Maths

Maths Policy

Our Vision

At King's Court First School, we aim for our children to be engaged and confident when approaching mathematics. We offer a broad and balanced mathematics curriculum that enables all children to approach their learning in a meaningful and appropriate way. Every individual is supported with the most suitable tools to help them achieve and succeed. 

Our Aims

The 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 nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Intent

Our curriculum starts in the Early Years and progresses sequentially through to Year 4. In every lesson we focus on threshold concepts that ties the ambitious body of knowledge together with the characteristics children are developing.

These essential characteristics of mastery in Mathematics are:

• An understanding of the important concepts and an ability to make connections within mathematics.

• A broad knowledge of the skills in using and applying mathematics.

• Fluent knowledge and recall of number facts and the number system

• The ability to show initiative in solving problems in a wide range of contexts.

• The ability to think independently and to persevere when faced with challenges, showing a confidence of success.

• The ability to embrace the value of learning from mistakes and false starts.

• The ability to reason, generalise and make sense of solutions.

• Fluency in performing written calculations and mathematical techniques.

• A wide range of mathematical vocabulary.

• A commitment to and passion for the subject.

Threshold concepts are taught repeatedly throughout the curriculum, linking learning into meaningful and rich semantic schemas.

In Mathematics the threshold concepts are:

• To know and use numbers.

• To add and subtract.

• To multiply and divide.

• To use fractions.

• To understand the properties of shapes.

• To describe position, direction and movement.

• To use measures.

• To use statistics.

• To use algebra.

It is our vision to inspire a lifelong love of Mathematics within our pupils. Mathematics has changed our lives and is vital to the world’s future prosperity.

At King's Court First School, we see the importance of mathematics as an integral tool to expand the life opportunities of our children. It is our vision to inspire a love of maths within our pupils. We recognise the significant role that mathematics plays in our lives today, and its role in the future. Therefore, we aim to give our pupils secure foundations to prepare them for their life beyond King's Court First School, but also an enjoyment of mathematics that supports them in becoming life-long learners. Maths has a vital role in developing problem solving and reasoning skills; as such, we give pupils opportunities to develop their curiosity in maths through open-ended challenges and investigations which widens their experience and application of mathematical knowledge and skill, and ensures that through collaboration and partnership, they develop skills wider than simply those that are mathematical. This is designed to ensure 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.

Therefore, at King's Court First School, our aims are to ensure children experience a wide breadth of study and have, by the end of each key stage, long-term memory of an ambitious body of procedural and semantic knowledge.

Our curriculum maps are carefully crafted and available in school. The curriculum content is available on our website.

Implementation

Our curriculum is organised in a coherent and progressive way through key strands of the mathematics National Curriculum. To develop conceptual fluency in school, we use the White Rose Hub maths progression to sequence our maths learning. The blocks of learning, linked to the National Curriculum, ensure that key concepts are taught sequentially from the EYFS to Year 4. Children build on their prior learning systematically, making connections across a range of concepts taught.  We ensure that children gain knowledge and skills using concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to support their understanding and growing fluency working between varied representations. Teachers scaffold the learning using a ‘do it’, ‘secure it’ and ‘deepen it’ approach, where children first understand a concept using concrete, pictorial, and abstract representations as appropriate. They are then presented with opportunities to apply, problem solve and use reasoning to secure and deepen their understanding of this concept.

We recognise the importance of supporting children to develop semantic knowledge (number facts including times tables) and ensure that pupils are exposed to daily opportunities to rehearse such facts.

Our calculation policy is available as a point of reference.

We maintain a high level of subject knowledge of Mathematics in our school by regular training and professional development for teachers and subject leaders. Teachers create a positive attitude to Mathematics learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in Mathematics.

Through our planning of problem-solving opportunities, children are encouraged to ask their own questions and use scientific skills and research to discover the answers. Their curiosity is celebrated within the classroom.

Planning involves teachers creating engaging lessons, often involving high-quality resources to aid understanding of conceptual knowledge. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, assessing children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning in order to plan for next steps.

We build upon the learning and skill development of the previous years. As the children’s knowledge and understanding increases, and they become more proficient in selecting, using scientific equipment, collating and interpreting results, they become increasingly confident in their growing ability to come to conclusions based on real evidence.

Within each Milestone, students gradually progress in their procedural fluency and semantic strength through three cognitive domains: basic, advancing and deep. Knowledge organisers help students to relate each topic to previously studied topics and to form strong, meaningful schema.

Impact

The successful approach at King's Court First School results in an engaging, high-quality Mathematics education that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. Our engagement with the local environment ensures that children learn through varied and first hand experiences of the world around them.

Frequent, continuous and progressive learning - both inside and outside the classroom is embedded throughout the Mathematics curriculum. Through various workshops, trips and interactions with experts and local organisations, children have the understanding that Mathematics has changed our lives and that it is vital to the world’s future prosperity.

Children leave EYFS with approximately 80% of children secure in the Early Learning Goals for both Number and Shape Space and Measures and with the necessary foundations to support the move into KS1. This result is in line with national outcomes for EYFS. KS1 outcomes at both expected and greater depth standards are broadly in line with national results. In KS2, results are consistently above national averages at both expected and Higher Attainment levels. Progress across KS2 is in line with national rates.

Ongoing formative assessment throughout lessons, and summative results from termly tests, alongside evidence from learning walks, pupil interviews and book scrutinies demonstrates that our pupils are securing maths content and using and applying mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures – this all ensures readiness for the next stage of their learning.

As a school, we are lucky to have subscriptions to the website that help the children to consolidate their understanding of the Maths curriculum. 

Times Tables Rockstars is an online resource that supports your child's learning of the times tables. Tables are set by the teacher for your child to practise. They can also compete against other users and challenge themselves with timed activities.