Mathematics

Intent

 At Goldfield Infants’ and Nursery School, we want children to become, fluent, resilient, independent and inquisitive mathematicians. They will develop skills that they can confidently apply to situations beyond their classroom and within their daily lives.

Implementation 

The curriculum incorporates the statutory requirements of the EYFS Curriculum and National Curriculum:

  • We aim to develop the children’s understanding of number through a variety of practical activities, through making links, recognising patterns and applying maths in different contexts

  • We recognise and promote the importance of perceptual and conceptual subitising for future maths understanding

  • We follow the sequence of learning from White Rose ( sometimes adapted to ensure coverage) and ensure that learning builds on previous learning, consolidating that learning and moving that learning forward and allows the children to learn new skills in a practical way

  • Teachers may adapt and use materials from other schemes or from their experience to help consolidate learning

  • Lessons will develop long term memory by allowing for repetition of learning

  • We assess the children’s understanding, recognising and filling gaps or addressing misconceptions as they occur. We use the WR assessments documents and Primary Stars Education to support this

  • We use Number Stacks as an intervention to support children who have many gaps in their learning and understanding

  • The children will have a daily fluency session to develop their fluency and quick recall of number facts including number bonds and multiplication facts. Big Maths is used once a week to help consolidate these

  • Numicon is used as our main manipulative, although we have many different manipulatives available in school, to help children concretely perceive concepts they are taught

  • Problem solving gives our children an engaging, real-life context for mathematical concepts and enables them to demonstrate a solid understanding and mastery

  • Focus on reasoning enables our children to demonstrate a secure understanding of mathematical concepts by talking through, justifying and explaining their thinking either verbally or by writing it down

  • Encourages children to have a positive-mindset and fulfil their curiosity through enjoyment and exploration

  • We explicitly teach a defined mathematical vocabulary set across EYFS and KS1 which enables all children to share an understanding of the key vocabulary within mathematics (See Vocabulary document)

  • Our curriculum allows our children to apply their skills to all areas of learning in the curriculum, e.g. applying mathematical skills when handling data in Science and Geography, in order to embed, make links and enrich learning

  • We  use the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach which uses physical and visual aids to build a child’s understanding of abstract topics

  • We hold biannual evenings for parents to attend in person or remotely to support with attitudes and understanding of how we teach maths

  • We also have a calculation policy that parents have access to

  • We introduce the children to the economic world of business during our My Money Month activities each year

CONCRETE – Using physical objects to represent and solve problems such as tens and ones, counters, numicon. This brings concepts to life by allowing children to visualise and handle problems practically.

PICTORIAL – Using drawings and pictures to solve problems e.g. drawing tens sticks and ones cubes. This encourages children to make connections between the concrete objects and the abstract picture/diagram that represents the objects from the problem.

ABSTRACT – Solving maths problems using numbers – e.g. writing the number sentence once children have demonstrated a solid understanding of the concrete and pictorial stages of the problem.

Impact

The Maths curriculum design ensures that the needs of individual and small groups of children can be met within the environment of high quality first wave teaching, supported by targeted, proven interventions where appropriate

  • In this way it can be seen to impact in a very positive way on children’s outcomes at the end of each key stage, with high levels of attainment

  • Enjoyment of the Maths curriculum promotes achievement, confidence and good learning behaviours

  • The children will become resilient and accept when things don’t go right.

  • They will have the skills to correct mistakes

  • The children will become fluent in all basic skills, including times tables and apply and reason these skills to a range of contexts

  • Promotes a love of Maths and provides our children with a solid foundation as they move through EYFS , KS1 and into KS2 and life-long knowledge and skills they can apply into all areas of life

  • They move on as confident learners who can apply their learning and enjoy seeing Maths in the world around them