Mathematics

Intent

At Sudbourne we are mathematicians!

We believe that all children can succeed in maths and we aim to build lifelong, confident mathematicians, who are prepared for their future. 

To achieve this, we ensure that the Teaching for Mastery approach (coherence, variation, mathematical thinking, careful use of representations and structures) is fully embedded in our maths teaching. In line with the national curriculum for mathematics, Sudbourne bespoke Maths curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. 

Our pupils can reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language. 

We encourage our pupils to solve 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.  

Implementation

Sudbourne is committed to following the principles outlined by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). Our goal is to provide a high-quality mathematics education that fosters a deep understanding and love of the subject amongst our pupils. To achieve this, we:

• Ensure a Mastery Approach: We have adopted a mastery approach to teaching mathematics, which means providing all pupils with the opportunity to achieve a deep understanding of mathematical concepts, skills, and processes. This will be achieved through careful sequencing of topics, regular assessment, and providing extra support for those who need it. We use the 5 big ideas of Coherence, Fluency, Mathematical Thinking, Variation and Representation and Structure as vehicles to learning.  

• Encourage Mathematical Thinking: We encourage our pupils to develop a positive attitude towards mathematics and to think flexibly, critically and creatively. We use open-ended questions and activities to stimulate their curiosity and to help them to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills.

• Use Real-life Contexts: We ensure that the mathematics taught in our school is rooted in real-life contexts so that our pupils can see the relevance and importance of the subject. We provide opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to real-life situations and to use technology to enhance their understanding. We provide opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, as well as independently, to develop their communication and team-working skills.

• Coherent Curriculum: Our inclusive, sequential curriculum ensures all pupils can access lessons which are appropriately scaffolded to meet the individual needs of learners through adaptive teaching (including pupils with SEND). This ensures that each child is challenged and supported to achieve their full potential. 

• Develop Fluency: We develop our pupils' fluency in the foundational knowledge of mathematics, including number, geometry, measurement and statistics. We ensure that our pupils have a solid foundation in these areas, which will enable them to tackle more complex mathematical concepts in the future. 

• By following these principles, our primary school's mathematics program provides our pupils with a rich and rewarding mathematical education, one that prepares them well for the challenges of secondary school and beyond.

EYFS   

A Long Term Planning Framework has been developed to teach the Early Learning Goals through the Development Matters Non-Statutory Guidance and the NCETM 6 Key Areas for Early Mathematics Learning. Maths is taught daily in a carpet session, with 5-10 minutes of the session focusing on the NCETM Mastering Number Programme. Further opportunities to consolidate and develop mathematical understanding are embedded throughout continuous provision and enhancements. 

Phase 1 - 3  

Our curriculum has been adapted from the NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation learning sequence, which is based upon the DfE Ready to Progress Criteria. Each small learning step builds carefully from the previous step, building on pupils’ prior knowledge to develop new skills. This has been carefully designed to reflect the needs of our pupils and our mixed age classes. 

In addition to our maths lessons, our children spend 15 minutes a day recalling, rehearsing and securing key additive and multiplicative facts in a discrete fluency session. Developing fluency skills in this way reduces the cognitive overload during the main maths lesson, helping all children to understand new concepts. We use the Mastering Number and Number sense programmes to support this. 

Phase 1 

We have chosen to teach maths to Year 1 and Year 2 pupils separately, despite our mixed age class structure. Working alongside Maths Hub mastery specialist, we felt that this would allow us to secure key foundation understanding and knowledge in smaller class sizes and ensure future success for our pupils. 

Support at home 

Pupils have access to two online platforms to further develop procedural fluency and conceptual understanding; 

 

Our Maths overview can be found below.