MATHS

Latest Maths news at Norfolk! - Each class now has three maths goals chosen by the teacher to improve the fluency skills of the children. These are tailored to areas each specific class are working on improving and activities in 'fast maths' sessions are based on these goals. 

Times Table of the Week! - Keep an eye out for which is the special times table for you to practice each week. Send us your fantastic ways of practising at home! 

KS1 - Collect your child's 'Home Maths Kit' from school! It has many pieces of equipment inside to help with our online lessons and home learning. :) 

As part of the mastery approach a positive teacher mind-set and strong subject knowledge are key to student success in Mathematics. It is not the case that some pupils can do Mathematics and others cannot. No pupil should be left behind. The focus is keeping up over catching up. By making high expectations clear and emphasising the value of Mathematics education, pupils are encouraged to build confidence and resilience. Abilities are neither fixed nor innate, but can be developed through practice, support, dedication and hard work. Natural talent is just a starting point and does not determine who has more or less potential to achieve. A positive teacher mind-set in Mathematics encourages a love of learning and resilience that enables everyone to achieve. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils are given the opportunity to achieve mastery in the key concepts of Mathematics, appropriate for their age group, in order that they make genuine progress and avoid gaps in their understanding that provide barriers to learning as they move through education. Assessment for Learning, an emphasis on investigation, cross curricular mathematics, problem solving and the development of mathematical thinking and a rigorous approach to the development of teacher subject knowledge are therefore essential components of Norfolk Primary’s approach to this subject.

We offer a programme of pre-teaching and same day intervention to ensure all children remain on track with age-expected mathematics learning.

Our pupils should:

• Have a well-developed sense of the size of a number and where it fits into the number system.
• Know by heart age appropriate number facts such as number bonds, multiplication tables, doubles and halves.
• Use what they know by heart to figure out numbers mentally.
• Calculate accurately and efficiently, both mentally and in writing and paper, drawing on a range of calculation strategies.
• Recognise when it is appropriate to use a calculator and be able to do so effectively.
• Make sense of number problems, including non-routine/’real’ problems and identify the operations needed to solve them.
• Explain their methods and reasoning, using correct mathematical terms.
• Judge whether their answers are reasonable and have strategies for checking them where necessary.
• Suggest suitable units for measuring and make sensible estimates of measurements.
• Explain and make predictions from the numbers in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables.
• Develop spatial awareness and an understanding of the properties of 2d and 3d shapes.

Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract

We believe that all children, when introduced to a new concept, should have the opportunity to build competency by taking this approach.

Concrete – children should have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand what they are doing.

Pictorial – alongside this children should use pictorial representations. These representations can then be used to help reason and solve problems.

Abstract – both concrete and pictorial representations should support children’s understanding of abstract methods.

At Norfolk, we are using the White Rose Maths Mastery to structure our planning. We are currently working alongside Maths specialists from the Maths Hubs to make adjustments to further improve our Maths curriculum. The aim is the make our Maths curriculum more personalised to match the needs of our children.

Our curriculum takes Mathematical processes and breaks them down into small steps that children are able to digest. We strive for children to talk about their Maths skills with confidence and using the correct vocabulary to articulate their understanding.

At Norfolk we are focussing on three main processes; concrete, pictorial and abstract. We believe that the combination of these will make our children more efficient in applying their Maths skills.

We aim to deepen understanding and improve competence and confidence for every child in Maths. We want all children to become creative and resilient Mathematicians who approach challenges with a positive mind-set.

The White Rose Maths schemes of work:

• Have number at their heart. A large proportion of time is spent reinforcing number to build competency.
• Ensure teachers stay in the required key stage and support the ideal of depth before breadth.
• Ensure students have the opportunity to stay together as they work through the schemes as a whole group.
• Provide plenty of opportunities to build reasoning and problem solving elements in the curriculum.

Recommendations have been made by the Education Endowment Foundation based on research findings in order to improve the quality of teaching of Maths in a guidance report entitled Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three.

As a school, we have explored this report and have decided that we think its content can also benefit the teaching and learning on Maths in Key Stage One.

The recommendations are as follows:

1. Use assessment to build on pupils’ existing knowledge and understanding.
2. Use manipulatives and representations.
3. Teach pupils strategies for solving problems.
4. Enable pupils to develop a rich network of mathematical knowledge.
5. Develop pupils’ independence and motivation.
6. Use tasks and resources to challenge and support pupils’ mathematics.
7. Use structured interventions to provide additional support.
8. Support pupils to make a successful transition between primary and secondary school.