At Green Park School, we have adopted a mastery approach in order to deliver our Mathematics curriculum and to ensure it follows the key aims of the National Curriculum. We aim to ensure that all pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics and in number so that pupils develop solid conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. Children at Green Park are taught to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, finding connections and establishing relationships whilst using mathematical language. We use the Power Maths scheme to teach the curriculum in a carefully planned small step format. The curriculum sequences knowledge, concepts and procedures to build mathematical knowledge and skills systematically over time. Children are taught to 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.
Due to a whole class, step-by-step teaching approach, children at Green Park are able to move through the curriculum at broadly the same pace. As a result of spending more time on fundamentals, the children can establish firm foundations on which to build their understanding. Because of our concrete-pictorial-abstract approach, children learn to see the connections in maths and understand that mathematics can be represented in different ways.
The maths curriculum, provides sufficient opportunities for planned revisits of previously learned knowledge, concepts and procedures; this is to ensure that, once learned, mathematical knowledge becomes deeply embedded in pupils’ memories; freeing pupils’ attention to work with independence, apply their mathematical knowledge to more complex mathematics.
Those pupils who are well behind age-related expectations and with special educational needs are supported in a small, specialised maths group with an experienced teacher and TA where individual targets are addressed and accelerated progress is expected. The teachers plan carefully thought out lessons using the ‘ready to progress criteria’ that was published in 2020. Those children working slightly behind age expectations are supported with pre-teaching, targeted questioning, practical resources and targeted support in lessons from adults. Same day intervention is in place across all classes. Children who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged with greater depth problems from the within lessons.
We use a textbook approach (Power Maths) as a basis of many lessons. Lessons typically begin with problem solving; involve open discussion and collaborative work before consolidation of their understanding in individual workbooks.
Teachers plan lessons based on the Power Maths long term overview and use the power maths practise books to meet the key objectives. Teachers plan lessons using power maths and their own professional judgement, daily formative assessment and feedback from pupils. Teachers use their professional judgement to determine how long to spend on a particular objective. Feedback is provided to pupils verbally, through teacher marking, peer marking and self-marking. This informs teaching for the next lesson.
Maths is included in other subject areas where appropriate exposing children to mathematical thinking and concepts across the curriculum. Home learning and deliberate practise of key number facts is encouraged across school through participation in Numbots and Times Tables Rockstars.
How is mathematics assessed?
Each unit of work begins by ascertaining the children’s prior knowledge and any connected knowledge held in their long term memory. Any misconceptions that arise throughout the unit are identified and address appropriately. Children continue to recall their knowledge throughout a unit in order to ensure an alteration in long term memory.
The curriculum provides sufficient opportunities for planned revisits of previously learned knowledge, concepts and procedures; this is to ensure that, once learned, knowledge becomes deeply embedded in pupils’ memories.
To further support ongoing formative assessment teachers review pupils’ contributions in lessons, work in their books and attainment in end of unit assessments. These are supported by end of term formative assessments and end of year tests. Progress & attainment is recorded on Target Tracker and reported termly to SLT through pupil progress meetings.
The maths lead monitors the quality of teaching and learning through: observations, learning walks, professional dialogue, book scrutiny and through the recording of the impact of actions from the school development plan.
How is Maths enabled in the Early Years?
We believe that a structured Mastery approach, based on the White Rose Long Term Plan, and implemented through provision and focussed teaching sessions ensures children learn new concepts that they can then demonstrate in their own independent learning.
Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children in EYFS at Green Park participate in the ‘Mastering Number Programme’. This project aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number.
In addition, in EYFS the children are provided with opportunities to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures.
Children in EYFS at Green Park are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and develop a positive attitude to mathematics.
In Early Years children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals:
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of each number;
- Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5;
- Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.
ELG: Numerical Patterns
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system;
- Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity;
- Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally
© Green Park School 2019
Green Park Drive, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 0NH