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Denbury Primary

Denbury
Primary School

Maths Policies and Resources

Vision & Intent

At Denbury School, we believe that children should experience the awe and wonder of mathematics as they learn to solve through problems; develop ways of looking at patterns; discover efficient strategies and make links between different areas of maths. We believe maths is a universal language; it helps us describe, make sense, investigate, understand and respect our ever-changing world with a sense of enjoyment and curiosity. We believe all children can achieve in mathematics and teach for secure and deep understanding of concepts through fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Where possible, we try to make our maths ‘real maths’, making our learning and experiences relevant to everyday life. We use mistakes and misconceptions as an essential part of learning and provide challenges through rich and varied problems. We encourage children to use a range of approaches, equipping them efficient strategies and ensuring they understand them. At Denbury School, the majority of children will be taught age-related content and will be supported n understanding this through pre-teaching and corrective teaching when necessary. Our hope is that students leaving Denbury School have an ambition for life-long learning within the discipline as well as the skills to access further mathematical concepts as they move on to secondary school and beyond.

We aspire for our students to:

· Be curious

· Ask questions

· Spot patterns

· Make conjectures

· Make generalisations

· Reflect on their learning

· Be confident to disprove an idea

· Be a mathematical thinker!

Implementation - A Mastery Approach!

 Our long term and medium term plans utilise a sequence of progressive lessons following the White Rose Maths Mastery Approach (which enables us to achieve the aims of the 2014 National Curriculum) from Reception to Year 6 where our goal is to deepen understanding so that each learning step builds upon the next. Our key principles to this approach consist of:

· The idea that all children can learn all mathematical content through a carefully sequenced curriculum.

· No limit to depth of knowledge for pupils about a concept.

· Ensuring children have the necessary pre-requisite knowledge and understanding before moving on to further concepts.

· Facilitating and supporting children in making links in learning across and within the year group content (and previously studied content).

· Allowing pupils to recognise their own role in learning and achievement.

A progression map has been provided to all teaching staff so that they understand where children are coming from and where they are headed! We tailor our sequential plans to individual cohorts. All students are taught in their relevant year group for mathematics and where possible in separate classrooms. As pupils enter UKS2, we are supportive of students who are accessing material such as the 11+ for secondary/grammar school and work with parents/tutors to make connections.

In the long term, we would like to continue to develop deeper understanding for our teaching staff’s pedagogical knowledge. We are working on incorporating more reasoning and problem solving with mathematical talk across the school as this is an identified next step with CPD scheduled for Summer term 2022. Our EYFS and KS1 staff are involved in Mastering Number with the CODE Maths TRG which is already having an amazing impact on

mathematical talk and confidence for all involved. In KS2, our mathematics lead continues to work with the sustaining work CODE Maths group focusing on oracy and fluency.

Learning Steps

For each learning step, teachers will make explicit links to prior learning, recapping any content. Stem sentences are used in each learning step to help all students to secure their understanding using mathematical talk. Retrieval opportunities are exploited (something we are keen to roll out to all subject areas), this may involve an activity such as the retrieval clock or a Frayer Model, and could be at any point in a step. Within the learning step, we follow a structure of Discover (concrete/pictorial/abstract), Share and think (including misconceptions) before securing and deepening our knowledge and understanding. Manipulatives are used to represent the math, stem sentences verbally reinforce mathematical language and talk, giving students a chance to practise. Depth of understanding is promoted through high level discussion, open-ended tasks to ensure students can articulate their mathematical thinking and consider alternative approaches.

Working walls, are used in each year group to show the block that children are working on. Learning steps and stem sentences are displayed to help reinforce students learning. Copies of models and images have been particularly useful to help scaffold learning for all – especially with any misconceptions.

As a learner, the use of pupil voice in all subjects has been very useful to inform teaching staff, particularly to support next steps. For EYFS and KS1, the use of traffic lights allows students to respond to a learning step. In KS2, students will be encouraged record their response using a full sentence and based on the specific maths covered.

Assessment and Informing Next Steps

Pre-requisites are used as an ongoing form of assessment combined with any elicitation and exit tasks for each block of mathematics studied. Teaching staff understand the importance of capturing pre-requisites and how to build in learning opportunities for students. Within each learning step, teaching staff are expected to assess children formatively, to ensure all students keep up with the learning. Any catch-up may involve post teaching session or a pre-teach to build pupil’s confidence for the lesson ahead. We use a variety of methods to record our mathematical understanding: EYFS students use Tapestry; Years 1 -6, mathematics books and Seesaw journals with stem sentences and annotations included. Feedback takes place throughout each learning step verbally, through immediate intervention.

SEND

We have an ambitious curriculum for all students including our SEND children. If a SEND student is maintaining pace within their own year group, then the student would remain in class and supported as necessary. However, SEND students who are significantly behind their year group peers, will work in a small group outside of the class lesson to allow the pupil to work progress from their starting point. Small SEND groups will be taught by teaching staff utilising NCETM small stepped materials planned and monitored by class teachers. Accompanying NCETM assessment materials are then used to inform Individual Educational Plans with specific targets.