim of our curriculum is to ensure that our children master their understanding of maths at their age related expectations.  We aim to develop children who:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including the varied and regular practice of increasingly complex problems over time.
   
• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, understanding relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.

• Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Curriculum Implementation

A discrete maths lesson is taught for an hour and 15 minutes a day in every year group at Cordwalles.  The teaching of mathematics at Cordwalles is based on research and evidence of how pupils best learn and secure knowledge.  Learning is delivered in small, coherent steps to ensure access for all.  Pupils are explicitly taught number fact fluency which allows them to access other areas of maths with ease.  Representations such as tens frames, number beads, number lines, Numicon, Dienes, place value counters support pupils by revealing the mathematics and allowing pupils to understand the concepts taught.  Alongside developing children’s fluency in arithmetic skills, the curriculum requires pupils to reason and think mathematically.  We encourage our children to talk mathematically and explain their answers using precise vocabulary and generalisations.

Throughout lessons, teachers use effective ‘Assessment for Learning’ questioning skills, underpinned by Bloom’s Taxonomy, to formatively assess understanding of key concepts, promote appropriate discussion and correct any misconceptions.  Following our feedback and marking policy, teachers give immediate feedback within lessons, stretching and challenging the children through individualised questioning techniques, as well as formal written feedback in books which ensures children are clear on their next steps.

Outside of the discrete maths lesson, children are provided with many opportunities to develop and strengthen their mathematical understanding.  These include:

• A maths based ‘Early Morning Work’ activity once a week
• Number Sense - Number Facts Fluency
• Number Sense - Times Tables Fluency
• The use of targeted intervention groups
• TT Rockstars sessions
• Cross-curricular and real life maths links are continuously emphasised to children in a variety of different contexts such as assemblies and foundation subjects.

Regular CPD is provided to all staff to enable them to successfully deliver the maths curriculum. Good practice is shared between teachers (both within Cordwalles and across the GLF Trust) and all members of staff are encouraged to continually reflect on their own practice.

Curriculum Impact

At Cordwalles, the expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace.  We aim for each child to be confident in each yearly objective and develop their ability to use this knowledge to develop a deeper understanding and to solve a variety of fluency problems as well as problem solving and reasoning questions.  However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage.  Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content.  Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material consolidate their understanding before moving on.  A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered once a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations.  Teachers carry out formative assessment through AfL in each session and feedback is given to children verbally, through self/peer assessment and through marking. Teachers then use this assessment to influence their next steps.  Children are rapidly identified as needing further challenge or additional support, and we ensure that this is provided in a timely manner.  The maths subject lead and SLT regularly monitor the quality and impact of our mathematics curriculum through targeted learning walks, book looks and professional dialogue.

What a 'typical' lesson looks like

A typical maths lesson at Cordwalles:

• Follows the suggested sequence and lesson structure of the Power Maths scheme

• Teachers have considered how to deliver the lesson to suit the individualised needs of their class

• Teachers have high expectations of presentation and engagement

• Content is explained clearly using correct mathematical language and vocabulary

• All learners are supported or challenged appropriately through the use of carefully considered questioning/discussions and the use of manipulatives and visual representations

• LSAs are deployed effectively

• Children understand the LI and how this builds on their prior learning

• Children understand how they can be successful throughout the lesson as a result of a shared SC

• Children are provided with opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers as well as independently

• Rich, whole-class discussions take place in order to deepen the children’s understanding and address any misconceptions that may arise

• Children show resilience and determination towards their learning and know what to do if they don’t understand their learning

• Children are encouraged to reflect on their learning at the end of the lesson by RAG rating the LI

• A range of AfL strategies are implemented by the class teacher during and after the lesson to assess the children’s understanding and plan their next steps

• Feedback and next steps are given to children during and after the lesson through VF and written marking

Teaching & Learning

Maths is taught every day for an hour and 15 minutes.  The following documents contain the areas of study for each year group throughout the academic year:

Year 3 Maths Curriculum Overview

Year 4 Maths Curriculum Overview

Year 5 Maths Curriculum Overview

Year 6 Maths Curriculum Overview

SEND

Mastery is an inclusive way of teaching.  It emphasises that through differentiation of teaching strategies, rather than of lesson content, pupils can progress together.  All children can achieve if they are given sufficient high-quality teaching and enough time.  At Cordwalles, we understand however that many of our children with Special Educational Needs will require further support in order to access and understand their learning.  Class teachers use their knowledge of the individuals in their class, alongside the expertise of the SENDCo to ensure the needs of all learners are met throughout each maths lesson.  Common approaches include the use of targeted interventions, scaffolding, manipulatives to support a conceptual understanding and highly skilled questioning throughout the lesson.

Home Learning

All children receive one piece of maths homework each week which is uploaded onto Seesaw.  The aim of each piece of homework is to further consolidate the learning from the children’s maths lessons, allowing them to gain a secure understanding of the concept.