Mathematics
Intent
At Manor Drive Primary Academy, we are committed to our children becoming confident, able and resilient mathematicians who can apply their knowledge in the real world. We aim to ensure that every pupil achieves their full potential through a curriculum that is both rich and engaging, ensuring our children are ready for the next step in their educational journey. The structure of the mathematics curriculum across school shows clear progression in line with age-related expectations.
Our aims are as follows:
Ensure Mastery of Skills: Our curriculum is structured around a mastery approach, ensuring every child develops a strong grasp of essential mathematical concepts, making connections between different areas of mathematics.
Mathematical Fluency: It is our intention that all pupils develop a strong foundation in number and mathematical processes, enabling them to compute, reason and solve problems confidently and efficiently. Key knowledge and skills are also revisited regularly, allowing repetition to embed learning.
Conceptual Understanding: We promote a deep understanding of mathematics, emphasising the 'why' behind mathematical procedures. This is achieved through a focus on the use of manipulatives to expose the underlying structure of mathematics and through manipulation of numbers.
Encourage Mathematical Language: We emphasise the importance of mathematical vocabulary and communication, creating an environment where students articulate their thoughts, reasoning, and strategies clearly and confidently.
Growth Mindset: We aim to ensure that mathematics is a high-profile subject which children view positively to ensure an excellent mindset and a ‘can do’ attitude. We aim to cultivate resilience and a willingness to tackle challenges, ensuring that all students believe they can succeed.
Support Progress for All: Our intent is to cater to the diverse needs of our learners, providing appropriate support and challenge to ensure that every child can achieve and exceed age-related expectations.
Implementation
To implement our intent effectively, we have established a structured approach that encompasses the following key elements:
Structured Curriculum Design: Our mathematics curriculum is based upon White Rose Maths, which supports high-quality teaching with carefully sequenced lessons that deepen understanding of key concepts and maximise pupil potential. The curriculum is organised into clear progression pathways across the year groups, with a focus on key mathematical concepts including number, calculation, geometry, and statistics.
Pedagogical Strategies: We employ a mastery approach to teaching mathematics, which includes:
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Use of High-Quality Resources: Pupils engage with physical resources, visual representations, and abstract symbols to build a robust understanding of mathematical concepts and to enhance the learning experience and ensure concepts are accessible for all learners. Teachers implement the calculation policy for progression in written and mental calculations.
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Daily Lessons: Daily mathematics lessons employing a variety of pedagogical strategies, such as direct instruction, collaborative group work, and interactive games, to engage all students and facilitate a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Discussion is essential to learning and children are encouraged to discuss their thoughts, ideas and methods with a partner, group or the teacher.
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Continuous Assessment and Feedback: We regularly assess understanding through formative assessments, ensuring timely and constructive feedback that informs future planning and identifies individual learning needs. Feedback is given in a variety of ways to ensure pupils are well-informed and make visible progress.
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Teacher Development: We invest in continuous professional development for all teaching staff, ensuring they remain up-to-date with the latest pedagogical theories and practices. This is supported by membership of the local NCETM Mathematics Hub and involvement in the NCETM Mastery Readiness programme. Good practice is always shared between staff and all CPD is used to inform teaching and learning across school.
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Parental Engagement: We actively involve parents in their children's mathematical learning through workshops and resources that equip them to support their child’s learning.
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Mathematic Vocabulary: Consistent mathematical vocabulary is used by all teachers, and this is discussed with and explained to children, who are then encouraged to use it independently when talking about maths. Vocabulary is displayed clearly on working walls and is referred to in every lesson.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): In Early Years, we aim for our pupils to develop a deep understanding of numbers to 10, including the composition of each number. Pupils subitise up to 5 with automatic recall of number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including doubling facts. Children are encouraged to notice numerical patterns, verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system. They will compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity.
Assessment
Assessment plays a pivotal role in the intent aspect of our curriculum framework. We conduct assessments termly, encompassing a comprehensive evaluation of early mathematics areas, PIXL papers, and ongoing teacher assessments. These multifaceted assessments are designed to gauge each child's understanding and progress, while also evaluating the performance of the cohort as a whole.
The outcomes of these assessments are meticulously discussed during Pupil Progress meetings, where we collaboratively focus on identifying the next steps in learning for individual children. This process ensures that targeted support is provided where necessary, fostering the development of every learner. It also facilitates a robust approach to curriculum planning, allowing us to adapt our strategies in response to the data obtained. By prioritising assessment, we aim to create an environment that promotes continual improvement and academic excellence for all students.
Impact
Engagement and Attitude: Pupil surveys indicate high levels of enjoyment and confidence in Maths. Observations show that pupils are eager to participate, collaborate, and challenge themselves in their mathematical learning.
Pupil Progress and Attainment: A significant proportion of our pupils achieve or exceed age-related expectations, as evidenced by internal assessments.
Retention of Knowledge: Learners demonstrate a sustained understanding of mathematical concepts across different contexts. This is evidenced through their ability to apply skills to solve complex problems and to articulate their mathematical reasoning.
Ongoing Improvement: We actively seek feedback from pupils, parents, and staff to inform our practice and evolve our Maths curriculum continually. This ensures we remain responsive to the needs of our learners and maintain the highest standards of teaching and learning.