Maths Curriculum - The Big Picture

Teachers are clear about the big ideas in mathematics: number, calculation, geometry, measures and data. They understand the excellence for each area of mathematics and strive towards it for all pupils. Teachers plan collaboratively with their year group partners, ensuring that the trust calculations policy and mental calculations policies are followed. They ensure milestones, which lead to the defined excellence, are broken down into smaller steps for each unit of work. Proportional time is spent developing deep knowledge of the key ideas that are needed to underpin future learning (progression of skills), guided by the scheme of learning.

The approach ‘find out what they don’t know and teach them it’ is embedded. Summative data is analysed at a fine grain size during DAFITAL which provides formative information, which is then used to inform further teaching. Alongside this an efficient and continuous pre-assessment for a unit or milestones is carried out; not necessarily a test. When teaching a key idea all pupils are where possible kept together on the same milestone using mastery activities followed by mastery with greater depth. Within lessons teachers intervene as required, consolidating and deepening children’s understanding. All teachers work within a spiral curriculum where timing is adhered to where needed highly effective, well planned interventions are carried out to quickly fill gaps.

Where applicable, teachers make links across units of work. They focus on deepening a concept and allow children to apply and solve problems within different contexts, real life or abstract. Teachers structure pupils’ learning so that they develop a deep learning that can be sustained and pupils are able to make connections (mastery). Teachers use the approach ‘Don’t practice until you get it right – practice until you can’t get it wrong’. Misconceptions, where possible, are anticipated and addressed head on.

Teachers incorporate and model different problem solving strategies, particularly shared problems. Pupils are coached to use these strategies within lessons. Pedagogy is based on current research and supports teaching strategies used such as: my turn/your turn, multiple choice and the use of examples and non-examples to highlight concepts.

A range of carefully selected concrete equipment (manipulatives) and pictorial representations are used within lessons, making the connections to the abstract. Manipulatives are used purposefully and appropriately with a clear rationale using collaborative lesson planning to support this choice.

Pupils become more fluent with facts to enable them to recall rapidly and effortlessly, these are taught within maths meetings and throughout lessons: ensuring that a secure knowledge of times table is in place by the end of Year 4. Teachers use mathematics meetings to build conceptual knowledge in tandem with procedural knowledge.

Teachers promote oracy and develop confidence by encouraging children to talk about mathematics and to explain their thinking. If this consistent approach is taken then resilience will develop and be built upon throughout the years. Teachers also promote a can do attitude within the classroom, building confidence and celebrating success. Positive teachers will be expressed in pupils. Finally mathematics is well represented within the classroom environment, under the guidance of the display policy.