Curriculum Intent
At Starcross Primary School, we aim to ensure that all children, regardless of need or barrier, are equipped with the essential mathematical tools for everyday life and share an enthusiasm and enjoyment for the subject. Our maths teaching provides opportunities for intellectual excitement; it is a creative and imaginative study of patterns and relationships. We aim to develop confident, numerate individuals with depth of understanding and the ability to use and apply their mathematical knowledge to solve everyday problems. With the development of oracy alongside mathematical understanding, children are taught to reason, discuss and explain their understanding to others.
Our children will:
- Develop positive attitudes and approaches towards maths and be excited and eager to learn.
- Explore patterns and the relationships within maths.
- Develop fluency with the fundamentals of maths and become confident in the use of mental strategies, including the ability to recall and apply knowledge accurately.
- Be able to reason mathematically, and explain their thinking effectively through discussion, written work, use of equipment or drawings.
- Be able to use mathematical vocabulary to explain their understanding to others.
- Develop systematic strategies to solve problems.
- Explore a variety of informal and formal approaches to written calculations.
- Make rich connections; linking mathematical ideas.
- Develop an awareness of the relevance of maths in the real world.
- Be able to use and apply their mathematical understanding in both other curriculum subjects and real-life situations.
- Work both independently and collaboratively.
- Develop a systematic approach towards enquiry and recording their work.
Implementation
At Starcross Primary School, we adapt the White Rose maths curriculum to suit each cohort’s learning. Each year group’s work is organised into units, with the aim that children develop a depth of understanding of each topic. We are developing a mastery approach towards the teaching of maths and encouraging the use of talk and reasoning by supporting children to work in mixed-ability groups and explore concepts together during whole class teaching. Where needed, additional support is provided by each class teacher to ensure children keep-up and have little need to catch-up.
Maths is taught daily in all year groups with continuous provision supporting continued immersion in taught content throughout the Early Years classrooms. Lessons are organised as a progression to build skills in small steps. Children are supported and challenged appropriately in various ways, such as by task, equipment or questioning. We use consistent images, equipment and vocabulary to enable children to build on and develop their understanding. Working Walls support the unit of learning and are developed in tandem between the pupils and the teachers.
In addition to the daily lessons, usually taught in the mornings, every class, from Year 1 to 6, also completes a discrete fluency session, normally in the afternoons. These sessions follow one of two different formats:
- NCETM’s Mastering Number is taught in EYFS, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5.
- We use multiplication booklets in Years 3 – 6 (and Year 2 in the summer term)
Below, you will find parent help guides for each year group. The documents follow the White Rose calculation policies to compliment the teaching resources used in classes.
Children are expected to engage in minimum time use of the online platforms NumBots (EYFS and KS1) and Times Tables Rock Stars (KS2) as part of their weekly homework. Children understand that practicing these skills to automaticity, supports them to better access the maths curriculum. We regularly take part in national, local and team competitions to incentivise the use of these platforms as well as awarding certificates for a range of achievements.
Impact
At Starcross Primary School, we are seeing increasingly more confident mathematicians who are able to apply their knowledge and skills to a range of situations, demonstrating theirThe curriculum maps, resources and teaching guidance can be found by following the links below: