Maths

Intent:

At Mersey Drive Primary, we believe that enjoyment is paramount to our aim of developing confident and competent mathematicians. Through a rich and engaging mathematical curriculum, pupils will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills to develop and apply their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills to enable them to progress to the next stage of their learning. We aim to ensure that the teaching and learning of mathematics is exciting, engaging and challenging and provides all learners with the chance to achieve success in every lesson. We set high expectations for all learners and foster a positive attitude and growth-mindset towards the subject.

Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving are the focal points of learning; this along with a small-step mastery approach to teaching, ensures that all children develop and secure their understanding of mathematical concepts.

Key aspects of Mathematics Teaching:

Prior to children starting a new unit of work, all children will complete a pre-assessment task. This is used to ascertain start points for children’s learning and identify key misconceptions and gaps in learning.

Through careful planning, in line with the National Curriculum expectations, we adopt the use of a small-step approach where all learners are able to access each lesson objective. Key vocabulary and concepts are explicitly modelled by the class teacher at the start of the lesson, using concrete manipulatives alongside the pictorial form. The children are highly engaged at all stages of the lesson. Following the teaching sequence, ‘I do’ ‘We do’ ‘You do’ (see subject specific toolkit) throughout each lesson, pupils are scaffolded in their learning, where appropriate, and are encouraged to develop a high level of independence during the lesson. Teachers actively circulate the room, questioning, probing and addressing key misconceptions across the classroom. Teachers refer to prior learning during the lesson through the use of working walls and the children’s workbooks. Assessment of learning, both during and after lessons, ensures that learners can be supported fluidly or extended appropriately thus providing all with the opportunity to deepen their learning in every lesson.

In lessons, teachers provide pupils with appropriate models and scaffolds whilst resources are utilised so that pupils can secure concrete and pictorial understanding of concepts or processes before applying their understanding to a range of abstract representations. Pupils are provided with retrieval challenges in all lessons to support retention and deepen their understanding of previously taught areas. Teachers mainly utilise White Rose materials in lessons. Challenge materials include White Rose. Gareth Metcalfe and Tara Laughlan activities. 

Pupils are given opportunities to practice their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills in each lesson, which has been carefully considered through a maths lesson structure framework. Through full coverage of the National Curriculum, links to prior learning and real life situations are explicitly made so that pupils are building on previous experiences whist also recognising the links that can be made across the curriculum and beyond. In lessons, teaching resources and materials from White Rose are used to support the small-step approach; a range of other resources are also used to ensure that teaching is active, relevant and engaging.

Monitoring of maths provision will be an ongoing process throughout the academic year. The maths leader will monitor lessons (including the use of teacher models and inputs, working walls, learning scaffolds, resources and learning activities) and learning outcomes through scrutiny of work and pupil and staff voice – both formally and informally. Termly assessment outcomes will also be monitored and analysed to identify wider school trends. Cohort specific interventions will be monitored half termly through Core Curriculum conversations and Pupil Progress Meetings. Subsequent actions will be taken in response to all formats of monitoring to continually improve maths provision.

Possessing a range of mental maths strategies supports learning and progress in the 3 key areas of maths: fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. Short, focused and regular mental maths lessons (outside of the maths lesson) known as KIRFs support pupils’ development in this area. We track key recall facts for each year group and have a non-negotiables key facts tracker which we also share with parents to support their children at home. TTrockstars is one of the online resources used to help inspire pupils to develop fast recall of their timestables. The mental maths progression plan is in place throughout the school with regular monitoring to inform individual pupils’ areas of development and to inform teaching focus. Children falling behind with key mental recall facts are targeted in key skills sessions in the afternoon.

Written calculations (in line with our school calculation policy-sense of number) is explicitly taught to the children and displayed in the classroom environment for pupils to refer to during their lessons. Non-negotiables on working walls in all classrooms including weekly focus, number squares, key vocabulary, stem sentences and pictorial representations are vital to ensure a consistent approach to maths for all learner across school.

National Curriculum expectations

Early Years

Pupils in EYFS explore mathematical concepts through active exploration and their everyday play based learning. Pupils are taught key concepts and application of number using a hands-on approach. EYFS practitioners provide opportunities for children to manipulate a variety of concrete objects which supports their understanding of number and quantity. The concrete-pictorial-abstract approach is used when teaching pupils key mathematical skills. Alongside the classroom environment and through the use of the White Rose and Number blocks materials and resources, the pupils are given extensive opportunities to explore mathematical concepts in real life situations. Maths in the Early Years provides pupils with a solid foundation that will enable them to develop skills as they progress through into Year 1 and beyond. 

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the 4 operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.

By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

Lower Key Stage 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the 4 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.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can 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 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper Key Stage 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils 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.

At this stage, pupils should 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. Teaching should also ensure that pupils 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 4 operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages.

Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.

Calculation Policy

At Mersey Drive we follow White Rose as our main scheme for progression and coverage.  Our Calculation Guides show the representations and methods used in each year group.

Maths Policy

Click here to access the maths policy

Long Term Overview

Click here to find the Long Term overviews for Y1-Y6

Schemes of Work

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y1

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y2

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y3

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y4

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y5

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y6

Maths

Intent:

At Mersey Drive Primary, we believe that enjoyment is paramount to our aim of developing confident and competent mathematicians. Through a rich and engaging mathematical curriculum, pupils will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills to develop and apply their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills to enable them to progress to the next stage of their learning. We aim to ensure that the teaching and learning of mathematics is exciting, engaging and challenging and provides all learners with the chance to achieve success in every lesson. We set high expectations for all learners and foster a positive attitude and growth-mindset towards the subject.

Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving are the focal points of learning; this along with a small-step mastery approach to teaching, ensures that all children develop and secure their understanding of mathematical concepts.

Key aspects of Mathematics Teaching:

Prior to children starting a new unit of work, all children will complete a pre-assessment task. This is used to ascertain start points for children’s learning and identify key misconceptions and gaps in learning.

Through careful planning, in line with the National Curriculum expectations, we adopt the use of a small-step approach where all learners are able to access each lesson objective. Key vocabulary and concepts are explicitly modelled by the class teacher at the start of the lesson, using concrete manipulatives alongside the pictorial form. The children are highly engaged at all stages of the lesson. Following the teaching sequence, ‘I do’ ‘We do’ ‘You do’ (see subject specific toolkit) throughout each lesson, pupils are scaffolded in their learning, where appropriate, and are encouraged to develop a high level of independence during the lesson. Teachers actively circulate the room, questioning, probing and addressing key misconceptions across the classroom. Teachers refer to prior learning during the lesson through the use of working walls and the children’s workbooks. Assessment of learning, both during and after lessons, ensures that learners can be supported fluidly or extended appropriately thus providing all with the opportunity to deepen their learning in every lesson.

In lessons, teachers provide pupils with appropriate models and scaffolds whilst resources are utilised so that pupils can secure concrete and pictorial understanding of concepts or processes before applying their understanding to a range of abstract representations. Pupils are provided with retrieval challenges in all lessons to support retention and deepen their understanding of previously taught areas. Teachers mainly utilise White Rose materials in lessons. Challenge materials include White Rose. Gareth Metcalfe and Tara Laughlan activities. 

Pupils are given opportunities to practice their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills in each lesson, which has been carefully considered through a maths lesson structure framework. Through full coverage of the National Curriculum, links to prior learning and real life situations are explicitly made so that pupils are building on previous experiences whist also recognising the links that can be made across the curriculum and beyond. In lessons, teaching resources and materials from White Rose are used to support the small-step approach; a range of other resources are also used to ensure that teaching is active, relevant and engaging.

Monitoring of maths provision will be an ongoing process throughout the academic year. The maths leader will monitor lessons (including the use of teacher models and inputs, working walls, learning scaffolds, resources and learning activities) and learning outcomes through scrutiny of work and pupil and staff voice – both formally and informally. Termly assessment outcomes will also be monitored and analysed to identify wider school trends. Cohort specific interventions will be monitored half termly through Core Curriculum conversations and Pupil Progress Meetings. Subsequent actions will be taken in response to all formats of monitoring to continually improve maths provision.

Possessing a range of mental maths strategies supports learning and progress in the 3 key areas of maths: fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. Short, focused and regular mental maths lessons (outside of the maths lesson) known as KIRFs support pupils’ development in this area. We track key recall facts for each year group and have a non-negotiables key facts tracker which we also share with parents to support their children at home. TTrockstars is one of the online resources used to help inspire pupils to develop fast recall of their timestables. The mental maths progression plan is in place throughout the school with regular monitoring to inform individual pupils’ areas of development and to inform teaching focus. Children falling behind with key mental recall facts are targeted in key skills sessions in the afternoon.

Written calculations (in line with our school calculation policy-sense of number) is explicitly taught to the children and displayed in the classroom environment for pupils to refer to during their lessons. Non-negotiables on working walls in all classrooms including weekly focus, number squares, key vocabulary, stem sentences and pictorial representations are vital to ensure a consistent approach to maths for all learner across school.

National Curriculum expectations

Early Years

Pupils in EYFS explore mathematical concepts through active exploration and their everyday play based learning. Pupils are taught key concepts and application of number using a hands-on approach. EYFS practitioners provide opportunities for children to manipulate a variety of concrete objects which supports their understanding of number and quantity. The concrete-pictorial-abstract approach is used when teaching pupils key mathematical skills. Alongside the classroom environment and through the use of the White Rose and Number blocks materials and resources, the pupils are given extensive opportunities to explore mathematical concepts in real life situations. Maths in the Early Years provides pupils with a solid foundation that will enable them to develop skills as they progress through into Year 1 and beyond. 

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the 4 operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools].

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.

By the end of year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

Lower Key Stage 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the 4 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.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can 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 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper Key Stage 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils 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.

At this stage, pupils should 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. Teaching should also ensure that pupils 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 4 operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages.

Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.

Calculation Policy

At Mersey Drive we follow White Rose as our main scheme for progression and coverage.  Our Calculation Guides show the representations and methods used in each year group.

Maths Policy

Click here to access the maths policy

Long Term Overview

Click here to find the Long Term overviews for Y1-Y6

Schemes of Work

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y1

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y2

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y3

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y4

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y5

Click here to find the maths scheme of work for Y6