Our Vision and Aims for Maths

Mathematics makes a significant contribution to modern society, helping us to understand science, technology, engineering and economics. Children who are confident and fluent mathematicians are well equipped to calculate, reason, solve problems and make decisions in a range of real life contexts.

Good maths learning takes place when pupils are given opportunities to solve problems by developing their understanding and making links between different areas of maths and applying skills.

Good maths teaching enables good learning to take place. It involves creating a lively and stimulating environment in which children can respond to high levels of expectation and challenge. They are kept on the edge of their thinking.

Our aims in mathematics are:

  • For pupils to develop high levels of confidence, enthusiasm, enjoyment  and resilience in learning maths;
  • To use a broad range of approaches to engage and motivate pupils, expecting their active participation;
  • For all pupils to confidently understand the place value of whole numbers and decimals;
  • For all pupils to memorise, recall and apply number facts in times tables, doubles, halves and bonds in order to be fluent mathematicians;
  • For all pupils to know and use a range of mental and written strategies to calculate confidently and efficiently;
  • To explore enrichment opportunities in other areas of the curriculum and outside the classroom;
  • For pupils to make reasoned decisions about how to approach, record and justify their mathematics;
  • For pupils to develop a curiosity to question and generalise, responding to challenges with understanding;
  • To set challenging targets which result in rapid progress for all;
  • To respond regularly to pupils’ work, identifying misconceptions and extending learning.

 

National Curriculum

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
  • reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
  • can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

National Curriculum 2014 Key Stage 1 and 2

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.

Key Stage 2

Years 3 & 4

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.

Years 5 & 6

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Teaching should also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.

Click on the links below for information about Maths at KTS:

Maths Policy

Year 1 Maths Curriculum Map

Year 2 Maths Curriculum Map

Year 3 Maths Curriculum Map

Year 4 Maths Curriculum Map

Year 5 Maths Curriculum Map

Year 6 Maths Curriculum Map

Calculations – How we teach Addition

Calculations – How we teach Subtraction

Calculations – How we teach Multiplication

Calculations – How we teach Division

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