Maths

Subject Overview

Pine Ridge and Lorraine Federation (PRL) is dedicated to the development of mathematics and teach using White Rose, Primary Stars and Mastering Number schemes of learning.  We want to motivate all students to achieve their maximum academic potential by providing children with the tools they need to solve challenges in real-life situations.  This requires implementing an inclusive curriculum in mathematics that enhances children's knowledge and understanding of mathematical ideas through critical thinking.  As a school, we emphasise the importance of problem solving and reasoning, resulting in deeper knowledge of mathematical units.  Before moving on to more complex content, children must have a firm grasp of concepts and procedures.  We pride ourselves by teaching a CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach allowing all children to progress and access learning.  We use a wide range of manipulatives to deepen our children’s understanding of concepts to avoid rote learning and repetition of the same tasks.  Our curriculum offer is tailored to each cohort ensuring no child is left behind.

Curriculum Intent

Children at PRL are taught through small, manageable steps to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts.  Our curriculum encourages all learners to reason mathematically and problem solve, making connections between different mathematical concepts.  We believe following a small step approach strengthens the children’s mathematical skills enabling them to become confident, strong and life-long mathematicians.

We value the importance of hands-on learning and have tailed our curriculum to follow a CPA approach.  The children use concrete manipulatives to support their learning.  This is known as the ‘doing’ stage before moving on to pictorial representations.  This is the ‘seeing’ stage where children can apply their knowledge of the concrete manipulatives and apply this to a range of pictures, models and representations.  Once the children are secure, they will then be presented with abstract representations or otherwise known as the ‘abstract’ stage, requiring the children to use symbols to solve maths calculations.

In Reception, the children follow the White Rose scheme of learning and this underpins the learning from Primary Stars that takes place in KS1.  In both reception and KS1 classrooms, teaching staff prioritise an additional 15-minute daily Mastering Number lesson, focusing on developing the children’s understanding and fluency of number facts through explicit teaching.  Number facts play a huge part in the children’s ability to solve more complex questions quickly, developing their fluency and recall of these facts will continue to support them throughout their time in school and beyond.  This is referred to as the ‘Phonics of Maths’.

Oracy is at the heart of our school ethos; all teachers use up-to-date and correct mathematical vocabulary.  This is communicated and explicitly taught to the children to develop their oracy skills.  Stem sentences are also implemented into every lesson to scaffold whole class discussions and partner talk, enabling a fully inclusive environment where all children will achieve!

Curriculum Implementation

Reception and KS1 classrooms have daily maths lessons and an additional 15-minute Mastering Number session to develop and strengthen their number fact fluency.

All staff are given clear and consistent planning from White Rose (Reception) and Primary Stars (KS1), showing a clear progression of skills.

Short term plans are created weekly, taking into account both medium and long-term plans.  This ensures all planning reflects where the children are currently working at, creating an inclusive and tailored curriculum.  Weekly planning is also amended accordingly through daily formative assessment.

Regular CPD sessions are provided for all staff to share, collaborate and develop our evolving maths curriculum offer.  We also have begun an important collaborative partnership with Surrey Maths Hub, providing teachers with support and reflection opportunities.

All children are present for whole class teaching sessions.  Our small step approach allows children to work collaboratively ensuring every child succeeds.

Teachers provide on the spot, instant feedback to the children while continuing to add challenge through personalised questioning, problem solving and reasoning opportunities.  Reflection time is given to the children to acknowledge how they have found each lesson.  We believe the child’s voice plays an important part of delivering a successful mathematics curriculum.

At PRL we pride ourselves with having mathematical opportunities at every moment possible.  Both staff and children fully immerse themselves into celebrating Maths through national events for example; NSPCC Number Day and World Maths Day, providing children with opportunities to dress up in maths related costumes to going on number scavenger hunts.  Furthermore, we ensure our curriculum offer extends to providing many cross-curricula opportunities in Science, Geography, Design and Technology and Computing lessons to name a few.

Curriculum Impact

At Pine Ridge and Lorraine Federation, the majority of our students will access the learning and progress at a similar rate to their peers. We want all children to be confident in every unit of mathematics developing their problem solving, reasoning and oracy skills while continuing to develop their fluency and automaticity in recalling important number facts. We hold great pride in honouring every child and celebrating their differences. Through end of unit assessments and both verbal and written feedback we endeavour to make sure our pupils are ready to progress and prioritise additional support and time to master mathematical concepts. 

The maths subject lead and SLT regularly monitor how the curriculum is being delivered and received. Through professional discussions, CPD opportunities and collaborative working with year partners and colleagues’, teachers can make positive adaptations to allow every child access to a broad and balanced curriculum. 

What a ‘typical’ lesson looks like:

• Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are exposed to the explicit teaching of number facts to develop their fluency, recall and understanding of number relationships.

• PowerPoints, stories and games are mostly displayed on the classroom interactive whiteboard.  These are time bonded, purposeful and interactive; immersing children into new and previously taught concepts.

• All children play active roles during their daily maths lessons sharing ideas, answering questions and using a wide range of manipulatives to deepen their understanding and reasoning skills.

• Early years children are provided with activities in the wider environment to strengthen and embed early mathematical concepts using a play-based approach.  At PRL we have a big emphasis on the environment playing the role of the third teacher.

• Evidence for Early Years children is captured through observations and photos.  These are uploaded on to EExAT.

• An activity will be provided to check the children’s understanding.  This may be in the form of a written or practical task using both the classroom and outside learning environment.  These are planned for weekly, but frequently adapted to suit the needs of each cohort of children.

• Mini plenaries are implemented throughout the lesson to refocus, share and reflect on the current learning.  This time is also spent celebrating children’s work, ensuring every child is valued. 

• In KS1, work is recorded in a maths book or on seesaw through the use of photos, videos and voice recordings capturing mathematical thinking and exploration. 

• Lessons are differentiated to a minimum of three ways, providing additional adapted support for SEND and EAL children.  

• All support staff are briefed prior to the lesson. Both teachers and support staff are deployed to support, extend and deepen the children’s learning.

• Challenges are provided to deepen and secure the understanding of mathematical concepts.

Teaching & Learning

• Whole class maths lessons are taught daily in both EYFS and KS1 classrooms, following both White Rose and Primary Stars schemes of learning.

• An additional 15-minute daily Mastering Number lesson, focusing on developing the children’s understanding and fluency of number facts through explicit teaching.

• Teachers are provided with a long and medium-term plan from the appropriate scheme.  Lessons are planned focusing on small steps to strengthen children’s understanding and develop their fluency within each concept.

• All lessons are presented to the children with an OLI (Our Learning Is…) and a ‘Must, Should and Could’.

• All math plans have a designated area supporting all teachers to use current and correct mathematical vocabulary.  This is communicated and explicitly taught to the children to develop their oracy skills.  Stem sentences are also implemented into every lesson to scaffold whole class discussions and partner talk, enabling a fully inclusive environment.

• All classrooms are required to have a purposeful, maths working wall that mirrors current learning and enables the children to reflect, discuss and access the lesson.

• All classrooms have an up-to-date bank of resources, this is regularly reviewed to support learning through different representations within the curriculum.  This will aid children’s understanding using the CPA approach.

• Resources will initially be provided to the children and kept within the environment to promote self-selection.  Resources that are not regularly needed will be stored in a central location.

• All resources, activities and mathematical concepts will be modelled to the children before accessing an independent or teacher led activity.

• By the end of KS1, children will be allocated five minutes at the end of each lesson to independently RAG (red, amber or green) rate their work.  This provides children with ownership and helps the teacher to identify how each child has found the lesson.

• End of unit assessments, tracking and consolidation weeks are also embedded within our maths curriculum offer.  This will support the running of maths interventions.

• Staff are encouraged to attend regular maths training sessions to ensure they are delivering high quality lessons and interventions.

SEND

At PRL we take pride in having a fully inclusive environment, prioritising all children succeeding and becoming confident life-long learners.  We believe every child can think mathematically and develop automaticity, supporting their problem-solving skills.  Our schemes are fully adaptable and modifications are made to support the children in each class.

Our whole class teaching, small steps and CPA approach allows the gap to close bringing all children closer to the end goal of becoming confident, happy and content learners.

Resources and scaffolding tasks are used to support children, creating a personalised curriculum.  Small group interventions are also used to develop confidence, and consolidate concepts using the NECTM ‘Ready to Progress’ documentation.  Teachers continue to work closely with the school's SENCo team supporting all learners to be ready to move onto their next year group.

Home Learning

One piece of maths homework is set weekly on Seesaw.  This activity should not take the child very long to complete but continues to consolidate important skills outside of the maths lesson.

Useful Websites / Parent Guides

https://whiterosemaths.com/

https://primarystarseducation.co.uk/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zjxhfg8

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/b08bzfnh

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers/ks1-maths-collection/z6v4scw

https://classroom.thenational.academy/subjects-by-key-stage/early-years-foundation-stage/subjects/maths

https://classroom.thenational.academy/subjects-by-key-stage/key-stage-1/subjects/maths

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games

https://mathszone.co.uk/

Yearly Overviews

Reception Yearly Overview

Year 1 Yearly Overview

Year 2 Yearly Overview

Maths Skills Progression KS1