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 every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.

At Rickmansworth Park JMI School, all teachers ensure that their plans meet the 2014 National Curriculum criteria. Teachers draw from a range of sources to provide an individualised curriculum to meet the needs of all the pupils in the school.

 The Reception teachers rely on the EYFS Ages and Stages document: Number and Shape, Space and Measure.  They ensure that their activities meet the expectations as laid out in the document.

All of the classes draw  their plans using the White Rose Maths Scheme which is available in classes from YR-Y6.  Teachers can also use Twinkl as a source of ideas; ‘Deepening Understanding’ continues to provide quality reasoning questions and problem-solving, as well as ppt slides which are linked to the maths scheme.  White Rose Maths also provides lesson ppts and activities to support each of the Small Steps.  These are used alongside other resource sites to provide a rich source of varied questions.  Other sites used will be referenced on individual teachers’ plans.  Y2-Y6 now have a copy of the Target maths books and refer to those for fluency ideas.

As the new curriculum sets out, teachers plan a wide range of reasoning and problem-solving activities within the majority of lessons: building on the skills taught in the lesson and demonstrating a deeper understanding.  The task is presented in a variety of different contexts. White Rose produce examples of these in the ‘Small Steps’ part of the scheme which outlines the lessons for 1 or 2 days. .

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.  

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

Practical activities are used in many lessons across the school. We are using a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach to teach concepts and skills. 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 visited Bletchley Park.

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

All teachers are skilled and effective, providing 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, all children are exposed to fluency, reasoning and problem-solving work as appropriate for the lesson.

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

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

White Rose maths course-bar model focus

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

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.