"Mathematical understanding is a journey... not a destination"
- Dr Yeap Ban Haar (Internationally Renowned Maths Expert)
At Christ Church C.E Primary School, we promote a love of mathematics. We use a mastery approach to teach mathematics and embrace the idea that all children can do well in maths. Mathematics forms an integral part of every child’s daily learning experience and is taught through carefully planned small steps, which support learning and encourage deep thinking.
The 5 big mastery ideas of fluency, variation, reasoning, mathematical thinking, coherence and representation and structure guide our maths teaching and learning. We strive to ensure that over time, children’s learning develops and deepens so that children become confident mathematicians. Teachers deliver sequential, bespoke maths lessons that are adapted to individual pupil needs. Our aim is to encourage our pupils to become numerate, curious, creative, resilient and confident individuals.
In our school, we endeavour to make our maths curriculum accessible to all. All children are taught one set of mathematical concepts underpinned by the 5 big ideas. Pupils use the Concrete- Pictorial- Abstract approach to expose mathematical structures, make connections between concepts and support and deepen their learning. We recognise that all children need a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning in order that future learning is built upon firm foundations.
Teachers in EYFS classes base their teaching on objectives in the ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage;’ this ensures that they are working towards the ‘Early Learning Goals for Mathematics’. The children are given access to daily mathematical challenges through continuous provision and in addition, participate in adult led mathematics sessions in preparation for Year One. In KS1 and beyond, maths lessons are carefully crafted using a range of high quality resources such as White Rose Maths alongside the NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation and Ready to Progress materials. We are committed to ensuring our pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics through our daily Fluency sessions. This encourages pupils to develop efficient, accurate recall of key number facts alongside the flexibility to move between different contexts and representations. As a result, pupils are encouraged to make connections that enable them to choose appropriate methods and strategies to solve problems.Our sharp focus on promoting oracy across the curriculum means that pupils feel confident in justifying their ideas using mathematical language. Children are able to use these reasoning skills and apply them across other aspects of the curriculum to enhance their learning.
At Christ Church our high quality mathematics education gives children a firm 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.
