Maths at Lanivet School
At Lanivet School, pupils, teachers and teaching assistants are all very passionate about Maths and we have a history of achieving high standards in this subject.
Intent
We use Maths for Mastery and therefore we follow a block curriculum using ‘White Rose’ as our scope to help us sequence our ‘small step’ learning. This is to ensure all pupils have a deep understanding of maths. Progression across the year groups and maths units are shown though the NCETM progression documents. The mastery programme ensures that all pupils in the year group are taught together.
In EYFS, we follow the ‘Mastering Number’ programme from NCETM. Maths is taught through a daily whole class input and with small group adult-led activities. Opportunities are given through continuous provision within the class environment for the children to apply and embed these skills.
Within the lessons, we ensure that we are addressing the three key aims of the National curriculum - fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Therefore, in our teaching, group and independent work, all pupils are exposed to reasoning and problem solving challenges allowing them to show and explain their understanding at a deeper level. We also understand the importance and impact of arithmetic and mathematical language and this is implemented into every maths lesson.
Our aim is for children to become confident and independent learners in maths, developing a range of strategies and written method, which they can apply to solve a range of problem solving activities and reasoning challenges.
Implementation
During daily maths lessons, all year groups do a daily fluency task to help the children progress and retain the necessary arithmetic skills. These activities are taken from previous learning either from what has recently been taught within their year group or the past year group objectives to ensure these skills are not forgotten. Once the objectives have been taught and assessed though daily teacher assessments or after the ‘White Rose end of block assessments’, daily fluency tasks can also be used to support areas which have been identified as a weakness.
We follow a weekly timetable for daily fluency, where the children are given an allocated amount of time at the start of the session to complete or do as much as they are able. The teacher then marks this task with the children allowing them a sense of achievement. They independently correct their work by identifying where they went wrong.
Daily Fluency Timetable
|
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Task |
Place Value |
Addition and Subtraction: Mental and formal method with missing numbers. |
Multiplication and division: Mental and formal method with missing numbers. |
Fractions |
Mix up (measures, shape, time, statistics) |
All year groups are taught using concrete, pictorial, then progressing to abstract methods.
Our concrete learning is achieved by teaching with a range of materials and manipulatives such as ‘base 10’, place value counters, double sided coloured counters, abacus, 10 frames and Numicon to support their understanding. Our aim is for children to become confident with these materials and independently choose to use them to support their learning. There is a range of manipulatives available in each classroom, allowing children to use them.
Pictorial images and models are then the next step in children’s learning to help deepen their understanding of an abstract method. We use a range of visual models such as the part-whole model, the bar model, place value charts, tens frames and number lines as well as drawing symbols for base 10 and counters. This allows the children to visualise, which helps them to solve problems and explain or prove their answers in reasoning challenges.
At Lanivet, we also understand the importance of mathematical language and encourage children to explain their answers in sentences using the key vocabulary, which is modelled by the class teacher and teaching assistants. In all classes, on display, there are ‘mathematical sentence stems’ which children use to start their sentences either verbally or when writing down an explanation to a reasoning challenge.
All classes have ‘Maths Working Walls’ to show their small-step journey, in the form of a pyramid, which is added to at the end of each lessons. This allows the children to refer back to it and use it to support their learning. The key mathematical language for the ‘block’ is displayed on the working wall as well as their explanation stems for their reasoning answers.
We measure the impact of the children’s learning by carrying out the end of term NFER maths assessments, which inform and support our teacher assessments. Furthermore, through their daily fluency maths activities, staff are able to see the progression with their methods and understanding as well as plan in support or intervention programmes where difficulties are identified.
At the end of key stage 1 and 2, the children take their statutory end of key stage assessments for maths. All year groups take an end of year maths test (NFER) enabling us to track progression and attainment. It also allows us to identify areas of strength and development for each year group and across the school, which will be addressed in the maths development plan. In EYFS we assess the children at the end of the year against the ‘Early Learning Goals’ to determine whether the child has achieved a good level of development. Their progress is recorded and tracked using the programme ‘Tapestry’, which parents can see at home and add contributions.
Through deepening children’s understanding through maths mastery, we hope to gain amazing achievements for all of our pupils. We want to ensure they all reach their full potential with a desire to succeed as well as becoming confident and independent mathematicians with a passion for maths.