Intent: 

At Whinless Down Academy Trust we want the children to enjoy their mathematical learning while understanding that mathematics is a mixture of abstract and concrete concepts used to solve problems in lessons and everyday life. 

Our intent is to cover the content of the National Curriculum 2013 and to provide sequenced learning from pupil’s starting points, systematically building their skills knowledge and understanding about mathematics, how to use mathematics to solve problems and understanding there is a range of different methods that can be utilised through systematic instructional approaches.  

Common misconceptions will be identified to ensure that teaching is structured to address these and subsequently pupil’ understanding, avoiding misconceptions through early proficiency enabling pupils to experience more accuracy and success.

Our curriculum design enables pupils to utilise prior learning to support new learning, building year by year the key concepts, learnt rules and formulas and for children to understand that these form part of their mathematical toolbox that they use to help them solve problems.   

Throughout their mathematical journey children will become fluent through practice and rehearsal of key mathematical tools such as number bonds and times tables to help gain self-confidence and to ensure they are able to use these to significant effect.  

Children will become adept at reasoning mathematically ensuring they can articulate both their understanding, ideas and use this reasoning to help solve problems.  

We want children to be equipped with the skills to succeed and the confidence to apply them in the learning and their daily lives in the world in which they live. 

Implementation 

Our mathematics curriculum is designed to deliver mathematics in a logical, sequential, and progressive way. This is achieved by having clear long term and medium plans that teachers use to plan and deliver their daily mathematics lessons. There is a clear focus through our plans and our calculation policy on children understanding the mathematics that they are doing as opposed to just the how to do it.

Connections in mathematics are made both explicitly and implicitly throughout and although mathematics is delivered daily with approximately 60% of time dedicated to number and 40% dedicated to other mathematics (topic maths) the skills of number are used, rehearsed, and practiced in topic mathematics and in number lessons, application of other mathematical concepts (topic Maths) through word problems and problem solving activities.

We use the Whinless Down Academy Trust teaching and learning strategy principles to ensure we maximise pupils learning time, teaching the right things to the right children at the right time. This approach provides opportunity for ALL pupils to access direct teaching, learning independently, rehearsal, retrieval practice and learning collaboratively with each other. The teaching of mathematics is supported with resources that support both conceptual understanding and visual imagery for pupils until they are no longer required. Through both the direct teaching and incidental learning pupils' own misconceptions or common misconceptions can be discussed and addressed supporting pupils further understanding and reasoning.

We practice and rehearse our rapid recall of number facts and the times tables to develop a proficient level of fluency with additional time outside of the daily maths lesson. Reasoning takes place at every opportunity both orally and through written responses across all mathematics lessons and where mathematics is used across the curriculum. 

Impact 

• Children have a good understanding of the mathematics that they learned on a term by term and a year-by-year basis, and working in an increasing logical and systematic way. 

• Children can use their prior learning to support their next steps. 

• Children become fluent in both their number bonds and times tables appropriate to their stage of learning, reducing cognitive overload when solving more challenging problems. 

• Children’s self-confidence and enjoyment of the subject grows as they become   more proficient in the subject.  

• Children’s reasoning skills grow as their mathematical ability grows.  

 

By the time pupils leave the Whinless Down Academy Trust Schools we want them to; 

• Feel both prepared and confident for their next steps in their mathematics learning journey. 

• Be able to use the most effective, efficient, and appropriate mathematics to solve mathematical problems demonstrating perseverance and determination to find solutions. 

• To be fluent in their rapid recall of number bonds and times tables to enable them to concentrate on their reasoning skills and the mathematics required to solve problems.