The National Curriculum for Mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
At Village Infants we are all Mathematicians!
Intent
At Village Infants our Maths curriculum will provide children with Fluency Development. This helps pupils acquire new knowledge for pupil’s understanding of mathematical concepts and skills. Pupils understand how these concepts and skills link and how they ‘work’, so pupils are competent and confident in using a variety of mathematical strategies and approaches independently.
We also believe that our Maths curriculum will provide children with Reasoning Development. This develops pupil’s mathematical language and vocabulary so pupils have the ability to discuss, explore and explain their strategies, solutions and approaches to a variety of mathematical activities.
Within lessons, where appropriate, we make cross curricular links and make links to real-life situations to make the learning meaningful and purposeful, whilst providing pupils with enriching experiences. We believe in a hands-on approach where manipulatives are used to provide an inclusive curriculum to support pupils understanding. We ensure learning is applied by providing the children with opportunities to challenge themselves through application activities, reasoning development and problem-solving. Supporting pupils with a growth mindset, alongside teaching our values of perseverance and resilience provides pupils with the tools to problem-solve effectively.
Implementation
At Village Infants, we aim to develop Fluency Development through regular discussion about strategies and methods, a recognition and understanding that there is not one right way of solving a calculation or problem, and regular arithmetic practice. In Key Stage 1 this happens daily with morning maths, and fluency cloud targets, enabling frequent practice and consolidation.
Reasoning Development is continually encouraged through teachers questioning, where pupils are encouraged to discuss their thinking and explain their methods to others using the appropriate vocabulary. Vocabulary is displayed on working walls and modelled regularly to encourage pupil use. In lessons, the key vocabulary and strategies are identified, and pupils are encouraged to construct their own success criteria to become successful in lessons.
Teaching is underpinned by using the national curriculum, alongside use of aspects of White Rose Maths and Singapore Maths. This ensures an infant friendly, consistent and progressive approach throughout the school, where lessons are planned to develop conceptual and procedural knowledge. Concepts and skills are mapped out in long-term plans for each year group, including vocabulary to ensure coverage and progression.
Lessons are taught daily, with a concept focus. Once taught, concepts are applied in a variety of ways to ensure understanding. We aim to link concepts to real-life situations to make the learning purposeful and relatable to pupils. Concepts are revisited regularly to ensure pupils have a deep and secure understanding. Inclusivity is important in our curriculum, and differentiation and adaptions are made to ensure learning is accessible for all pupils. This includes adapted planning, use of a range of resources, individual support and interventions.
Impact
All our children will make good progress in Maths. At the end of Key Stage 1 our Maths results are consistently above National results.
Children are assessed daily through assessment for learning in lessons, use of key performance indicators across the whole school, individual fluency targets in Key Stage 1, intervention monitoring and use of government assessments. We use summative assessment termly to identify where the children are at. The use of assessment identifies misconceptions, gaps in learning, and informs medium and long-term planning. Pupils at Village Infants achieve above local and national results at the end of Key Stage 1.
Fluency Development and Reasoning Development enables pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge to a range of problem-solving activities where a variety of skills need to be developed in order for pupils to be successful in solving problems, of which can be applied into the wider world.
Planning
Our long term plans for each year group are based on the National Curriculum expected standards for each year group.
Here is the Whole School Progression Map for Maths:
The long term plans for Maths can be accessed below:
The Maths Policy can be accessed below.
