Maths

At Forest of Galtres Anglican Methodist Primary School, we know that a high quality Mathematics education introduces children to concepts, skills and thinking strategies that are essential in everyday life and support learning across the curriculum. The language of mathematics is international and the basic skills of mathematics are vital for the life opportunities of our children. Our aim is to follow a mastery approach to teaching to promote fluency, develop reasoning and secure problem solving skills to allow all children to flourish.

Our school vision is rooted in God’s love for all. At Forest of Galtres Primary School, our Mathematics Curriculum has been developed to ensure all children can achieve excellence in mathematics. Children can experience a sense of awe and wonder as they solve a problem for the first time, discover different solutions and make links between different areas of mathematics through our aspirational teaching. It provides all pupils with a deep understanding of the subject through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. This ensures all pupils fully understand what they are learning.

Key features of our Maths Curriculum:

• High expectations: All our children have the opportunity to develop mastery through a wide range of learning opportunities.
• To foster positive attitudes: All children develop a ‘can do’ attitude surrounded in fascination and excitement of discovery through the teaching and learning of mathematical concepts.
• Number sense and place value come first: we ensure that all children have access to their age related learning and that the whole curriculum is used to develop and promote Mathematical skill.
• Resources to support: Concrete and pictorial resources are used to help all children develop a strong foundation of concrete experience, which then allows them to think in the abstract.
• Mathematical thinking and problem solving is central.
• Being able to calculate with confidence and having an understanding of why it works.
• Opportunities for both independent, inclusive and collaborative learning.
• Multitude of opportunities for mathematics throughout the curriculum: We broaden children’s knowledge and understanding of how mathematics is used in the wider world by making rich and varied real life connections to promote Life in all its fullness.

Through our maths vision, we are passionate and fully committed to developing a balance between the children’s procedural fluency and a conceptual understanding.

At Forest of Galtres, we strongly believe in supporting our pupils to become Mathematicians for life.

Click for: Maths – National Curriculum

Maths in Early Years

In Early Years, we believe that developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of number and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding – such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting – children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.

In the high quality, open ended resources that we provide, children have the opportunity to practice and embed key mathematical concepts independently in our Early Years setting. Both our Nursery and Reception classes provide a carefully planned maths area that ensures a progression of knowledge and skills. The resources are specifically selected, appropriate to our children’s developmental needs and evolve with the children throughout the year. We ensure rich and varied opportunities are provided indoors and outdoors to practise skills with resilience and creativity. Staff have regular CPD in Early Years on how to provide meaningful interactions with adults supporting children in developing mathematical thinking and discussion.

When children join our school in nursery (Conkers) and are developmentally ready, they take part in short carpet teaching sessions following the scheme Master the Curriculum. We believe that having a more formal approach to mathematics ensures that children develop the building blocks that will support them to excel mathematically. In line with the rest of the school, the children in nursery also take part in a daily count to 10 and back. We plan whole class and responsive small group direct teaching sessions where we develop understanding and skill in; counting and cardinality, comparison, pattern, shape and space and measures.

As children move into Reception (Acorns), they continue to take part in a daily count (to 20 and back and beyond 20 in the summer term) as well as a daily teacher-led Math’s session to develop fluency, revisit key concepts and address misconceptions. These lessons are based on the White Rose Hub scheme and they help to cement key mathematical ideas and concepts are revisited and developed further. This ensures a smooth transition to year 1. Ensuring the children in Early Years know more and remember more, we always begin our lessons with a ‘connect’. This is usually a repetition of key concepts and skills previously learnt to embed their knowledge and have the opportunity to keep coming back to them to practise.

Maths outside the curriculum