Maths
Maths Rationale
At Carlton Vale Infants School our aim is to ensure that all children have the best grounding in mathematics. Through Mathematics, we actively aim to provide a relevant, challenging and enjoyable mathematics curriculum for all children. Children develop the use of mathematical language through speaking and listening, including reasoning and explanations. Mathematics will enable all children to understand the value of mathematics in everyday situations.
Intent-
At Carlton Vale Infants School it is our intent to provide children with a high-quality, broad and challenging Mathematics curriculum. The exciting learning journey will allow for all children to become fluent in the fundamentals of maths, developing their conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. Children will be able to reason mathematically by justifying, making links to known facts, or providing proof using mathematical language. Understanding of concepts will be challenged through solving problems by applying their mathematic knowledge. Links within other subjects will be highlighted and skills and mathematical knowledge will be applied. We will equip children with the foundations of mathematics that are essential to everyday life.
Implementation-
In the Foundation Stage, our young mathematicians will be provided with many exciting opportunities, through planned purposeful play and a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities, to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure.
Throughout Key Stage 1, we follow the White Rose Maths Schemes of Learning and supplement this with resources from NCETM Mastery Documents to teach a broad and challenging curriculum. Our Mathematics curriculum will provide many opportunities for children to develop confidence and fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. The use of practical equipment, such as concrete objects and measuring tools, will support the children to gain a deeper conceptual understanding before being challenged through tasks and questions to explain their reasoning and solve a range of problems. The children are equipped with the skills to recognise shapes and their properties and measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.
In addition to daily Mathematics lessons, children take part in a "Mastering Number" session following the planning provided by the NCETM. Fluency and accuracy of key mathematics number skills are developed during these sessions and provide an opportunity to revisit and review misconceptions and deepen previously taught content.
Impact-
A variety of methods are used to find out what the children know and understand. Lesson activities are scaffolded to suit the different abilities and learning styles. Mathematics lessons allow for collaborative learning and thus encourage children to talk in pairs, small groups or through class discussion, to share learning. For those children who grasp concepts rapidly, they will be challenged through a range of problems, whilst those not sufficiently fluent will be provided with opportunities to consolidate their understanding through additional practice and first response intervention. Children’s understanding of taught concepts will be assessed using end of block assessment tasks which provide opportunities for children to demonstrate their understanding fully. Evidence of the children’s learning journey through each Mathematics topic is included in the samples folders, Target tracker, Evidence me and working walls.
As each unit of work is covered, we consider the related intended learning, recognise children who are working at or beyond the expected level for Key Stage 1, as well as identifying the children who need and who will therefore receive support. Children in the Foundation Stage will be assessed against the Early Years Learning Goal. Children in Year 2 will be assessed against the End of Year 2 Teacher Assessment Framework.
Mathematics monitoring includes work scrutinies, lesson observations and/or learning walks, pupil voice interviews/questionnaires in order to ascertain correct curriculum coverage, the quality of teaching and learning as well as the children’s attitudes to and retention of maths learning. This information is then used to inform further curriculum developments and provision is adapted accordingly.
Supporting families with Maths
Supporting families with Maths
Each week we add our maths learning to Google Classroom. This can be songs, activities and white rose home learning videos of topics being covered. Parents are encouraged to support the children in learning the songs, and completing activities.
If you need any support or advice with the Maths learning that is taking place, please do not hesitate to speak to your class teacher who will be able to support you.
Top tips
Be positive about Maths! - even if you have had bad experiences yourself.
Point out Maths in everyday life (numbers, counting, measuring) - shopping, cooking, travelling.
Praise your child for their efforts in Maths.