Maths at Westmorland Primary School

A high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all children:
•    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
•    can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
At Westmorland, we are dedicated to developing our children into confident mathematicians, where they are able to solve problems, reason about mathematical concepts and fluently apply mathematical skills in a variety of contexts, including real-life experiences across the curriculum and in the wider world. In order to achieve this, we are committed to developing all children by giving MORE. Our curriculum is based around Memorable Learning, Oracy, Reading and Experiences.

INTENT:

At Westmorland, our Maths curriculum is designed to offer every child MORE. We are committed to providing Memorable learning opportunities, which are accessible to all, through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. All children are encouraged to discuss and share mathematical thinking using rich vocabulary and explore real-life problems both independently and in collaboration with their peers.
Maths at Westmorland aims to:
•    promote enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion;
•    promote confidence and competence with numbers and the number system;
•    develop oracy through discussing ways in which to solves mathematical problems and encouraging children to explain how they achieved their answers;
•    develop the ability to solve problems, including in real-life situations, through decision-making and reasoning in a range of contexts;
•    develop a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered and presented;
•    explore features of shape and space, and develop measuring skills in a range of contexts;
•    understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life;
•    develop a deeper understanding of mathematical thinking.

IMPLEMENTATION:

Through differentiation, our highly skilled teachers aim to provide a bespoke curriculum that allows all children to achieve and make progress. 
All Maths lessons last for one hour and are INTENT driven. They include a ‘Can you still…’ starter, whole class teaching, independent activities, mini-plenaries and direct teaching to groups where necessary. ‘Can you still…’ starters enable children to consolidate previously taught skills and improve metacognition. They allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning that would assist further planning. In all years, we use a variety of materials from different sources - NCETM and White Rose in particular. In EYFS and year 1, maths is delivered through continuous provision. Children use a variety of concrete materials and pictorial representations to develop their understanding of number and calculations before moving on to abstract written methods. In years 2-6, children are fully exposed to their year group objectives. Using the CPA approach, teachers plan and create a wide range of activities that are engaging, practical where possible and linked to real-life to allow children to fully master each concept. Those children who are not sufficiently fluent with concepts have opportunities to consolidate their understanding by having access to a variety of activities that meet their ability levels and needs. Children who grasp concepts more quickly are challenged further through being given problems in different contexts. This is to provide them with greater breadth of the concept before moving the class on as a whole. Highly trained TAs provide additional support to targeted groups to pre-teach, boost and assist children in their learning journeys so that maximum progress can be made by all.

Maths sessions on a Friday focuses on at least one of the following areas: Mental calculations, Oracy, Reasoning skills and/or real-life Experiences. These sessions are number lead and build on prior learning to improve metacognition. MORE Fridays provide children with memorable opportunities to apply mathematical thinking and strategies and fluently recall answers to mental calculations. Children are encouraged to discuss possible answers to questions and confidently explain how they solved them. Real-life scenarios and problems enable children to apply taught skills to greater enrich their learning experience.

Assessment for Learning happens in every lesson to assist with daily and weekly planning. Children are regularly encouraged to assess their own learning and identify and correcting errors where possible. Assessments are carried out at the end of each half term and is a tool to inform future teaching and planning and is a record of pupil achievement.
Additionally, staff are encourage to provide our children with opportunities to apply mathematical skills across the wider curriculum to further develop their understanding and make connections to the wider world.
From September 2021, years 1-6 will be introducing the Maths No Problem textbooks and workbooks to further enhance the delivery of our Maths curriculum.

IMPACT:
The Maths provision at Westmorland has shown impact through our outstanding results at the end of Key Stage 2 each year.
Through the implementation of a progressive maths curriculum, our children are showing that they are gaining a broader understanding of mathematical concepts, developing their critical thinking and becoming independent learners. Maths at Westmorland provides children with a deeper understanding of the subject and enables them to make connections and fluently apply mathematical skills and strategies to a range of situations and problems. This ensures children fully understand what they are learning and when and why strategies can be used in the real world.
Progression of skills documents enable staff to have a clear vision of what children have previously been taught and what their next steps will be in their learning. Our children are immersed in memorable maths lessons which improves metacognition and are exposed to rich mathematical vocabulary developing their reasoning and problem solving skills.
The IMPACT of what we desire to achieve at Westmorland is evident throughout children’s enjoyment of mathematics and their abilities, confidence and progress.