Ashcott Primary School

Mathematics

Intent

At Ashcott School we put great emphasis on the importance of being able to learn and apply number facts, with children working towards their next steps in ‘Fantastic Facts’, gaining certificates in Celebration Assemblies as they move through the school.  These key number skills for each year group underpin the maths curriculum and by mastering these, children are better-equipped to tackle reasoning style problems and are well-prepared for the following year’s maths curriculum.  We want children to enjoy maths, to understand how well they are doing and what they are learning and to be proud of their achievements.

Implementation

Children enjoy learning about the power of numbers and seeing what they can do with them. Children follow the White-Rose overviews for each year group although tasks may be derived from other sources too.  Children are supported by the class teacher and teaching assistants through a range of tasks and activities, using a variety of concrete and pictorial methods, moving on to abstract representations when they are ready. Fluency, Reasoning and Problem-Solving skills are developed in each teaching sequence, across all year groups. Maths lessons are carefully sequenced, building on prior learning and looking forward to the next step.

At Ashcott, staff are skilled at asking questions to develop and challenge mathematical understanding and we are focusing on trying to ensure our more-able learners are challenged in their lessons. We help children with misconceptions in a variety of ways, aiming to support as soon as possible, either by using the ‘keep-up’ method in small groups soon after the lesson, or through a ‘catch-up’ approach in small group interventions - sometimes using pre-teaching for confidence. This approach ensures that every child has the best opportunity to progress and build on their mathematical understanding. All children are encouraged and challenged to deepen their understanding of maths concepts throughout each maths session, often being expected to prove and explain. Strong attendance at our termly maths evenings for parents empowers parents to confidently support their children with their homework.

Impact

Our end of year outcomes from the past few years demonstrate that children’s progress and attainment in maths is at least in line with national averages, and in many cases well above this.

Regular monitoring and feedback of maths, by the subject leader, informs us that children really enjoy the challenge of maths and understand that they need to work hard to do well.  Learning objectives are clear and children understand how well they are doing in maths and this motivates them.

Resources to support Maths at Ashcott