Maths

Maths – Intent Statement

The intent of our mathematics curriculum at Pickhurst Infant Academy is to design a curriculum, which is accessible to all and will maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement in line with the national curriculum.  We deliver lessons that are creative and engaging, using a range of stimuli to hook the children and allow them to make links between their learning and everyday situations.  Our curriculum aims to help children to gain an enjoyment of maths through a growing self-confidence in their ability.  We want children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. We understand that the way pupils speak and write about mathematics transforms their learning so we plan carefully sequenced and structured vocabulary to ensure that the children can not only say what the answer is, but to understand how they know it is right.   We ensure that the children’s strategies for calculation, progress alongside the content and give children opportunities to notice patterns in order to solve problems and to choose an efficient strategy based on what they know using their mathematical language to reason about the answer.   We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to other subjects as well as to maximise their enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Implementation

Across the school, we ensure learning is cumulative and progressive by following the White Rose yearly coverage overviews but teachers will use their knowledge of the children to ensure the content is matched closely to the children’s needs and interests.  We do this by using a range of exciting and age appropriate stimuli to inspire their learning, including picture books, Number Blocks and real-life situations, to ensure maths is purposeful and enjoyable.  Maths skills are taught sequentially and children are given an opportunity to develop fluency, reasoning, and problem solving across all areas of the maths curriculum. . Lessons are carefully planned to ensure links between maths concepts are made when appropriate and there are regular opportunities built in to rehearse previously learnt concepts.  Children are supported in their learning through the Concrete, Pictorial, and Abstract ways of learning.  Mathematical vocabulary is taught explicitly in lessons and children are given regular opportunities to talk about maths and rehearse newly taught vocabulary.  Our Calculation Policy ensures mathematical concepts are progressive and develop on children’s prior learning, building towards maximising their fluent strategies for solving a range of maths questions.