Maths

Our maths co-ordinator is Miss Rahman.

What is our aim and vision? (Intent)

At Colegrave Primary School we believe that every child is capable of being a confident mathematician. Mastery of mathematics is not a fixed state but a continuum. At each stage of learning, pupils should acquire and demonstrate sufficient grasp of the mathematics relevant to their year group, so their learning is sustainable over time and can be built upon in subsequent years. We aim to empower every child to take ownership of their learning; our maths curriculum is designed to facilitate this with opportunities for children to be fluent, reason and solve problems. We believe in adopting a ‘can do’ attitude where children build on their confidence where they thrive on challenge, are resilient to setbacks and show a great deal of perseverance.

How are we teaching and assessing? (Implementation)

Mathematics is at the core of our curriculum and it is through our teaching in this subject that pupils learn crucial life skills, including resilience and problem solving. They also have opportunities to lead, teach, support and mentor each other. We ensure that children gain an in-depth understanding of maths by teaching fluency, reasoning and problem solving through a mastery curriculum.  The new curriculum, and the teaching of Maths at Colegrave, encourages the study of fewer skills in greater depth, with a focus on the application of the skill in different scenarios. Now we try to help the children understand 'why', rather than just telling them 'how'. In this way, the children will be much better placed to apply their learning in a variety of situations.

There are three elements that are critical on the journey towards mastery that we aim to develop in our children - Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving. Without one, the next cannot follow and it is only by developing these three skills that children can move towards mastery. To structure each lesson, we ask the children a learning question, which the children are challenged to answer through teacher-led input and independent activities. Each of the daily maths lessons are differentiated through variation and challenge. The children are encouraged to self-assess their confidence and to choose an appropriate rating level of challenge for themselves, thereby accessing the same objective, or answering the learning question, at an appropriate level.

What are the outcomes and achievements? (Impact)

Teaching for mastery allows our children:  

• To become quick at recalling facts and procedures
• To use a range of CPA and manipulatives to support their understanding
• The flexibility to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics
• The ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics.

A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations. Our children achieve this in daily maths lesson, which are carefully planned and designed to deepen learning using a range of resources as well as moving learning forward through challenges.