Mathematics at The Hendreds
Vision
A high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world. It develops skills including sorting, classifying, sequencing, pattern-finding, measuring, estimating, calculating, deduction, reasoning and problem-solving. We strive to enable all our pupils to leave primary school with a positive and confident attitude towards their own numeracy skills. We foster an understanding of the application and importance of mathematics in everyday life and provide opportunities for the children to appreciate the beauty and power of mathematics.
A spiral approach
Our spiral approach to teaching sees children learning, practicing, consolidating, applying, revisiting and building on each mathematical skill as they progress through the school.
Core skills
Our weekly times table tests, number bonds and speed tables challenges throughout KS2 support our rigorous approach to core skills. Times tables practice is a weekly homework task for all children in Classes 3, 4 and 5 and morning maths activities help to embed mathematical vocabulary and confidence with basic operations.
Mathematical fluency
Fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics is supported by our weekly ‘Big Maths’ work throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. This consolidates and deepens children’s mathematical understanding and recall, and enables them to apply calculation strategies, mathematical knowledge and reasoning. The range of challenges included in ‘Big Maths’ ensures opportunities for developing mastery, as does our reciprocal learning culture, which enables children to learn from their peers and to explain and demonstrate their mathematical understanding.
Pupil attainment and progress
Mathematics teaching shows challenge for all learners by setting high expectations and providing differentiation, scaffolding and support to enable all children to make continual progress and reach their personal attainment goals. Teaching incorporates a range of strategies including class teaching, group and pair work, reciprocal learning, written, oral and practical sessions.
Cross-curricular application of mathematics
At The Hendreds we view all the children’s activities that are recorded in books as contributing to the development of their literacy and writing skills or their mathematical and reasoning skills. We maximise teaching and learning opportunities across the curriculum to consolidate and apply numeracy skills, for example, recording direction work in geography or data analysis from science or topic work in maths books.
Teacher-pupil dialogue
Maths books are reflective of the ongoing teaching and learning dialogue between teachers and each individual pupil. Children are encouraged to reflect on their progress and comment on their own understanding and confidence in their work. Teachers respond with timely verbal and written feedback. Effective ongoing assessment, including analysis of Big Maths, enables pupils and teachers to identify gaps in knowledge, misconceptions and areas where more support or practice is needed. Children experience genuinely personalised learning as teachers use this assessment cycle to plan teaching and learning activities, set ‘next steps’ and provide focused group or individual work to support the progress of each individual child.
We believe the teaching and learning of mathematics is excellent when…
