Maths
Subject Intent:-
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At Woodvale, our vision is 'everyone thriving' and our mathematics curriculum aims to foster our 3 curriculum drivers: developing oracy, embracing cultural richness, and nurturing social intelligence. At the heart of our approach is a belief that mathematics is not just about numbers; our intent for maths is that children will:-
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Oracy is a fundamental driver in our curriculum. Through maths, children engage in purposeful discussions, articulating their reasoning and justifying their answers. Our lessons encourage dialogue, collaboration, and the exploration of different problem-solving strategies. By using mathematical vocabulary and explaining their thinking, children develop confidence in expressing themselves, honing their communication skills, and fostering a strong foundation for lifelong learning. |
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Diversity is another of our curriculum drivers. We believe that mathematics is a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries. We incorporate diverse contexts, real-world applications, and culturally relevant examples into our lessons. By doing so, we create opportunities for pupils to appreciate the contributions of various cultures to mathematics, broadening their perspectives and fostering inclusivity and respect for cultural diversity. |
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Social intelligence is a key focus in our maths curriculum. We recognize that mathematics offers ample opportunities for collaboration, teamwork, and empathy. Students engage in cooperative learning tasks, problem-solving challenges, and group discussions. Through these activities, they develop essential social skills such as active listening, sharing ideas, and respecting diverse viewpoints. Moreover, working together helps children understand the importance of effective communication and cooperation in achieving common goals. |
Implementation:-
At Woodvale, we adopt a mastery approach to the teaching of maths. Complex concepts are broken down into small steps to support children in developing a deep, long term, secure and adaptable understanding. Our maths curriculum has been designed to support and challenge pupils and is built on the belief that confidence in maths is crucial and that everyone can learn maths successfully.
There are several features that run through all of our maths teaching:-
Putting number first
A significant amount of time is spent reinforcing number in order to build competency and ensure children can confidently access the rest of the curriculum.
Depth before breadth
We ensure that the children acquire depth of knowledge in each topic. Opportunities to revisit previously learned skills are built into later units.
Fluency, reasoning and problem solving
Research shows that all children, when introduced to a new concept, should have the opportunity to build competency by following the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (C-P-A) approach. This features throughout our lessons at Woodvale and we allow children to tackle concepts in a tangible and accessible way.
Concrete
Children should have the opportunity to work with physical objects/concrete resources, in order to bring the maths to life and to build understanding of what they are doing.
Pictorial
Alongside concrete resources, children should work with pictorial representations, making links to the concrete. Visualising a problem in this way can help children to reason and to solve problems.
Abstract
With the support of both the concrete and pictorial representations, children can develop their understanding of abstract methods.
Our maths curriculum is informed by White Rose Maths and this provides a basis for our long term plans. We also supplement this with additional resources such as those produced by the NCETM. We are part of our local Maths Hub and engage with further professional development opportunities such as the use of Teacher Research Groups. We also use Times Table Rockstars to support learning and rapid recall of multiplication facts. From September 2023, we will also be part of the Mastering Number programme which will be used in EYFS and KS1.
Impact:-
We will know that the intent of maths curriculum is successful through:-
- our children becoming confident and fluent mathematicians with a deep and secure understanding of number
- our children being able to effectively apply a range of mental and written strategies to solve complex problems
- our children confidently and correctly using appropriate mathematical vocabulary to explain their thinking
- our children enjoying maths and the challenges that it brings
Pupil Voice:-
"It's great to have good maths skills because you can use maths all over the world" - Year 4
"I feel proud when I get the answer correct" - Year 5
"I like the way that maths challenges my brain" - Year 6
"I find maths challenging but rewarding" - Year 3