Leigh Stationers’ Primary Academy’s mathematics curriculum has been designed with the intention of scaffolding pupils towards becoming life-long learners. We embrace the mastery approach which allows children to deepen their understanding, make links and strengthen their mathematical skills set.
Children develop and apply their mathematical understanding and knowledge through a broad range of physical, pictorial and abstract contexts (fluency) so that they are able to explain their understanding, making links and using examples to support their thinking (reasoning) and ultimately use their understanding to address complex problems with a strategic and knowledgeable approach (problem-solving).
We deliver a curriculum that:
- provides children with the opportunity to develop news skills which they build upon year-on-year
- allows pupils to use manipulatives which support their learning
- encourages pupils to use manipulatives, examples and pictorial representations to explain their thinking
- provide access to a range of models which represent their mathematical understanding, for example, part-part whole models, bar models, drawing dienes, grouping objects, using number lines to explain.
- identifies pupils’ starting points in order to ensure that understanding is reinforced, enriched and broad
- is inclusive and scaffolds learning through the use of manipulatives, adult support and access arrangements to ensure that all pupils have access to the learning
- encourages children to be proactive in their approach to learning including, asking for help, using manipulatives independently, working well with their peers and show resilience in their learning
- fosters an environment where making mistakes is part of learning and should be seen as part of a journey towards success
The mathematics curriculum is overseen by the mathematics subject leader. A regular cycle of guidance, book monitoring and observation supports staff to develop consistency and good practice across the school.
The sequencing of the curriculum includes:
- a clear mastery approach to teaching and learning using the White Rose Maths scheme of work as a starting point for planning
- a clear learning journey which builds on pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding
- lessons which provide opportunities for fluency therefore exposing pupils to the learning objective in a variety of ways/contexts/visual representations
- lessons which provide opportunities for reasoning which are developed through the early years and KS1 as classroom discussion, is modelled, taught and shared-wrote in LKS2 and is evident as independent practice in UKS2
- lessons which provide opportunities for problem-solving which are usually conducted in small groups or practically in KS1 through to LKS2 and is developed throughout UKS2 so that children become more confident and independent problem-solvers
- sequential ‘Maths Champion’ targets support the national curriculum through engagement in rote-learning tasks at home such as number bonds and times tables and achievements are celebrated in assemblies
Our maths curriculum will:
- reflect positively in the end of KS1 and KS2 SATS results
- enable our students to feel positive and confident about their mathematical understanding and skills
- create pupils who have a love of learning in maths through enriching, positive, and engaging experiences in maths lessons
- create pupils who are ready for secondary school
- create pupils who can speak confidently about mathematical concepts using mathematical vocabulary with increasing depth
- create pupils who solve problems outside the classroom