Intent
We recognise the significant role that mathematics plays in our lives today, and its role in the future. As such, we aim to give our pupils secure foundations to prepare them for their life beyond Barlow Hall but also an enjoyment of mathematics that supports them in becoming life-long learners.
Maths has a vital role in developing problem solving and reasoning skills; as such, we give pupils opportunities to develop their curiosity in maths through open-ended challenges and investigations which widen their experience and application of mathematical knowledge and skill, and ensures that through collaboration and partnership, they develop skills wider than simply those that are mathematical.
We aim for pupils to:
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through 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, conjecturing relationships and generalisations and developing an argument, justification or proof 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.
Implementation
Our curriculum is organised in a coherent and progressive way through key strands of the mathematics National Curriculum. Children build on their prior learning systematically, making connections across a range of concepts taught, but with regular opportunities to revisit and retrieve prior learning, and make links to new ideas. By following a spiral curriculum, our pupils are able to revisit a topic or area several times throughout their school career. We believe the benefits of teaching in this way are that information and learning are reinforced and underpinned each time pupils revisit a topic. This allows for a logical progression from simplistic ideas to more complex ones. We ensure that children gain knowledge and skills using concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to support their understanding and growing fluency working between varied representations.
We recognise the importance of supporting children to develop semantic knowledge (number facts including times tables) and ensure that pupils are exposed to daily opportunities to rehearse such facts. We give all pupils the opportunity to develop their mathematical skills in a cross curricular approach. We are aspirational for all our learners and encourage and nurture children who have potential to reach greater depth.
Impact
By the end of Key Stage 2 as they begin their transition to high school, we believe that our children will:
- Have acquired an enjoyment and love of maths
- Demonstrate and use their mathematics confidently in their daily lives
- Understand that mathematics is a powerful tool for communication
- Have an ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately
- Make mathematical links with other areas of the curriculum and become aware of maths in the wider world
- Develop personal qualities such as perseverance, independent thinking, cooperation and self-confidence
