Mathematics

Maths Curriculum

In line with the Government’s introduction of the New National Curriculum our teaching and policies place an even greater emphasis on number and calculation, whilst maintaining the high standards of mathematical thinking, problem solving and cross curricular maths already the norm across the school. The curriculum has three core aims, which are equally weighted:

 

• Reasoning Skills
• Problem Solving skills
• Procedural Fluency

 

The New Curriculum is divided into the following sections:

 

• Number – including Number and Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division and Fractions (including Decimals (Year 4, 5 & 6) and Percentages (Year 5 & 6).
• Measurement.
• Ratio and Proportion (Year 6 only).
• Algebra (Year 6 only).
• Geometry – including Position and Direction.
• Statistics

 

Multiplication Tables

Children are now required to know all of their multiplication tables, up to 12 x 12 by the end of year four. At our school we require learners to know all of their tables, up to the 6th multiple by the end of year three as this gives the children familiarity with a greater range of numbers with which to calculate. By “knowing their tables” we mean being able to say they with fluency, answer questions out of the tables sequence and knowing the associated division facts.

 

Mastering Maths means:

• fluency (number, calculation, methods used),
• application (problem solving, maths in context),
• reasoning (e.g. these are numbers and a calculation, what calculation could you use; open differentiation; can you explain?)

 

Reasoning in Mathematics

 Reasoning is fundamental to knowing and doing mathematics but when do we reason, what does reasoning 'look like' and how can we help children get better at it?

 

Developing reasoning skills with children is a complex business. They need to learn to become systematic thinkers and also acquire the ability to articulate such thinking in a clear, succinct and logical manner. There needs to be equal emphasis on both these aspects of reasoning and in both we need to consider progression. What would we expect from a novice reasoner as opposed to an expert reasoner? How can we help our children to progress to expert level?

 

Communicating reasoning

In a classroom teachers are focusing on pupils’ communication skills.

 

Here are some possible sentence starters that are encouraged by the teachers:

 

I think this because ...

If this is true then ...

I know that the next one is ... because ...

This can’t work because ...

When I tried xxxx I noticed that ...

The pattern looks like ...

All the numbers begin with ...

Because xxxx then I think xxxx

This won’t work because …

Support for parents

Understanding progress in Mathematics - A guide for parents. 

 

Useful websites for children and parents. Please click on the links below: