Maths
Maths at St Anne’s
‘You are the light of the world’
At St Anne’s, children study mathematics daily covering a broad and balanced mathematical curriculum including elements of number, calculation, geometry, measures and statistics, instilling a lifelong love for mathematics. Due to the interconnected nature of mathematics, at St Anne’s we aim to teach maths in a cross-curricular manner as well as discretely to teach the practical application of mathematical skills. We focus not only on the mathematical methods but also focus on mathematical vocabulary and problem solving to broaden and deepen mathematical understanding.
Maths is essential to everyday life; we aim to engage our learners such that they can flourish in order to apply their learning, alongside our Christian Values in their daily life. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We aim to give them the skills and independence to shine in their positive approach to maths both throughout their school journey and beyond.
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
To ensure whole school consistency in our approach, we use the White Rose scheme of work, relating all planning and outcomes to the National Curriculum.
Our curriculum at St Anne’s allows us first to address links with prior learning in previous lessons and units. These links are made through daily ‘flashback’ practice allowing the children to recall previous learning. This informs the teacher if any misconceptions which can consequently be addressed.
New vocabulary is always introduced and explained. At St Anne’s we believe this is a vital part of building connections across the brain to fully understand language. We regularly rehearse mathematical vocabulary in our classrooms by display and working walls.
We aim for pupils to develop rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly challenging problems with resilience and perseverance. Children at St Anne’s apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects with courage and positivity and recognise the relationship that mathematics has with many different areas of the curriculum and the wider world.
Teaching staff use structured small, manageable chunks and guided practice effectively. Our children are regularly given the opportunity to participate in talk tasks to deepen their knowledge.
At St Anne’s, the majority of pupils move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on individual pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through specific ‘Step for Depth’ tasks in order to apply their knowledge and skills to a range of scenarios. We encourage our children to take their learning deeper and broader before any acceleration through new content. For those who require consolidation, this will be given as additional provision to ensure they are supported and encouraged to work with increasing confidence towards their identified end points.