Mathematics

Impact

Our curriculum is carefully designed to give children the self-belief, knowledge and skills to be successful mathematicians. We measure the impact of the curriculum through the following methods:

Pupil book study and discussion about their learning.
Standardised tests at the end of each term and national statutory testing.

By the time children leave Tibberton we want them to:

Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, make conjectures, discover relationships and make generalisations, justify and prove using mathematical language.
Solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Intent

At Tibberton CE Primary we want children to think mathematically and develop mathematical language and reasoning so that they become lifelong mathematicians, equipped for the life ahead of them. Instead of learning mathematical principles as a process, we want pupils to develop a deep conceptual understanding, which will enable them to apply appropriate strategies in different situations and problem solve.

We desire our pupils develop a love for maths and a passion for approaching mathematical problems in the real world strategically and with creativity.

A vital part of conceptual understanding in maths is the use of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations. Throughout the school children are given many opportunities to use these representations and talk about them mathematically.

‘The answer is only the beginning.’ Chinese proverb

Implementation

The maths curriculum at Tibberton is cumulative. Practitioners use curriculum maps covering the full national curriculum to inform their planning within each cohort. We use the White Rose scheme of work as a vehicle for our planning. An example of a Year Five Long Scheme of Learning can be seen here:

Resources are then adapted to meet the needs of learners in each class ensuring suitable support and challenge is always present.

Lessons are divided into three distinct segments:

Instructional – effective modelling of the mathematical concept to secure fluency, technical vocabulary and notation.
Qualifying – an emphasis on learning through practice, with regular opportunities for pupils to talk both individually and in groups.
Thinking Deeply – an expectation that pupils will accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently.

Across the school, learners are asked to tackle a different problem solving strand every half-term – this is the same for each year group so that we can monitor progression of skills.

Once a week, children in KS2 are also given the opportunity to hone their arithmetic skills in a stand-alone lesson, designed to improve their fluency, defined as accuracy x speed.

Further information for parents is available here.

We also encourage the use of White Rose 1-Minute Maths available here: