Mathematics
Intent
Our aim is for all pupils to be informed, articulate and empowered:
In Maths this means children are engaged and inspired by a mastery teaching approach that enables all to make progress and achieve. Mathematical fluency and understanding of number are crucial to children’s future success and are taught in depth at Christopher Hatton. Oracy is a core element of our maths teaching to enable children to articulate their ideas clearly and develop a deeper understanding of the maths. We want children to leave Christopher Hatton being confident and enjoying maths.
Informed
- Children have a secure understanding of key mathematical concepts and can solve problems in a variety of different ways
- Children understand the importance of maths in their daily lives and know how it relates to the real world
Articulate
- Through the teaching of subject specific vocabulary and stem sentences, children develop their understanding of key mathematical concepts, which enables them to communicate and reason effectively.
Empowered
- Our use of mixed attainment learning partners means that pupils do not feel limited by "maths groups" either by being in the "bottom" or the "top" group.
- Explicit vocabulary teaching and stem sentences allows all pupils to access the learning and explain their thinking.
- Our focus on having a growth mind-set empowers children with the confidence to have a go, to learn from mistakes and to keep trying and improving,
Implementation
We use a Teaching for Mastery approach which rejects the idea that many children ‘just can’t do maths’. All children are encouraged by the belief that by working hard at maths they can succeed.
- Children are taught through whole-class interactive teaching using an "I do. You do" hands on approach for all pupils when a new concept is first introduced. Pupils then move through the stages of understanding concrete-pictorial-abstract. This helps all children to master concepts before moving to the next part of the curriculum.
- Alongside the daily mathematics lessons is an 15 minute oral maths session, this could have a focus on improving number fluency e.g. "mastering number" or be focused on revisiting previous learning to ensure the knowledge is retained e.g. "flashback 4".
- Teachers' main priority to design effective lessons that identify the new mathematics that is to be taught, the key points, the difficult points and a carefully sequenced journey through the learning, using small manageable steps.
- In a typical lesson the teacher leads back and forth interaction with the children, including questioning, short tasks, explanation, demonstration, and discussion. Children then participate in intelligent practice that both reinforces their procedural fluency and develops their conceptual understanding.
- We use high quality concrete and pictorial representations to help children explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas enriching their learning experience and deepening their understanding. This concrete – pictorial- abstract approach helps them to cement their knowledge and truly understand what they’ve learnt.
- Quality talk, using correct mathematical terminology and full sentences, is also strongly emphasised in the daily maths lessons. This helps develop the children’s reasoning and problem solving skills.
- SEND EAL and disadvantaged pupils are all well supported by our use of visual representations, stem sentences and vocabulary as well as planned small steps to structure learning.
- We have a specialist HTLA who provides targeted support for children identified as needing it at our progress and standards meetings. This is usually in the form of pre-teaching before the main lesson. This primes the pupil to get the most out of the main lesson with their teacher.
Fluency & 15 Minute oral maths session
- Daily 15 minute oral maths sessions are used to develop fluency is basic number facts e.g. rapid recall of number bonds to 10 or 20 and times tables facts. This knowledge supports efficient written methods of calculation and a focus on higher level maths skills.
- We run well attended fluency clubs at lunchtime from Y2 to Y5 and teachers ensure that parents know how to provide short daily regular practice sessions through their communication in the weekly class email.
Impact
- Children at Christopher Hatton Primary enjoy maths and feel that they can succeed in lessons. They understand that everyone can achieve in maths and that through effort they can make progress.
- Children attain highly in comparison to pupils nationally.
- Progress measures not currently available due to COVID however historically progress was excellent from baseline measures.
- Children can use maths in context and know how maths is relevant to everyday life.
- Children have a range of strategies that they can use to solve mathematical problems in different contexts.
- Children can talk about mathematical concepts clearly using correct subject specific vocabulary. They can clearly and confidently articulate their understanding and strategies when reasoning and problem solving.
- In the statutory Y4 multiplication test we reach excellent standards year on year.
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