Maths Subject Leader Planning Statement

As a Rights Respecting School, we are aware that under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child:

Article 28:  Every child has the right to an education.

Article 29:  Education must develop very child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.

“Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.” – William Paul Thurston

Curriculum Intent

The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to provide children with a foundation for a deep understanding of number, reasoning, thinking logically and problem solving with resilience so that they are fully prepared for the future-this is teaching for Mastery. It is essential that these keystones of Mathematics are embedded with more time spent on the key concepts which are revisited and built upon each year and across the key stages. By adopting a Mastery approach, it is intended that all children, regardless of their starting point, will maximise their academic achievement and leave Rickmansworth Park JMI School with an appreciation and enthusiasm for Maths.

To support the children to achieve well and make good progress, we recognise the need for   regular fluency practice so that they are able to access the reasoning and problem-solving work. We also place real emphasis on the use of a wide variety of concrete and pictorial representations in all year groups. We ensure that we deliver a high quality maths curriculum that is enjoyable, structured, supportive and challenging.  We want children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.

 We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects. We want them to know that maths is essential to everyday life and that our children are confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks, fully developing independent learners with inquisitive minds who have secure mathematical foundations and an interest in self-improvement.

Implementation

For maths, our long term planning follows the National Curriculum 2014. Short term planning is supported by the use of the White Rose Maths Hub materials as well as Deepening Understanding to provide different representations and a wide variety of questions which mean that the children develop a good understanding. Teachers are also able to access NRich, NCETM and other websites for supplemental questions. EYFS are also following the White Rose Maths Small Steps and personalising the series for their class and ensuring that as well as discrete maths lessons, children learn mathematically through their carefully structured continuous provision.

Although the curriculum sequence follows the WRM Small Steps, teachers are able to personalise the lesson order to their class’s needs-spending the correct amount of time to ensure a good understanding.   By using a variety of planning resources we believe that we provide a bespoke teaching and learning experience that is designed to interest, inform and inspire our children.  Using prior knowledge as a starting point for all future planning and teaching, we plan lessons which are required for all pupils to make good progress.

 Lessons are engaging and follow a cycle of planning, to ensure that we can evidence progress over short and long periods of time.  Maths lessons are designed with a concrete, pictorial and abstract (CPA) approach, providing our pupils with the scaffolding required to access the learning at all levels.  We place a large emphasis on pupil engagement and design lessons which involve all pupils using questioning and modelling at the centre of every lesson. Lessons contain a mix of fluency, reasoning and problem-solving questions which are carefully chosen by the teachers to ensure variation in representations and procedures. Children access ‘Digging Deeper’ questions if they demonstrate a good understanding and this work will deepen and challenge learners further within the curriculum area. Classes from Y1 to Y6 have ‘Fast Fluency’ sessions at the start of the day which are bespoke to each class. The children complete arithmetic questions which focus on aspects of their arithmetic to ensure they can do the simple fluency which will enable them to succeed when working on more complex concepts.

 To implement our intent, we ensure that our children are invested in their learning and are making a positive contribution to their lessons. Teachers have high expectations. Children who need extra reinforcement work 1:1 with a skilled member of staff to revisit and consolidate learning. Every effort is made to ensure every child keeps up with their peers. Stem sentences are used so that children have a writing frame to help them when writing explanations. All classes have working walls where mathematical vocabulary is displayed in addition to resources to support learning in lessons. In many lessons, the children do ‘live marking’ during the lesson so that misconceptions are quickly identified and can be addressed in the lesson. This is clear in their books as purple pens are used to mark and to complete any corrections.

The school has been part of the local Matrix Maths Hub and this has meant that up to date teaching methods are used and new ideas can be introduced where deemed to be effective. All staff also have the opportunity to attend relevant training over the year and the Subject Leader can work closely with other local schools who are Hub members.

Impact

At Rickmansworth Park School, we want every child to develop a range of efficient and accurate skills which they can apply independently to a range of different problems, thereby becoming confident and resilient problem-solvers. They can show that they have mastered a skill or concept by showing it in different ways and by using mathematical terms to explain their ideas, recognisng, because they understand rather than simply ‘doing’ when answers do not make mathematical sense. They use modelled  stem sentences and vocabulary so that they have the languaage to be able to justify, reason and explain their answers. They demonstrate a rapid recall of fluency facts and procedures-including their multiplication tables. They also have the flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics. They have the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics and children show confidence in believing that they will achieve. All children show a high level of pride in their presentation and record their work showing an awareness of logic and patterns.

What makes our Maths curriculum exceptional?

1. It is underpinned by aims, values & purpose

e.g. Article 29 UN Convention of Rights of the Child: Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.

We also follow the guiding principles of the school.

2. It develops the whole person – knowledge, skills, understanding & attitudes.

Daily lessons embed new learning or consolidate skills and knowledge. Teachers work hard to embed daily life into maths lessons making them relevant to the child whenever possible.       

3. It is broad and balanced.

Curriculum covers all aspects of maths and the skills and knowledge transfer into other curriculum areas too as evidenced in their curriculum books.

4. There is clear progression in subject knowledge and skills.

Concrete, pictorial and abstract methods of progression are used. We reference the national curriculum, we have a calculation policy and the scheme we are using across KS1 and 2 uses clearly laid out small steps to ensure consistent progression. Children practise fluency, reasoning and problem-solving in sessions across the week. They practice fluency skills outside of the maths lesson to ensure good understanding of procedures.

5. It is filled with rich first-hand experiences.

Practical activities are used in many lessons across the school. EYFS maths is almost exclusively taught through practical work. We participate in maths workshops and competitions with other schools. We have a Puzzle Day-Subject Revolution and Y5/6 visit Bletchley Park.         

6. It is flexible and responsive to individual needs and interests.

All teachers are very skilled and effective, providing high quality lessons.

Concepts are visited in a number of ways to ensure that children have understood them. Interventions are also in place to make sure that any children who are not making the expected progress or attaining the expected level are targeted. In lessons, children move through fluency, reasoning and problem-solving at the same time but there are activities to support and challenge all learners.

7. It has an eye on the future and the needs of future citizens.

Maths lessons enable children to become global citizens and provide them with the skills for work.        

8. It encourages the use of environments and expertise beyond the classroom.

Puzzle Day-Subject Revolution

Y5/6 visit Bletchley Park

Y3, Y4 and Y5 maths competitions

9. It makes meaningful links between areas of knowledge across the curriculum.

Clear links with computing and science.

In lesson observations, every teacher has been seen to make every opportunity to include maths.

10. It has a local, national and global dimension.

Links made with other countries when classes investigate the exchange rates but also in lessons such as the humanities –population, length of reigns etc.

11. It is supported by high quality Subject Leader CPD.

Maths blog, Twitter, Facebook Maths SL group

Y6 ARE course

TAs attended course focused on delivering interventions and supporting LA

SL passionate about the subject

CPD delivered to staff

Independent consultant in to work regularly with SL/staff

Member of the Matrix Maths Hub for over 2 years now – Sustaining Year programme with CPD available to all staff

12. SMSC is embedded within the curriculum.

(See SMSC subject statement)

Social Moral, Spiritual, Cultural Links – Maths

Spiritual

Maths supports pupils’ spiritual development by helping them to develop deep thinking and questioning the way in which the world works. Through maths children gain an appreciation of the richness and power of mathematics in our everyday lives.

Moral

Maths supports ‘ moral development through discussion about mathematical understanding and challenging assumptions, supporting children to question information and data that they are presented with. Maths helps children to understand and use rigorous and logical argument and discourage jumping to conclusions when trying to determine the truth.

Social

Maths support pupils’ social development by promoting self-esteem and building self-confidence. Maths encourages collaborative learning in the classroom in the form of listening and learning from each other and paired discussion and working with partners. We help pupils develop their mathematical voice and powers of logic, reasoning and explanation by offering explanations to each other. We provide events and team maths challenges for increased pupil involvement.

Cultural

Maths supports pupils’ cultural development by developing an appreciation with the pupils that mathematics, its language and symbols have developed from many different cultures around the world: e.g. Egyptian, Indian, Islamic, Greek and Russian roots. Through maths we investigate and research cross cultural patterns – tessellation.