Mathematics Intent and Progression
At St John’s we believe Maths is essential for succeeding in everyday life. It is a network of concepts and relationships which provide children and adults alike with a toolkit for making sense of the world. On the basis of EEF research and a mastery approach, we teach Maths to empower children to solve problems and teach them transferable strategies to enable them to do this, including drawing on visual representations to support them to make sense of unfamiliar situations.
Underpinning this, children are taught mental and written arithmetic and calculation procedures and key mathematical concepts. A robust system through school promotes the recall of key facts including times tables and addition and subtraction pairs. Lessons are structured to allow children to first, practise fundamental concepts and then, be challenged to apply these skills and finally, to deepen their understanding of the concepts through explanation and investigation requiring them to prove and justify their thinking.
Teachers recognise that it is essential that our children develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards Maths and so they draw on a broad range of resources to scaffold children’s learning allowing them to make an individualised journey through the Maths curriculum.
At St John’s we understand the importance of Maths in providing children in our community with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to lead successful lives, have brighter futures and maximise their career potential as they move on to the next stage of their education. With this in mind, adults make every effort to open children’s eyes to the wonder of Maths, making mathematical connections to, not only other curriculum areas, but to the world in which they live. The significant link to English is also valued by developing an understanding of mathematical vocabulary alongside the ability to communicate their thinking orally and in written explanations.
Christian Values, Cultural Capital and Pupil Premium enhancements
Cultural capital visits and visitors - whether it be to the visit to the local bakery as part of D&T, the geography field trip to a river or the PCSO visit – allow us to illustrate how Maths is threaded through all aspects of life whether you are a doctor, cook, builder or shop worker.
Our problem solving approach to the Maths curriculum promotes the Christian Values of tolerance and resilience on a daily basis, with children being encouraged to persevere and try different approaches to arrive at correct solutions whilst also working collaboratively with peers. This helps them to understand, not only the value of hard work and effort, but also the benefits of mutual support and the development of mutual respect.
Success in Maths is central to fostering confidence and high self-esteem. The right mix of challenge and support in our school means children are confident in taking risks with their mathematical thinking on the understanding that mistakes are part of the learning process. We understand the value in celebrating success and take opportunities to do this within lessons and at key landmarks, such as the passing of a ‘Maths passport’ test.
The specific skills and knowledge taught in Mathematics are detailed in our Skill Progression and Knowledge Progression documents. If you wish to see these, please ask your child's class teacher.
