Mathematics

Maths Curriculum At Geoffrey Field Junior School

The aim of our maths curriculum is that our pupils leave us with:

• A love of maths and an understanding that all pupils can be great mathematicians
• An ability to think mathematically and to discover and learn something for themselves
• Secure rapid recall skills such as number bonds and multiplication / division facts
• A range of mental maths strategies that they can judiciously select from in order to quickly and efficiently carry out calculations mentally or using informal recording
• Secure written calculation skills using formal written methods
• The ability to solve problems, including those that require more complex reasoning and application of other areas of maths

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Singapore Maths

Since September 2016, we have been using mathematics mastery approaches associated with Singapore Maths – this is based upon best practice research and ensures that we are offering our pupils a world-class maths curriculum. The Department for Education, the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (NCETM), the National Curriculum Review Committee and OFSTED have all emphasised the successful teaching and learning approaches developed in Singapore. We use the only Government approved maths textbooks (Maths No Problem) to support teaching using these approaches and to ensure that we are aiming for age expected learning in every year group.

In 2016/17 pupils in Y3 and Y4 were taught using these approaches and resources. In 2017/18 pupils in Y3, Y4 and Y5 are being taught using these approaches and resources and in 2018/19 all year groups will be fully using this approach.

The principles of Singapore Maths at Geoffrey Field Junior School:

• On-going assessment will ensure that all pupils have learning tailored to their needs. We strongly believe that pupils should continually be challenged and so adapt lessons and resources to ensure that pupils ready for greater depth learning are provided with more challenging tasks.
• All lessons have problem solving at their heart
• No matter what the age of the pupils, new concepts are taught using concrete – visual – abstract (C-V-A) approach which enables pupils of all levels of attainment to develop a deeper and more secure understanding
• Pupils will be challenged to find multiple ways of solving problems, rather than just a focus on getting the correct answer
• Pupils will be given sufficient opportunities to practice new skills using Maths No Problem textbooks and workbooks and additional activities if needed
• Pupils will receive timely and effective further support and challenge where needed
• Pupils will regularly have opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through ‘maths journalling’
• We teach longer units, so that there is sufficient time for pupils to properly secure their understanding and apply into further problem solving activities

Core Competencies

In addition to a daily maths lesson, all year groups have additional weekly maths lessons which focus on the core competencies. These are the five key mental strategies that underpin all areas of maths learning.

1. Number bonds
2. Making 10 and multiples of 10
3. Using known facts
4. Doubling and halving
5. Regrouping numbers

What we teach

Our Curriculum reflects the expectations of the National Curriculum for maths for each year group.  We group age expected objectives together to form units of work which we teach over the year. If pupils are not secure in their learning in any of the key weighted units (see assessment below), they will receive further lessons in the second half of the year.

Units of work

Assessment in maths

Before we start teaching a new unit of work, teachers carry out a prior learning check which enables pupils to show what knowledge, skills and understanding they already have. This information is used by the teachers to:

• Identify anyone that might benefit from some pre-teaching lessons so that they are ready for the new challenges in the up-coming unit
• Flexibly group pupils for each unit so that everyone gets the right level of challenge
• Identify which objectives within the unit to focus on
• Set targets for pupils to work on in that unit

At the end of each unit teachers assess each pupils’ learning and decide whether they have shown that they are working towards age expected learning, working at age expected learning or working at greater depth for that unit. We have a local agreement between the primary schools within our local cluster (WEC) that we will all assess maths in the same way and have an agreed set of criteria that we all use.

At the end of the year a summative judgement is made based upon the learning in each unit of work and pupils’ retention and application of learning over the year. In WEC we have agreed to weight some areas of maths – number, place value and calculations are given greater weighting than other areas of maths.  Pupils who are not demonstrating secure learning in the first half of the year in these weighted areas will be given further teaching in the second half of the year to ensure that pupils leave each year group with secure learning in the key areas of maths.