Maths at Woodgate

What is mathematics and why is it important?

Mathematics helps us to make sense of our world. It is a powerful, universal language used to explain, predict and represent events and tackle everyday problems. Mathematics is of central importance to our modern society. It is an essential part of everyone’s daily life and critical to science, technology, finance and engineering. Mathematics is necessary for any employment or independent life.

At Woodgate Primary School we aim not only to prepare our children for the next stage of their education, but also to lay the foundations for successful lives after school. Our aim is to prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow, which will require greater mathematical skills than in the past, including thinking mathematically in order to use technology that doesn’t yet exist.

Our Intent and Vision Statement

The 2014 National Curriculum for Maths aims to ensure that all children:

•             Become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics

•             Are able to reason mathematically

•             Can solve problems by applying their Mathematics

At Woodgate, all of these skills are embedded within Maths lessons and are developed consistently over time. A mastery approach to the teaching of mathematics has been adopted, ensuring that we have high expectations of all our pupils. Our philosophy is ‘Inch wide, mile deep’. We endeavour to make the mathematics curriculum accessible to all pupils; moving them through the programme of study at broadly the same pace, with opportunities to work on the objectives more deeply for those who rapidly grasp concepts. This ensures that new content is not introduced too quickly but instead allows pupils to go ‘deeper’ with their learning, thus developing a greater understanding. All children need a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning in order that future learning is built upon firm foundations.

We are committed to developing our children’s curiosity about the subject, to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts. We want all children to enjoy Mathematics and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically and problem solve. As a result, our maths curriculum is designed to meet the needs of our children; objectives are broken down into smaller, key learning points and include a range of concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches. Links across other mathematical topics and subjects are established, allowing pupils to apply their new skills.

Part of this approach includes adopting a ‘growth mindset’. Children at Woodgate are encouraged to believe they are all capable of learning and doing mathematics, given sufficient time, quality first teaching, appropriate quality resources and effort.

At Woodgate, a lesson design is followed which incorporates a mastery approach that is based on cognitive science research. As a result, pupils:

• Display a positive attitude toward and sense of excitement about mathematics
• Learn through active enquiry and experiment using concrete materials, represent their mathematical ideas through images and follow a clear progression toward recording abstractly
• Learn to use multiple representations which ensures depth of understanding
• Practise mathematical skills that can be applied across the curriculum
• Learn in a mathematically rich environment which supports learning
• Use precise mathematical language when explaining and reasoning
• Are encouraged to develop independence
• Receive skilful questioning to reveal, probe and address misconceptions
• Who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged to work more deeply through completion of rich and sophisticated problems
• Receive scaffolding when required
• Skilful assessment identifies children who are struggling to grasp concepts leading to guided groups and catch up sessions with the teachers
• Use high quality White Rose resources to ensure a coherent, progressive journey through the curriculum

Scheme of Work

Woodgate Primary School follows a scheme of work called White Rose Maths, which is designed to enable children to develop a mastery of mathematics. In this scheme, National Curriculum objectives are grouped together into units of learning. Each unit focuses on a small number of key learning points. Teachers then develop these key learning points and plan lessons which involve fluency, reasoning and problem solving activities.

Lesson Organisation

Children at Woodgate undertake a main maths lessons each day and a minimum of 3 maths on track lessons per week:

• Main Maths Lesson - a 60 minute lesson focusing on key learning points from the National Curriculum where children complete fluency, reasoning and problem solving tasks.
• Maths on Track – a 20 minute arithmetic based lesson which focuses on key arithmetic skills. Same day intervention to prevent children from falling behind and further challenge can also happen in this session.

Main Maths Lesson

Every lesson begins with a ‘Learning Together’ stage. This involves the introduction and discussion of key vocabulary. The use of maths vocabulary is crucial to the development of a thorough understanding, allowing pupils to form solid foundations to which they make connections to other concepts, reasoning mathematically with precision and solve sophisticated problems.

A wide range of examples are included in this stage, allowing pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of the concept being taught. This will involve simple examples to promote procedural fluency. Teachers then develop this to include varied fluency, which involves standard and non-standard examples, allowing pupils to apply their understanding.

Once pupils are fluent, pupils complete reasoning tasks to demonstrate that they more secure with the concept. Reasoning tasks at Woodgate promote pupil discussion, allowing opportunities to describe, explain, justify, convince and prove. Tasks focus on misconceptions, what it’s not and active arguments such as ‘true or false’ and ‘yes or no’.

Pupils are then given the opportunity to apply their knowledge to solve problems. A variety of activities are planned using a range of resources to ensure pupils solve quality, rich and sophisticated problems. 

Lessons are planned to include a range of social learning strategies, such as whole class learning and discussion, grouped work and paired work.

Maths on Track Lesson (MOT)

The purpose of the MOT sessions is to develop and sustain basic skills in arithmetic. Arithmetic objectives are taught and revised. This is practice to become skilled (deliberate practice).

Also, the design of this lesson allows for appropriate intervention to take place. This includes support and challenge.

Classroom Environment

At Woodgate, the classroom environment should be mathematically rich and support current learning. Maths working walls are a used daily as a part of the maths lesson and so must be clearly visible and interactive. Key vocabulary, reference to the models and images that the children have been working with during the lesson, links to other areas of mathematics and sentence stems should all be included. Learning mats and a range of concrete materials should be available.

Family Partnerships

Parental involvement is welcomed and encouraged at Woodgate. It is vital that parents and carers are actively involved in their children’s learning. Over the year, all parents are invited into a maths lesson to support their child. The parents can talk to the teacher about how to support their child at home and better understand the pitch and expectations for that year group.

Resources

Each class/year group has a range of general mathematical equipment (eg: place value counters, double sided counters, base ten, dice, counting sticks, Numicon, rekenreks, etc).

Mastering Number

To secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children in Key Stage 1, all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2 receive daily afternoon Mastering Number sessions, lasting approximately 15 minutes. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number. Attention will be given to key knowledge and understanding needed in Reception classes, and progression through KS1 to support success in the future.

Times Tables

In order to support the children in becoming fluent mathematicians we recognise the need for regular practice of key skills such as times tables, number bonds, doubling, halving etc. We therefore encourage the children to practice such skills daily at home via Times Tables Rock Stars and weekly homework.

Early Years Mathematics

The foundations of all mathematical learning begins in Reception (Early Years). This is through exploratory play, adult initiated learning, child initiated learning and daily focussed Mastering Number lessons. Children are exposed to a wide range of mathematical resources and equipment both indoors and outdoors.