Intent

The 2014 National Curriculum for maths aims to ensure that all children:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics;
• are able to reason mathematically;
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics.

At Havelock these skills are embedded within our maths lessons and developed consistently over time. We are committed to ensuring that children are able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in a range of different contexts. We want to raise standards across the school and provide more opportunity to revisit fluency skills and reasoning tasks. We intend to use a variety of teaching methods and resources that allow all pupils equal access to mathematics. Children will be appropriately challenged and supported through varied fluency, reasoning and problem-solving activities. Irrespective of personal starting points, children will explore maths in depth, and use a range of mathematical vocabulary to reason and explain their methods and make links.

We want all children to enjoy mathematics, to recognise the importance of maths in the wider world and to experience success. We are committed to developing the children’s curiosity and resilience for the subject, as well as their ability to reason and problem-solve.

Implementation

At Havelock, we teach mathematics based on the aims and objectives from the 2014 National Curriculum. We implement our approach through high quality teaching and by embedding a mastery approach across the school. The delivery of appropriately pitched work for all groups of learners is supported by the materials from the White Rose Maths scheme of learning, as well as other high-quality resources.

Mathematical concepts are introduced and built upon through a series of direct teaching sessions. These lessons are planned and delivered in accordance with the White Rose Maths small steps progression. Mathematical topics are taught in blocks, to enable the achievement of mastery over time. We challenge pupils by asking them to explore mathematical concepts in more depth. This focus on depth eventually leads to greater progress because it gives all learners the chance to become secure in their understanding.

In lessons, we use concrete apparatus and visual representations to help children visualise and internalise mathematical concepts. Through the use of apparatus and representations, our pupils gain confidence as independent learners to use resources and solve problems. This is known as the CPA (concrete<pictorial<abstract) approach. A variety of manipulatives or apparatus can be used whenever needed, including place value counters, ten frames, number lines, Numicon and Diennes.

As part of the CPA approach, new concepts are introduced through the use of physical objects or practical equipment. These can be physically handled, enabling children to explore different mathematical concepts. These are sometimes referred to as maths manipulatives and can include ordinary household items such as straws or dice, or specific mathematical resources such as dienes or numicon.

Once children are confident with a concept using concrete resources, they progress to drawing pictorial representations or quick sketches of the objects. By doing this, they are no longer manipulating the physical resources, but still benefit from the visual support the resources provide.

Some teachers choose to leave this stage out, but pictorial recording is key to ensuring that children can make the link between a concrete resource and abstract notation. Without it, children can find actually visualising a problem difficult.

Once children have a secure understanding of the concept through the use of concrete resources and visual images, they are then able to move on to the abstract stage. Here, children are using abstract symbols to model problems – usually numerals. To be able to access this stage effectively, children need access to the previous two stages alongside it.

For the most effective learning to take place, children need to constantly go back and forth between each of the stages. This ensures concepts are reinforced and understood.

Whilst the large majority of children progress through the curriculum content at the same pace, varied starting points and timely teacher interventions are utilised to help move children on. Some children with SEND will receive personalised learning. Independent work provides the means for all children to develop their fluency further, before progressing to problem-solving and reasoning which is modelled by the class teacher. Each lesson provides the means to achieve greater depth, with more able children being offered rich and sophisticated problems, as well as exploratory and investigative tasks.

Practice and consolidation play a central role in helping to commit learning to long-term memory. In addition to daily maths lessons, children will practise their mental and arithmetic knowledge in order to reinforce and consolidate previous learning; increase fluency, speed and accuracy; and improve confidence. Regular use of Times Tables Rock Stars, Numbots, MyMaths and Flashback 4 will enable children to practise and retain the number skills and strategies needed to be successful in their learning.

Impact

Ongoing assessment takes place within each maths lesson, including effective marking and feedback. Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess children regularly to identify those requiring intervention. These are fed into subsequent planning to ensure the gaps in the children’s learning are diminishing.

End of block White Rose assessments, as well as other assessments, are used to identify gaps in knowledge. These ensure precise teaching and targeted focus for all children in whole class teaching sessions and smaller intervention groups. Regular monitoring of the children’s learning will take place.

We recognise that quality first teaching and a consistent practice in maths are essential in improving outcomes for all children. The school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing their collaborative and independent skills.

At Havelock, we want all children to experience challenge and success in mathematics by developing a growth mindset and learning to take a risk. Children can underperform in maths because they think they can’t do it or are not naturally good at it. Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in maths. Engaging activities help to promote the enjoyment of maths. Regular and ongoing assessment informs teaching to support and enable the success of each child with carefully scaffolded and challenging activities. These factors ensure that we are able to maintain the high standards we strive for as a school and the children experience achievement and a secure understanding of the fundamental skills needed in maths throughout primary school and to prepare them for the next stage of their education.

Times Tables

Being fluent with times tables facts is extremely important if children are to be successful mathematicians. The national expectation is that children should know all the times tables facts to 12×12 by the end of Year 4.

The programmes of study from the National Curriculum state the year group expectations as follows:

Year 2
Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables.

Year 3
Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables.

Year 4
Recall and use multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12×12.

As children continue with their learning in KS2, a lot of the rich, interesting maths is all about the multiplicative relationships and these are hard to fully grasp without the fluent recall of the tables.  All Year 4 children will have to sit a Multiplication Tables Check from 2021. This check consists of 25 questions, up to 12×12. The children get 6 seconds from the time the question appears to input their answer on a computer. This means that children must be able to read, recall and enter their response within the given time. In the check, there is a focus on questions from the 6, 7, 8, 9- and 12-times tables.

Please click on the logos below to access Timetable Rockstars and My Maths