Button Lane Primary School

Mathematics

Mathematics Lead - Mrs Prosol

Intent

At Button Lane Primary School, our pupils have the opportunity to explore concepts and build on prior learning, taking small steps to achieve greater understanding along their mathematical learning journey. We endeavour to provide a Mastery Curriculum to support all children in reaching their full potential in preparation for secondary school and adult life. Pupils leave Button Lane Primary School with mathematical confidence, a joy of learning and are well-equipped for the challenges that lie ahead. 

We believe that Mathematical understanding and fluency provides children with a foundation of knowledge that acts as a key to unlock success in all other areas of the curriculum and indeed the world. Mathematics is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. Our high-quality mathematics curriculum provides the foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation and sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject and empowers our children to use their learning positively throughout education and future life.

We believe our high quality Mathematics teaching will enable all children to engage with mathematics in an environment that promotes problem solving and reasoning, discussion and exploration. Our vision for Mathematics across school, is that all children foster the belief that they can learn, master and enjoy Mathematics. Our curriculum allows children to make connections with the use of equipment, pictures, words, objects and equations and connections into real life contexts and use this learning throughout future education and life.  Teaching should ensure that every child can master an understanding and love of Maths, grow in confidence and deepen their knowledge and understanding.

Implementation

 At Button Lane Primary School, we teach using the mastery approach, a transformational way of teaching mathematics. When taught how to master concepts and skills, children develop mathematical fluency and are able to solve more complex problems. They use creative representations to gain understanding and efficient methods for success.

Beginning in Early Years, children are taught mathematics using the White Rose scheme, deepening their understanding of numbers 1-5, place value, addition and subtraction and are introduced to measurement, geometry, fractions and numerical patterns.

From Key Stage 1 we base our curriculum on the ‘Maths No Problem’ scheme, supplemented with other resources. Maths - No Problem! is a series of textbooks and workbooks which have been carefully written to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum 2014. The Department of Education's expert panel deem Maths - No Problem! to be a high quality resource to support the teaching of a Mastery Curriculum. 

In Key Stage 1, children build on their prior knowledge of place value, calculations, fractions and geometry and thoroughly deepen their understanding of measurement. In addition, Year 2 children master simply multiplication, division and fractions and are introduced to statistics.

 Following this, children in Key Stage 2 return to all areas of the Mathematics curriculum, building on prior learning in small steps which enable them to deepen their understanding of individual concepts, apply their prior learning to more complex scenarios and problem solve, reflecting on errors and recognising efficient ways of working, ultimately becoming proficient mathematicians.

‘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 for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.’ The National Curriculum (2013)

Maths - No Problem!

Maths - No Problem! is a series of textbooks and workbooks which have been carefully written to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum 2014. The Department of Education's expert panel deem Maths - No Problem! to be a high quality resource to support the teaching of a Mastery Curriculum. 

For more information on Maths - No Problem! click on the link below where you can watch parent videos explaining the theory behind the programme.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage Two at Button Lane we expect that our children:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics
• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations.
• Solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication.

In order for this to happen, the Mathematics leader and the Senior Leadership Team take responsibility for the monitoring of the Mathematics curriculum and the standards achieved by the children. The Mathematics leader monitors for appropriate pitch and progression and uses this to direct support and inform action planning

This monitoring can take the form of:

• Lesson observations and feedback;
• Learning walks and pupil voice conversations;
• Book scrutiny - When books are collected in, we ensure an opportunity to discuss learning with the pupils selected.
• Summative assessment (termly) and formative assessment is used to support moderation and termly data analysis through Pupil Progress Meetings.
• Lesson study cycles to target key groups of children across school, who may be underachieving
• Transition opportunities for our KS2 pupils, including engaging with our feeder High Schools

Triangulating data from pupil progress meetings with pupil voice/conferencing and book looks. We use data from pupil progress meetings to help monitor children who are not on track to achieving their potential or are not on track for achieving age related expectations or higher. Through collaborative discussion we use this to inform next steps for teaching and learning and any intervention needed.