Maths

We believe that students deserve an engaging and ambitious mathematics curriculum, rich in skills and knowledge, which ignites curiosity and readies them for everyday life and employment in a global and digital society. Being a mathematician at Reedings is about far more than just being an efficient calculator.

Our mathematics curriculum will give students the opportunity to:

become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, through varied and frequent practice, so that pupils rehearse conceptual understanding and become confident in recalling and applying knowledge rapidly and accurately.
use age-appropriate mathematical vocabulary to reason effectively, and solve problems by applying their skills to a variety of problems with increasing challenge.
communicate, justify, argue and prove using mathematical vocabulary through discussion, making connections and investigating theories.
develop their character, including resilience, confidence and independence, so that they contribute positively to the life of the school, their local, national and international community.

At Reedings, we use a carefully sequenced curriculum which is based on the National Curriculum. Teachers use the nationally renowned White Rose resources to ensure children receive daily practise and the opportunity to apply their learning to problem solving and reasoning. Our maths lessons follow a mastery approach structure which allows lessons to introduce a new step or skill, and ensures the children learn and practise the skill before application to real-world problems.

Each day, pupils take part in a fluency session, known as Flashback 4, to ensure prior knowledge is revisited and withheld.

We aim to teach some elements of maths in a cross-curricular way to ensure children recognise the practical application of mathematical skills. For example, some aspects of statistics, such as graph drawing and analysis, is taught in science, while aspects like Roman numerals may be learnt in history.

There is a strong focus on using mathematical vocabulary and discussion of efficient methods or approaches to problem solving, with an aim to broaden and deepen mathematical understanding.

Every classroom has a wide range of physical resources designed to support cognition and reasoning and encourage independent learning.

Children complete homework activities, which embed prior learning and consolidate their skills, using the online resource MyMaths. They also develop their times table and division fact knowledge using Times Table Rockstars, which is an engaging and competitive way to improve recall.

Teachers use verbal and written feedback to guide the children through their next steps, ensuring they are meeting each specific learning objective. Teachers also use assessment, in the form of regular informal assessment in class and termly diagnostic testing, to influence their planning and ensure they are providing a mathematics curriculum that will allow each child to achieve their full potential.

The teaching of maths is monitored by the maths co-ordinator who will look at the children’s books, visit lessons on learning walks and identify key areas for development across the school.

It is expected that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged by being offered rich and sophisticated problems rather than moving on to the next step too quickly. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice or support, before moving on.

All children make good or better progress across the mathematics curriculum, and leave Reedings ready for the challenges and opportunities that await them at secondary school and beyond.