Mathematics
Queen Edith Primary School: Mathematics Subject Statement
Intent
At the Queens’ Federation we aim to foster ‘Learning for Life.’
We will provide a rich, relevant and inspirational curriculum that promotes a lifelong love of learning and equips our pupils with the key knowledge and understanding, skills and personal qualities that they will need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our curriculum is designed to be relevant to our children and is linked to the context of our school and the local community.
At Queen Edith Primary School, we want all pupils to achieve confidence, competence and enjoyment in mathematics. The fundamental idea is that all pupils develop a deep understanding of the mathematics. This is central to the planning and provision of mathematics. Learning is carefully sequenced, taking into account what has been taught before, and what knowledge and skills are needed for the next stage of each child’s mathematical development.
Three key aims at the heart of our mathematics curriculum are for pupils to:
- be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
- reason mathematically
- solve routine and non-routine problems with increasing independence.
Implementation
Key features of our approach:
- Children progress through the curriculum content at the same pace.
- Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in mathematics.
- Children are taught through daily whole-class teaching, where the focus is on all pupils working together on the same lesson content at the same time.
- Daily fluency sessions support the retention and recall of key number facts.
- Teaching is underpinned by a small-steps mastery approach and supported by carefully crafted lessons, resources and representations to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.
- Differentiation is achieved through the provision of step forward and step back activities within the majority of lessons.
We are a Teaching for Mastery school and this approach is implemented and supported through the use of the NCETM Spines, White Rose Mathematics scheme and the NCETM Mastering Number Programme in Reception and KS1. Teachers will also carefully select other resources to support their teaching to ensure an enriching curriculum which is in line with the Teaching for Mastery ethos. For example, NRich or I See Reasoning tasks. Through the use of these resources we ensure that:
- Teachers introduce new concepts in a coherent sequence using a mastery approach.
- Concepts are taught through high quality mathematical models and representations.
- Mathematical models are consistently used through school.
- Teachers are supported with their subject knowledge.
Impact
At Queen Edith Primary School, pupils leave us as knowledgeable, skillful and confident mathematicians ready for the next phase of their learning. They are able to quickly recall facts and procedures and have the flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics. Our pupils have the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics and can demonstrate a skill in multiple ways, using mathematical language to explain their ideas. Pupils recognise the importance of mathematics in the wider world and are able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in a range of different contexts.
Yearly Overview
Our mathematics teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 is based upon the National Curriculum – Mathematics – Programmes of Study document. This covers the full range of mathematics taught at primary school: number and place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions (including decimals and percentages), ratio and proportion, algebra, measurement, geometry (shape, position and direction) and statistics (tables, charts and graphs). We currently use the White Rose Maths Scheme resources to support our Maths teaching. The termly progression within each year group at Queen Edith is set out in the following documents:
National Curriculum Mapping Document
Calculation Policy - Addition & Subtraction
Calculation Policy - Multiplication & Division
In Reception, mathematics is linked to the NCETM Mastering Numbers Scheme providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their mathematical skills. The prime areas of Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, and strengthened and applied in the specific area of mathematics. Children are supported to enable them to count reliably, place numbers in order and say which number is one more or less than a given number; children count on and back to add and subtract small numbers and solve problems involving doubling, halving and sharing. Children also talk about size, weight and other measures using everyday language; they recognise, create and describe patterns, and explore objects and shapes using mathematical language.
Mathematical Challenges
Children at Queen Edith have many opportunities to challenge themselves mathematically, whether working with a Stimulus student from Cambridge University, competing against children from other schools, or just trying to beat the high scores in maths games. Each year, many of the Later Years children sit the Mathematical Association Primary Maths Challenge Paper, with some progressing to the Bonus Round. Recently, a team of children won the regional heat of the Cambridgeshire Year 5 Mathematics Challenge and went on to compete in the final held at the Duxford Imperial War Museum. Queen Edith also hosts one of the Maths Net masterclasses for children from schools around Cambridge.
Information and Resources for Parents
The Queens’ Federation Maths Calculation Policy describes the progression in the methods of calculation taught within the Federation, particularly relating to addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and percentages.
On the National Numeracy website you can find a wealth of ideas for ways in which you can support your child’s maths at home.
Examples Of Learning
Academic Year 2022-2023
Nursery
As part of their maths learning in Nursery, children enjoy exploring patterns, counting, playing number games and exploring numbers and using play dough to learn about length. They really enjoy using shapes to make models and measuring them.
Y1
Year 1 non-standard unit of measure. We have been thinking about how we can measure different objects in class. We decided that what we needed to use needed to be a standard size. We had a go at measuring ourselves in class.
Year 1 pattern making. In independent learning time, the children in Year 1 decided to make some repeating patterns with peg boards. They carefully planned this before making it!
Y2
In Year 2 the children explored mass by weighing objects using dial scales. They read the scale carefully to find out how much their objects weighed. This was quite tricky because not all the numbers were marked on the scale and they had to work out how much each division was worth.
Y3
3D Shapes
Year 3 have been constructing 3D shapes with plasticine and straws this week. We used pictures to help us and then counted the vertices, edges and faces afterwards. What 3D shapes can you see in these photos?
Hands-On Polygons!
Year 3 have been grappling with polygons in Maths this week. We constructed them and discussed their properties. Can you spot any quadrilaterals in the pictures? Are there any 2D shapes hiding in there which are NOT polygons?
Y3 Fractions - After visualising unit fractions as equal slices of a pizza, Year 3 used fraction discs to help our visual understanding of how many equal parts made up a whole.
Y4
Y4 area investigation – In Maths we explored area using practical resources, and discovered that doubling the lengths of the sides of a shape made the area of the shape 4 times larger! We then tested our findings using a range of regular and irregular shapes.
Y4 measurement investigation – Continuing our work on measure, we used rulers and metre sticks to try and find objects (or combinations of objects) of a set length. Here you can see a group using 2 rubbers and 4 highlighters to achieve a measurement of exactly 50cm!
Y4 half investigation – In Maths we explored the idea of ‘half’. We looked at how many different ways we could represent half using a single square of paper. After identifying simple ways we could fold the paper in half, we then used our understanding of area to find a whole range of exciting shapes!
Coleridge Maths Quiz
A Year 6 Student reports …
“On Wednesday 29th of September, 12 students from Queen Edith Year 6 competed in a mathematical quiz which took place at Coleridge Community College. The 12 of us took part as two teams of six against participants from other local schools. There were three rounds, starting with number puzzles, then number crosswords and lastly a relay race which got our hearts beating fast. We had to work together as a team and be speedy with our arithmetic.”
After all their hard work it was finally revealed that the two Queen Edith teams had come first and second! Congratulations to everyone who took part – we can’t wait to have the engraved trophy presented!