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Wendell Park Primary School

Part of the
Brackenbury, Kenmont and Wendell Park
Federation

Maths

Maths

Intent (before the teaching)

At Wendell Park, we understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life and how it helps our understanding of the world. With this in mind, we feel that it is important for our children to discover a love and curiosity of mathematics through their learning by providing them with appropriate challenge.

Ensuring that our pupils are confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks is fundamental in our ethos. At Wendell Park, it is our priority that our children have access to high quality lessons that are both challenging and enjoyable. Ultimately, we want our children to recognise and understand relationships and patterns in numbers in the world around them. We expect Mathematics to be utilised as a tool beyond the daily Mathematics lessons and beyond the classroom.

Implementation (subject in action)

At Wendell Park, we have developed a Maths curriculum, in collaboration with the Maths Hub, which embeds the mastery approach to mathematics. Using this approach allows opportunities for greater depth in all lessons.  Lessons are planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before. Teachers loosely follow the White Rose Maths Hub materials, Termly Overview and Schemes of work to support their planning. Staff also refer to our Calculation Policy when teaching formal methods, understanding that sometimes children find their own efficient methods along the way.

At the centre of our mastery approach to the teaching of mathematics is the belief that all children will succeed in being numerate members of society.  Developing a 'Mathematical Mindset' in every child enables them to proactively self-regulate and take ownership of their learning through metacognition. They should have access to the same curriculum content and, rather than being extended with new learning, they should deepen their conceptual understanding by tackling varied and challenging problems. We differentiate learning by the level of scaffolding and challenge given as we believe in the mindset of ‘every child can succeed when given the necessary tools’.

At Wendell Park, all of our maths lessons follow the same model from Years 1 to Year 6. Lessons are introduced with ‘Last, Last, Last, Last’ to reinforce prior learning and ensure that there is ample opportunity for retrieval practice. New concepts are then shared within the context of an initial problem that children are able to discuss in partners. This initial problem-solving activity prompts discussion and reasoning, as well as promoting an awareness of maths in relatable real-life contexts that link to other areas of learning. Children are encouraged to solve problems each day through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking (the C-P-A approach). This helps children tackle concepts in a tangible and more comfortable way.   Teachers use careful questions to draw out children’s discussions and their reasoning. The class teacher then leads children through strategies for solving the problem, including those already discussed. Children then progress to their independent work, where each question varies one small element to move children on in their thinking.  All independent work consists of fluency, reasoning and problem solving questions. White Rose Premium resources are frequently used to complement this part of the lesson.  

Mathematical topics are taught in blocks, to enable the achievement of ‘mastery’ over time. Each lesson phase provides the means to achieve greater depth, with children who are quick to grasp new content being offered rich and sophisticated problems, as well as exploratory, investigative tasks, within the lesson as appropriate.  

Impact (after the teaching)

At Wendell Park, we aim to ensure that children become competent and adaptable problem solvers. Children are taught to apply their mathematics to both routine and non-routine problems, including breaking down more complex problems into a series of simpler steps. As a result of our approach, they become more independent in their mathematical thinking by not only giving reasons for their methods of work, but why they are doing them.

Here at our school, we pride ourselves for developing mathematicians that talk enthusiastically about their learning and how they fond they are of the subject. At Wendell Park, we celebrate our mistakes and learn from each one that is made.

 

Multiplication tables

In the table below are the National Curriculum times tables end of year expectations for each year group. Children regularly work on their times tables in school but it is important for them to practice at home too.

Year 1 Count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10. Recall and use doubles of all numbers to 10 and corresponding halves
Year 2 Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.
Year 3 Recall and use the multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables
Year 4 Recall and use multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 x 12
Year 5 Revision of all multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12
Year 6 Revision of all multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12

Progression of skills and knowledge

Our ‘Maths subject progression of skills and knowledge‘ document gives further information about what the children are taught in this subject by year group.

Maths progression of skills and knowledge document

Maths Long Term Plan 

Please have a look our curriculum coverage across the school. 

Maths long term plan

Maths Calculation Policy 

Please take a look at our calculation policy to see which strategies we use to teach maths in every year group. 

Calculation Policy

Maths Scheme of Work and Resources to use at Home 

Teacher’s plan lessons using the White Rose Maths resources.  White Rose have produced Child and parent booklets.  These booklets follow the methods and strategies that are used in school to help children understand and enjoy mathematics. They are full of the key models and images that help children make sense of the maths.  The booklets are all completely free and can be downloaded either to a Kindle from Amazon or from their web page.

Please also find the presentation from the Maths Parent Workshop here:

How to Support Your Child at Home Presentation

Maths National Curriculum 

If you would like to know more, please visit National Curriculum for Maths.