Curriculum Intent for Maths

Maths at Broadmead ensures that all children consistently make links between the learning that takes place in the classroom with real-life examples. This means that children understand the importance of each lesson and how they will use these skills throughout their life. In order to deepen their learning further, children apply their knowledge to a range of challenges and investigations, including using their mathematical vocabulary to answer reasoning questions. 

White Rose ensures that the National Curriculum objectives are not only met, but that there are further opportunities for all children to deepen and apply their knowledge. Learning experiences take place inside and outside the classroom, which allow children to develop and explore the key skills of concrete, pictorial and abstract learning. Children are enthusiastic about their maths learning and are always keen for challenges which maximise their understanding and empower them as independent thinkers.

At Broadmead Primary School, we strive to develop our children into self-motivated, confident learners who are able to use and apply mathematics in a wide range of situations. Our maths curriculum allows our pupils to develop a curiosity for maths as well as an enjoyment and passion for the subject. We recognise that mathematics is uniquely powerful in helping children to make sense of, and describe, our world and in enabling them to solve problems.

Maths curriculum

“A high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.” (National Curriculum 2014)

We are mathematicians

Broadmead mathematicians are thinkers and problem solvers.  We will use our prior mathematical knowledge to make connections between different areas of mathematics, enabling us to reason effectively.  We can use different manipulatives, resources and diagrams to explain and develop our understanding of mathematical concepts.

We teach the full National Curriculum. We follow the White Rose Mathematics update scheme across the school, which aims to help all pupils to master mathematics. https://whiterosemaths.com/

What does it mean to master mathematics?

A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when a pupil can represent it in multiple ways, has the mathematical language to communicate related ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations.

Mastery is a journey and long-term goal, achieved through exploration, clarification, practice and application over time. At each stage of learning, pupils should be able to demonstrate a deep, conceptual understanding of the topic and be able to build on this over time.

This is not about just being able to memorise key facts and procedures, which tends to lead to superficial understanding that can easily be forgotten. Pupils should be able to select which mathematical approach is most effective in different scenarios.

All pupils can achieve in mathematics

Mathematical abilities can be developed through practice, support, dedication and hard work. Natural talent is just a starting point and does not determine who has more or less potential to achieve.

It is important that high-attaining pupils fully understand key number concepts, rather than simply memorise a process. Teachers can extend high-attaining students through depth, as opposed to acceleration onto new content.

Focus on depth

Deepen understanding before moving on to work from the next year's group

All pupils benefit from deepening their understanding of mathematical concepts, regardless of whether they’ve previously struggled or excelled. Pupils must be given time to fully understand, explore and apply ideas. This approach enables pupils to truly grasp a concept, and the challenge comes from investigating it in new, alternative and more complex ways.

Multiple representations for all

Objects, pictures, words, numbers and symbols are everywhere. The White Rose approach incorporates all of these to help pupils explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas, enrich their learning experience and deepen understanding. Together, these elements help cement knowledge, so pupils truly understand what they’ve learnt.

Concrete – Students should have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand and explain what they are doing; for example, cubes.

Pictorial – Students should then build on this concrete approach by using pictorial representations. These representations can then be used to reason and solve problems.

Abstract – With the foundations firmly laid, students should be able to move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.

Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving

Problem-solving

Mathematical problem-solving is at the heart of our approach. Pupils are encouraged to identify, understand and apply relevant mathematical principles and make connections between different ideas. This builds the skills needed to tackle new problems, rather than simply repeating routines without a secure understanding.

Mathematical concepts are explored in a variety of representations and problem-solving contexts to give pupils a richer and deeper learning experience. Pupils combine different concepts to solve complex problems, and apply knowledge to real-life situations.

Reasoning

The way pupils speak and write about mathematics transforms their learning. Mastery approaches, such as White Rose, use a carefully sequenced, structured approach to introduce and reinforce mathematical vocabulary. Pupils explain the mathematics in full sentences. They should be able to say not just what the answer is, but how they know it’s right. This is key to building mathematical language and reasoning skills.

Maths across the curriculum

Although the mathematics curriculum is organised as a discrete subject, there are many potential cross-curricular activities.  Making links between areas of learning deepens children’s understanding by providing opportunities to reinforce and enhance learning.  Learning is enhanced by:

• Giving further opportunities to practise taught skills in a purposeful way in other areas of the curriculum.
• Providing real experiences, context and meaning for the development of core mathematical skills.
• Assisting memory through providing opportunities for children to use skills in a different context.
• Providing opportunities for the application of knowledge in new contexts, to involve children in higher order thinking skills, such as reasoning and problem-solving.
• Providing opportunities for learners to recognise and develop key aspects of learning, e.g. looking for patterns and relationships, problem-solving and reasoning.
• Using ICT (ipads, laptops, online maths programmes, software and games) to collect and manipulate data and encourage collaborative learning between pupils.

Calculation policy

Under the new maths curriculum (2014), the expectation is “By the end of year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all 4 operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages.” Our calculation Policy, which has been written in line with the programmes of study taken from the revised National Curriculum for Mathematics (2014) provides guidance on appropriate calculation methods and progression. The content is set out in yearly blocks under the following headings: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Statements taken directly from the programmes of study are listed in bold at the beginning of each section.

Times Tables

Learning times tables is an essential part of your child’s mathematical education. Children who have mastered their tables gain a solid foundation in mathematics that will help them throughout their progression within the subject. Many children are able to recite their timetables in order, but to truly know the answer to any timetable question independently is a skill that takes a lot of hard work. The national expectations for timetables by year group are as follows:

Year 1 – Count in multiples of twos, fives and tens (to the 10th multiple)

Year 2 – recall and use multiplication facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables and show that multiplication of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative)

Year 3 – recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables

Year 4 – recall multiplication facts for multiplication tables up to 12 × 12

Year 5 & 6 – Consolidating and applying (Mastery)

By the time children reach the end of KS2, the expectation is that their timetables should be secure so that they are able to answer any timetable question mentally within a five-second period.

Useful Links

Times Table Rock Stars