Maths at Sladefield Infant School
Here at Sladefield Infant School we recognise the importance of Maths as a life skill and we work to create confident and inquisitive mathematicians. Following the National Curriculum 2014 we provide all of our children with opportunity to;
- Be fluent and confident in the recall and use of the basics of mathematics, this includes the learning and embedding of times tables, number bonds, number facts and their relationships
- Solve problems by independently applying their basic skills, including how to break down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
- Talk and think mathematically – with focuses on describing, explaining, convincing, justifying and proving their ideas and understanding.
At Sladefield, children develop their mathematical skills through a mastery approach. Children are taught one set of mathematical concepts and have regular opportunities to take risks and solve problems. Children use a concrete (things they can touch), pictorial (drawing and representation) and abstract (the numbers) in lessons to ensure they really understand a concept. Lessons are carefully planned in order to allow all pupils to access these concepts and ideas and explore the connections between them. We recognise that all children need a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning in order for future learning to be built upon solid foundations.
Children are encouraged to talk about their learning in Maths and are given opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers and explain their thinking. Teachers use careful questions to draw out children’s discussions and their reasoning.
At Sladefield we have high expectations of our pupils and strive to make the mathematics curriculum accessible to all. However, work is also appropriately varied to support the mathematical thinking of our pupils and the needs of individual pupils including Special Educational Needs and more able children.
In KS1, Maths is taught four times a week for 45 minutes. Children also take part in a 15 minutes Mental Maths session before each lesson. During this session, children practise:
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Counting skills
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Place Value and representing number
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Calculation skills – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
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Rapid recall of facts
Children have access to a variety of resources to help them in their Maths learning and are encouraged to show their learning in different ways.
Teachers use the White Rose Maths Scheme when planning, subsidised with quality resources from sites such as NCETM and Primary Stars Education to support the teaching of the curriculum. The use of these resources give the children the opportunity to use their learning in a wide range of tasks.
In EYFS, Maths is taught daily for 30 minutes. Teachers use the DfE approved ‘Power Maths’ scheme to provide engaging and exciting learning opportunities for children. New concepts are shared within the context of an initial related problem, which children are able to discuss in partners. This initial problem-solving activity prompts discussion and reasoning, as well as promoting an awareness of Maths in relatable real-life contexts that link to other areas of learning. Independent work provides the means for all children to develop their fluency further, before progressing to more complex related problems.
In both EYFS and KS1, Mathematical topics are taught in blocks, to enable the achievement of ‘mastery’ over time.