Brookburn’s Intent
We recognise the significant role that mathematics plays in our lives today, and its role in the future. As such, we aim to give our pupils secure foundations to prepare them for their life beyond Brookburn but also an enjoyment of mathematics that supports them in becoming life-long learners.
Maths has a vital role in developing problem solving and reasoning skills; as such, we give pupils opportunities to develop their curiosity in maths through open-ended challenges and investigations which widens their experience and application of mathematical knowledge and skill, and ensures that through collaboration and partnership, they develop skills wider than simply those that are mathematical.
We aim for pupils to:
- 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 through a variety of methods, using investigative approaches e.g. draw a picture / work backwards / look for patterns to develop confidence in making sense of challenges faced.
- Solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems with increasing sophistication.
Reach their full potential within Mathematical understanding and application
Our Implementation
Our curriculum is organised in a coherent and progressive way through key strands of the mathematics National Curriculum. Children build on their prior learning systematically, making connections across a range of concepts taught, but with regular opportunities to revisit and retrieve prior learning, and make links to new ideas. We ensure that children gain knowledge and skills using concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to support their understanding and growing fluency working between varied representations.
We recognise the importance of supporting children to develop semantic knowledge (number facts incl. times tables) and ensure that pupils are exposed to daily opportunities to rehearse such facts.
Children are exposed to a variety of models to develop their understanding of place value and representations, which includes using tens frames, numicon, dienes, part whole and bar models. These representations are used to support pupils in making connections to increasing complex ideas.
We set short weekly homework tasks in maths in KS2; our approach here ensures that key concepts in each year group curriculum are revisited but spaced over a period of time to support better long term learning. We offer homework platforms for the whole school through TT Rock Stars and Sumdog so that children have further opportunities to revisit fact retrieval in fun and interactive ways.
We organise interventions for maths to address misconceptions at the point of learning. Children are given opportunities to address errors, receive further teaching or look at upcoming content and key skills needed, to ensure that we are ambitious and give all pupils the opportunity to succeed in maths. Alongside these sessions, key groups receive regular direct teaching opportunities where key concepts from previous year groups are practiced and rehearsed to aid fluency.
We give all pupils the opportunity to develop their mathematical skills in a cross curricular approach. We are aspirational for all our learners and encourage and nurture children who have potential to reach greater depth.
Impact
Children leave EYFS with approximately 80% of children secure in the Early Learning Goals for both Number and Shape Space and Measures and with the necessary foundations to support the move into KS1. This result is in line with national outcomes for EYFS.
KS1 outcomes at expected or above national averages and greater depth standards exceed national results.
In KS2, results have been consistently above national averages at both expected and Higher Attainment levels. Progress across KS2 is in line with national rates.
Ongoing formative assessment throughout lessons, and summative results from termly tests, alongside evidence from learning walks, pupil interviews and book scrutinies demonstrates that our pupils are securing maths content and using and applying mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures – this all ensures readiness for the next stage of their learning.
