Mathematics intent, implementation and impact statement
Intent:
At St Joseph’s, we teach our children how to make sense of the world around them by developing their ability to calculate, reason and solve problems. We want our children to recognise and understand relationships and patterns and be able to make connections both between curriculum subjects and the real world. We expect Mathematics to be utilised as a tool beyond the daily Mathematics lessons and beyond the classroom. The focus for mathematics has been to continue to develop a mathematics curriculum that is relevant, challenging and accessible to all pupils. One which; meets the challenge of the raised expectations within the current National Curriculum and inspires pupils to employ analytical thinking, problem solving and reasoning skills. By developing greater opportunities for rich problem solving activities that require the application of contextualised understanding and mathematical reasoning that is underpinned by quick and efficient mental calculation strategies, pupils will have the opportunity to deepen their mathematical understanding and excel within the mastery curriculum.
Implementation:
Planning: Lessons are planned and sequenced in blocks so that new knowledge and skills build on prior learning. Learning is broken down into small manageable steps that build to reveal key mathematical concepts. Consistent models and images (such as; bar models, part-whole models and tens frames) are used to support pupils' understanding from EYFS to Year Six. Retrieval is a key part of the maths lesson and pupils have the opportunity to engage in retrieval opportunities through flash back four and warm up questions. Teachers follow the White Rose Maths medium term planning materials, Termly Overview and Schemes of work to support their planning alongside a variety of engaging resources. Our calculation policy offers teachers guidance on how to teach formal written methods and online mathematics tutorial videos have been developed (by St Joseph’s pupils) and uploaded to the school website to help support both parents and pupils with the way in which certain areas of Maths are taught.
All children from years 1-6 also have access to their own personal account of ‘Times Tables Rock stars’ where they can compete against other pupils and classes in school and with pupils from across the country. Teaching: At St Joseph’s we employ a variety of teaching styles and opportunities for children to learn and develop their Mathematical skills and competencies, both individually and collaboratively. The main aim of all lessons is to develop children’s knowledge, understanding and skills, applying these to a variety of contexts. One of the key elements in lessons throughout the school should be on developing the children’s mental calculation strategies alongside developing the children’s written calculation strategies. Key stage two teachers have implemented discreet weekly arithmetic sessions to offer pupils consistent practice of arithmetic style questions and The St Joseph’s 99’s club offers the pupils of our school the opportunity to regularly practice quick recall of number facts earning stickers, certificates and badges as they progress through different levels of challenge.
Mastering Number: EYFS and KS1 pupils are taught an additional 20 minutes of mathematics per day through the mastering number program which aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number. Attention will be given to key knowledge and understanding needed in Reception classes, and progression through KS1 to support success in the future.
Assessment: We value the professional judgement of our teachers who have the knowledge and skills to quickly assess pupil progress within the maths lesson. Targetted quesitoning techniques work together with collaborative learning approaches to assist with teachers' assessment and live marking gives the teachers chance to quickly adapt their lessons to suit the needs of their pupils. After reviewing our marking policy, we now use a RAG rating system which consists of weekly developmental marking opportunities consisting of a consolidation task for pupils who need to consolidate their understanding or a deepening task for pupils to go deeper with their understanding and apply to different contexts. NFER termly assessments give the teachers a summative perspective that are closer in terms of content and layout to the end of key stage standardized tests, comprising of one arithmetic paper and two reasoning/problem solving papers, they have been used to offer a summative perspective to support teacher judgements.
Whether it be a child using connecter blocks, Numicon or dienes to represent a number sentence or a child using a bar model approach to solve a more complex word problem, our pupils at St Joseph’s are encouraged to physically represent mathematical concepts. Objects and pictures are used to demonstrate and visualise abstract ideas, alongside numbers and symbols.
Concrete – children have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand and explain what they are doing.
Pictorial – children then build on this concrete approach by using pictorial representations, which can then be used to reason and solve problems.
Abstract – With the foundations firmly laid, children can move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.
EYFS: All children in the Foundation Stage have daily opportunities to develop their mathematical understanding, primarily through play, to meet the needs of Development Matters. The strands of Mathematics taught in the EYFs are Numbers and Shape, Space and Measure. Maths lessons are planned for using a variety of work stations with clear learning objectives and our pupils learn by experiencing Maths in a very practical way. Our EYFS staff make Maths links within our creative curriculum and use a ‘number of the week’ initiative to deeply explore a particular number.
Impact:
At St. Joseph’s we expect that by the end of their primary school education, our children:
- To become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
- To reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations
- To solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication.
End of Key Stage Targets:
EYFS: 86% of pupils reach the expected standard in number, shape, space and measure. 86% achieve a good level of development
KS1: 90% of pupils reach the expected standard in mathematics. 20% exceed the expected standard.
KS2: 90% of pupils reach the expected standard in mathematics. 20% exceed the expected standard.
In order for this to happen, the Mathematics leader, the Head Teacher and the Senior Leadership Team take responsibility for the monitoring of the Mathematics curriculum and the standards achieved by the children. The Mathematics leader will monitor for appropriate pitch, pace and progression at least once every half term. This monitoring takes the form of: 1. lesson observations and feedback; 2. learning walks and pupil voice conversations; 3. planning scrutiny followed by support where necessary; 4. Frequent book scans; 5. termly data analysis; 6. moderation within the Catholic Cluster to develop confidence in teachers’ assessment and judgements.
Our children have access to high quality lessons that are both challenging and enjoyable.
- We provide our children with a variety of mathematical opportunities, which will enable them to make the connections needed to enjoy greater depth in learning.
- We ensure children are confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks.
- We fully develop independent learners with inquisitive minds who have secure mathematical foundations and an interest in self-improvement.
- As a school we have been developing our creative curriculum and through this, our future aim is that the teaching of Mathematics is extended even further beyond the daily Mathematics lesson. Links are already being made, where relevant and purposeful, between Topics in our curriculum journey and Mathematics. This allows children the opportunity to apply Mathematical skills and concepts, as well as enabling children to see that Mathematics is part of everyday life.
Greater depth at St Joseph's Hednesford is when a pupil can confidently and independently deal with increases in complexity, deduction and reasoning. They can do this consistently in different contexts over a sustained period of time. We might define children who work at greater depth as still working within the expected standard but at a deeper level.
Supporting documentation
The St Joseph's 99s club is back for the spring term!!
Pupil Corner:
Here at St Joseph's, we value the views of our pupils and regularly carry out informal chats about maths with groups of pupils to hear what they have to say about the subject area.
Spring 2024
How is Maths going so far this school year?
"It's going really well at the moment. I have got loads more confident recently. We start our day with a mini Maths task where we focus on a specific thing for a week and then we do back to basics which has really improved my arithmetic skills." (KS2)
"I like doing Flash Back 4 because it just reminds you of things that you might not have done for a while. We look at the clock faces and have to tell the time in 12 hour and 24 hour. I also liked doing the Roman numerals too." (KS2)
"I'm getting better at explaining my reasoning. I used to just say: Tiny is wrong but now I say Tiny is wrong because... and I work out the problem to prove it." (KS2)
How could we improve Maths at St Joseph's?
"Do more maths!!"
"We could get more time to go on TT RockStars."
What do you think about the St Joseph's 99s club?
"I love the 99s club. I have already moved on to the badges stages" (Y4)
"It really helps you to get quicker at remembering number facts." (Y6)
"I think it's really exciting and it gives you a good feeling when you complete a club; it feels like you have achieved something good." (Y5)
Autumn 2023 (Y6 Prior higher-attaining group:)
Do you feel like you are good at Maths?
"I feel like I am really improving at Maths. I listen carefully and feel like I can learn new things quickly."
Do you think that Maths is important?
"I do, because not only do you use Maths in everyday life but you will also need good Maths skills when you get a job."
How do we help you to learn more and remember more here at St Joseph's?
"We keep going over it and the teachers always explain things clearly. We also have flash back questions to remind us of what we have learnt in the past."
Spring 2023:
In Maths lessons, what helps you learn more and remember more?
"We have a flash back at the start of every lesson which helps me to remember things that we have learnt about in the past." (Y5)
"I use the working wall and the number line in my class." (Y3)
"We often look back at things we know and that helps us to move forward." (Y6)
"My Teacher helps me remember by reminding me." (Y2)
What do you do if you get stuck in Maths?
"Writing down the problem, reading carefully and highlighting important information can sometimes help me to understand the question." (Y6)
"We have learning partners so we can practise our answers before we share them" (Y5)
"My Teacher always helps me understand if I ask for help." (Y1)
"We have things like number lines and one hundred squares in our classroom to help us." (Y2)
"Drawing things like bar models helps me when I'm stuck." (Y5)
"We can ask a friend as we have lots of time to talk about maths in lesson." (Y6)
What do you like best about Maths?
"I really like time tables and going on TT Rock Stars." (Y4)
"I like learning new methods, like long division and long multiplication." (Y5)
"I like the 99s club best." (Y1)
"I like challenging myself to get better and better." (Y6)
What do we mean when we say 'mastery' in Maths?
"Mastery is when you are really good at something and you have mastered it." (Y5)
What do we mean when we say: 'fluency' in Maths?
"You can do it without thinking; you just know it. Like your times tables." (Y6)