Maths
The importance of Mathematics
Mathematics is about understanding and making connections between numbers, shapes and patterns. It is creative and has provided the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
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 non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
At Parkview Primary School, our Maths curriculum aims to ensure that all children are fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, can mathematically reason and solve problems by applying their maths skills.
Our curriculum programme of study:
Foundation Stage
The programme of study for the Foundation stage is set out in the EYFS Framework. Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shape, spaces and measures.
Key Stage 1 and 2
The Programmes of study for mathematics are set out year by year for Key Stages 1 and 2 in the National Curriculum. The programmes of study are organised in a distinct sequence and structured into separate domains. Pupils should make connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
Staff at Parkview follow the White Rose programmes of study. This is to ensure progression through year groups and within years and national curriculum coverage. It also ensures we develop mathematical fluency and reasoning and problem solving skills. We provide children with concrete, pictorial and abstract examples wherever possible to embed learning further.
Cross curricular
Throughout the whole curriculum, opportunities to extend and promote Mathematics should be sought. Within every Science topic, children will also develop their mathematical skills. This will help children appreciate how to work scientifically but also practise discrete mathematical skills. Nevertheless the prime focus should be on ensuring mathematical progress delivered discretely or otherwise.
Teaching and Learning
The approach to the teaching of mathematics within the school is based on:-
• A mathematics lesson every day
• A clear focus on direct, instructional teaching and interactive oral work with both the whole class and smaller ability groups.
The curriculum is delivered by class teachers. All work is planned carefully in order to give appropriate levels of challenge. There is one form entry with each class teacher taking responsibility for their year. Planning is based upon the new National Curriculum and Programmes of Study from White Rose.
Class teachers are responsible for the relevant provision of their own classes and individually develop weekly plans which give details of learning objectives and appropriate activities. Although planned in advance, they are adjusted on a daily basis to better suit the arising needs of a class and individual pupils.
Class teachers will use the ‘Ready to Progress’ documents to support planning, classroom provision and individual target setting.
Multiplication Tables Check
The multiplication tables check (MTC) is statutory for all year 4 pupils registered at state-funded maintained schools, special schools or academies (including free schools) in England.
The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help schools to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided.
In England, children will be expected to know the following in each year at primary school:
- Year 1: count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10.
- Year 2: be able to remember and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.
- Year 3: be able to remember and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.
- Year 4: be able to remember and use multiplication and division facts for the multiplication tables up to 12 x 12.
- Year 5: revision of all multiplication and division facts for the multiplication tables up to 12 x 12
- Year 6: revision of all multiplication and division facts for the multiplication tables up to 12 x 12.
Times Tables Rock Stars is a maths programme that we use at Parkview to boost children’s fluency and recall in multiplication and division.