Mrs J Ketley (Infant School) and Mrs P English (Junior School) are our Maths Curriculum Leaders.
Our intention is to develop appropriate maths specific knowledge, skills and understanding, so that children can flourish in maths; reaching and where possible exceeding their maths potential. We want children to have a love of maths problems and challenges in the classroom and wider outside environment.
We believe mathematics is a life skill and provides a way of viewing and making sense of the world. It can be used to analyse and communicate information and ideas and to tackle a range of practical tasks and real life problems. We want the children at Chalfont St. Giles Village School to enjoy learning mathematical concepts. We use Mathematics to enrich the children's learning experiences and to provide them with a useful tool for everyday life.
We aim to:
During a child’s time in Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception), they follow the Early Years Statutory Framework 2021, following the principles described :
‘Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes’.
Maths is taught in Key Stage 1 and 2 (Year 1 -6) using the Maths National Curriculum 2014. The curriculum is organised into 8 strands with 9 strands in Year 6. (Maths Plans on Maths Corner of website - click here) In Years 1 and 2 pupils build on their mathematical skills and knowledge taught in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are taught in their classes with teaching differentiated to effectively support the needs of all the children in the class.
In Years 3-6 pupils are grouped into ability sets across the year group and within each set. In order to meet the needs of children of differing abilities, pupils are taught in similar ability groups, allowing for differentiation, supporting the less able whilst stretching the more able. During open-ended activities or investigative work, differentiation is by outcome or through responses to varied questioning.
We plan for lots of opportunities for active learning, this includes encouraging the children to; verbalise what are doing and why, tackle a range of tasks involving practical investigations and problem solving, apply their knowledge and skills to tasks within mathematics and other curriculum areas. Teachers’ expectations are high and matched to the ability and experience of individual children. Using the outside environment to learn maths is planned into the curriculum to enable children to make connections between their maths learning and the real world. Outdoor and Active learning stimulates the children’s thinking skills as it requires them to learn in a different way as well as apply the maths skills that they have learnt. A Speaking & Listening lesson or a Maths Of the Day (active maths) lesson is planned for each strand of maths learning.
Mathematics lessons in KS1 and KS2 are organised into a three part lesson:- Mental and Oral Starter, when children practice their mental mathematics skills, followed by the main part of the lesson where the focus is on developing key skills from the mathematics topic being taught. Finally there is a plenary where the learning is drawn together and children reflect on what they have learnt and what they need to do next time. In KS2, the children complete a weekly arithmetic quiz, this is used as an opportunity to reinforce different number calculation skills.
In KS1 and KS2 Maths Mastery resources, including those from NCTEM & I see reasoning are used to consolidate pupil’s reasoning skills.
Homework is set weekly and reinforces the maths learning that has taken place that week. In addition to the set maths homework, mental five maths squared homework is set weekly. Children are asked to practice a mental maths skill for five minutes, five times a week. This skill is then assessed in class the following week.
Children's work is assessed continuously in line with Early Years Statutory Framework and National Curriculum requirements and the school's record-keeping and assessment policy. Observational and written assessments are made as an integral part of the child's work. Assessments carried out throughout each strand of work are used to inform future planning and helping children know the next steps in their learning.
Year 4 will take the national Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) from 2020. Year 3 will build on the multiplication facts learnt in Year 2, reinforcing x 2 x 5 x 10 to learn x9 x11 and x4. Year 4 will build on this to learn all multiplication facts up to 12 x 12.
Target Tracker is used by teaching staff to track attainment in maths and this is monitored each term by the assessment leaders during Pupil Progress meetings Attainment and rates of progress are is communicated to parents at the end of each academic year using the wording “more than expected, expected, less than expected.” End of Foundation Stage and Key Stage levels are reported to parents along with the child's annual report. Pupils' mathematics levels are recorded in Target Tracker each term to track individual progress. Maths attainment and progress is discussed at termly Pupil Progress Meetings & interventions are planned. During parent's evening, parents are informed of the children’s next steps in learning.