At Adderley Primary School we deliver an ambitious Maths curriculum to ensure every child’s needs are met. Our aim is to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Mathematics; providing a broad, and balanced curriculum that develops children’s fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. Our children are taught through the Maths Mastery Approach using the White Rose scheme of work. This offers children the ability to develop a deep understanding, ready to apply their skills and thrive in the real world, including in their future careers and interests. At our school we deliver a connected approach which enables depth and challenge within the key strands of Mathematics.
Intent
Our goal is to provide children with an excellent Mathematics education that lays a strong foundation for pupils to understand how Maths is essential in everyday life. We want our children to be problem solvers and be able to reason when faced with challenges in the real world. Our Maths curriculum enables pupils with skills that can be applied to different mathematical scenarios. It also allows our pupils to retrieve mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures from long-term. Therefore, pupils who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged with rich and sophisticated problems before moving onto new content, and those who are not fluent with previously taught concepts, their learning is consolidated before new content is introduced. Additionally, mathematical discussion is at the heart of our learning, it develops pupils’ mathematical language and challenges their mathematical thinking. This is also an element of the structured Maths lessons which can be seen across the year groups. We acknowledge the importance of allowing children time to discuss their learning, especially with our increasing number of EAL children.
EYFS
Our Early Years Education lays a secure foundation for our children through providing purposeful provision, enabling them to develop positive attitudes, critical thinking, and become active learners in Mathematics. In Reception we deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework focusing on Number and Numerical Patterns. Our children are taught through the Maths Mastery Approach using the White Rose scheme of work. We ensure that our pupils’ interests are highly prioritised, therefore, pupils are given rich opportunities to develop deep understanding of using Maths in everyday life. A key focus is given to concrete based learning, enabling pupils to understand concepts and procedures. We allow our pupils to explore a range of mathematical skills so that they can become independent and curious learners. Reasoning and problem-solving skills are developed and embedded throughout the 7 areas of learning. We ensure our pupils are building knowledge and making mathematical connections during enhanced provision as well as other areas of learning.
Lower Phase
In Lower Phase we adopt a broad and balanced approach which enables our pupils to become rapid graspers. It allows pupils to build on from prior knowledge and embed mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills across all topics. This allows our pupils to make useful connections between mathematical ideas and practical problems which they may encounter in real-life. Topics taught in Lower Phase build on knowledge and prepares our pupils including SEND and disadvantaged pupils, for the next stage of learning. Our lessons demonstrate the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach, this allows pupils to develop fluency, and reasoning and problem solving skills. We value the importance of long-term memory. Therefore, teachers plan to revisit prior knowledge so that mathematical knowledge learned by pupils is deeply embedded. Our Maths curriculum adopts the connectivity approach that provides cross-curricular opportunities and allows pupils to make useful connections to develop their fluency. Pupils are provided with rich speaking and listening opportunities to develop mathematical language, as well as deep understanding of solving and challenging word problems.
Upper Phase
In Upper Phase, pupils build upon knowledge they have gained in previous years and are taught a wide range of topics through the CPA approach. Children are given the tools to understand the number system including larger integers. There is flexibility in our curriculum planning for children, including SEND pupils, to revisit and consolidate previously learnt content. We ensure we provide children with the tools to develop connections between the four operations as well as fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.
Children build on their foundations to develop their reasoning. In addition to this there is a strong emphasis on pupils using efficient written and mental strategies at the appropriate times. In Geometry and Measure, we ensure our children are taught to extend and consolidate their knowledge previously developed in Number.
By the end of Year 6, our curriculum allows pupils to be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. Children apply their learning through cross-curricular subjects including Science, Design and Technology and Computing.
Mathematical discussions are embedded throughout our lessons which supports our children’s understanding of key mathematical terminology, as well as providing them with a deep understanding of how to face challenging word problems. All children are encouraged to make these links in their learning, including SEND and disadvantaged children. We provide children with a stimulating environment where they feel confident to be challenged and justify their reasoning.
Implementation
At Adderley we implement an ambitious curriculum that is progressive throughout the school. We have a bespoke 5-part model to ensure our children’s needs are met. We implement the National Curriculum using the Maths Mastery approach enabling pupils to acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject.
White Rose Maths
We deliver the Mastery approach through the White Rose Scheme. Small steps are used to deliver the lessons and recap sessions are built in to embed key concepts of learning which may have been affected due to the pandemic. This allows our children to access the depth of the curriculum and embed concepts, so they can develop their mathematical skills.
The termly overviews are broken down into small steps which are used by staff to plan lessons. Each lesson follows the structure of: Mental Arithmetic, Mathematical Talk, Modelling, Fluency and Reasoning & Problem Solving. All classes teach this structure so that children can experience consistency and continuity as they progress up the school. Teachers ensure they adapt lesson content according to the children’s needs and pupils are given opportunities to deepen their understanding so concepts can be applied in various contexts.
The 5-Part Model embeds the CPA approach (Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract) which allows pupils to develop a deep understanding of Mathematics. Pupils learn Mental Maths skills which develops their fluency and allows them to become secure with selecting efficient mathematical strategies. As a result, this enables our pupils to apply these strategies to reasoning and problem-solving.