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 nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
The Maths curriculum develops the priorities for pupils at Wolsingham Primary School in the following ways:
Basic Skills – Number sense and place value is taught first in each year group and multiple approaches are used by teachers to ensure children can use and apply their times tables. Children are taught to calculate with confidence and understand why it works.
Resilience and Perseverance – Problem solving is central, with one lesson devoted to this per week. Across the year, six different problem-solving skills are taught. Resilience is developed as pupils are expected to use the vocabulary of a “growth mindset” during lessons, challenge themselves to tackle increasingly challenging tasks tasks (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and persevere by correcting their mistakes.
Social Awareness – The positive ethos our teachers display in Maths lessons means that our children are able to recognise their own strengths and also their targets for development. In Maths, pupils practise teamwork and collaborative problem-solving, are given opportunities to show leadership in groups and seek or offer support and help when needed.
Knowledge – Knowledge is continually reinforced through lesson starters that allow the children to retrieve Maths learning from all areas of the curriculum. Mathematics Mastery places emphasis on the cumulative mastery of essential knowledge and skills in mathematics. It embeds a deeper understanding of maths by utilising a concrete, pictorial, abstract approach so that pupils understand what they are doing rather than just learning to repeat routines without grasping what is happening.
