Maths

At Upton St James (USJ) our intent is to provide pupils with a rich and meaningful maths education which enables them to rise to their best and gain knowledge of maths for use in everyday life.    We intend on delivering a curriculum which:

• Gives children the fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics (maths) through varied and frequent practice. 
• Develops conceptual understanding, particularly in the progression of calculation methods
• Develops the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. 
• Allows children to reason mathematically using the skills, knowledge and mathematical language they have acquired
• Allows children to solve multi step problems by down problems into a series of smaller steps and persevering in seeking solutions. 
• Allows children to be a part of creative and engaging lessons that give them a range of ways to see mathematics
• Let each pupil believe in their ability to do Maths with a growth mindset attitude, developing resilience in all areas of the mathematics curriculum

Intervention

• Class teacher to pre-teach lowest-attaining children.

Retrieval Practice

• Flashback 4 for all classes (Year 1 – 6). Whole class feedback given (no need to mark).
• Start each lesson by recapping previous lesson’s learning (focusing on misconceptions/difficult points).
• Try to link teaching input to examples of other areas of maths/real life contexts eg. measures, geometry, statistics, time, temperature etc
• WRM end of unit assessment used to summarise/consolidate learning at end of unit.

Lesson Design

• Share specific, precise learning objective from WRM
• Include slide to chant key vocabulary together at start of lesson (include on slides throughout & insist on use of correct vocabulary from all, at all times)
• Concrete manipulatives used by all children in all year groups in the vast majority of lessons. These should be selected by the teacher in order to ensure the manipulative that best exposes the structure of the maths is used. Use one key manipulative per lesson.
• Address difficult points/misconceptions (see WRM ‘Things to look for’ teacher guidance) before independent work (eg. ‘Explain why this is wrong’)
• Give children opportunities to practise examples/draw images/write explanations in maths book or on whiteboards before independent tasks
• Include relevant generalised statements/stem sentences (see WRM teacher guide)/facts to chant together as a class & support fluency
• Include screenshots/snips of tasks for modelling
• Use working wall to support learning as appropriate

Challenging Highest-Attainers

• Provide ‘Diving Deeper’ challenges for higher-attainers/reapid-graspers. This Diving Deeper task should be very challenging for your very highest-attaining children.
• Suggested places to get Diving Deeper (symbol attached) from: Gareth Metcalfe I See Reasoning tasks; Reasoning & problem solving tasks from WRM SOL; NCETM mastery assessment questions; WRM home learning worksheets.
• Include additional deepening activities as part of independent learning tasks, to be completed in maths book (eg. explain/draw an image/write a story/explain the mistake/give an example or non-example etc).

Feedback & Marking

• TA and teacher to circulate, live-mark (green & pink marking) and provide verbal feedback during the lesson.

Key questions to use in all lessons

• What do you notice?
• What stays the same? What changes?
• What’s the same? What’s different?
• Why is this incorrect? What mistake has been made?
• Can you think of a method/example that no one else will think of? And another? And another? (great to challenge highest-attaining children)
• How do you know? Explain.

Additional Mathematics

• Times table number facts are being taught daily using multiplication booklets as well as daily using Times Table Rockstars. Mastering Number is taught in Reception, Year 1 and 2 to ensure children are fluent in number facts to 20 and number sense.
• Arithmetic is taught either by weekly tests or daily throughout Flashback 4.

Impact

• Children show a confidence in calculation methods and are able to apply them in all aspects of their Maths.
• Children are able to recall number facts and times tables quickly to enable them to solve number calculations confidently.
• Children show a high level of pride in their work, rising to be their best both in its presentation and their understanding of the knowledge.
• Children are able to reason about their mathematics explaining why they have done something a particular way and how they know they are right about their knowledge.  They are able to use the correct mathematical language to explain themselves. 
• Children can ‘stick at’ or ‘have a go’ at a problem and see it through to the end, showing resilience and the ability to make mistakes.

• Children show a confidence in calculation methods and are able to apply them in all aspects of their Maths. 

• Children are able to recall number facts and times tables quickly to enable them to solve number calculations confidently. 

• Children show a high level of pride in their work, rising to be their best both in its presentation and their understanding of the knowledge. 

• Children are able to reason about their mathematics explaining why they have done something a particular way and how they know they are right about their knowledge.  They are able to use the correct mathematical language to explain themselves.   

• Children can ‘stick at’ or ‘have a go’ at a problem and see it through to the end, showing resilience and the ability to make mistakes.