Maths

Mathematics at Our School: Building Confident, Fluent Mathematicians

At our school, we believe that every child can achieve in mathematics. We aim to foster a deep, lasting conceptual understanding alongside calculation fluency. By carefully structuring our curriculum from Early Years through Key Stage 2, we ensure all pupils acquire the essential skills, core knowledge, and mathematical confidence needed for future success.

Early Years (Year R): Early Number Sense with the NCETM

In Reception, we lay the critical foundations for mathematical understanding by drawing on guidance from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), including their highly acclaimed Mastering Number approach. Early Years learning requires heavy emphasis on oral language, physical manipulation, visual representations, and continuous provision (learning through play). 

Children engage in short, purposeful daily sessions designed to build a rich "number sense". Instead of simply memorising counting sequences, pupils explore how numbers are composed, learn to subitise (recognise quantities without counting), and investigate the relationships between numbers using practical resources and visual patterns. This play-based, talk-rich grounding gives children the core fluency they need before transitioning to formal key stage mathematics.

Years 1 to 6: Progression with White Rose Mixed-Age Planning

From Year 1 through to Year 6, we use White Rose Maths mixed-age schemes of learning. This framework provides a small-step progression that ensures full curriculum coverage while seamlessly accommodating children learning alongside different age groups.White Rose provides specially engineered Mixed-Age Schemes of Learning designed to handle split-year classes (e.g., Year 1/2 or Year 3/4). It allows teachers to deliver a shared small-step input to the whole class while providing age-appropriate, differentiated tasks for each year group. 

Our approach centers on key principles of mathematical mastery:

• Fluency, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving: Lessons balance rapid, accurate recall of core facts with opportunities to apply knowledge to multi-step, real-world problems.
• The CPA Approach: To ensure abstract concepts make sense, we follow the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) framework:
• Concrete: Children first interact with physical manipulatives (e.g., counters, Base 10, ten-frames) to feel and visualise the mathematical structure.
• Pictorial: Pupils transition to visual representations, such as bar models or drawings, to bridge physical objects and written math.
• Abstract: Once the concept is securely understood, children work with numerical symbols, operations, and formal equations.

How We Teach: The "I Do, We Do, You Do" Model

To support all learners within our mixed-age classrooms, our weekly lesson planning utilises the explicit instruction framework: I Do, We Do, You Do.

1. I Do (Teacher Modeling): The teacher explicitly explains and models the new concept or mathematical skill, demonstrating correct vocabulary and thought processes step-by-step.
2. We Do (Guided Practice): The class works through examples together. Pupils discuss strategies, use physical resources, and receive immediate feedback, building their confidence in a low-stakes environment.
3. You Do (Independent Application): Children apply their knowledge independently through targeted practice, reasoning tasks, or problem-solving challenges tailored to their stage of learning.

This gradual release of responsibility reduces cognitive overload, ensures misconceptions are addressed early, and empowers every child to master mathematical concepts at their own pace.