Maths Curriculum Rationale

At Hadrian Primary School, we value Mathematics. We are MATHEMATICIANS! We want our children to understand that Maths is essential to everyday life: critical to science, technology and engineering, and a necessary life skill. We want our children to grow up with a deep understanding of mathematics, applying it to their chosen career paths as accountants, air craft engineers, teachers, gaming directors and more! We value our vision - Being unique: believing, achieving, succeeding together - using this to guide and influence our learning. We want our children to leave Hadrian feeling not only confident but with memories of Maths that spark joy and encourage a life-long positive relationship with the the subject. 

                                                                                                                        Intent:

Here at Hadrian it is of paramount importance to ensure that our children have the best possible grounding in mathematics during their time with us. With this in mind, we aim to spark a curiosity and excitement for maths learning, while instilling confidence and knowledge in children as they embark on their journey to mastering the maths curriculum. Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive for all abilities and needs, providing support and challenge as needed.

At Hadrian Primary the three aims of the Primary Maths Curriculum are at the heart of everything we do, these are:

• Fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics so that pupils develop conceptual understanding, and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• Reasoning mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• Problem Solving 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.

                                      Implementation:

Children from Reception to Year 6 follow The White Rose programme:  a programme to meet the criteria for high-quality teaching of mastery in England. This is complimented with other resources such as Third Space and Primary Stars.

All of our resources follow an exciting growth mind set and problem-solving approach. All children are encouraged to believe in their ability to master maths and are empowered to succeed through curiosity and persistence, while tackling the same concepts at the same time and progressing together as a whole class. The 'small step approach' allows children to keep up not catch up. 

For example: Every day we start our Maths lessons with retrieving previous knowledge and skills e.g. a 'Flashback 4' task. This is a series of quick questions covering something from the previous lesson, last week and then topics from earlier in the year – maybe even last year! This encourages children to constantly refer back to their previously learnt knowledge and skills, ensuring multiple opportunities to look at topics again in new contexts. This enables teachers to support students who have struggled with a topic to spend more time reconsidering and developing their understanding, as well as identifying any 'problem' areas.

Also,  within each unit that is covered, the 'concrete - pictorial - abstract' approach to mastery maths is used.

Each class uses manipulatives to start their focus unit. The use of manipulatives allows children to have a tangible link to their learning.

The use of pictorial representations enables children to understand how the focus maths skills can be represented in a number of different ways - mastering the small steps to learning and ensuring the learning is not just 'discrete'. 

From this process, children are then able to approach the maths in a more abstract problem but, by using their previous knowledge and skills, can apply the small steps to understanding and solving the problem. 

What does it look like?

Maths in the Early Years at Hadrian Primary

Mathematics is one of the specific areas in the EYFS. At Hadrian, we recognise that maths is an integral part of day to day life and we instil mathematical concepts not only in our direct teaching and opportunities in child initiated play but we also thread mathematics through our daily classroom routines. We want our children to not only develop a love of maths but also have the opportunity to learn practical skills through real life application.

For example, each day in we count at every possible opportunity. We count how many children are present, when lining up, counting out milk and fruit, recording the date and counting out the story votes. We look at concepts of sharing, more/ less, size and measurement at every available opportunity and carefully promote that all adults reinforce and strengthen children’s knowledge.

Our mathematics curriculum is based on the Development Matters and (White Rose and number blocks elements -Nursery) and elements of White Rose and Power Maths in Reception. Maths is recorded via photographs and Tapestry and assessments are based on teacher knowledge of the child. The two main areas of focus are Number and Numerical Patterns. We will also practically explore the concepts of pattern, shape and measurement.

In both Nursery and Reception children take part in adult directed and child initiated mathematics. It is important children are given the opportunity to learn maths through practical, active, hands-on experiences. We implement this approach into our focused lessons and our continuous provision areas. After learning new concepts, children are given opportunities inside and outside the classroom to apply their understanding through challenges and enhancements to best support our children to internalise and master their learning.

Following the units set out by White Rose, children are given the opportunity to work in small steps, building upon their prior knowledge and creating a concrete understanding of the learning taking place. Each session is designed to develop questions designed to unpick the structure of the maths and deepen the children’s understanding. When children talk about maths concepts, they develop the vital mathematical language that helps them explain their ideas.

                                                Impact:

Evidence in knowledge: Pupils know how and why maths is used in the outside world and in the workplace. They know about different ways that maths can be used to support their future potential, including jobs that require a deep understanding of maths knowledge. Mathematical concepts or skills are mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times table.

Evidence in skills: Pupils use acquired vocabulary in maths lessons, seeing a progression of this throughout the school. They have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work. Teachers plan a range of opportunities to use maths inside and outside school in order to develop the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons.

Outcomes: At the end of each year we expect the children to have achieved Age Related Expectations (ARE) for their year group. Some children will have progressed further and achieved greater depth (GD). Children who have gaps in their knowledge receive appropriate support and intervention. Rapid Interventions are used in class to ensure that there is no delay in moving the learning forward for all learners. Since the pandemic, the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) was used on focus pupils to help address significant gaps in learning

Mastery: All children secure long-term, deep and adaptable understanding of maths which they can apply in different contexts.

Maths Curriculum

Taken from National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Purpose of study

Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Aims

The national 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 non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions

Key stage 1 - years 1 and 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the 4 operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.

By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

Lower key stage 2 - years 3 and 4

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the 4 operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.

By the end of year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper key stage 2 - years 5 and 6

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Teaching should also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.

By the end of year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all 4 operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.

Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)

'The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a key stage 2 assessment to be taken by pupils at the end of year 4 (in June). The purpose of the MTC is to make sure the times tables knowledge is at the expected level. The MTC is an online test were the pupils are asked 25 questions on times tables 2 to 12. For every question you have 6 seconds to answer and in between the questions there is a 3 second rest. Questions about the 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 times table come up more often. The questions are generated randomly based on the rules of the MTC.' (Timestables.co.uk)

A good way to prepare is start early and build a daily routine practising the times tables. With regular practise you will learn all the questions and gain confidence. We suggest practising 10 to 15 minutes a day for optimal results.

Here are some links that you can follow to help support learning at home:

• https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check 
• https://www.timestables.co.uk/multiplication-tables-check/
• https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button 
• https://ttrockstars.com/
• https://urbrainy.com/mtc 
• https://collins.co.uk/pages/primary-mathematics-times-tables-test-simulator
• Twinkl - times table games

For more information about the check, what it all means for your child and ways to support them please follow the link. 

https://matr.org/blog/times-tables-test-parents-guide/

Maths Homework  

Every child in school has a personal log in for Sumdog and MyMaths.

These are online systems that allows teachers to set interactive homework that children are able to complete at home on either computers or handheld devices. It is important for all children to complete these tasks as they are linked with their learning in class.

Maths homework is set weekly by the class teacher.

If your child is in need of support to complete their task, homework club is available on a Monday after school.

Useful links