Mathematics
Intent
All children will develop a genuine sense of enjoyment and curiosity about all aspects of mathematics: number, pattern, shape and space and measures.
We equip our children with the tools to build confidence in maths. We encourage them to explore and question the mathematical world around them. We aim to ensure all pupils leave us with sound mathematical skills, which will enable them to realise their potential, wherever they live and whatever their background. We will respond to any gaps identified in children’s learning.
All children are expected to:
- reason mathematically and logically and develop confidence as mathematicians
- develop a genuine sense of enjoyment of mathematics
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
- see themselves as problem solvers
Implementation
At Harbour, we teach mastery maths from the EYFS to Year 6 and cover the whole of the programmes of study.
We are constantly augmenting our maths planning by using a variety of quality mastery resources and concrete apparatus- this helps us expose the children to different variations of the same concept, ensuring that they secure and embed their learning at a deeper and more meaningful level.
Entitlement
- Every child gets a daily reasoning and fluency lesson
- Some children receive additional support for example pre-teaching and same day interventions
- Children’s mathematical understanding is supplemented and deepened by the use of manipulatives
- Well trained support staff ensure that all vulnerable learners receive help at the appropriate time
- All children are entitled to focused teaching time from their teacher
Fluency and Reasoning
We follow a robust programme to teach fluency skills in daily ‘fluency sessions’. The children develop their fluency skills in maths, using strategies, which are built upon reasoning and deeper conceptual understanding.
We understand that further development of fluency skills and automaticity will remove the cognitive load of pure arithmetic processes which would otherwise place a burden on children’s minds and will enable them to tackle complex reasoning problems more confidently.
In EYFS and KS1, we follow the Number Sense Programme to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all.
We have a whole school approach to teaching multiplication tables, which ensures progression and consistency in terms of language, method and frequency of times table practice. In KS2, children take part in our daily 'Times Table Challenge'. Each day, children have 2 minutes to quiz themselves on their current times table. The class then chant the times tables and mark their answers, plotting their results on their progress graphs.
Emphasis on reasoning and problem-solving skills is prominent in all planning and teaching; this fundamental skill is heavily supported through the use of effective bar modelling and reasoning language.
Early Years
In EYFS, we follow the Number Sense Programme supplemented by the Ark Maths Mastery scheme to help children develop a deep understanding of quantities. This enables them to:
- develop a strong grounding in number ;
- experience strong real-life links to the concepts that are taught;
- engage in frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply any new understanding;
- develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary.
Maths involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in cardinality and counting, comparison, composition, pattern, shape and space, measures.
This enables all children to develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. The school is well resourced so that children can access a range of objects and materials to develop their mathematical understanding.
Key Stage One
Mastering Maths means pupils acquiring a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. Children in Key Stage 1 continue to embed a secure understanding of quantity and number following the Number Sense Programme. Children engage in regular subitising, regrouping and activities which focus on different ways that a particular quantity can be arranged, and noticing the patterns within them. This enables the children to become proficient in basic mental number operations, using the most efficient methods.
Whilst Number Sense Programme provides planning for Fluency lessons, teachers also make good use of the Ark Maths scheme to further develop the children’s reasoning and problem solving skills. These resources combined provide a wealth of images and representations, expertly exposing the mathematical structure for clarity; whilst also further deepening the children’s learning with examples of real-life situations. This helps the children make better connections and build on what they know and understand to make their learning more meaningful.
In Key Stage 1, the children will:
- develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources;
- begin to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary;
- know a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money;
- know number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value;
- read and spell mathematical vocabulary, appropriate to their level.
Key Stage Two
In Key Stage 2, the emphasis placed on concrete and pictorial representations to support learning continues to be strong. This further develops the children’s procedural and conceptual knowledge and understanding. Guided and independent learning exercises are structured with great care to build deep conceptual knowledge alongside developing procedural fluency.
In Key Stage 2, teachers teach discrete fluency lessons with particular focus on counting and multiplication and division facts, whilst Ark Maths resources continue to be the base for teaching all new mathematical concepts and reasoning. TT-rock star provides the children a platform to practise their multiplication and division table facts.
In Lower Key Stage Two (Years 3 and 4), children will:
- become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers;
- develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value;
- develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them;
- use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.
By the end of Year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 times table and show precision and fluency in their work. Children should also be able to recall the division facts for their multiplication tables. Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.
In Upper Key Stage Two (Years 5 and 6), children will:
- extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio;
- develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number;
- classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.
By the end of Year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.
Impact
Our aspiration is for all Harbour mathematicians to have developed a bank of secure and accurate skills that can be used to calculate effectively, by the end of Year 6 when they transition to secondary school. Children will be able to apply these calculation skills and understanding of other mathematical concepts to become confident and resilient problem-solvers with the ability to reason and articulate their ideas mathematically. We aim to prepare our children for their future in and outside of education so they can become successful in whatever they pursue by leaving our school.
The impact of our mathematics curriculum is that children understand the relevance and importance of what they are learning in relation to real world concepts. Children know that maths is a vital life skill that they will rely on in many areas of their daily life. Children have a positive view of maths due to learning in an environment where maths is promoted as being an exciting and enjoyable subject in which they can investigate and ask questions; they know that it is OK to be ‘wrong’ and that this can strengthen their learning because the journey to finding an answer is most important.
We measure impact every day through formative assessment that supports our daily planning. Assessment for Learning strategies inform our same day interventions and pre-teaching sessions, aiming to ensure that ‘no child falls behind’. Summative maths assessments evidence how children have independently applied the maths’ skills taught. We adapt our curriculum based on all our assessment outcomes to address gaps and accelerate learning.
Attainment in Maths 2023 KS2 Sats is above the National Average, at 84.7% .
Assessment
This year, we have strengthened our assessment processes, ensuring gaps in children’s learning are identified early in a robust and cyclical programme of assessment. Our curriculum provides a well-sequenced and cumulative set of learning opportunities, where, in every unit, children build on previous knowledge, skills and concepts. It is crucial to identify whether children have the critical knowledge, skills and concepts required for each new unit.
At Harbour, we use a diagnostic questioning tool to assess and identify gaps and misconceptions in children’s learning with regards to their understanding of pre-requisite concepts before starting a new Maths unit. Our diagnostic testing tool allows children to answer a pre and a post unit set of questions. The outcomes of the Pre-Unit tests will provide our teachers with ways forward to address challenges that our children may face within the new learning unit if no interventions are undertaken. Children will also take a Post-Unit test, which will assess the level of children’s understanding of the concepts taught and the rate of their learning retention.
Our teachers also use an On Track Document to review the progress children make regularly, ensuring no one falls behind. Swift provisions are put in place if these assessments are showing any signs of concerns. Our 6-part Maths lessons always start with a ‘Do Now’ task which also aims to assess the children’s ability to apply their previous learning in a new way. Accessing this part of our lessons requires a secure level of understanding of a concept, and flexibility to apply it in new situations.
As a summative process, the children are given a termly test, assessing their learning over a period of time in their year group. Following these assessments, we carefully conduct a ‘question level analysis’ looking for patterns and trends, identifying areas of strength as well as development within individuals, groups and whole class. This valuable data further informs future planning and interventions.