Mathematics

Intent

At Holy Trinity Maths is considered at the centre of the curriculum alongside English and Science. Maths is a core subject.

‘Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.’

(National Curriculum in England Statutory Guidance – Mathematics Purpose of Study)

At Holy Trinity we believe that basic skills learned in Mathematics are vital for all pupils’ futures. We place emphasis on pupils using the four operations to answer calculations before applying their knowledge to solve reasoning problems. We provide opportunities for children to build a conceptual understanding, develop their basic skills, fluency and recall, before applying their knowledge to everyday problems and challenges. This is taught in a way which also develops the pupils’ enjoyment of Maths.

We also place emphasis on vocabulary used in and out of the lessons. We aim for our pupils to gain a word-rich maths vocabulary that can be transferred to all areas of the curriculum and applied to their daily lives. We understand the importance of mathematical knowledge and understanding in order to achieve many life skills including money, time and measure. We aim to provide all children with this knowledge so that they can thrive in society.

We want our pupils to be able to work collaboratively and to explain and justify their reasons to each other. We also want pupils to gain confidence and self-belief in mathematics whilst showing resilience and perseverance when they find mathematical concepts difficult. Ultimately we want our pupils to leave our school prepared for the next step of the mathematical journey.

Implementation

At Holy Trinity we use Power Maths which is a clearly structured teaching and learning resource that helps make certain that every child masters each maths concept securely and deeply. For each year group, the curriculum is broken down into core concepts, taught in units. A unit divides into smaller learning steps – lessons. Step by step, strong foundations of cumulative knowledge and understanding are built.

The lesson sequence offers many opportunities to deepen and broaden children’s learning:

Discover

Children delve into why something is true. It is not enough to simply recite facts, such as ‘6 + 3 = 9’. They need to be able to see why, explain it, and to demonstrate the solution in several ways.

Share

Every child is given chances to offer answers and expand their knowledge and not just those with the greatest confidence.

Think together

Children are encouraged to think about how they found the solution and explain it to their partner.

Practice

Practice questions are presented in a logical sequence built upon prior learning. The questions increase in difficulty culminating with a challenge at the end of every lesson.

Reflect

Open-ended questions allow children to deepen their understanding as far as they can by discovering new ways of finding answers. For example, give me another way of working out how high the wall is … And another way?

During all Mathematics lessons, children are taught to use concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to solve a variety of calculations and problems. All teachers use this approach to introduce new mathematical ideas and reinforce learnt concepts.

Throughout the lesson, teachers use formative assessment to ensure that all children are supported and challenged accordingly. Any child who requires additional support is given that within the lesson or as part of our same-day intervention strategy.

EYFS

In EYFS, children are given opportunities to explore number through all of their daily activities. We encourage children to be curious and excited about number through well-thought-out, creative activities.

Pupils are introduced to a variety of mathematical processes with number, operation and vocabulary at the centre of all lessons. Children explore numbers to 5, 10 and 20. They investigate shape, space and measure. Children create addition and subtraction number sentences. They investigate number patterns. Children also explore time.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, children develop the skills learnt in EYFS and explore new concepts whilst maintaining a love and enjoyment of mathematics. All learning has a purpose and real life maths underpins all learning as children apply ideas to real life problems.

In Year 1, children revisit numbers to 10 and 20 whilst also exploring numbers to 50 and 100. Within this learning children create number sentences using addition and subtraction. Children are introduced to multiplication and division and halves and quarters. Children develop their understanding of measure, time and money. They investigate properties of 2D and 3D shape. Children also explore geometry – position and direction.

In Year 2, children revisit numbers to 100 whilst developing their knowledge and understanding of all 4 operations. Children continue to investigate measure (height and length), time and money – applying their knowledge from previous years’ work. Children develop their knowledge of fractions and explore a variety of fractions including 1/4. Children further investigate properties of shape. They are also introduced to new measures in weight, volume and temperature. The children also begin a more focused problem solving topic, unpicking all of their learning and applying it to reasoning problems.

Lower Key Stage 2

In Lower Key Stage 2, whilst continuing to immerse children in a love of mathematics, their knowledge and skills are increased with a high expectation that children use the methods learnt in EYFS/KS1 to help them solve new concepts. Vocabulary continues to be extremely important and this is built on year in and year out.

In Year 3, children revisit their knowledge of place value and apply this to 4 digit numbers. They continue to use the 4 operations and apply their knowledge of larger numbers when solving calculation and reasoning questions. Children further develop their understanding of money, measure, shape and time. They apply their knowledge of fractions to solve fraction of amounts questions. Children are also introduced to angles.

In Year 4, children continue to explore 4 digit numbers and apply this knowledge to answer calculation questions using all 4 operations. They further explore time, money and angles. Children are introduced to perimeter and area and further properties of shape. They apply their knowledge of fractions to decimal numbers. Children investigate statistics and how data can be displayed in a variety of ways. They are also taught to use the correct vocabulary to describe position and direction of shape.

Upper Key Stage 2

In Upper Key Stage 2, children apply the knowledge they have gained to reinforce prior learning and when learning new concepts. They continue to use the concrete, pictorial, abstract structure so they can explain ideas in a variety of ways. Children apply their knowledge-rich vocabulary in all areas of the subject and beyond. The importance of enjoyment in mathematics remains and children are aware more than ever how vital maths in the real world is as they prepare for KS3.

In Year 5, children develop their knowledge of number and place value and explore 5, 6 and 7 digit numbers. They apply this knowledge when answering calculations using all 4 operations. Children further explore the use of graphs and tables – retrieving information and creating their own sets of data. Children continue their knowledge of fractions and decimals and compare these with percentages. They use their knowledge of shape and measure to answer questions using area and perimeter. Children also convert units of measure including volume and distance.

In Year 6, children use their knowledge of number and place value and explore 8 digit numbers. They apply all their knowledge of number to answer number calculations and solve problems using all 4 operations. Children continue to explore fractions - adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions with different denominators. They also divide and multiply fractions by a whole number. Children further explore measure – converting between metric and imperial units of measure. Children further explore, compare and order fractions, decimals and percentages. They use learnt methods to answer ratio and proportion questions. Children also learn how to solve algebraic equations in a variety of different ways.

To supplement the Mathematics curriculum, at the start of every school day, pupils complete a basic skills task using all 4 operations. They also complete times tables challenges throughout the year using TT Rockstars.

Impact

We use a range of materials for each year group to assess our pupils and ensure they are mathematically prepared for life after primary school.

Every unit begins with a pre-unit check to ensure children have the knowledge to access and develop their skills in a specific area of maths. This allows teachers to offer personal learning journeys for every child in their class.

Throughout the topic, teachers use formative assessment to monitor pupils’ understanding. This is completed in the form of targeted questioning, basic skills and problem solving challenges.

Every topic is completed with an end-of-unit check to ensure children have met the outcomes and are ready for future learning.

The pre-unit and end-of-unit checks are shared with SLT and also inform teacher assessments.

Topics are revisited at different times throughout the year to ensure that knowledge is maintained and built upon.

At the end of every term, years 1-6 use NFER tests to complete summative assessments. QLA takes place and any concepts that have not been remembered are revisited again. These results are shared with SLT and whole class and individual targets are set during Pupil Progress Meetings.

Throughout the year, the Maths lead conducts book monitoring, learning walks, lesson observations and pupil and teacher voice to establish impact.

All outcomes from the impact of the mathematics curriculum are shared with all members of the school community including parents and governors.