Maths
At Gorseybrigg Primary School we all love learning new mathematical concepts and know that our mathematical knowledge helps us in everyday life.
As teachers we know that children need the mathematical building blocks as a foundation to their mathematical learning which they will build upon as they move through into secondary education and in their life long experience of mathematics.
“Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.” William Paul Thurston
Intent
At Gorseybrigg Primary School, we want all our pupils to be inspired and engaged by a high quality mathematics education.
- We aim to develop lively, enquiring minds, encouraging pupils to become self-motivated, confident and capable in solving problems so that this will become an integral part of their future.
- We are committed to promoting depth of knowledge which is supported by the direct teaching of challenging, mathematical tasks to enable children to consider and articulate their developing understanding and opinions.
- We aim to cultivate a real enjoyment of mathematics and to support all children to achieve their full potential.
- We strive to provide children with the support they need in mathematics to tackle any specific barriers to progress they face.
Implementation
Throughout the academic year, opportunities for mathematics are provided as an enhancement to the wider curriculum including but not limited to:
- Recording and analysing data in science or theme lessons
- Timing distances, recording frequencies or other examples of collecting data in PE
- Using shape and pattern in art or theme lessons
- ‘Pop maths’ quiz organised by Sheffield Hallam University
- Inter school ‘Pop maths’ quiz
In each class KS1 and KS2 class, the maths curriculum is delivered during a daily lesson, although the class teacher may also allow extra time during the school day when appropriate. This daily session offers pupils and teachers the time and focus to delve deeply into the mathematical skills, knowledge and vocabulary required for high quality learning and teaching. We follow the White Rose mathematics programme of learning. This, along with our calculation policy, ensures continuation of learning and progression throughout school.
In EYFS, mathematics is used to develop a child's confidence and ability with number and also to encourage their understanding of shapes, space and measures. Activities for mathematical exploration are always available for children and are planned as part of the EYFS continuous provision.
Leadership
We have three mathematic subject leaders in order to ensure coverage, continuity and progression throughout the whole school. They have a range of joint responsibilities:
- To monitor and evaluate maths teaching and learning
- To manage the maths budget effectively
- To maintain the maths element of the School Improvement Plan
- To liaise and consult with outside agencies, local clusters and community groups
- To support and advise teachers in the planning and delivery of maths lessons
- To maintain and monitor maths resources
- To attend and disseminate training
- To ensure membership of the maths teaching professional body is up to date and used in school
Impact
Learning
We follow the National Curriculum for mathematics and integrate its aims for our pupils, intending that:
- They become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that they have conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems.
- They can reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
- They 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.
We want all children at our school to make excellent progress, achieve success and find enjoyment in mathematics. To achieve this, we promote active participation by everyone whatever their race, gender, economic status or ability. We strive to meet the needs of those pupils with special educational needs, disabilities, particular gifts and talents and children for whom English is an additional language so that everyone is able to fulfil their potential.
To achieve our high expectations and fulfil our commitment to excellence, we know how crucial it is to engage with students in order to evaluate the impact of our provision. We regularly conduct pupil voice interviews and act on the outcomes. Using our in-year assessment model and end of unit assessments, we consider the attainment of individuals and use the results to set pupil targets.
Teaching
To inform excellence in mathematics teaching, we intend that all staff will develop a deep knowledge of the curriculum. To enable this, all teachers have access to our membership of ATM (Association of Teachers of Mathematics), and participate in practical training sessions arranged in-house by our maths curriculum leads. Assessment against the curriculum enables us to consider attainment and progress and adjust teaching accordingly, communicating achievement in mathematics to children’s new teachers. Regular monitoring including lesson observations, book-looks where appropriate and the checking of planning takes place in a supportive atmosphere where the emphasis is on improvement and the sharing of ideas.
Our Community
Our curriculum is enriched by our strong links with the mathematic leads in primary schools across our cluster and we regularly collaborate for curriculum meetings and moderation meetings. We recognise that maths information mornings for parents can engage families and welcome them into school. We use these occasions to provide information about the curriculum and to listen to parental views and suggestions.
Following the introduction of the new National Curriculum in 2014 the emphasis in both keystage 1 and Keystage 2 has been to ensure that all children:
- Become FLUENT
- REASON and EXPLAIN mathematically
- Can SOLVE PROBLEMS
During Maths lessons at Gorseybrigg Primary School children will have the opportunity to become fluent in a skill whilst being given the opportunity to problem solve, allowing them the chance to apply their Maths knowledge in a variety of different contexts. Children are given tasks to explain their reasoning, develop an argument and line of enquiry then prove and justify findings using mathematical vocabulary.
At Gorseybrigg Primary we believe that it is important that children are allowed to explore Maths and present their findings not only in a written form but also visually. We follow the National Curriculum guidelines for this using the Concrete-pictoral-abstract model.
Concrete representation:
Where the pupil is introduced to an idea or skill using real objects to develop the foundation for conceptual understanding.
This is a 'hands-on' experience.
Pictorial representation:
Where the pupil has sufficiently understood the hands-on experiences and can now relate them to representations such as a diagram or picture of the problem.
Abstract representation:
Where the pupil can now represent problems using mathematical notation.
Each classroom is stocked with concrete resources to support the delivery of Maths. Resources are used appropriately in lessons to support learning and pupils are encouraged to self-select whichever resources they feel would be beneficial to help them when completing Maths work.
Each classroom has a display dedicated to Maths as a working wall.
Each classroom has a display dedicated to Maths as a working wall, where the maths topic is displayed and where children’s work is celebrated.
Intervention groups take place both within the Maths lesson, same day intervention and outside the classroom through additional support; these sessions are delivered by the teacher or teaching assistant and may involve individual or small group work.
Below is a link to the PowerPoint presentation from a workshop we held previously, together with the handouts to support parents and children at home.