Casterton Primary Academy
Mathematics
At Casterton Primary Academy, our aim is to develop children's confidence, communication, attainment and enjoyment in the area of Mathematics. We strive to provide a foundation of knowledge and skills that develop children not only for the classroom but for the wider world as well. Casterton Primary Academy follows the 2014 National Curriculum for maths, which places emphasis on both mental and written methods.
Curriculum
The children study the following key areas of mathematics:
- Number and Place Value
- Addition and Subtraction
- Multiplication and Division
- Fractions including decimals and percentages
- Measurement
- Geometry- properties of shapes
- Statistics
- Ratio and Proportion (Year 6 only)
- Algebra (Year 6 only)
Mastery Approach to Maths
Casterton Primary Academy delivers a mastery approach to the teaching and learning of Mathematics. This approach ensures a deeper understanding of concepts is developed rather than accelerating pupils through content without unpicking it in sufficient depth, allowing the impact of our teaching to be greater than before. A detailed curriculum is mapped out using White Rose Maths resources to enable us to deliver a ‘scheme-assisted not scheme-driven’ approach. The curriculum is mapped out across each term, ensuring longer time is prioritised for key topics and to ensure all pupils acquire and demonstrate a sufficient grasp of the mathematics relevant to their year group. Alongside this, we have created our own calculation progression document which lists the key representations and methods of calculation for each of the four operations from EYFS to Year 6.
How Maths Develops in EYFS and Transitions to KS1
In EYFS, children are taught using the White Rose overview in order to promote consistency and progression of skills when moving into Year 1. This mastery approach allows the children to build a firm foundation in mathematical skills and concepts using the concrete, pictorial and abstract concepts. In addition to this, resources from the NCETM and Numberblocks are used. Within the classroom, children have access to a range of mathematical equipment, and teachers ensure there are elements of maths within COOL (choose our own learning) activities, and encouraged to count and record numbers for purpose. Staff in EYFS find opportunities to expose children to real life maths outside of maths lessons. For example: singing counting songs, counting children when lining up, asking the ‘first, second or third’ row to leave the carpet and extending children’s learning by asking ‘How many…? Which is taller…? Which is the smallest…?
Key Skills Lessons
In addition to the daily Maths lessons, children take part in 'Key Skills' sessions, further reinforcing their key skills in maths through visual, practical, mental and written strategies. These lessons will focus on the following areas:
- Place value
- Calculations (mental and written)
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Money
- Measurements
- Time
There are also opportunities within other areas of the curriculum for maths to be reinforced in different contexts through cross curriculum activities.
Intervention Groups
Our tracking of pupil progress enables us to identify any barriers, issues or gaps in learning early on.
We provide additional support for pupil’s mathematical development through intervention groups. Support includes 1:1 tuition, same day intervention and other small group interventions which are held during and after school.
In addition, we offer support for our more able pupils through additional guided group work in assembly times.
Why do we teach mathematics?
Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary in most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
At Casterton Primary Academy we aim, in line with the National Curriculum, to ensure that all pupils:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils have conceptual understanding and are able to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately to problems.
- 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 non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Calculation Policies
- Addition and Subtraction Calculation Policy.pdf
- Multiplication and Division Calculation Policy.pdf
- Calculation Progression Document A3.pdf
How to help your child with maths
White Rose Maths have produced a range of resources to support parents and carers with helping their children with maths. Click on the links below to access the resources.
Year 4 Multiplication Check
The document is a guide for parents about the year 4 multiplication check. If you have any questions please speak to your child's class teacher, or Miss Travis (Maths Lead)