Maths

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Both staff and pupils understand the importance of automaticity and fluency within maths and this is taught through real life contexts to enable pupils to apply their understanding, reason about maths, problem solve and make connections across the subject and the wider curriculum.

Our Intent

Our school vision is at the heart of St Mary’s Maths Curriculum, aspiring for all our children to flourish and to empower our children to let their light shine in all they do.  We believe in a language rich environment and our pupils will leave us with the confidence to talk maths, do maths and apply maths to their everyday lives. Both staff and pupils understand the importance of automaticity and fluency within maths and this is taught through real life contexts to enable pupils to apply their understanding, reason about maths, problem solve and make connections across the subject and the wider curriculum. We aim for our children to grow into responsible people who can positively contribute to their school community and beyond, as well as work co-operatively with others developing a continued love for learning.

Our Implementation 

Our maths curriculum is based on White Rose which is a whole-class mastery programme designed to spark curiosity and excitement and help children develop confidence in maths. Staff have received training from the maths lead. Teaching sequences are based on small steps to ensure a good level of coherence, understanding, application of understanding and transference of skills to a range of mathematic problems and contexts. White Rose maps out a long term plan based on 12 weeks in a term.

At St Mary’s, we have tailored this scheme to suit our pupil’s needs by mapping out the actual weeks in a term, and adding in extra units where needed such as problem solving week, extra units for consolidation or revisiting skills taught earlier on in the term.

Children are taught in mixed ability groups, with all children accessing the same learning. This allows all children to be exposed to the same content and be offered the same opportunities, rather than placing a cap on children’s learning. Pupils are then given tasks to enrich and stretch this learning in the form of challenges to further challenge the greater depth pupils, and those who may need extra support are supported through scaffolding such as using mathematical manipulatives or by requiring teacher or teaching assistant.

  • Each lesson begins with a revisit of previous learning in the form of a flashback 4 (something from last year, last month, last week and the last lesson). This enables pupils to exercise their working memory and to better retain facts taught previously.
  • A mental warm up is then completed that either links to work done in the last lesson, or the current lesson.
  • The new lesson content is then introduced in the form of small steps.
  • There are opportunities for guided practice and independent practice and concrete materials are always on hand if pupils need them. They make that choice themselves to enable them to own their own learning.
  • Each slide takes the pupils through learning rapidly but the small steps mean that pupils are all brought along together as a whole.
  • The independent tasks are then explained and the pupils complete their work at the level that suits them, starting on different questions depending on ability/confidence. The tasks are high ceiling low entry, so that everyone can access the first questions and then go as far through them as they can, completing the stretch and challenge activities if possible.
  • Teachers and teaching assistants active mark through the lesson to provide immediate feedback and intervention where needed. Teaching assistants work with different groups and children, as we aim to ensure that all pupils develop independence. So once they have introduced and supported certain pupils, they will leave them for independent practice and revisit them to monitor.
  • Mini plenaries are used effectively to address common misconceptions identified by active marking.
  • Pupils are encouraged to self-mark where appropriate and are expected to correct their mistakes which is shown in purple pen (see marking and feedback policy).

Teachers and Teaching assistants actively assess daily and provide immediate feedback to move learning forwards. End of unit assessments are carried out from the White Rose scheme and supplemented with other activities where needed. Our assessment system is then updated on a half termly basis to keep track of pupil attainment. We complete an assessment at the end of each term which also feeds into our robust assessment process to inform/support our teacher assessment judgements.

Some pupils may receive extra support to try to catch up/fill gaps from learning. Our support staff are trained to provide support interventions. Weekly homework is sent home with pupils which supports the learning that week and weekly times tables/mental maths tests take place. Regular feedback on maths is given to parents/carers during our termly parents evenings and at the end of the year in their school report. ‘Barvember’ is completed each November during registration and maths work is celebrated in each classroom.

Our Impact

A mathematical concept or skill has been 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 quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times tables.
  • The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics.
  • The ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics.
  • Children show confidence in maths.
  • Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work.

Curriculum Information

For more information about our curriculum please contact our Maths Curriculum Leader – Lisa Rocque on 020 7359 1870 or email at school@stmarys.islington.sch.uk