Maths

'I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.'

Philippians 4:13

Introduction

At St Hugh’s Catholic Primary School we want every child to be happy and confident learners of Maths. We want them to have a growth mind set and believe they can do anything and for them to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their individual potential. We firmly believe that high quality, creative and inspiring teaching in Maths and carefully monitored progress will achieve the best outcome for every child.

Intent

  • Our principal aim is that children leave St. Hugh’s Catholic Primary School as confident mathematicians who delight in the joy of learning new things and solving problems.
  • Children will achieve their individual potential in mathematics, which will be taught by highly- enthusiastic qualified staff who will support children to develop mastery of concepts and inspire enthusiasm and interest in mathematics. 
  • Children will be developed into independent learners with inquisitive minds who have secure mathematical foundations and an interest in self-improvement.
  • Children find maths lessons enjoyable and leave school with a love of the subject. 
  • Children feel supported as learning is scaffolded carefully and correctly pitched for each pupil, with extra help available from adults who believe in them, if they need it.
  • Children with special educational needs will be supported to achieve appropriate outcomes.
  • Children will have a solid grasp of place value and calculating using four operations.
  • Children have a rapid recall of number facts.
  • All children will study mathematics for at least 5 hours per week.
  • Children will develop a deep understanding of the mathematics they are studying. They will increasingly use their prior knowledge to solve problems and develop the sophistication of mathematics via their teacher as well as through independent learning.
  • Mathematical skills will be applied to other subjects including science, technology and engineering.
  • Children are challenged to extend their learning with additional resources, post main lesson resources, problem solving and reasoning questions which delve into mastery.
  • Children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts.
  • Children will build on their knowledge in successive years, showing clear progression through a well sequenced curriculum.

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Implementation

  • The curriculum hours in Mathematics are non-negotiable and will be followed by all staff in the school. Timetables will be set before the academic year and monitored by the Senior Leadership Team.
  • The Subject Leader for Mathematics will meet the Senior Leadership Team on a termly basis to evaluate provision in order to ensure that teaching and learning in Mathematics is outstanding. Where necessary, staff will receive coaching and training in Mathematics. This includes extensive work with the Maths Network.
  • Carefully designed schemes of learning in mathematics ensure consistency and progress of all learners.
  • Differentiation is achieved by emphasising deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention. 
  • Children are given specific and appropriate targets to develop their skills and knowledge.
  • The focus on a mastery approach to Mathematics will ensure that pupils acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject.
  • Pupils will make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.
  • High quality teaching responds to the needs of children with teachers actively marking work in lessons in order to identify misconceptions early.
  • Practice and consolidation play a central role. Carefully designed variation within lessons builds fluency and understanding of underlying mathematical concepts.
  • Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess children regularly to identify those requiring intervention, so that all children keep up.
  • Regular and ongoing assessment informs teaching, as well as intervention, to support and enable the success of each child.

 

Impact

  • Children are happy learners within mathematics. They experience a wide-ranging number of learning challenges in the subject and know appropriate responses to them.
  • Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve their full potential in mathematics, reflected in progress that reveals a clear learning journey. 
  • Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in mathematics and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.
  • Low stakes quizzes give children confidence to answer questions independently in an environment similar to formal testing. 
  • There is a proven track record of test success that reflects the impact of deep learning.
  • Clear outcomes focus and guide all mathematical development plans and drive improvement.
  • Children articulate their reasoning – this could be verbally or as written comments in their green pen reflections.
  • Children solve problems by applying their mathematics in a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering to seek solutions.
  • Children are challenged to extend their learning with additional work, developing concepts and delving into mastery. 
  • Learning in Mathematics will ensure children understand how mathematics is essential to everyday life, critical to Science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.

Cultural Capital

The nature of mathematics and using number in real life contexts enables all the children at St Hugh’s to develop the cultural capital they need to succeed and prosper economically in later life. The cultural experiences and knowledge the children gain through the mathematics curriculum will enable the children to play a full and active part in society in later life. Practical, transferable life skills such as telling the time, weighing and measuring, calculating with money will stay with children throughout their lives and prepare them for their place in society. The many and varied opportunities the children have been given through all their cross-curricular work enables them to have a rich experience of maths and its importance in our daily lives. Participation in ‘Maths Week England’, involvement in competitions and learning about famous mathematicians enriches the subject and ensures children are introduced to the best that has been thought and said and helps to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

British Values

The mathematics curriculum promotes the British values of tolerance and resilience on a daily basis through problem solving and understanding of complex concepts, encouraging students to persevere and try different methods to arrive at a correct solution.  Teamwork through peer assessment and group work underpins the schemes of learning in the maths faculty. Students work together in all areas of the maths curriculum to support each other and build mutual respect for one another. Students are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them in all maths lessons. This fosters confidence and builds self-esteem, it encourages students to take risks and become lifelong learners whilst using their mathematical skills in all aspects of life.