Maths at Woodrow 

Our Philosophy

Intent

At Woodrow First School we intend to provide a curriculum which caters for the needs of all individuals so that everyone can learn and enjoy mathematics. We value the importance of a coherent approach to the curriculum in ensuring sustained progression through the school. We aim to develop learning behaviours which encourage children to seek challenge and make connections through varied and high quality activities with a focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Pupils are required to explore maths in depth, using mathematical to vocabulary explain their reasoning. A wide range of  concrete resources help pupils show their understanding, before moving on to pictorial and abstract representations. There is a focus on fact fluency in order to attain automaticity ensuing pupils can focus on new learning. We encourage resilience and acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning. Mathematical skills are applied through problem solving activities both in mathematics sessions and the wider curriculum. Our Mantle of the Expert based approach provides excellent opportunity for mathematics to be applied in ‘real life’ contexts. We see mathematics as a journey, not only for our pupils, but also for our staff and have a strong understanding of the importance of continually developing our knowledge and practice.

Implementation

We implement our approach through high quality whole class teaching delivering appropriately challenging work for all individuals. To support us we have a range of mathematical resources in classrooms including Numicon, Base10 and counters. We also use a range of planning resources including those provided by White Rose Maths, NCETM and NRICH. We use the NCTEM Mastering Number Program as well as TTRockstars to assist in the continued learning of number facts. We continuously strive to better ourselves and frequently share ideas and things that have been particularly effective. We take part in training opportunities and work closely with our local maths hub. We have regular staff sessions focusing on enhancing our mathematical teaching and knowledge. Through our teaching we continuously monitor pupils’ progress against expected attainment for their age, making formative assessment notes, carefully assessing their work and using end of unit testing. We also regularly monitor key number fact acquisition through careful monitoring and regular low stakes testing in KS2. We use these to update our summative school tracker and feedback to parents in meetings and reports. The main purpose of all assessment is to always ensure that we are providing excellent provision for every child.

Impact 

At Woodrow First School children:

• Are engaged and challenged by the mathematics being taught
• Experience mathematical concepts represented in different ways
• Use a variety of practical resources to help them understand concepts
• Are challenged to explore and explain their learning
• Follow a coherent curriculum ensuring progression through mastery approach to teaching
• Enthused by a wide variety of problem solving activities in both mathematics sessions and the wider curriculum

Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Progression

We recognise the importance of a coherent journey through the curriculum. This is why we carefully structure our curriculum to ensure a clear progression through the maths being taught.

Calculations and Language

We recognise consistency is key when developing mathematical skills. In order to ensure this we have a calculation policy and vocabulary document outlining how skills and language progress.

Supporting at Home

Below are some online resources which can help further develop your child's maths development at home:

Support times tables:

TTRockstars

Support Key Fact learning:

White Rose 1 Minute Maths

Support Further Curriculum learning

White Rose Parent Resources

Key Number Facts

In order to ensure children can focus on new learning, it is vital that they learn and can recall key number facts. In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, we do this predominantly through the NCTEM Mastering Number Programme. In KS2 the focus is times tables which are taught daily through a range of activities, as well as TTRockstars.

Mathematics Policy

For further information about mathematics at Woodrow First School.

SEND Provision

We enable children of all abilities to access our Maths curriculum. Additional models and scaffolds are provided and, although a Mastery whole class approach is taught, changes to pedagogy or content are considered in consultation with the SENCO. Within the White Rose and NCTEM resources, additional resources are available for pre-teaching and catch up sessions in all areas. This ensures that all lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required.

Reflections

Children say:

(When talking about resources)

‘With them (Numicon pieces) you can count and add up. With only hands you have to only use tens which is when you lose track.’ Y1 Child

‘With Base Ten you can see what shape a number is’. Y4 Child

(When talking about explaining their maths)

‘It feels like you’re doing more learning because if it was a ten you needed to add, the number will just show you what happens but if you doubt it, then you have to really think what actually happened.’ Y3 Child

‘Writing our own sentences is tricky because it can be harder (to explain) than just writing the number’. Y1 Child

Teachers say:

‘Planning resources have helped develop my confidence in what I’m teaching and what I should be teaching. Encouraging children to reason really extends learners’. Y4 Teacher

‘The range of concrete resources we have has helped children gain a real understanding of what a number actually represents’. Y1 Teacher

‘I find the range of resources really help children who need support with language. It encourages them to visualise their learning and create links between words and concrete resources’. KS2 Teaching Assistant

Institution:

Our practical approach to mathematics ensures we are able to meet the complex needs and huge range of abilities the children at our school have. Our focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving provides challenging learning as well as opportunities to contextualise mathematics and encourage children to not see mathematical skills in isolation, but to integrate them into other aspects of their learning and lives. With the new curriculum we have placed a far greater focus on reasoning and have seen mathematical resilience improving across school. Challenging children to explore their work in greater depth has seen children become more reflective and interested in exploring learning yet further.