Maths

"The study of mathematics, like the Nile, begins in minuteness but ends in magnificence."
— Charles Caleb Colton, English cleric, writer and collector

Overview:

At Buckingham Primary School we believe that Maths is vital in everyday life and that children should leave us with confidence and positivity about the subject. We follow a Teaching for Mastery approach to maths, influenced by the teaching in South-East Asia. Having worked with the NCETM and the Enigma Maths Hub, our maths curriculum suits the needs of every child.

Power Maths is used as the primary resource in years 1-6 to support the teaching of maths in our school. To find out more information have a look at the attached presentation. In Foundation 2, the NCETM Mastering Number scheme is used alongside Numberblocks to teach the Early Years Curriculum. Click on the overview below for further details.

Intent:

At Buckingham Primary School we intend to equip children with the skills that they need in order to understand and make sense of the world we live in. We want children to, not only, understand the key fundamentals of maths so that they can apply these to solve real life problems but also spot patterns, relationships and think in abstract ways. Our aim is to develop children’s curiosity, understanding and reasoning, ensuring that they question and can explain ‘why’ and ‘how’ when solving problems in the real world. We believe STEM subjects are a gateway to many vital jobs in the future and that Maths is a key part of this. We want children to feel confidence and enjoyment in their maths learning so that they gain the most from its’ wider application.

Implementation:

We have high expectations for all children through our mastery approach. Our curriculum has been carefully sequenced to ensure children recap on their previous knowledge before building on it further by learning and practising new skills in small steps. They do this by working with teachers, their peers and independently in every lesson.

At Buckingham Primary School, we use the Power Maths scheme to support the teaching of our Maths curriculum. This scheme ensures a deep understanding of concepts through clear use of concrete, pictoral and abstract representations. Units of work allow adequate time to ensure a deep understanding and always begin with highlighting key vocabulary to enable all children to access the learning from the start. Lessons begins with simple and clear examples, worked through collaboratively, where teachers can question and develop children’s understanding of a concept but also stretch their reasoning skills. Children conclude each lesson by completing tasks independently so that they feel confidence in their learning. The more questions they complete, the more they are challenged to apply the skills taught in different ways. All children work on the same material so that no one is left behind and every child feels that they can achieve to a high level.

Children are taught to assess their own work alongside their peers and teachers and that this is very much part of the learning process. Mistakes are seen as positive opportunities for discussion and explanation which builds resilience and further understanding of concepts.

End of unit checks and termly assessments take place to enable teachers and pupils to address any misconceptions before moving on.

Children practise key skills like times tables and number facts and recap concepts through fluency sessions that take place daily. In F2, KS1, Year 4 and Year 5 these sessions follow the NCETM Mastering Number scheme which develops a sound knowledge of number facts to allow a greater ability to retain key knowledge for future years.

Children are taught a wide range of skills to encompass both written and mental methods and these are progressive through the year groups.

Pupils are taught how to apply their maths knowledge across the curriculum.

Impact:

Following our maths curriculum allows for strong progression across the school. Having learnt skills in small steps children feel confident to apply their learning in other situations and in the real world. Children aspire to reach their highest potential and show enthusiasm in taking on challenges.

Regular assessment, review and fluency sessions ensure children retain and consolidate their knowledge and learning, and this contributes hugely to their confidence and enjoyment of the subject.

The collaborative learning and assessment approach in lessons cements children’s ability to learn from each other, feeling supported and safe in tackling problems in a wide range of contexts. This approach also allows for valuable discussion and encourages children to use key vocabulary regularly and confidently in questioning and explaining their learning and reasoning.

F2 Curriculum Overview Years 1 - 6 Curriculum Overview

Power Maths for Parents Key Vocabulary Glossary Maths Jargon Buster Year 1 & Year 2 Calculation Policy Year 3 & Year 4 Calculation Policy Year 5 & Year 6 Calculation Policy

Key Vocabulary List Year 1 Key Vocabulary List Year 2 Key Vocabulary List Year 3 Key Vocabulary List Year 4 Key Vocabulary List Year 5 Key Vocabulary List Year 6

Supporting your children at home

Maths Games

We use Times Tables Rock Stars and Numbots to help support our children's fluency skills. These are fun games which help improve key mathematics skills. If you would like to help your children develop their confidence in maths then they can play them at home. You can find the games in the below links. If you need your child's login details then please contact their class teacher.

ttrockstars.com

numbots.com

Numberblocks

In Foundation Stage we use Numberblocks to introduce topics. If you want to access this at home, the BBC web page has songs and games which your children will love to play at home.

Numberblocks