Maths

In this section of the website, you will find information about our approach to teaching Mathematics at Witton Gilbert Primary School.
Maths Subject Progression

Intent

At Witton Gilbert Primary School we follow the mastery approach in the teaching of Maths. This approach ensures that our learners are able to develop quick recall of number facts, become fluent in the fundamentals, develop knowledge of concepts and procedures, and confidently reason and solve problems by applying these skills.

The teaching of Maths in our school is underpinned by the following aims and principles:

To explore new mathematical concepts without fear of failure, thus developing resilient learners who are both confident and enthusiastic about Maths.
To develop a conceptual understanding of core Maths skills through exposure to a varied representation of number with appropriate support, such as models, pictorial representation and concrete resources.
To develop and utilise relationships between numbers, operations, concepts and procedures, allowing learners to link prior learning to the skills necessary for current and future learning.
To apply fundamental concepts, procedures and mathematical understanding to reasoning and problem solving by using a range of learned strategies and appropriate mathematical vocabulary.
To provide regular opportunities for greater depth throughout the Maths curriculum.

Intent Linked to our School Values
Childhood and Play	Opportunities for outdoor learning to gain a better understanding of Maths in our environment is offered throughout the curriculum from Reception, all the way up to Year 6.
Respect for Ourselves and our Environment	An integral part of the children’s learning involves forming productive and respectful relationships with their peers to discuss the intricacies of their Maths knowledge to solve problems in a team environment.
Equality and Diversity	Our school is committed to ensuring that all children have access to an exciting, appropriate and inspiring curriculum that will support their progress and achievement.
Perseverance and Resilience	Challenge is a key component to the successful learning and progress in Maths, and as such perseverance and resilience are core skills that are taught and encouraged throughout the breadth of the curriculum.
Collaboration and Cooperation	Maths-related tasks and activities involve groups of children working in collaboration with one another to solve problems. The children work together to offer each other support and cooperate with one another to solve mathematical problems on a daily basis.

Implementation

In order to ensure a mastery approach in Maths is in place:

Teachers work with a local Teacher Research Group (TRG), as part of the National Maths Hubs programme, collaborating with a small group of schools, refining our approach to teaching for Mastery in Maths.
We are part of the Maths Hub’s Lesson Design Working Group, focusing on using appropriate resources, planning techniques and pedagogy.
Staff follow the White Rose Maths scheme of work closely, using a variety of recommended resources. These include White Rose Small-Steps Guidance and Premium Resources, NCETM Spine Materials, and the NRICH Project resources.
Additionally, teachers deliver fundamental skills-based lessons in line with the needs of the pupils, as well as ‘recap’ lessons to reinforce prior learning.
Techniques developed from the Maths Hubs groups are shared with staff via internal CPD sessions.
Staff use intelligent practice to develop fluency-based questions, which help learners make the necessary links to further enhance their conceptual understanding.
Learners are provided with daily problem solving and reasoning opportunities, ensuring that they are able to apply their mathematical knowledge to ‘real’ problems.
Learners who have been able to master the learning expected for their age and stage, are provided with regular opportunities to delve into those concepts in more detail through greater depth questioning.
Teachers reinforce an expectation that all learners are capable of achieving high standards in Mathematics.
Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess learners regularly to identify those requiring intervention.
Immediate marking and summative assessment is carried out within the lesson. Feedback is given to learners at this point to ensure misconceptions are addressed immediately and pupils are well-informed on their progress.
Lesson observations and book scrutinies are carried out on a termly basis, with a focus on pedagogy, appropriate challenge, use of support and resources, learning and progress, presentation and adherence to the School’s marking policy.
Formative assessments are carried out on a termly basis in Year 2 and KS2. The results of these formative assessments are used to inform planning and interventions.
Learner’s progress is tracked carefully and discussed at termly Progress Meetings. Any child not achieving their full potential is identified and the appropriate support is put in place for these targeted pupils.
An annual audit of available concrete resources is carried out to ensure that teachers and pupils have the appropriate resources to support teaching and learning.

Cultural Capital in Mathematics

Cultural Capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, skills and experiences that gives us the confidence to be able to talk, communicate, progress and take a full part in our community and wider world. At Witton Gilbert Primary school, we promote equality through our commitment to developing cultural capital for all our children.

In Maths, children are exposed to “real” problems on a daily basis, which are relative to their lives both now and in their future.

Children will learn about famous Mathematicians through their learning in Science, such as Albert Einstein and Professor Stephen Hawking, while being able to utilise their Maths skills to conduct investigations and experiments of their own. Other areas where Maths is explored to emphasise its cultural significance is in History where an understanding of timelines is paramount to the children’s understanding of the various historical periods they study.

Furthermore, there are opportunities for children to experience Maths, which include Able Maths days whereby children in Year 5 and 6 are able to investigate Mathematical problems and use their skills in Maths to work alongside children from other schools.

Impact

The impact the teaching for Mastery approach has had is that the learners in our school have been able to build conceptual and procedural knowledge across the breadth of the Maths curriculum in terms of both their fundamental number skills and their problem solving and reasoning skills.

Additionally:

Learners are able to form relationships between mathematical concepts, which allows them to develop a firm understanding of how Maths works in the world around them.
Each lesson provides learners with a rich opportunity to become accurate and efficient in utilising key Maths skills.
With a supportive ethos based around the concepts of a growth mindset, learners have become more resilient learners in developing their skills both independently and collaboratively.
Addressing misconceptions immediately within a lesson has allowed for instant interventions to take place, thus ensuring that the necessary support is given to enable each child the opportunity to be successful.
These factors ensure that we are able to maintain high standards, with achievement at the end of KS2 above the national average and a high proportion of learners demonstrating greater depth by the time they leave to go to secondary schools.