At Studlands Rise we strive for our children to be successful and proficient mathematicians who can solve problems fluently, recall facts rapidly and reason mathematically while justifying their responses. This will provide them with essential life skills required to be financially capable while understanding and contributing to the world around them. It will allow them to create solutions to problems in a range of settings. To be successful, pupils should display the following attributes:

curiosity, resourcefulness, determination, flexibility and bravery.

 

Intent  

At Studlands we follow a mastery based approach for Mathematics. The school is part of the Herts and NCETM Maths Hubs Programme which focus on developing maths mastery.

You will notice these key features when observing Maths learning around our school:

·         Teaching the whole class altogether

·         Small steps in learning

·         Precise and accurate use of mathematical language by the teacher and the pupils

·         Pupils speaking in full sentences

·         Analysis of strategies

·         Lots of discussion by the children

·         Lessons have a small focus

·         Common misconceptions are addressed and planned for

At Studlands we strive to demonstrate a set of pedagogic practices that keep the class working together on the same topic, whilst at the same time addressing the need for all pupils to master the curriculum and for some to gain greater depth of proficiency and understanding. Challenge is provided by going deeper rather than accelerating into new mathematical content. Teaching is focused, rigorous and thorough, to ensure that learning is sufficiently embedded and sustainable over time. Long term gaps in learning are prevented through pre-teaching and same day catch up. More time is spent on teaching topics to allow for the development of depth and sufficient practice to embed learning. Carefully crafted lesson design provides a scaffolded, conceptual journey through the mathematics, engaging pupils in reasoning and the development of mathematical thinking.

 

At Studlands you will see happy, engaged and enquiring learners. This will ensure:

 

·         Deep and sustainable learning.

·         The ability to reason about a concept and make connections.

·         The ability to build on something that has already been mastered.

·         Conceptual and procedural fluency.

·         Mastery is not just being able to memorise key facts and procedures and answer test questions accurately and quickly. It involves knowing ‘why’ as well as knowing ‘that’ and knowing ‘how’. It means being able to use one’s knowledge appropriately, flexibly and creatively and to apply it in new and unfamiliar situations.          

 

We know as a staff body that a pupil really understands a mathematical concept if they can:

 

• Describe it in their own words and explain it to someone else;
• Represent it in a variety of ways (the CPA approach – Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract);
• Make up their own examples;
• See connections between it and other facts or ideas;
  Recognise it in new situations.

 

Implementation  

At Studlands, we believe that it is important to ensure that all children in EYFS develop firm mathematical foundations in a way that is engaging, and appropriate for their age. In Nursery and Reception children learn about Maths through play and their daily experiences – the more meaningful to them and hands on it is, the better! Across EYFS, the children have the opportunity to start developing their early Maths learning which will underpin everything they will encounter as they progress in their Maths learning in Primary school: Cardinality and Counting; Comparison; Composition; Pattern; Shape and Space; Measures. In Reception, Mastering Number is used to support the teachers in confidently helping children bring numbers and ideas to life in the real world around them. The resources support the teachers in drawing out and building on mathematical concepts. Geometry is taught using White Rose in line with the rest of the school. Nursery also make use of White Rose as well as following children’s interests and abilities.

 

In KS1 and KS2, we use White Rose planning and assessment materials to support our delivery of the curriculum. The sequences are written as a spiral curriculum in which learning is built upon step by step, sequence by sequence and year on year. It is aspirational and ensures progression and coverage through the primary phase. All year groups also use Mastering Number to support fluency and understanding of number.

 
At Studlands, children are taught as a whole class with scaffolding implicit throughout. In our classrooms, you will see scaffolded modelled examples, manipulatives to support understanding 

across all year groups, pictorial representations, small step progression and highlighted opportunities for pupils to explore concepts at greater depth.

 

Pupils in all year groups record daily in their Maths books, providing them with many opportunities for practise and consolidation.  This provides children with a log that they can look back on to see how learning has progressed and developed within sequences and over time.

 

Scaffolding in Maths lessons is provided through questioning, speaking frames, highlighting and modelling key learning points and the use of manipulatives. At Studlands, our teachers focus on; ‘How can I ensure my pupils access the learning at an age appropriate level?’ This requires our teachers to know their pupils well and have strong mathematical subject knowledge.

 

Where there is a need to support pupils to catch or keep up this is provided through same day catch up or pre teaching. This is flexible and tailored to the children’s needs. There will be times when a start to the lesson can be used to provide a whole class pre-teaching opportunity, to cue pupils back into prior learning, reactivating and rehearsing this before building on this in the main focus. There will also be times when a carefully selected group of pupils require some tailored pre-teaching or same day catch up. For example, supporting pupils to access the language that will be needed. Where individual pupils or a small group are unable to secure the learning after teaching time. We aim for this to happen as close to the learning as possible. It may require re-explanation of the learning and rehearsal of the concept, or tracking back to a piece of previous learning which has been found to be insecure.

Where particular pupils have SEND and are unable to access the age related expectations, a more tailored curriculum will be provided. For individual pupils working well below the level expected, teaching sequences from previous year groups can be used to help to track forwards from the skills pupils have. This ensures the pupils build upon solid foundations, rather than adapting the age related expectations in a way that might create gaps or build an insecure surface-level understanding.

 

Teachers use questioning and observations during the lesson to assess understanding and this informs subsequent lessons. Teachers will also mark books to assess the children’s understanding, knowledge and ability to apply the skills that they have learned. Use of problem solving and reasoning questions and assessment tasks / tests will help to provide evidence that pupils have secured the related learning. Once in year 2, the children will complete summative assessments linked to the content cover of their year group curriculum. These summative assessments support teachers in planning and adapting learning appropriately for their children.

 

The Maths Leader and SLT will conduct learning walks, book reviews and pupil voice to ensure the overview of coverage and to ascertain pupils’ views of Maths. This monitoring allows triangulation of consistency, pitch and progress across the school.   

 
Along with regular in school Maths CPD, our teachers have attended various CPD sessions via the Maths hub to provide them with the knowledge and understanding of the theory behind our approach to teaching Maths. The Maths subject leader also attends the County and Maths Hub updates. 

 

Click here to visit White Rose Maths

 

At Studlands Rise we are Mathematicians.

 

We have:

• An understanding of the important concepts and an ability to make connections within mathematics.
• A broad range of skills in using and applying mathematics.
• Fluent knowledge and recall of number facts and the number system.
• The ability to show initiative in solving problems in a wide range of contexts, including the new or unusual.
• The ability to think independently and to persevere when faced with challenges, showing a confidence of success.
• The ability to embrace the value of learning from mistakes and false starts.
• The ability to reason, generalise and make sense of solutions.
• Fluency in performing written and mental calculations and mathematical techniques.
• A wide range of mathematical vocabulary.
• A commitment to and passion for the subject.