Language
Language
Subject Intent – Maths
It is our intent that children will learn through a mastery approach, which is deep, sustainable and achievable for all. They will have fluent knowledge and understanding of the number system with the ability to rapidly recall number facts, in addition to performing written and mental calculations efficiently. They will develop factual, conceptual and procedural fluency through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. Through a broad range of skills in applying mathematics, they will solve real life problems and reason about mathematical concepts and make connections. When faced with challenges in new and unusual contexts, children will think independently and persevere, showing confidence in success.
Essential characteristics of a mathematician at St. Hilda’s:
Threshold concepts – Key concepts our children will learn throughout their maths journey at St. Hilda’s.
Know and use numbers – This concept involves understanding the number system and how they are used in a wide variety of mathematical ways.
Add and subject – This concept involves understanding both the concepts and processes of addition and subtraction.
Multiply and divide – This concept involves understanding both the concepts and processes of multiplication and division.
Use fractions – This concept involves understanding the concept of part and whole and ways of calculating using it.
Understand the properties of shapes – This concept involves recognising the names and properties of geometric shapes and angles.
Describe position, direction and movement – This concept involves recognising various types of mathematical movements.
Use measures – This concept involves becoming familiar with a range of measures, devices used for measuring and calculations.
Use statistics – This concept involves interpreting, manipulating and presenting data in various ways.
Use algebra – This concept involves recognising mathematical properties and relationships using symbolic representations.
A mastery approach
Power Maths sessions are taught daily in each year group. Power Maths is a whole-class mastery programme designed to spark curiosity and excitement to help nurture confidence in maths. It is the only mastery programme perfectly aligned to the White Rose Maths progressions and schemes of learning, it’s written specifically for UK classrooms by leading mastery experts, and is recommended by the DfE. Children learn through using a high-quality textbook, online learning tools and a practice book for each term. There is a consistent use of the CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach across Power Maths, which helps children develop mastery across all the operations in an efficient and reliable way.
Progress is tracked half termly using a range of evidence, including:
Children receive support and extra challenge through ‘same day intervention’. Children receive feedback on their work and respond to gap tasks to scaffold learning further or further deepen their understanding. Our approach to teaching Maths at St. Hilda’s helps children build a deep understanding of maths concepts and a confidence in maths.
Calculations Policy
A calculations policy underpins the teaching of the 4 operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and clearly shows the concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches and progression in each strand of mathematics.
Knowledge Organisers
Knowledge organisers are shared on the class blog at the beginning of each unit. These highlight the key vocabulary, models and methods that the children will need in order to be successful. By keeping parents informed of their child’s maths learning, they will be more able to offer support and guidance at home. Click here to access the knowledge organisers for each unit for each year group:
Teaching Model
Power Maths is structured so that concepts are taught for longer and to go deeper. For each year group, the curriculum strands have been broken down into core concepts. These are taught in blocks of lessons so you can give sufficient time to developing a deep and sustainable understanding of core maths concepts. Each concept has also been broken down into small steps (lessons). Each lesson and concept builds on prior knowledge to help children build a robust and deep understanding of the concept before moving on.
Lesson Sequence
Supporting the NCETM’s definition of mastery, the lesson sequence focuses on supporting children’s understanding of core concepts and building their mathematical confidence. Each lesson is divided into evidence-based sections that take children on a journey through discovery, sharing of ideas, scaffolded practice, independent practice and reflection.
Fluency
Becoming fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, ensures that that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. Rapid recall of times tables, including multiplication and division facts, is developed through the use of Times Tables Rock Stars. This online resource provides children with engaging activities to learn their tables whilst reducing the time it takes to answer multiplication and division questions.
Reasoning
At St. Hilda’s, children reason mathematically by accessing appropriately pitched maths content every lesson, so that they can think logically in order to arrive at solutions or sometimes find multiple solutions. Children will be able to identify what is important and unimportant in solving a problem, follow a line of enquiry, conjecture relationships and generalisations, and develop an argument, giving justification or proof using mathematical language to explain a solution.
Application/Problem Solving
At St. Hilda’s, children solve mathematical problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. In order to solve a problem, children will draw on one or more problem-solving skills, such as:
Through this way of teaching we will have: