Maths Curriculum Statement
Intent
At Brentnall Academy, our intent is to allow the children to develop their mathematical skills through the journey of maths mastery. We intend to follow the national curriculum aims by developing fluency and number sense as well as learning reasoning and problem solving skills.
We intend for all children to enjoy maths and to experience success in the subject through a curriculum that is creative and engaging and allows them to explore maths in depth using mathematical vocabulary to explain and to justify. Children are exposed to procedural and conceptual variation in question types as well as being encouraged to make connections across mathematical topics to allow for coherence in the subject.
To achieve our intent, we provide a rich, balanced and progressive curriculum which caters to the needs of all pupils and allows the children to explore the mathematical skill at a depth that is most appropriate for them. We ensure our learners all go on the same mathematical journey and take small steps in order to achieve the expected outcome.
We encourage children to respect and recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and give each child a chance to believe in themselves as mathematicians. The children learn to develop their mathematical vocabulary when developing reasoning skills and justifying their responses whilst recognising that mathematics underpins much of our daily lives.
Implementation
Our maths teaching across the school places emphasis upon a mastery approach. The approach seeks to build flexible learners with a depth of understanding that allows them to access a range of problems that are presented in different formats.
The principles implemented across our school that characterise our approach are:
- Practising and consolidating to build on prior knowledge. This is evident through Flashback 4 daily and arithmetic practise daily to practise calculation principles.
- Teaching and learning is underpinned by methodical curriculum design and supported by carefully crafted lessons and resources to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.
- Inputs are supported by the White Rose teaching and learning resources supplemented where needed with NCETM materials.
- Children work on the objective at a stage they are able to access. They have the opportunity to ‘Practise’ the skill, ‘Apply’ the skill in a reasoning and problem solving approach and if appropriate will receive a ‘Challenge’ to deepen mathematical thinking.
- Children practise the mental strategies during a Fluency session in Key Stage 2 and the Mastering Number programme is used in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
To ensure whole school consistency and progression, the school uses the White Rose Scheme of work. This is fully aligned with the school’s ongoing engagement with the DFE funded Maths Hubs programme which continues to ensure that staff at all levels understand the pedagogy of the approach. New concepts are shared within the context of an initial related problem, which children are able to discuss in partners. This initial problem-solving activity prompts discussion and reasoning, as well as promoting an awareness of maths in relatable real-life contexts that link to other areas of learning. In KS1, these problems are almost always presented with objects (concrete manipulatives) for children to use. Children also use manipulatives in KS2. Teachers use careful questions to draw out children’s discussions and their reasoning. The class teacher then leads children through strategies for solving the problem, including those already discussed. Independent work provides the means for all children to develop their fluency further, before progressing to more complex related problems. Mathematical topics are taught in blocks, to enable the achievement of ‘mastery’ over time.
Impact
Children have a positive mind set when it comes to maths. It is often an area where our children feel successful, showing enthusiasm and a love of learning. Regular and ongoing assessments inform teaching, as well as intervention, to support and enable the success of each child. These factors ensure that we are able to maintain high standards, with achievement at the end of KS2 often being within the national average.
Further Information
- For information on the National Curriculum for Maths please click here
- For more information on how Maths is taught within Early Years please click here
- For information on our school’s Long Term Plans for Maths please see link: Maths LTP
School Curriculum
As proud members of the Turing Maths Hub NW, we are supported in taking the mastery approach in mathematics.
We closely follow the White Rose scheme along with NCETM, PiXL and resources from Ready to Progress Criteria.
For information on our school’s Long Term Plans for Maths please click on the year group below:
Calculation Policy
Addition and subtraction calculation policy
Multiplication and Division calculation policy
National Curriculum
Please click here to read the Ready to Progress Document.
Please click here to watch a video on Mathematics guidance in Key Stage 1 & 2
The programmes of study for mathematics are set out year-by-year for key stages 1 and 2.
This publication provides non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education. It has been produced to help teachers and schools make effective use of the National Curriculum to develop primary school pupils’ mastery of mathematics.
This publication aims to:
- bring greater coherence to the national curriculum by exposing core concepts in the national curriculum and demonstrating progression from year 1 to year 6.
- summarise the most important knowledge and understanding within each year group and important connections between these mathematical topics.
Remote Learning
During school closures and any periods of isolation, children will continue to access the maths curriculum following the White Rose scheme matching what is delivered during class.
Please click here to access White Rose.
Mathematical Apps
Everyday Maths
Here are some activities to encourage children to see how maths is used in every day life.
1. Estimation jars.
Take a clear jar or box and fill it with lots of different items e.g. toy cars, sweets, coins, dried pasta, wax crayons, cereal, anything you have around the house that can fit in a jar!
Children can then estimate how many items they think are in the jar or they can fill them and challenge parents to guess how many. Once an estimation has been made, count out the objects. Group objects in tens to help children keep track of how many objects there are altogether.
2. Cooking and baking. 
Make the most of everyday opportunities by encouraging children to get involved in cooking and baking where possible. Weighing out ingredients gives opportunities to read numbers and think about real-life measures. If the recipe is for 12 cupcakes, but you want to make more or fewer, encourage children to think about what we need to multiply or divide by to find the new quantities that are needed.
3. Minute madness.
How many star jumps can you do in a minute? How many times can you write your name in a minute? How many socks can you get into a washing basket in a minute? Just three possible challenges you could set using a countdown timer. Take a look at the ‘Minute to win it’ games online for even more challenges you have to try and do within a minute. These are a brilliant way to break up a day and think about how long a minute really is!
Click here to download ‘Maths in the Picture’ to encourage children to see how much maths is used in every day life.