Maths Curriculum Statement

At Round Diamond School we provide opportunities for all children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop their fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills; our aim is that all learners are equipped with the knowledge to solve ever more challenging mathematical problems. We promote a curriculum which is accessible to all and will maximise the development of every child’s ability.

We believe all children can achieve in maths, and teach for secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures through manageable steps within learning journeys. We value robust assessment for learning to identify gaps and misconceptions. Challenge is embedded through tasks that develop fluency, problem-solving and reasoning skills, and are adapted to children’s needs to ensure our maths curriculum is aspirational to all children. Across year groups, children build their understanding through mathematical resources and pictorial representations. With these foundations embedded, children move on to an abstract approach using symbols, numbers and key concepts. Our aim is that by the end of Key Stage 2, all children will be able to use an efficient written method for each operation with confidence, accuracy and with understanding to apply their knowledge to a range of problem solving and reasoning contexts.

Through our maths curriculum, we want all children to enjoy maths and to experience success in the subject, with the confidence to reason and problem solve mathematically in a range of contexts.

Our mathematics curriculum is sequenced to promote long-term learning. The core content of number and place value and the four operations is taught within the first half of a term and then applied to other curriculum domains within the second half of a term. Each year group follows their own bespoke long-term plan. Below is an example of the long-term plan for Year 3.

Progression of skills is clearly mapped for teachers to know what has come before and what will come next in children's mathematical understanding. 

Mastery is a teaching and learning approach that aims for pupils to develop deep understanding of mathematics. Mastery of a mathematical concept means that a child can use their knowledge of the concept to solve unfamiliar problems in a range of contexts, and undertake complex reasoning, using the appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Our approach aims for pupils to have mastered the fundamental facts and concepts of mathematics for their year or key stage so they are ready to move confidently on to their next stage.

FLUENCY INVOLVES:

• Quick and efficient recall of facts and procedures.

• The flexibility to move between different contexts and representations.

• The ability to recognise relationships and make connections in mathematics, without reliance on teacher modelling.

REPRESENTATION & STRUCTURE:

Mathematical structures are the laws and relationships that we want children to spot. Using different representations can help children to ‘see’ these laws and relationships.

VARIATION
Procedural variation – This is a deliberate change in the type of examples used and questions set, to draw attention to certain features.
Conceptual variation – This is presenting a concept in different ways, to show what a concept is, in all its different forms to deepen understanding.

MATHEMATICAL THINKING INVOLVES:

• Looking for pattern and relationships

• Logical Reasoning

• Making Connections

COHERENCE

Teachers break the mathematics curriculum down into small steps to develop mastery and address all aspects in a logical and progressive sequence. This will ensure deep and long-term learning for all pupils.

The structure of a lesson

A typical lesson in Years 1 to 6 will be structured as follows:

• Fluency (about 15 to 20 minutes) whole-class learning to rehearse, recall and develop mental and oral skills with speed and accuracy including times tables and number facts to a level of fluency.
• The main teaching activity (round 45 to 50 minutes) teaching input and differentiated pupil activities – work as a whole class, in groups, in pairs or as individuals.
• A plenary (around 10 to 15 minutes) working as a whole class to address misconceptions and identify progress.  Also to be used to summarise key facts and to make links to other learning as well as giving the children the opportunity to self-evaluate their learning.  Mini plenaries may be used throughout a lesson to revisit, consolidate and share next steps in learning.

This could include:

• Counting in steps of different sizes, including chanting as a whole class and counting round the class.
• Practising mental calculations and the rapid recall of number facts in varied ways (for example, by playing an interactive number game, by giving examples of ‘a number one less than a multiple of 5’ or ‘a calculation with the answer 12’).
• Figuring out new facts from known facts and explaining the strategies used.
• Consolidating and building on a previous strategy, and then developing it.
• Identifying facts which children can learn to automaticity and discussing ways of remembering them.

Fluency will be planned based on teachers’ knowledge of the children and the practise they need to progress in their learning.

Key vocabulary

To ensure that the correct language is used, maths vocabulary posters for the four operations will be displayed in classrooms and current key vocabulary is displayed on maths learning walls in turquoise. This vocabulary is taken from the Mathematics Vocabulary Progression Grid, showing key mathematical vocabulary from Nursery to Year 6.

EYFS

 Within the EYFS, mathematics is developed through purposeful, play based experiences and will be represented throughout the indoor and outdoor provision. The learning will be based on pupil’s interests and current themes in their core text, while focusing on the expectations from the Early Years Framework. Mathematical understanding can be developed through stories, songs, games, imaginative play, child-initiated learning, and structured teaching. As pupils progress, they will be encouraged to record their mathematical thinking in a more formal way.

From Year 1-6, teachers follow a times table progression grid to develop children's fluency and recall of multiplication and division facts. The teaching of times tables follows a progressive teach, practise, retrieve and assess approach so that times table facts are firmly embedded for fluency and understanding. 

Each week, the children have a Times Table Rock Star (TTRS) session within their maths fluency time. TTRS is also accessible at home and weekly certificates are awarded in assembly for a range of reasons such as: most coins earned, most minutes played, biggest improvement in accuracy and studio speed.