The whole school community at Valence have high expectations for our children and strive to provide all children with full access to the curriculum, enabling them to achieve confidence and competence – ‘mastery’ – in maths. We believe that maths is essential to everyday life and provides a foundation for understanding the world, being able to reason mathematically as well as igniting a sense of curiosity about maths in our children and ensuring they enjoy the subject. Our maths curriculum is underpinned by all of our school’s core values: PRAISE - Pride, Respect, Achievement, Independence, Success and Enjoyment.
Intent
At Valence Primary School, we believe that all children can and will achieve in Mathematics. We believe it is our responsibility, as teachers and leaders, to provide an environment and experiences that enable our children to:
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics;
- Develop a deep understanding of the fundamentals of mathematics;
- Develop the ability to reason and solve problems.
We want our children to see that maths is an interconnected subject, to make connections across the different areas to develop their fluency and sustain this over time. This is why we have adopted the mastery approach to the teaching and learning of maths. We have a detailed and structured curriculum which is mapped out across all phases ensuring continuity and supporting transition.
In addition, we aim to involve parents/carers by inviting them to participate in Maths Projects that will improve outcomes in maths.
Implementation
Our mathematics teaching at Valence Primary School is based on the Teaching for Mastery principle. Mastering maths means pupils of all ages acquiring a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. We follow the guidance provided by the National Curriculum along with the NCETM Curriulum Prioritisation.
In EYFS and Key Stage 1, we have introduced Mastering Number. The aims of Mastering Number is 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.
At Valence, all pupils are taught through whole class interactive teaching where they work together towards the same goal and celebrate their successes.
To meet the aims stated, we will implement the following:
- Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards.
- The majority of children progress through the same curriculum content at the same pace.
- Differentiation is achieved by emphasising deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention.
- Teaching is underpinned by methodical curriculum design, using the DfE approved NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics) and the White Rose for areas not covered by the NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation. This ensures a consistent and progressive approach throughout the school, where lessons are planned well with resources to help foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.
- EYFS and KS1 follow the Mastering Numbers Programme.
- New concepts are introduced through a real-life context which the pupils collaborate on with each other. This makes the mathematical concepts relatable for the children.
- Practice and consolidation are the most important parts of the planning, with variation built in for fluency and the understanding of underlying mathematical concepts.
- The C-P-A approach (concrete, resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking) is used in lessons as it helps the pupils with their understanding.
- Questioning is used in all lessons to test conceptual and procedural knowledge.
- Exposure to precise concept-specific language that provides children with the appropriate language to articulate their mathematical reasoning. This is supported by stem sentences which are used in lessons.
